Apple's iPad was surrounded with so much hype before its release. By the time it hit the store shelves, a lot of people went crazy and bought themselves a new one. However, little did we know that somewhere on the other side of the world, a different version of (pretty much) the same device was on the works.
Now, before you get the wrong idea, the Android MID 7" Tablet PC is not an iPad imitation. Instead, it's akin in principle to the Samsung Galaxy, both being tablet PC's running on the Android platform. In this article, let us review the product and see how good (or how bad) it is, when compared to the industry-leading iPad.
Mid Android Tablet 7
Battery Life
Now, the iPad boasts more than eight hours of use without recharging, while the Android MID 7" lasts for less than four. What's more, there have been reports that many units have issues with charging, as the batteries are often defective. Thus, make sure that you are buying from a reputable seller in order to avoid getting a mobile device that is far from mobile.
On-screen Keyboard Sensitivity
One thing I noticed right away is that the on-screen keyboard is not as responsive as I wanted it to be. It takes almost half a second for a character to appear on screen, which translates to at least 2 minutes to write a single tweet. I guess I cannot expect much from a USD 100 device, but I can't help to want for more.
Connectivity
Unlike the iPad, this one does not have a SIM card slot. While many decry the iPad's being iffy about the SIM card size, this one has no SIM capability whatsoever. This becomes a problem or users like me who use SIM-based broadband Internet.
External Keyboard and Pouch
The Android MID 7" Tablet PC has optional accessories, so I decided to get an external keyboard that's installed on a carrying case. One thing I noticed is that the external keyboard has a USB connector, while the tablet PC does not. Because of this, you will still need to use an adapter (comes with the default package) so that the keyboard will work.
Now, the pouch is actually a misnomer. Why? Because the clamps that will hold the device are spaced too far apart. Because of this, the tablet can fall off of the carrying case at any given time, which defeats the purpose of the accessory in the first place.
So what's good about it?
The Price
At less than 100 USD, buying the Android MID 7" Tablet PC should be painless to most people. It can serve as a good training ground for Android OS novices. Why? Because given its price, even if you break it, you won't feel that bad.
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Coby Kyros MID7015 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black Feature
- Large 7-inch Android 2.1 Resistive Touchscreen
- microSD card slot(upgrade up to 16GB)
- Built-in 4GB internal memory
- Connect and enjoy Full 1080p on your HDTV via a HDMI cable
- Full-size USB connection enables keyboard of your tablet
Coby Kyros MID7015 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black Overview
Android 2.1 connects to the world though the touch of a fingertip. The Kyros Tablet is a powerful and flexible Internet and Entertainment solution that features a generous 7" screen with intuitive touchscreen controls powered by the Android 2.1 operating system. Browse the web wirelessly or enjoy media on a sleek and stylish media device. Enjoy 1080P HD videos, photos, music, and more in the comfort of your living room when connected to your TV via HDMI. The Kyros has 4GB of built-in internal memory and features a microSD card slot for upgrading the capacity to up to 16GB. It also allows you to wirelessly access the Internet through a hi-speed networking support and includes more than a dozen built-in applications, each one identified by an icon. Among the included apps are an alarm clock, browser for surfing the web, calculator, email, gallery for viewing and playing videos, music and video player for launching the mobile YouTube browser page to watch Internet videos and more! In addition, the Kyros offers two unique apps, the Aldiko E-Book, for downloading and reading thousands of e-books (which supports the ePub standard) and AppsLib, to browse, download and install apps from the AppsLib marketplace for a complete mobile Internet solution. Features Large 7 inch Resistive Touchscreen Connect to the Internet wirelessly Browse the web and check e-mail Watch videos on YouTube Integrated flash memory Built-in 4GB internal memory microSD card slot(upgrade up to 16GB) Connect and enjoy Full 1080p on your HDTV via a HDMI cable Discover and download apps to play games, check the weather, listen to the radio, and more with AppsLib Download and read thousands of books with the included Aldiko E-book reader application View pages in portrait or landscape with automatic orientation detection Full-size USB connection enables keyboard of your tablet USB 2.0 Hi-speed for fast file transfers Rechargeable lithium-polymer batteryAvailable In Stock. |
