Can anyone recommend a 7' Android 3.x tablet?

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timmmay

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Topic # 86979 16-Jul-2011 14:25

Title says it all really. I use it at work for email and web, at home for reading on the sofa and in bed, so it has to be portable. 10" tablets aren't really as portable as i'd like. 3G is nice, but not a must have.

I like my iPod, but it's 2G and getting a bit old and slow, and i'd like a bigger screen. All I really need is a decent mail client, rss reader, and web browser. Games are a bonus. If it can be a phone, that might be nice, but it's not necessary.

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timmmay

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Reply # 494015 16-Jul-2011 14:32

This Huawei one, just announced, looks pretty nice

http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Huawei-MediaPad/

And the Viewsonic Viewpad 7x

http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/ViewSonice-ViewBook-730-and-ViewPad-7x/

Both will be available later this year, which is fine, i'm not in any rush.

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vinnieg

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Reply # 494067 16-Jul-2011 18:12

I'd avoid the Viewsonic, they used to be good at monitors about 10 years ago, but their quality is suffering. Their tablets are terrible, they won't get any better

The Huawei should be fine, nothing special but worth the money paid

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timmmay

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Reply # 494085 16-Jul-2011 18:47

Agreed, the Viewsonic looks a bit budget.

Are there any others worth looking at? Samsung and Acer are two names that spring to mind, but their websites don't really list anything.

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fahrenheit

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Reply # 494091 16-Jul-2011 19:05

8" (4:3 aspect ratio) is far better suited to the application you want. Reading webpages on a 7" is no better than using a large smartphone imo.
The problem seems to be that the major manufacturers are ignoring that size and concentrating on 10".

I am happy with my cheap Herotab M816R2 but it is a cheap Shenzen pad and it might never see honeycomb.

Maybe hold-out for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

ntsan

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Reply # 494114 16-Jul-2011 20:13

Asus and Acer will come up with 7" Honeycomb 3.2 later in the year (Asus one will come with glass-free 3D screen)

timmmay

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Reply # 494163 16-Jul-2011 22:50

fahrenheit: 8" (4:3 aspect ratio) is far better suited to the application you want. Reading webpages on a 7" is no better than using a large smartphone imo.
The problem seems to be that the major manufacturers are ignoring that size and concentrating on 10".

I am happy with my cheap Herotab M816R2 but it is a cheap Shenzen pad and it might never see honeycomb.

Maybe hold-out for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

Thanks for the thought. I'm happy enough with the iPod, which I think is about 4", so 7" should be a big step up, with 2-3 times the screen area. I'm happy to trade off size for portability, otherwise i'd just get a 10". If they come out later this year i'll definitely consider them.

ntsan: Asus and Acer will come up with 7" Honeycomb 3.2 later in the year (Asus one will come with glass-free 3D screen)

Yeah, it'll be interested to see what they all come up with, and costs. They probably won't be much cheaper than 10" tablets, screens are kinda expensive but they still have all the same CPU, RAM, etc. Anyone have any clues what they might be?

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RoyalWulf

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Reply # 496251 21-Jul-2011 13:25

There is a good range of 7" tablets on this site:
http://www.euogo.com/
I have happily purchased from them and used their support desk (via email).

The one I have is cheap but does the job of reading email, browsering the web (7" is much much better than a smart phone which I also have IMHO), ebook, music and even watching a movie.

timmmay

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Reply # 496261 21-Jul-2011 13:45

RoyalWulf:
There is a good range of 7" tablets on this site:
http://www.euogo.com/
I have happily purchased from them and used their support desk (via email).

The one I have is cheap but does the job of reading email, browsering the web (7" is much much better than a smart phone which I also have IMHO), ebook, music and even watching a movie.

Thanks, looks like there are some cheap tablets on there, good value ones. I think i'll hold out for a really nice quality one, Android 3.2, rather than the old Android 2.2 ones.

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timmmay

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Reply # 500596 1-Aug-2011 22:40

The Asus A100 looks like it's going to be the first 7" Android 3.0 tablet off the blocks, but unfortunately it's coming with Android 3.0 instead of the 3.2 version made for smaller tablets. No word on the release date for the Huawei yet.

Is anyone else waiting for a nice 7in tablet?

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NZtechfreak

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Reply # 500600 1-Aug-2011 22:53

The Nook Colour is a 7inch tab, can have Honeycomb unofficially right now. Was looking at it today, can be had for about $290US from Ebay (which given the current exchange rate is pretty decent).

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timmmay

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Reply # 500612 1-Aug-2011 23:15

Good point, personally I want a really modern one, I like my toys to last for years. dual core and a nice screen are important.

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