We considered 6 tablets featuring 7in and
10in screen size to find out what would be your great deal at any price
segment.
Regardless that you are considering buying
your first tablet or finding way of upgrading, there’re many devices thirsting
for your budget. From 7in tablets costing under $150 to 10in models priced over
$600, there’s always suiting every pocket.
It’s important to define your tablet’s main
task. A lightweight 7in device is more suitable for your travel – you may feel
tired holding a 10in tablet for hours, for example, when you are watching movie
on a plane.
Screen resolution is also important, too. Higher
resolution not only delivers more details but also makes texts clearer and more
legible when you are reading websites designed for desktop.
Most tablets are good at pushing mail and
checking Facebook but some cheap models with low specs may be disappointingly
slow. Apps take more time to load and some websites become heavy, such as Google
Maps, or websites containing Flash will knock weak tablets out.
Android tablets grant you access to Google
Play. It is packed with downloadable apps allowing you to expand the tablet’s
abilities including image calibration, games or slideshows. Many Android apps
are free while some cost few dollars.
Overall, stay away from Android tablets
that don’t have an app specialized for Play store. Other stores often offer limited
choices and sometimes overcharge the price.
None of the tablets we considered has SIM
tray but some tablets support 3G may be pricier. If you need to maintain your
connection on the way, it will be useful.
In case you want to save all of media
collections on a tablet, you will have to buy the model (featuring the largest
storage) which you can afford. Or else, it’s recommended to find another device
having extendable card slot. By this way, you can insert one or more cheap
memory cards to save contents.
It is not a laptop
It must be born in mind that a tablet won’t
replace your PC. There’re tasks that a tablet cannot handle. If you spend most
time using Microsoft Office, you won’t prefer the tablet’s small screen as well
as the absence of keyboard and mouse. You won’t be able to record a CD and
printing documents is not always possible.
Archos 101 XS
Archos
101 XS
101 is the latest model of Archos XS series
and the slimmest tablet we have ever seen. It is only 8mm slim. It comes with a
keyboard which can turn into a cap though there’s no battery inside the
keyboard.
The cap is held by a strong magnet and more
magnets keep 101 XS in place when set up with dock. A small support is used to adjust
the tablet’s tilt level.
Despite the reasonable price, 101 XS is
equipped with fast dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. 10.1inc screen owns standard
1280x800pixel resolution. Besides, there are 802.11n Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth
4.0, GPS, front camera and mono stereo. You have 16GB storage which can be
extended up to 6GB via memory card.
There was surely a compromise between
slimness and sturdiness; we were absolutely worried about that pressing hard
onto the screen’s left caused ripples thus you have to hold your device
carefully. We didn’t like the way power button and volume button lie vertically
on the device’s edge. This made them hard being identified.
In the edge lie slots for micro-SD,
micro-USB, micro-HDMI and headphone jack. In the bottom is X-pin contact which
can be used to attach accessories, speaker dock for instance.
Through our tests, Archos 101 got 1,407pt in
Geekbench and 1,575ms in SunSpider JavaScript. It is as fast as Nexus 7.
The 10in screen’s glass surface means that
it is reflective, and the mediocre brightness reduces more reflection when you
are raising it up maximum. Despite that, color, viewing-angle and reflection
were generally good.
Keyboard dock is among the reasons driving
you to buy 101 XS and it frees more screen space in comparison with onscreen
version. It also has specific and fast-moving keys which are enough to deliver
quick response. There’re many shortcut keys thus you will seldom touch the
screen.
The keyboard works well when tablet is
supported by the dock but when held by hand, it can’t even distinguish typing
with normal pressure.
The
keyboard works well when tablet is supported by the dock.
|
Info
·
RRP: $448
·
Website: www.archos.com
Verdict
·
101 XS is the best tablet Archos has ever
made. With good and budget keyboard (costing $150), Archos did great progress
in attempt to beat Asus Transformer Pad 300. However, the dock was only reliable
once placed on desk in our tests, and other matter related to build quality
was vague thus we can’t introduce it in a decisive way.
·
Design: 3/5
·
Feature: 4/5
·
Performance: 4.5/5
·
Value: 3.5/5
·
Total: 3.5/5 |
