Cheap Android Tablet Computers

JDX s18

2013-01-23T23:57:00.003-08:00

The JDX s18 is the cheapest Android tablet computer available. You can get one at Happy Deal's for $44.43. Also, you can get 10% off if you like them on Facebook. A Happy Deal is located in Shenzhen, China and JDX is in Hong Kong. The one that I ordered took 39 days to get here(Northern California USA) by China Post/Priority Mail. Although they cost more money, I recommend using DHL or UPS if you want to get it quickly. They have better tracking too.
When I first got mine, I could'nt download anything, so I reset it to factory data settings. It cured the download problem but it came up in Chinese. I don't know the Chinese language, but I managed to follow the icons thru the menus to the language selection menu where I chose English. More details are posted elsewhere in this blog.

JXD s18 4.5 inch Android 4.0.4 clocks at 1 GHz

I have been learning how to make apps for Androids lately, and The JXD s18 works pretty good, wirelessly with the Google App Inventor. The App Inventor is pretty cool and easy to use. You build apps using different blocks that fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. If a piece won't fit in, then you are trying to make a programming error. This method works very good for preventing the making of errors while programming. Google developed the program, then gave it to the Michigan Institute of Technology and the public.
Getting back to the s18. It has a 1 GHz CPU and a Mali 400 graphics. With 512 Mb of DDR3 RAM, it is faster than a lot of tablets that cost more money. Another plus: tethering is supported. That means that you can connect it to your PC or laptop and use the connection to logon to the internet and use it to surf the internet on up to 3 computers. Sort of like a mini web server or router.
Robert J Tolman

My JXD s18 Tablet Resets to Chinese Language Problem Fixed

2013-01-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Problem with a JXD s18 Mini Pad Android 4.0
I found a solution for the problem sometimes encountered when resetting a cheap android tablet computer to it's factory settings and data, and it comes up in Chinese. It should work on most MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices). Here is the procedure:
After booting up the tablet, slide the lock to unlock the tablet and come to the default screen. Press on the small Apps icon which looks like this:

Applications

Next select the Settings icon which looks like this:

Settings

Next scroll down and select the Language & Input icon which looks like this:

Language & Input

Next choose the first item on the screen. Then scroll down until you find the language that you want and select it from that long long list. Done!
You might want to calibrate your touch settings while you are at it.

JDX s18 Mini Pad Android Tablet Computer

Cheapest Android Tablet Computer: JDX s18

2013-01-20T07:59:00.002-08:00

Last December, I purchased the cheapest Android tablet computer that I could buy ($39.95), just to see what I would get. Then I could write up a review, with a story about it, and put it on my blog.

JXD s18 & What you get with it

My JXD s18 arrived yesterday in the mail. It took thirty nine days to get here from Shenzhen China, via priority post. It booted right up out of the box. I had no problem logging in to my wireless home network. It came with several games including "Angry Birds in Space", and some good apps too. I tried the browser and it seemed to work just fine. Google Play was pre-installed too. So I tried that. Whenever I tried to download anything all I got was Error -101. I thought that it might need a micro SD memory card to download to, so I went to Walmart and got an 8 Gb micro SD card. I put in the card and Error -101 was still there. Next, I searched the internet for a solution. I found one website with a solution for the same error on a Samsung phone. So I tried that and it didn't work. Next I tried a very similar procedure that I found on a different website. It didn't work either. I followed yet another website's suggestion which was to go to settings and reset the tablet to factory settings. I was surprised when it rebooted and came up in Chinese! OMG! I couldn't believe it. What did I do? The warning said that it cannot be undone.(My Wondermedia wm8650 and other tablets come back in English whenever I do that.) I searched for the firmware so that I could flash the operating system to reprogram the whole tablet. I found a website with the software, but it was in Chinese too. Next, I went the JXD website to look for a solution. They have several downloads including an updated firmware download for the JXD s18. I downloaded the file.


A Cheap Chinese Android Tablet Computer

The procedure for flashing the ROM, doing a mod, reprogramming the tablet, or whatever you want to call it, involves putting the files on the root of a SD card and booting up the tablet with the SD card in it. So now I need a micro SD card reader so that I can put the files on the card. Walmart didn't have any, so I ordered one on ebay. It will be here in about a week or two. Meanwhile, I plan on showing my tablet to a Chinese person whom I know. There is a Language section in the Settings menu but I can't read it. Maybe a Chinese person could find an English display option? I will keep you informed...

JDX s18 showing the Mini USB, SD card slot & headphone jack

The JXD s18 has a 4.5 inch touch screen, 1 GHz CPU, 512 Mb DDR RAM and 4 Gb NAND flash drive and accepts up to 32 Gb SD card. It comes with Skype pre-installed, but it has no camera. No GPS neither. It has a very crisp & vivid 2-point resistive touch screen. It is definitely faster than my Wondermedia wm8650 and has easy connectivity to the web. Other than the problems that I encountered, It seems like a pretty good tablet for the money. I got it on sale for $39.95. The regular price is $44.43 at A Happy Deal.

Cheap Android Dual Core Tablet Computers

2013-01-12T12:15:00.001-08:00

Cheap dual core android tablet computers have recently appeared on the market. For less than $100 you can get a really fast tablet PC. Due to the rise in the popularity of hand held computers, the personal electronics industry is becoming flooded with cheap android tablet computers. Recently, tablets for under $100, with dual core technology, has hit the market. The dual core makes them faster than the others. The Rockchip RK3066 Dual Core CPU chip is the heart of most of them. Quite a few manufacturers, mostly in China, are getting on the bandwagon and producing their own version of inexpensive android tablet PCs. A few of the dual cores has come to my attention including the Newsmy T3, JXD s6600,PiPO S1, and the Cube U18GT. All of which are 7 inch dual core Android tablet computers. But my favorite is the Q7V 7 inch Android Dual Core Tablet. It runs at 1.6 MHz and has 1 Gb RAM plus 8 Gigabytes of flash memory. This makes it noticably faster than the average tablet. At the present time, all of the tablets mentioned here are available for less than $100. I predict that the market for cheap android computers will keep growing over the next few years and more manufacturers will join in and flood the market, which will drive the price for this technology down even cheaper. - Robert Tolman

Q7V 7 inch Dual Core 1.6 GHz

2012-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

World's cheapest Android Tablet PC - Datawind Ubislate 7CI The Ubislate 7ci, also known as the Aakash2, is the latest innovation from Datawind, a Canadian company that's been around for over seven years. The device is not currently available in the United States. The 7ci was specifically designed for students to use in India. It will greatly improve their educational system's functionality. India may be the place that really needs Datawind's expertise. The going price is 2,263 rupees ($40.41). Datawind's founder, Suneet Singh Tuli, just signed a deal with the government of India to subsidize his cheap tablet computers by half, for up to 220 million Indian students. That means Indian teachers and kids will get a Web-capable device for only $20. However an optional keyboard is $8 and there is a $2 monthly fee for unlimited data transfer service plan. Any way that you look at it, $22 is really very cheap for everything that you need to connect to the internet. Where can you beat a $2 per month service plan? The Cons: The 7ci does not have Bluetooth, GPS, and HDMI, and it doesn't have the fastest 802.11n Wi-Fi or an ambient light sensor. Its battery is rated for only 3 hours of life. The $2 per month service plan is not available everywhere.

The Pros: It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on an 800 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen, powered by a 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM, and has a camera/webcam. It easily connects to wifi, internet, email, plays games and etcetera. I recently purchased a JXD s18 from A Happy Deal. It was on sale for $39.95. Their regular price is $44.43. The JXD S18 is a 4.3 inch Tablet PC MiniPad with Android 4.0 and an Amlogic 8726 1GHz processor. - RJ Tolman

The Cheapest Android Tablet Computer

2012-12-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

The very cheapest Android tablet computer that I could find is the JXD s18 Mini Pad. At A Happy Deal it is $44.43 (plus shipping). It is also the smallest that I have come across with a 4.3 inch resistive touch screen, it is slightly larger than a cell phone. It has Google Android 4.0.3 operating system and a CPU that runs at 1.0 GHz. It was on sale, so I went ahead and ordered one as a Christmas present for myself. I read all of the product reviews on it that I could find and they were all excellent. You must realize that most of the reviews were posted by the distributors of the devices. Some of the reviews suggested GPS capabilities, however I did not see anything that specifically says that it has GPS. It was not listed in the specs so I seriously doubt that it has GPS. I will know for sure pretty soon, as soon as my package comes in the mail. I will put up a new post on it. RJ Tolman JXD S18 4.3 inch Tablet PC Android 4.0 Amlogic 8726 1GHz MiniPad

2012-12-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

Cheap Android Tablet Computers Are Getting Better More and more manufacturers have been putting Android 4.0 (Icecream sandwich)on their products lately. 4.2 (Jelly Bean) has been released and the newest models have it. Each major release of the Android operating system is nicknamed after some sort of a sweet treat. Android 1.5 was nicknamed Cupcake, followed by 1.6 nicknamed Donut. For less than $100 you can get a nice tablet with Android 4.2 online. You might have to shop around a bit. There is a distributor in China, named A Happy Deal that has the best tablet deals that I have ever seen. For example a Q88+ 7 inch Tablet PC with Android 4.0 Boxchip A13 CPU and 1.0GHz Dual Cameras ($56.06). They also have the smallest one That I ever heard of. It is a JXD S18 with a 4.3 inch screen($39.96). ahappydeal.com China professional Notebook, UMPC & MID wholesaler, provide various highquality and low price Notebook, UMPC & MID products.

2012-12-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

The prices on some of the tablet computers have been coming down lately. I believe that it is due to the increased number of manufacturers of these devices. Also, there have been technological advances to enhance useability of the tablets. If you are looking for a bargan on a tablet computer, you might be interested to know that I have found a distributor that has some of the lowest prices that I have ever seen for these devices.A Happy Deal has several special deals on tablets going every day. Right now you can get a Q88 7-inch Android 4.0 Boxchip A13, 1 GHz tablet PC for $54. Or how about $39.95 (+ shipping)for a JXD S18 4.3 inch Tablet PC Android 4.0 Amlogic 8726 1GHz MiniPad? This is the smallest tablet that I ever heard of! And it also has the smallest price. I noticed that it has wifi 802.11 b/g/n wireless internet connectivity. Many of the older and/or cheaper tablets are missing the 802.11 n capability. The 802.11 n is the newest wireless network protocol and has the fastest data exchange rate. It also has a micro USB port. Many of the cheap tablet computers do not have a USB port on them but use a different connector port and a "transfer box" that plugs into it. The box has one or two standard USB ports plus an RJ-45 connector for wired network connectivity. My wondermedia 8650 has a transfer box and I do not like to use it because the plug does not stay in as well as a USB or RJ-45 plug. http://www.ahappydeal.com/product-102803.html?lkid=6758 aHappyDeal.com Home Pgae

Wondermedia wm8650

2012-06-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Wondermedia wm8650, with keyboard case, etc.

The Wondermedia wm8650 is a very popular generic type of cheap android tablet computer. It is also the name of the CPU made by VIA, which is the heart of these devices. I ordered one from a distributor in China, for $68. There have been millions of these sold world wide. They are produced by several manufacturers with or without name brands on them. I consider them to a good value for the price, but they lack certain functions that the high priced tablets have.
The operating system that they usually come with is Android 2.2. It is a good operating system and it is usually preloaded with Google market, a web browser, networking software, file manager, clock, and a few other apps. They are easy to modify by flashing the ROM with the appropriate firmware and a micro SD card. When I did mine, I used Uberoid ver. 11, opt. 26. It gave the device improved performance, and better basic apps including a Youtube viewer.

2012-06-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

The hardware consists of a touch screen,and an optional stylus and keyboard. In this type of computers the data input is not through the traditional mouse and keyboard but through a stylus or finger tips on a virtual keyboard and virtual buttons on the touch screen. It also has the option of data input through wireless keyboard and mouse. They come in various sizes like 7, 8, 9.5, 10 and 10.1 inches.

There are different types of tablet PCs like tablets, convertibles and hybrids. Slates consist of just the screen. If a tablet has an attached with a keyboard it is called a convertible. Typically the keyboard is attached with a single joint and it folds/opens onto the screen. The Hybrid has a detachable keyboard so that it can be used both as a slate or a convertible. The Asus Eee Pad Slider is a great convertible computer, but it is not very cheap!

Cheap Android Tablet Computers

2012-05-27T11:01:00.001-07:00

Cheap Android Tablet computers

These tablet PCs are budget priced at less than $100 and are very popular. They are made by several manufacturers in China. They are similar to the ipad from Apple but are less powerful. Most of them come with the Android 2.2 operating system.

These devices are also known as Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), because they are wifi enabled and can easily connect to the internet. They can connect using WiFi, RJ45 network cable, or 3G. They are great for using WiFi hot spots on the go.

The standard set of features usually included are:

Hardware:
Touch screen - resistive(single touch), or capacitive (multi touch)

Wifi - 802.11 b/g - connect to internet or other wifi networks

Accelerometer - Sensor detects device movement and gravitational orientation

Camera - Usually 0.3 megapixels; Take pictures and record videos.

Microphone - Built in microphone

     Lithium battery - A built in rechargeable Li-ion battery
   Stereo speakers - built in
     Transfer box - an adapter for USB, and RJ45 connections

Software:

Android Market - (Google Play) thousands of free apps and games

Youtube app - Watch videos on youtube.com

Clock and weather forecast app - Get weather reports and predictions

Web browser - Surf the internet

File viewer - view files on the internal memory, SD card or USB device.

Multimedia player - View your videos and MP3s

The features that most high priced tablets have that cheap ones do not have:

GPS - No Global Positioning Device

Magnetometer - No sensing magnetic fields or compass directions

Cell phone - most have the software capabilities, but do not have any place to insert a SIM card, but some are VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) capable.

Most of these devices come with the Android 2.2 operating system. There are a lot of apps made for Android and it is estimated that there are over 460,000 Android apps on the Android market. Some are free and some are available only by purchase.