Archos 8 Home Tablet Review Of Specs And Features

The Archos 8 Home tablet is the first slate computer from the company to feature an 8-inches touchscreen display. One of the most noticeable aspects about this device is its thickness. The device is extremely thin and measures just 12mm in depth. The device’s touchscreen display packs a decent 800×600 pixels into its TFT LCD screen for an admirable rendering of multimedia content.

Not too many details about the new device is available even on the Archos product home page. Nevertheless, from what we know, this device will include a 4GB internal flash memory with an additional slot for micro SDHC storage support. The Archos 8 tablet can support HD 720p video playback , audio playback and photo rendition from a variety of different file formats. Other supported features include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, built-in speakers and battery life of close to 42 hours.  USB ports are provided as well.

Now, one very prominent feature in the device is the extremely large bezel. Check out the video below (in French) for a good idea about the device. I’m actually put off by that design. Nevertheless, it could be a bargain if it comes at an attractive price.

How much will you pay for this?

Is Augen GenTouch78 Tablet Using Pirated Android App?

I recently wrote about the new Augen GenTouch78 Android tablet that the company was releasing on KMart at a price of $149.99. One of the interesting features about the 7-inches display tablet running Android 2.1 is the availability of the Android market app. Interesting because, this is an application that is yet to be publicly announced for any Android tablet computer.

It now appears that the company may have obtained the Android market app via an unauthorized vendor. In a statement made to LaptopMag, a Google spokesperson has indicated that their company has not licensed the Android market app to Augen and hence this could be technically illegal. The spokesperson has said,

“Augen included proprietary Google software in their product via an unauthorized vendor. Google only licenses its software to partners and OHA [Open Handset Alliance] members directly.”

It is worth noting that while the Android operating system is itself an open source software, the Android market app is not and only licensed partners are allowed to offer this application on their devices. LaptopMag points out that the fact that this is illegal could then explain an issue noticed with the use of the application on GenTouch78. The website points out that the Android market app only lets users search for apps though downloading was not possible.

It will be interesting to see how Augen’s retail partner KMart decides to proceed in this regard. Considering that incorporation of unlicensed software amounts to piracy, it is likely that KMart may choose to stop selling Augen GenTouch78. There is no statement from the company in that effect so far, though.

Best Buy RocketFish Tablet To Feature Android 2.2 & Front Camera?

Best Buy has been serving its customers rebranded electronics under its Rocketfish brand. We now hear that the company could be launching a new Android tablet PC under the Rocketfish name. According to a report on CrunchGear, the Rocketfish Android tablet could look a lot like the upcoming HP Slate (tentatively called PalmPad) that will however run on WebOS or Windows 7.

There are not too many specs to discuss right now though. What we however know is that the device will feature a front-facing camera and Google’s latest Android 2.2 OS version. There is no word about the price and launch date either.

Here are some pictures of the new Rocketfish tablet shared by Best Buy CTO, Robert Stephens.

Like it? Will you pick this over a HP Tablet? Write it down in the comments.

Nationite MIDnite Tablet Review Of Specs And Price

So here we are with one more tablet computer. This time, it’s the MIDnite Android powered tablet PC from Nationite. The device is presently available for pre-order at MP4Nation and will start shipping from the 23rd of this month.

So this is what you can expect from this latest Android device. The Nationite MIDnite Android tablet comes with a 7-inch display that offers resistive touchscreen input on the 800×600 pixel resolution LCD screen. Specifications include a 600MHz ARM A8 Cortex processor, 256MB RAM, 2GB internal memory and a storage capacity enhanced by microSDHC to up to 16GB. The device is compatible with several formats of image, text and video and can work over Wi-Fi 802.11b/g network. The device runs on Android 2.2 OS and is supported by a 3000mAh battery.

Now if you are interested, make your pre-orders soon. The product page notes that price will stay at $199 till August 9 post-which it would rise to $209. 50. Wait until August 23 and you may end up paying $219.50 for this Android tablet.

Not convinced? Check out the video of the tablet in action below before you decide.

Eros Tablet Features And Price Review

The Chinese are making hay with the newly found tablet craze in the US and the west. Another Chinese company has come up with a tablet PC that promises to offer some admirable specs in return for a few hundred dollars. But unlike the several others who have gone for an Android platform, the new Eros tablet is expected to come on a Windows 7 platform.

So this is what you will receive – A 11.6-inches resistive touchscreen display that will be packed with 1366×768 pixels, a 160GB hard drive storage, 1GB of internal memory and connectivity ports for HDMI, VGA, USB besides an SD card reader. The device offers a choice of processor between an Intel Atom N450 and Intel Celeron SU2300. Also, you may pick between Intel GMA 3150 (w/Atom), NVIDIA ION 2 (w/Atom), GMA 4500MHD (w/Celeron) for the GPU.

There is no word on when it will launch outside China. But the price definitely appears to be somewhere between $440 and $600.

No wonder the device has wonderful specs. But I would rather spend half a grand on something that’s better known. My personal take, of course.

GPad G10 Review Of Price And Features

Why do we still call devices with this form factor a tablet when every other manufacturer is intent on positioning it against the Apple tablet with the ‘pad‘ suffix? But truth be told, this one’s no pushover and does indeed carries some reasonable tech specs and price. So here we go.

The GPad G10 is an Android 2.1 tablet that draws its power from the 800MHz Telechips 8902 ARM 11-based processor. The tablet comes with a 7-inches touchscreen that renders content via an 800×600 pixel resolution display. Other features on this device include a 2GB internal memory, 256MB RAM, a VGA camera, HDMI output and a 2600mAh battery. I’m not convinced with the RAM part, but otherwise, these specs are exceptional for a device that sells at just $185.

I’m not sure if this one is going to come to the neighborhood retail stores, but for now, this one is going live on the Chinese wholestore eretailer PandaWill.com. For some strange reason, the GPad looks very much like the iPad.

Viewsonic Android Tablet Launch Soon?

Over the past few months, everyone and his grandma is jumping into the tablet bandwagon. Viewsonic, who are pretty much known for the manufacture of computer monitors are learned to be working on launching a tablet computer of their own. As with many other OEMs, this one too loves open source and has reportedly picked Android as the platform of choice.

There is not much info on the specifications of this new tablet PC though it is speculated that the device will measure 7-inches and shall run on Android 2.2. The device is also expected to be equipped with a built-in camera, 3G connectivity and voice call support.

While there is no confirmed word on this, the device is expected to retail anywhere between $477 and $637 in the European market with no word on when it will become elsewhere.

Notion Ink Adam Wi-Fi To Include 802.11n Frequency Band

Rohan Shravan – the chief at the Indian tablet startup company, Notion Ink has made a quick post on the company’s blog letting us know that the Adam tablet PC will include the latest Wireless LAN standards on their device. The Adam was earlier noted to only support Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g standards.

Explaining the same, Shravan writes,

“Since we are already in an electromagnetic mesh around us, adding n means a lot! Now you will not have to run around a lot when Microwave is on. (And better range as well)”

The 802.11n standard was ratified just last October and includes newer features like Multi-Input Multi-Output. Not a techie myself and have no clue what that means, but well, didn’t we know that the latest standard brings along better a Wi-Fi range as well?

Archos 32 Features And Price Leaked

Pre-orders for the generation 8 device from Archos, named the Archos 32 are now being accepted on the electronics etailer, JR.com. The device is everything what you may have expected from Archos – good technical specifications along with an affordable price tag.

The Archos 32 features a relatively small 3.2-inches 400×240 pixel display, an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and a flash memory with a capacity of up to 8GB. The tablet is powered by Google Android 2.1 operating system and comes with all the regular connectivity features like USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There is not much info about the camera sensor though the device is said to be capable of photo and video capture in VGA and MPEG4 resolutions. And yes, internet surfing is available too along with tap-to-zoom functionalities.

The Archos 32 is tagged at a price of $149.99. The availability date is not available though.

Smartbook Surfer Review Of Features And Price In Germany

The Smartbook Surfer is an Android tablet that is expected to create quite a wave in the German tech market in the next few days. Specs-wise, it is not too different from the recent GenTouch 78 that was debuted by Augen for the American customers. The Smartbook Surfer integrates a lineup of impressive hardware features with a price that is very much on the affordable side.

Let me elaborate more on the technical features. Firstly, this is an Android 2.1 tablet that comes equipped with a 7-inches large display that packs a good 800×400 pixels. The processor speed is not state-of-the-art but at 720MHz, the Telechips TTC8902 should work for most of the users. Other hardware specs include a 256MB DDR2 RAM, 2GB internal flash storage, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, miniSD card slot, webcam, GPS and USB ports. The Smartbook Surfer also contains a HDMI output for 1080p high definition video output. Battery life should be good, if not excellent.

The new Android tablet is already on sale in Germany at a price of €179. That’s about $234.