The Next Gen Tablets

Tablets have been around for ages as shrunken versions of a desktop computer; the chunky chassis running Windows via a stylus. Slick they were not, but now the iPad ushers in a new breed of tablet. With a more smart phone-like interface to make the most of large, responsive touchscreens, they just might be The Future…

1 BEST… WASTE OF SPACE
JOOJOO TABLET
Rs. 23,000, WWW.THEJOOJOO.COM
Sleek looking, with a 12.1-inch, HD screen, front-facing camera and 1.6GHz Atom processor, this has promise. But the Joojoo is in fact a salutary lesson in ignoring first impressions; it has some fundamental flaws.

The main problem is that you can’t save apps to its 4GB of storage. You can use Web sites and that’s it, so there’s no Skype, for instance. There’s currently no zoom, so browsing text-based sites is a chore. There’s also no 3G option or Bluetooth, and you can’t customise the home screen. On the plus side, it does have Flash.

LOVE Generous screen size. Fast processor.

HATE Can’t add apps. No customisation. No zoom. No menu button.


2 BEST… OVERALL
APPLE IPAD WI-FI
Rs. 31,000 (16GB), WWW.APPLE.COM

With ten home screens to festoon with shortcuts and apps, the iPad’s OS is remarkably slick and intuitive. The 9.7-inch, 1024x768 screen is bright and sharp except in bright sunlight, with responsive multi-touch controls. At 680g you’ll need both hands, though. The 1GHz processor isn’t the fastest, but is never sluggish, whether you’re busy emailing, Web browsing, gaming or reading e-book. The battery easily lasts a day. There is however no Flash support, camera, card slot, or USB.

LOVE Responsive touchscreen. Very easy to use. Huge range of apps.

HATE More useful for absorbing content than creating it. Hard to see in sunlight.


3 BEST… PMP-CUM-TABLET
ARCHOS 5 INTERNET TABLET 32GB
Rs. 18,000, WWW.ARCHOS.COM

With a 4.8-inch, 800x480 screen and Android 1.6, this is basically an Archos PMP with Web browser shaped knobs on. HD videos look great, although to make the best of it you’ll need the HD Cinema plug-in. The 800MHz processor is fine but the resistive touchscreen is from the Stone Age, really. There’s N Wi-Fi and you can tether the tablet to your phone via Bluetooth. For some reason you can’t access Android Market and have to make do with the inferior, poorly stocked AppsLib Store.

LOVE Great for video. Neat, compact frame.

HATE Can’t access Android Marketplace. Poor touchscreen.


4 BEST… EBOOK READER
AMAZON KINDLE DX
Rs. 24.000 WITH IMPORT FEES AND SHIPPING, WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK

The Kindle DX is an e-book reader with 3G, offering instant book and periodical downloads, contract free. The interface isn’t as slick as Apple’s iBooks, but there’s more choice – 630,000, to 60,000. While the 9.7-inch e-ink screen is fantastic for reading, browsing isn’t much fun in black and white, and the keyboard is tiny. Web capability is a sideshow really; with 4GB of storage for 3,500 books, a battery that lasts a week and the 3G Kindle Store, the DX is a very good e-book reader, but overpriced and arguably oversized too.

LOVE Contract-free; 3G; works in 100 countries. Huge choice of books.

HATE Overpriced. B&W only. Too big.


5 BEST… POCKET OPTION
DELL STREAK
Rs. 31,000, WWW.DELL.COM

Dell’s Streak is either a small 3G tablet or large smart phone depending on how you look at it. At 15cm long and 220g, it’s still just about pocket friendly. The Streak runs Android 1.6 with Dell’s skin and is a joy to use. There’s also a great camera, free satnav and a 16GB microSD card. The battery lasts all day, so it’s a great convergence device.

LOVE Smooth interface. Accurate touchscreen. Great camera. Fast.

HATE Large as a phone. No Flash support

Photo by Andy Barter
Courtesy T3