The Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet is a low cost 7-inch tablet running Android 2.3 with an impressive performance and price tag sub-£200. There are some trade-offs but it offers great features at that price. Below we have a hands-on demo video review of the Ideapad A1 in action and full overview of the features.

Lenovo Ideapad A1 Tablet Video Review

Lenovo IdeaPad A1 Strengths

The Lenovo IdeaPad A1 has a 7-inch multi-touch capacitive screen with a decent resolution at 1024 x 600 pixels. It’s fairly bright, sharp and reactive to touches and swipes of a fingertip. If anything the screen settings on the version I have were overly sensitive to swipes so it took a couple of minutes to get used to how expressive your swipes need to be. All-in-all, it’s a decent screen given the low price point and happily performs tasks such as web browsing, playing games or watching video.

The build quality is good given the price point, and at just 420g, it’s light. 7-inch tablet PCs are much more mobile than larger tablets as they’re not as bulky as their 10-inch counterparts. This means you can fit the Lenovo tablet into a jacket pocket. However the trade-off is that you have a much smaller screen. This means the Ideapad A1 is more closely aligned with a smartphone experience than using a netbook screen.

16 GB internal storage is included with this Lenovo tablet - 16 GB is pretty good for storing music, applications and other documents, but if you want to store a lot of video on your tablet you’d want to get a larger size memory. Having said that, there is the option to insert a microSD card into the microSD slot and expand the tablet’s memory up to 32GB. This should give you plenty of space for a fair amount of music and video.

The front facing web cam has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels and this gives you the option of web chat through applications like Skype. The resolution of the camera isn’t anything special but it’s good enough for video chat.

Mini USB port - this USB port is for charging the tablet PC and for attaching peripheral devices.

The Lenovo Ideapad A1 runs Google’s operating system, Android 2.3.4. When you power up the tablet and get everything set-up you’ll be greeted by the Android home screens. You’ve got the usual 5 screens where you can configure short-cuts to apps and games, or set-up widgets such a clock, calendar etc. It’s the usual Android set-up as effectively this 7-inch tablet is very much like running your smartphone interface on a larger screen. On the central home screen it’s easy to jump to videos/images, email, music or the Kindle eBook reader. You also have options to select from your apps or browse the web. It’s important to note that the web browser loads mobile sites first of all, you can quickly switch to the “full” version of the site but it’s not as smooth as more recent Android tablets. I’d suggest downloading the free Dolphin Browser which I find a lot easier and fun to use.

The Android Market is pre-installed on the tablet so that means you can download free and paid apps/games, books and movie rentals directly to the slate.

Navigation is controlled by taps and swipes on the capacitive screen. You also have 3 touch sensitive buttons at the bottom of the screen that give you contextual menus depending on the app or location you are in when you tap it, a button to take you back to the home screen and a back button.

GPS navigation is included with this tablet. This means you don’t need to worry about a network availability in order to use mapping applications.

The processor provided is a TI OMAP 3622 Cortex A8 1 GHz processor. This isn’t a super-powered processor, but still decent enough to power this kind of tablet, delivering good web page rendering speeds and high-definition video.

The Ideapad A1 supports Adobe’s Flash technology. This means it will run Flash video, animation or games that you find on the web. I’ve played around with the BBC iPlayer site and the performance was spot-on.

Battery life is ok and largely in-line with other 7-inch tablets. You can get around five hours on a single charge using continuous video playback.

Connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There is no 3G option. This means that you need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network to use the internet or to download email.

The Lenovo App Shop is available on the tablet. This contains a number of apps specifically tested and signed off for Lenovo tablets to ensure a robust user experience. This shop application looks good but it’s a little fiddly to use. Given Google’s own Android Market is already on this tablet, it’s not really needed.

When you first use the Lenovo App Shop, you’ll get a warning that the your settings prevent you from downloading apps from non-Android Market sources. It will then take you off to settings to change this. It’s not a major thing but seems a weird choice for Lenovo not to have tweaked this to avoid this unnecessary step. It also has the potential to scare inexperienced users as you get the warning that your tablet and personal data are more vulnerable to attack by doing this.

There’s also a number of popular apps already loaded on the tablet available for free when you buy the Ideapad A1. These include Amazon Kindle, eBuddy, Docs To Go (an Office-type software that also allows you to read and edit Microsoft office documents – Word, Excel etc.) and NavDroyd (a GPS mapping application)

A lock switch is located on the side of the tablet and allows you to lock the orientation of the screen if you don’t want it to re-orientate itself as you move it around.

Lenovo IdeaPad A1 Weaknesses

There have been a few user reviews I uncovered highlighting the odd issue with the Ideapad A1, but this appears to be restricted to a limited number of faulty tablets. There aren’t any issues with the Lenovo Ideapad that I have.

Android 2.3.4, aka Android Gingerbread, is the operating system employed on this tablet PC. Fundamentally Android 2.3.4 is a smartphone operating system, but it extends to 7-inch tablets as this is slightly larger than a smartphone. Android Gingerbread is a somewhat outdated version of Android and is not as advanced as the latest Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) or Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) developments. Essentially you get a a simple icon interface, the operating system isn’t particularly polished, but it does a functional job and is easy to use.

A limitation with these earlier versions of Android, is that some of the more advanced Android games and applications won’t work on them. Having said that, most Android smartphone applications will work, and they also scale (to a reasonable extent) on the larger 7-inch screen – you therefore still have access to thousands of apps and games. However, the ecosystem surrounding Android and the app store, Android Market, is not as advanced in terms of range and quality of tablet apps as something like the Apple App Store for the iPad.

The rear-facing camera included is a 3.0 megapixel camera – this means you can take basic pictures and videos. It’s a feature I would say isn’t worthwhile as the quality of images is weak.

Lenovo Ideapad A1 Review – Low cost tablet with a quality performance

Lenovo are the first manufacturer with a decent name to bring a low cost tablet PC to the UK. The Amazon Kindle Fire hasn’t crossed the Atlantic yet and this has left the 7-inch tablet market wide open. Lenovo have filled that hole with a decent Android tablet that offers great value. Other manufacturers have got below the £200 mark, but they’ve done this with tablets that started at a much higher price and have gradually been reduced due to poor sales – I’m particularly thinking of the Blackberry Playbook here. The Lenovo A1 tablet has been designed to hit a competitive price whilst still delivering decent hardware.

The standout features of the Lenovo A1 tablet are all in the context of the price point. The capacitive screen is the best we’ve see in this low cost category, it has access to the Android Market range of apps, games, eBooks and movies directly from the tablet interface. The build quality is decent enough and the opportunities for expansion are covered. Whilst the rear-facing camera isn’t worth playing with, the front-facing camera offers video chat options. To top this off, video playback and Adobe Flash performance is good, and the battery lasts a decent length of time given it’s a 7-inch tablet.

It’s not perfect by any means as Android Gingerbread makes the interface somewhat basic in comparison to the latest versions of Android. Plus, there are also odd-niggles with the touch sensitive home, menu and back buttons – the backlight to help you hit these turns off too quickly after you tap them making it fiddly to hit these buttons accurately.

However, when you look at the price, you can forgive a lot of these issues. Just enjoy the fact that the Lenovo Ideapad A1 delivers a fully functioning, Android app and games machine, with decent video, music and eBook capabilities, and all for below £200. Impressive.

Click here to see the full Lenovo Ideapad A1 specification and user reviews

Images: Lenovo.co.uk

Lenovo Ideapad A1 Hands On Video Review

Lenovo Ideapad A1 Specification Details

I’m looking at the Lenovo Ideapad A1 today and giving some first impressions of the hardware. This tablet runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread so can be compared to the original 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, or HTC Flyer. The key selling point for this tablet is the price – it comes in below the £200 mark, and if you shop around you may even get this for £170. This is the first tablet priced at this level in the UK from a big name manufacturer as the Amazon Kindle Fire hasn’t quite made it to the UK yet.

Check out the video above to see what you get in the box and first impressions of the hardware. There will be a full review following shortly.

Lenovo Ideapad A1 Specification

• Operating System: Android 2.3.4 (Android Gingerbread)
• Processor: 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor – powerful enough to handle this version of Android, running games/apps and handles high-definition video well
• Format: 7-inch slate – it’s light and easy to carry around.
• Ports: Mini USB port, Micro SD port
• Cameras: Front-facing camera and rear-facing camera.
• Other features: Battery life is decent (around 5 hours of video playback) and Flash is supported so you get access to the full web on your browser.

Click here for the full Lenovo Ideapad A1 specifications and user reviews.

I’ll be posting a Lenovo A1 review soon so please subscribe to get free email updates.

Android 4.0 has just arrived on the Asus EEE Pad Transformer Prime tablet PC. This is the first tablet PC to receive the upgrade to Google’s Android operating system, also known as Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It takes a lot of the great features from Android Honeycomb, plus also adding some polish and great new user-intuitive features.

What’s new with Android 4.0?

First up, Android 4.0 brings a more refined experience. There’s an update to the font used and that means that it’s easier to read some articles or information online. The general theme of this Android update is to add polish to the operating system.

Multitasking capabilities are improved. Android Honeycomb allowed you to pull up the apps that are in use and shut each one down if they’re taking up too much memory. But, this upgrade of Android makes that experience a lot more intuitive. Instead of clicking on a fiddly cross to shut and the apps down, you can now just swipe them away with your finger and they will disappear.

Folders are a new addition to this version of Android. You can now select each app or game, place them on top of each other, and it’ll create a folder that you can then name. This means you can tidy up your applications and games by placing them all in logical folders.

There are also significant improvements to certain stock Android applications. For example, the Gallery application has been totally redesigned. This means that it now has a more slick and professional look, and a photo editor has been added. You have lots more options to enhance your photography after you’ve taken an image by applying various effects to the photos and tidy up things like red-eye.

The Camera app itself has also been improved and you now can take still photos, video or create a panoramic photo. High-definition video at 1080p is supported and it’s good to see that it runs smoothly on the Asus tablet. You can also take your videos and transform them with various new effects.

The on-screen keyboard has had an overhaul too. It now is simpler to use, is better at auto correcting errors, and word suggestions. It’s more accurate and definitely quicker to input text. I’ve tried it on the Asus Transformer Prime and the haptic feedback gives you vibration when the key has been hit spot-on, again a small tweak improved the experience.

Apps and widgets are now housed in the same area of Android 4.0. This is great as it means that it’s easier to set up your home screens exactly as you want them.

Other features include improved accessibility, web browser enhancements, you have a unified calendar that means all your calendars are consolidated into one, the email app has been tweaked, and there are also better options for sharing content.

All-in-all, it’s a really strong improvement for Android.

If you want to see some of these features in action I’ve put a couple of videos together below. Check out the first video to see the new features of Google’s Android 4.0 operating system. Also Gizmodo recently ran a very thorough update on the new Android 4.0 features here. The second video gives you an overview of how to use Android 4.0 too.

Demo introducing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.0 Tutorial, Walkthrough, Guide for Tablets (Ice Cream Sandwich)

If you want to learn more about the Asus tablets mentioned above, check out the What Tablet PC review of the Asus EEE pad Transformer Prime here.

We’ll have more review details coming shortly so sign-up to our free email newsletter for the latest updates. You’ll also receive buying advice on how to pick the perfect tablet PC for your needs at the best price.

As lightweight as the iPad but with a unique design that makes it easier to hold, the Sony Tablet S is the latest innovation from the well-known manufacturer of laptops. For tablet PC users that love the Android operating system, the Sony Tablet S is a great device. However, some will find its construction lacking, with the plastic slightly less durable and sleek than that of other comparable devices.

The key selling feature is the Sony Tablet S integration with other Sony devices, allowing you to share content between your tablet, TV, Hi-Fi and PC. Certain Playstation controllers can even interact with the games on the Tablet S. There’s also a set of Sony applications which give you access to Sony content such as exclusive original Playstation games, video rental/purchase and music streaming applications.

Sony Tablet S Strengths

• As with any Sony laptop, the Sony Tablet S has power and durability. Sony products are known for quality, so just having that name on it is a boost of confidence for many users.
• One of the biggest benefits of the Sony Tablet S owners is its ability to work as a remote. You won’t need a separate infrared device to control your TV, Blu-Ray disc player, or home entertainment system.
• Its curved design lays more comfortably on a desk or table, allowing the user more ease in typing. It has been compared to a magazine with the cover flipped back, since one side of the tablet is thicker than the other. This provides a curved surface for users to grip, allowing for easier reading of books and magazines loaded on it. It also allows users to prop the device up while watching TV shows or movies—a big bonus for today’s world of instant streamers.
• The unit has a dual core processor and 1 GB of memory with an SD slot. The processor is fairly standard fare on tablets but it’s enough to deliver a decent performance on this one.
• Available in two varieties—16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage, plus it also has an SD card slot. The internal storage it’s used for storing files such as music, apps and video. The SD card slot is very useful for offloading photos quickly from your digital camera on to the tablet.
• The Sony Tablet S has a five megapixel camera and 1080p video recording and playback, allowing you to capture all of your memories and show them off to friends and family. 1080p means the video quality is full high-definition, so comparable to the best quality TV available.
• The front and rear cameras make it ideal both for snapping pictures and video and Skyping with friends. The front-facing camera is 0.3 megapixels so isn’t a particularly high specification but good enough for video chat. The rear camera is 5 megapixels so again is ok for taking stills and home videos but fairly mediocre in quality.
• With its lightweight design, the Sony Tablet S will feel like the iPad, but with a more comfortable grip. For Android fans, this tablet offers a similar functionality to the iPad but with the Android operating system. The Sony tablet ships with Android 3.1 (but with an instant upgrade available to Android 3.2.1). This is the latest version of Android available for tablets, although Android 4.0 is due for tablets fairly soon. It’s unclear when the Sony Tablet S will get the Android 4.0 upgrade.
• Because it’s a Sony, it has PlayStation certification, naturally, allowing you access to a large variety of PlayStation titles in the PlayStation Suite. Specially geared to Android products, the PlayStation Suite allows users to download PlayStation games directly to their devices, playing them on an open operating system rather than on a gaming device.
• Video Unlimited – Sony have also included an application that allows you direct access to thousands of films and TV shows.
• Music Unlimited – a Sony application along the same lines as Spotify that lets you steam or download music from a huge library, and create your own playlists.
• A USB port is included—something that is almost a necessity in any computer, laptop, or tablet in this day and age. You can use this to attach peripheral devices (printer/USB mouse etc.) or for using a USB stick to get files on/off the tablet.
• DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified, allowing it to play on multiple devices on your Wi-Fi network. The impact is that you’re able to push your videos, music and pictures between your Sony DNLA devices such as watching video or looking at pictures on your tablet, even though they’re actually stored on your Sony laptop. This may make up for the fact that no HDMI output is available (see cons).
• With a 1280 X 800 display, the resolution of the Sony Tablet S is sharp, with brightness and contrast at peak levels for a tablet. This is becoming more important as consumers are watching movies and TV on tablet PCs at increasing levels. The screen is responsive to taps and swipes as you would expect from a Sony product.

Sony Tablet S Weaknesses

• The tablet is made of plastic, giving it a much cheaper feel than comparable tablets. Slot coverings are flimsy and may not hold up over time.
• No HDMI output. While you may not see the need to connect your device to a television today, this functionality is becoming more popular among users who like to stream content directly from their devices. In a couple of years, the lack of an HDMI output may make your device seem outdated. Please can you reference that HDMI output if for high-definition
• Some may find the unique design too bulky, especially when compared to its much thinner competitors.
• The SD slot does not allow for expansion, so users will not be able to upgrade the tablet’s storage capacity over time.
• The only controls for the PlayStation are on the touchscreen, which could be disconcerting to avid gamers.
• While the battery life clocks in at 10 hours, this falls slightly short of the iPad 2’s 12 hours. Not a big deal, but something to consider when weighing the two tablets against each other.
• The plastic screen has no included protection, allowing the device to become smudged or scratched. Screen protectors are available through third-party retailers, however.
• There isn’t a 3G version of the Sony Tablet S which means that you’re going to need to find a Wi-Fi connection if you want to get online. Several reviewers reported repeated Wi-Fi connection drops. This seems to coincide with the screen going to sleep. Sony is working on a fix for the issue.
• Android still lags behind Apple when it comes to apps, both free and paid. With hundreds of thousands of apps available for download through the Apple Store in iTunes, it’s hard for any tablet operating system to compete with Apple in this area. Still, being able to directly access files and update your tablet without going through iTunes may count as a plus for some people.
• Thanks to a recent price cut, the Sony Tablet S is now widely available at £349, £50 cheaper than the 16 GB iPad. Still, with you can now get a Blackberry Playbook at just £170, although it’s a much smaller tablet too. Potential users have to ask themselves just how much power they need in a tablet. The Blackberry Playbook doesn’t have all the features or the power of the Sony Tablet S, but for users seeking to access the Internet and download apps, £180 cheaper is a dramatic difference.

Sony Tablet S Review – Sony Brings Exclusive Content In A Comfortable Package

For media enthusiasts, the Sony Tablet S provides the ability to control your home media devices, as well as stream to them. The exclusive Sony content (Playstation gaming, plus the Sony music and films eco-system) available for this tablet will entice users, particularly where there are gaps in the Android eco-system for other tablets.

With a magazine-like design, this tablet is ideal for users who will spend quite a bit of time reading. Its slight slant will prop it up just enough for those users who plan to spend time typing or watching movies.

However, if you’re looking to save money on a tablet, the Sony Tablet S is priced above many of its competitors. While its multimedia capabilities may put it in the same league as the iPad in some areas, is it enough to justify the price? For a user that prefers the Android to iOS, the price may be worth it but for other users, the price may be too high.

Click here to see the full Sony Tablet S specification and user reviews

Images: Sony.co.uk

Android 3.2, aka Android Honeycomb is the tablet operating system that features on the majority of premium Android tablet PCs at the moment. There is an upgrade to Android rolling out now which will move it on to Android 4.0  (Android Ice Cream Sandwich). This will be made available on existing Android tablets that are capable of supporting it.

In the meantime, we have a review of Android 3.2.1 (Android Honeycomb) via two videos that we’ve put together to show you the operating system in action.

These two videos show the Android operating system and software on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime before the Android 4.0 upgrade. This is a brand-new tablet PC we featured here recently – check out the details here. There are some Android configurations Asus have slightly tweaked, but fundamentally it is the stock Android 3.2.1 system on display.

In the videos below I show you how to navigate Android and also some of the software applications that are supplied, covering things like email, YouTube, gallery applications, and web browsing.

In the second video we show you how to control the tablet using finger gestures – tapping, pinching swiping etc. We go on to look at some of the applications in action, such as the file manager, video streaming, eBooks, films, and even playing some 3-D games.

I’ve also got a review of Android 4.0 on this same tablet coming soon.

Demo Introducing Android 3.2 Honeycomb

Android Honeycomb Full Video Review

The ASUS Transformer Prime is available in the UK from PC World via this link, you can also find the full specification details here.

We’ll have more review details coming shortly so sign-up to our free email newsletter for the latest updates. You’ll also receive buying advice on how to pick the perfect tablet PC for your needs at the best price.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Tablet UK Review

iPad challengers come and go but the ASUS Transformer Prime is the first that has really excited me. It’s a follow up to the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 that was an unexpected success for ASUS last year. ASUS have taken what they learnt and taken it to the next level. The key selling feature is a processor that is far more powerful than those available on other tablet PCs, which means high-definition video is handled smoothly, as are graphically complex 3D games. The ASUS tablet couples a stylish, light tablet that clicks into a keyboard dock to effectively create a netbook for more heavy duty content creation and work. The end result is a highly versatile tablet with a promised operating system upgrade to the latest Android software due very soon. If you like what you see then check out the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime video I put together here.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Strengths

Powerful processor – The critical strength of the Transformer Prime is the processor – the most powerful processor available currently for a tablet (quad-core NVidia Tegra 3 CPU – 1.3GHz). This means it has fantastic capabilities to deliver 3D games smoothly with very fine graphical detail, plus it has the best high-definition video experience you can experience on a tablet. You won’t experience any stutters when playing video or games with this tablet.

Stylish design – this is a very thin and light tablet, comparable to an iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It’s only 8.3mm thick and weighs 586 grams. This means it’s highly portable and impresses in the build quality department too. The brushed aluminium back to the tablet also lends an air of sophistication, although it looks like it may pick up the odd scratch.

10.1-Inch Gorilla Glass Super IPS screen – this is an impressive display and of a comparable quality to the highly rated iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 screens. It delivers sharp (1280 x 800 pixel resolution) and bright images that are clear and full of vivid colour. It’s a very durable screen too. You can quickly adjust the brightness of the screen with a tap to the bottom right corner of the tablet. Here you can switch to the Super IPS mode to enhance your ability to view the screen in bright sunshine, dim the brightness if you’re inside and want to take the pressure off your eyes, or even leave it up to the ASUS tablet to make the decision by using the ambient light sensor.

Capacitive screen – responsive to finger swipes and taps. They register accurately when browsing the web and allowed for some quick typing. The screen doesn’t pick up as much finger print smudging as other tablets, and also seems to reflect light less that other tablets reviewed previously. This all adds up and the result is it’s easy to read the screen on the Prime.

The Transformer Prime tablet clicks comfortably into the keyboard dock provided and creates a robust netbook option for when you want a quicker way of inputting text via a physical keyboard – this review was written by using this method. You effectively get a tablet and a netbook all-in-one with this tablet - giving you lots of versatility.

The keyboard dock itself is a similar size to the tablet so the keys aren’t huge. They do a job but you wouldn’t want this tablet-keyboard combo to replace your laptop/desktop PC if you intend to do a reasonable amount of work on it – the keys are cramped and not as responsive as a laptop. However, it’s much better than typing on the on-screen keyboard. You can still navigate the screen via touch when the keyboard is plugged in but a trackpad is also provided for fine control of the on-screen cursor. The keyboard also has a number of quick-access keys to quickly perform tasks such as exiting to the home screen, a back button, turning Wi-Fi on/off, toggle the trackpad on/off, brightness controls, screen capture, exit to the web browser, switch to settings, play/rewind/forward wind for music/video, audio controls and a lock button. The last one is weirdly placed just where I’m used to having my delete key so whilst typing this review I regularly locked the tablet instead of correcting an error – something you’d get used to as you used the tablet regularly.

Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) operating system – this is Google’s latest tablet operating system but with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) promised very soon – this operating system is currently being rolled out to high-end smartphones but the tablet version should polish off a few rough edges and take this operating system to a new level. ASUS have made minor tweaks with things like the on-screen back, home and multitasking icons at the bottom left of the screen. The multi-tasking button is particularly useful to see all open applications and either jump quickly to them or shut them down without going back into them. This helps with managing system resources if the tablet is slowing down if you had too much open at any one time. To the bottom right of the screen you can also tap to access date and time, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth settings, brightness, screen lock and then information on the latest music track you’ve been listening too, downloads, and notifications, such as a new email coming in.

8 Megapixel rear-facing camera at the back of the tablet takes very impressive images with decent colour and definition. A flash sits alongside it for low light conditions. The Camera application also gives you some flexibility to adjust settings – such as adjusting white balance, focus and exposure etc.

1.2 Megapixel front-facing web cam camera for video chat with apps such as Skype. Again this provides very decent video for these services.

32GB internal storage – this is the only model available in the UK currently. It’s a decent sized internal storage for all your apps, films, pictures and music. On top of this there is a Micro SD card slot that will allow you to buy a Micro SD card and expand the memory by a further 32GB to a total of 64GB. Should you still want to offload some of your content, ASUS also provide a free web storage app where you can upload your files to the internet and then access them from Cloud storage when you’re in range of a Wi-Fi network.

Expansion opportunities – further to the Micro SD card slot, there’s a full SD Card slot available on the keyboard dock which means you can slot in a SD Card (such as those used in the majority of digital cameras) either as a way of quickly uploading your photos or to store other files.

USB port – again on the keyboard dock you have a full-sized USB 2.0 port which you can use to attach a USB stick for taking files on and off the tablet, or alternatively to attach USB peripherals such as a USB mouse or printer.

Full Adobe Flash compatibility – Flash is a technology used in some websites to deliver video, games or animation. Flash isn’t supported by the iPad but is supported by the Android operating system. It is a processor hungry technology but the ASUS Transformer Prime has a processor that handles it with ease. This means you’ve got access to the full web on this tablet.

Connectivity – as you would expect connectivity is dealt with via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but there currently isn’t a version of the tablet that allows you to connect to the internet using the 3G data network.

Micro HDMI port – with this you can buy a cable that will allow you to connect the tablet to your high-definition TV. You’ll then be able to pipe video or whatever is on your tablet screen directly to your HD TV and maintain the picture quality.

Excellent Battery Life – ASUS claims the tablet will last for 9 hours on a single charge with normal use but may even extend to up to 12 hours if you’re mostly using it to watch video (measured by continuous video playback on medium brightness). The keyboard dock also has a battery inside it so if you charge this up too, it will also add another 6 hours on top of this – potentially giving you an astounding 18 hours of charge.

Media Playback – as you would expect, the Prime is very capable of dealing with high definition video. Download a high-definition video from the Android Market and it plays fast and smooth on the high quality screen. Audio is also excellent for a tablet both during films and music – there’s just one speaker but it’s loud and clear. This is a very good performance in the context of tablet speaker quality; however don’t expect the same quality as you get from your dedicated stereo. 2 speakers would have improved this further too. A wide range of audio and video formats are supported so check out the full specification if you want to check specific file types.

Gaming capabilities – the Prime is a very high-powered tablet so this means games look astonishing on the high-end screen. Graphics are very detailed and 3D games really come to life far more than they have on other tablets. The range of sensors employed with this tablet also mean that it’s highly responsive to every twist and tilt that you use to control the action in these games.

As you would expect there are also the standard Android email, mapping, music playback, YouTube, movie editing, video chat and picture gallery/editing apps included. The web browser is simple to use and performance is excellent, quickly loading web pages and reacting to taps, pinches and swipes as you navigate web pages.

Additional Apps – ASUS decided to make minimal changes to standard Android 3.2, but have included a few of their own apps:

MyZine - A magazine-style app that allows you to quickly go to previously accessed content – such as the last webpage you visited, music played, emails, books, weather and a gallery of your photos. It looks nice but doesn’t add a huge amount to the experience.

MyLibrary - An app for buying and reading eBooks, newspapers and magazines. This is a good app but the available eBooks/magazines content is limited currently.

MyDesktop – This app allows you to control your PC from your Transformer Prime.

@vibe Music – A music discovery app that will allow you to listen to random tunes from your chosen artists and it will suggest other tracks you can listen to free at random. If you want specific tracks though you’ll need to buy them.

SuperNote - A finger tip note taking application. It can also be used for sketching, sending messages, creating e-cards with audio messages and many other random things. It’s a bit of fun but of questionable long-term use.

MyCloud - A Cloud storage app similar to Dropbox. You get 2GB of storage free for uploading your files (documents, films, music etc.) and then you can access them whenever you have a Wi-Fi connection without clogging up your internal memory. You can pay to upgrade to more memory too. If you use the service on another computer you can then also access those files from that PC too.

MyNet - An app that lets you access your PC, DLNA TV or DLNA speakers. This means from your Transformer Prime, you can play music, video or look at pictures that are stored on your PC and vice-versa.

Polaris Office – a Microsoft Office alternative for accessing Word, Excel and PowerPoint style documents and editing/creating in a light version of these applications.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Weaknesses

High price – at £499 this is definitely a premium tablet, although you do get the keyboard dock included at this price – in the UK there is only a 32GB version available with keyboard.

Android Market (the Android store) still does not offer an all encompassing eco-system in comparison to iOS and the Apple iPad App Store. This means there are less games, apps, video, TV and other content available specifically for this format than you can get on the iPad. It’s still a fairly expansive selection but many of the apps are designed more for smartphones so don’t make optimal use of the larger tablet screen. A Tegra Zone app is included that points you directly to games that are optimised to get the most out of the powerful processor but the titles currently available are very limited and are more like demo versions to show off what this tablet is capable of.

GPS – used to determine your location for mapping applications, such as when you’re finding directions. Most other tablets use Assisted-GPS, which basically means that Wi-Fi/3G data networks are used in conjunction with satellites to determine your location. A GPS receiver is more accurate and this is exactly what the Transformer Prime has, however it doesn’t work very well. You can use mapping applications with Wi-Fi turned on and it accurately determines your location. Without Wi-Fi though the tablet struggles. ASUS have recognised this problem but there is no solution at this point.

Proprietary port is used for charging the ASUS Transformer Prime and for connecting to the keyboard dock. This works perfectly but the proprietary nature of this means that if you loose the charger then you’ll need to buy a new one. Other tablets used more standard connections for charging such as a mini-USB port.

There are a number of rubber port covers that the keyboard dock ships with. These are fiddly to remove and slot back. I would imagine these would be easily lost too. It’s no big issue if they are lost as these ports wouldn’t usually be covered on a regular netbook.

Tablet Review – ASUS Transformer Prime – The Best Android Tablet Yet

The ASUS Transformer Prime competes with the best tablets and beats them all on hardware features. The super-powered processor creates a very smooth and seamless experience from stunning graphics on games to smooth crisp high-definition video. It has a fantastic battery life that exceeds all other consumer tablets and the unique design to switch it from tablet to netbook offers substantial flexibility. Android 3.2 is good, but Android 4.0 is due any day now and will move this tablet to an even higher level. This makes the user experience very enjoyable and interface intuitive.

Given that level of quality components, it’s inevitable that this is an expensive tablet, but it’s still in the same range as an iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime an iPad killer? Well, it has the potential to be if only the tablet eco-system around Android would take-off. Only time will tell if the developer community evolves into creating more apps that have tablet specific optimised function and design.

However, if you’re looking for a tablet that performs to the highest standards, want to have more flexibility to set your tablet up exactly as you want it, need a device for work and play, and have the huge flexibility of just about every possible port available for a tablet, then this is the tablet for you.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime full specification and user reviews

ASUS Transformer Prime Key Features:

• Light and thin – stylish design comparable to an iPad 2.
• NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor – the most advanced processor used in a tablet PC yet.
• Android 3.2 – promised upgrade to Android 4.0 soon.
• Screen is a 10.1-inch multi-touch Super IPS panel – it’s responsive, bright & vivid, high resolution screen, with great viewing angles.
• 8 MP camera – for taking stills and HD video.
• 1.2 MP web cam – for video chat
• Sonic Master technology for enhanced audio quality for music lovers.
• Keyboard dock turns it into a slim netbook – with up to 18 hours of battery life, a full qwerty keyboard and touchpad, plus USB and SD card slots

Transformer Prime Hardware Overview:

ASUS Transformer Prime Video Review:

 

 

If you want to learn more, check out the full Asus Transformer Prime review here.

The Kindle Fire is a very important tablet as it marks Amazon’s first foray into a colour media tablet PC. Amazon have a huge range of digital content available so it immediately has a great library to support it. So how does it match up to the competition?

Below you’ll find a video review showing you the hardware and the different content that’s available on the Kindle Fire.

The media content covers Newsstand magazines, Books, Music, Video (films and TV programmes), Docs, Apps and Web browsing.

It’s clear the Amazon Kindle Fire is designed to allow you to get at the huge range of Amazon digital media. It’s a true consumption device. This is slightly different from other tablet PCs that also have a focus on creating as well as consuming.

That said, it’s cheap at $199 and has a great range of available media in the Amazon eco-system. It’s also extremely easy to use.

Watch the video below to get more of a flavour about the capabilities of the Kindle Fire tablet.

Check out the Kindle Fire on Amazon.com 

There will be more coming on the Kindle Fire soon at What Tablet PC so subscribe for free to get updates direct to your inbox – you’ll also get a free short email course to help you choose what tablet PC would best suit you.

If you click on the above links, What Tablet PC gets a small percentage for referring you. This helps me pay the running costs of this site, so if you found this useful and intend to buy a Kindle Fire, then please click-through on them.

Setting up your Kindle Fire for the first time is a pretty straight forward process. But, to help you I’ll walk you through how you can set up your Kindle Fire.

How to set-up a Kindle Fire for the first time

1. When you turn on your Kindle Fire for the first time you’ll be prompted to connect to your WiFi network.
2. Next you’ll be prompted to select your local time.
3. Next you’ll be prompted to enter your Amazon account info – these are the details you use to login to your Amazon.com account – your US-based email and password.
4. Next the Kindle Fire will automatically download the latest Kindle Fire software, it will tell you it’s doing that.
5. Once complete it will reboot and initialize the update.
6. Now you’re taken to the hibernation screen and a swipe from right-to-left takes you to a tutorial.

That’s it, you’re now ready to run through the demo and get using your Kindle Fire.

Amazon Kindle Fire Tutorial

When you first initialize your Kindle Fire it takes you through how to use it. Below I’ll talk you through that and have included a video of the process so you can refer back to it if you need it.

How to use a Kindle Fire

The official Kindle Fire tutorial immediately fires up when you have completed the set-up process.

This includes an introduction to the navigation bar, where you can find the Newsstand, Books, Music, Video, Docs, Apps and Web.

Next it explains how the Carousel works so you can reach your recently viewed items. Swipe left and right to move through the carousel and tap to select an item.

Also, here you can see how it’s possible to pin your favourite content to the home screen by pressing and holding an item.

The next part of the tutorial shows you how to get access to Quick Settings, where you can adjust volume or brightness, Wi-Fi settings and other bits-and-pieces. You’re also introduced to the Home button that you can tap from anywhere in the Kindle Fire and it will take you back to the Home Screen.

After this it takes you back to the Home Screen and you’re ready to start playing with your Kindle Fire

Check out the video below to see the Kindle Fire Tutorial.

If you live in the UK, the Kindle Fire isn’t available on Amazon.co.uk. If you live in the US then check out the Kindle Fire on Amazon.com

There will be more coming on the Kindle Fire soon at What Tablet PC so subscribe for free to get updates direct to your inbox – you’ll also get a free short email course to help you choose what tablet PC would best suit you.

If you click on the above links, What Tablet PC gets a small percentage for referring you. This helps me pay the running costs of this site, so if you found this useful and intend to buy a Kindle Fire, then please click-through on them.

Thinking about buying a tablet PC? Below you’ll find the best value tablet PCs available now in the UK and a summary of what makes them stand out. We’ve got the top 18 UK tablet PCs and a description to help you understand what their strengths and weaknesses are.

These are consumer tablet PCs made by established mainstream manufacturers with a solid reputation. They are rated on their design, features, performance and value-for-money.

If you want to understand how the tablet operating systems on offer compare then check out our operating systems comparison.

Prices stated below are at time of posting this article, they’ll give you a guide but it’s worth checking out the actual reviews and shopping around for the latest prices. The operating systems stated below are the operating systems that each tablet ships with. Finally, the sizes below are the size of each slate measured diagonally corner-to-corner.

Best Tablet PCs UK 2011

1. Apple iPad 2

Operating System: iOS

Price: £400

Size: 8.9-inches

The iPad 2 is still the best selling tablet in this list and there’s good reason. Users love it as the iPad is easy to use and responsive. The experience is optimised by a vibrant screen that’s responsive to touches and swipes.

The true differentiation for the iPad versus other tablets is the Apple App Store with iPad optimised applications and games. The number of apps here dwarfs the number of tablet-specific apps available for any other platform – including Android.

The only grumbles are the difficulty in extending an iPad as you’re limited to a proprietary Apple port – there’s no USB or MicroSD port. The iPad is locked down to control what you can and can’t load on it. This means only apps from Apple’s App Store can be utilised. These apps are checked by Apple to ensure they run smoothly, but this limits how much freedom you have to experiment with an iPad.

Apple also prevent Flash web content from running on the iPad. This ensures the battery lasts for well over 10 hours, but means you don’t get the full web experience.

The iPad is arguably the best tablet experience available right now but some users won’t accept the restrictions. The success is driven by the eco-system supported by fantastic stylish hardware. If your budget is tight, you can still also get hold of an original iPad 1 – the experience is excellent despite being well over 18 months old.

Click here for the Apple iPad 2 review in full.

2. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £370

Size: 10.1-inches

The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is differentiated from other Android tablets by offering a keyboard dock that turns the tablet into a netbook. It’s also priced aggressively to undercut the Motorola Xoom with a near identical specification and more flexibility.

A key strength of this tablet is the multi-touch capacitive screen with impressive viewing angles, good resolution and bright colours. The processor happily deals with Android Honeycomb, and there’s a decent range of ports to give you flexibility. Front- and rear-facing cameras take photos and video, and the features are rounded off with an excellent battery life (particularly when you add the keyboard dock) and Adobe Flash compatibility.

It’s weaknesses are that Android Honeycomb isn’t as finished as the iOS iPad operating system so doesn’t work as smoothly and lacks polish. The ASUS tablet also lacks USB ports unless you invest in the keyboard dock.

The Eee Pad Transformer tablet is a flexible Android tablet and has some great user reviews as a result.

Click here for the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer review in full.

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Operating System: Android 3.1

Price: £400

Size: 10.1-inches

Regarded as one of the best Android tablet available, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a fantastic hardware spec and the most stylish design – but compromises some elements to get there.

It runs Android 3.1 and is the thinnest, and lightest, of all the 10-inch tablets. It feels slick and great in the hand – comparable to the iPad 2 for style. The performance is pretty similar to the iPad 2 also – it’s fast and responsive.

The trade off with a thin tablet is that you lose ports, so don’t expect the HDMI and USB connections, or a microSD card slot. Accessories are available to provide the same function but at a cost.

The eco-system of Android isn’t as comprehensive as the iPad’s. There are a lot less apps specifically designed for a tablet format on the Android Market in comparison to the iPad App Store. There’s also fewer downloadable films and TV shows. However, this will change over time.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 really stands out amongst the plethora of Android slates. So much so that Apple are trying to stop it being sold on the grounds it’s too much like an iPad. It’s impressive screen, stylish design and nippy performance are hard to beat.

Click here for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review in full.

4. Acer Aspire Iconia Tab A101

Operating System: Android 3.2

Price: £270

Size: 7-inch

If you’re looking for a 7-inch tablet PC with a decent specification then the Acer Iconia Tab A100 is a sound option. It’s the first 7-inch tablet to run Android 3.2, offers a good performance, is responsive and has a decent feature list.

The weaknesses are that the battery life is fairly mediocre and again there are limitations of the Android eco-system in it’s application to a tablet-sized interface. Android 3.2 at least scales the Android smartphone apps to a tablet screen much better than previous versions of Android.

The Acer Aspire Iconia Tab A100 is competitively priced and the bar on 7-inch tablets hasn’t been set too high yet. If you’re set on a tablet that fits in your jacket pocket then this is about the best available right now.

Click here for the Acer Aspire Iconia Tab A100 review in full.

5. Sony Tablet S

Operating System: Android 3.1

Price: £400

Size: 9.4-inch

Sony’s long awaited foray into the tablet market brings the Sony Tablet S and a unique design. This wedge-shaped tablet sits comfortably in the hand and on a flat surface. It’s light and great for reading or surfing online plus the design also allows for a full-sized SD card slot. The trade-off is that it’s curvaciously chunky.

The processor happily deals with Android 3.1 without a hitch and the screen is responsive, although not as bright as other tablets. However, it is great for playing the exclusive range of PlayStation games and apps that Sony offer for this tablet.

Unfortunately, the Sony offering of games isn’t matched by a wide selection of games from the Android Marketplace. Again, it’s the weakness of the surrounding Android eco-system that holds back this tablet. Sony have added music streaming and video download services to supplement this though. One other criticism is that onboard storage is light so the SD card slot becomes a necessity to expand the memory.

The Sony S Tablet is a unique offering that SonyPlaystation enthusiasts will love. If you’re not a gamer though, there’s still a lot to like.

Click here for more on the Sony S Tablet.

6. Motorola Xoom

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £320

Size: 10.1-inches

The Motorola Xoom was the first tablet to run Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

It has a great all-round hardware specification with a speedy processor, capacitive touchscreen that is responsive, lots of ports, great high-definition capabilities and range of sensors that support the latest 3D games. The battery life is also comparable with the best tablets on the market.

It comes up short against the latest Android tablets as it’s a little heavier and Android still isn’t as slick as iOS on the iPad as an operating system.

Overall though it’s still a great tablet – Google’s recent acquisition of Motorola means it should get a lot of focus and get the very latest Android updates before anyone else. There’s also a Motorola Xoom 2 out very soon.

Click here for the Motorola Xoom review in full.

7. Acer Iconia A500

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £300

Size: 10.1-inches

The Acer Iconia combines a good all-round hardware specification with Android 3.0, and is pitched at a good price level too.

It possesses a decent processor so it’s capable of dealing with the latest tablet games, HD video and speedy web browsing. It has good quality cameras and a responsive capacitive multi-touch screen. There’s plenty of internal storage memory with an option to upgrade via a memory card. A USB port and a HDMI port also give lots of flexibility. Finally, a decent battery life means it’s good for long journeys.

What’s the weaknesses? Again, Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) is a good tablet PC operating system but the user interface doesn’t have the finesse of the iOS on the iPad. This will improve as Android evolves but for now it has odd quirks and again is not as tablet-optimised as iOS on the iPad.

There’s little missing from the Acer Iconia A500 but there’s also nothing to make it stand head-and-shoulders above other Android tablets. Depending on the price you can find, the Acer Iconia is a good solid bet even it doesn’t have any specific feature that makes it stand-out.

Click here for the Acer Iconia A500 review in full.

8. ASUS Eee Slate EP121

Operating System: Windows 7

Price: £1000

Size: 12.1-inches

The ASUS Eee Slate EP121 is a super-sized and super-powered Windows 7 tablet computer.

It delivers a premium Windows performance via a high-power processor, which gives a user access to a full operating system and the full range of Windows desktop applications. It also has a capacitive multi-touch screen that’s bright, sharp and responsive, lots of ports and storage options (USB,SDport, HDMI port), Adobe Flash compatibility to watch web video, handwriting input and a quick boot-up.

The cons are that Windows 7 isn’t designed for a tablet experience so menus and icons are fiddly to navigate with a finger on a touchscreen. On top of this, it’s unwieldy as it’s larger than other tablets and this means it’s less mobile. A comparatively short battery life also reduces the options to use it on long journeys.

The ASUS Eee slate EP121 tablet is a more expensive tablet PC but has the specification to match and the best Windows tablet PC experience for a consumer tablet.

Click here for the ASUS Eee Slate EP121 review in full.

9. Acer Aspire Iconia Tab W500 Review

Operating System: Windows 7

Price: £440

Size: 10.1-inches

The Acer Aspire Iconia Tab W500 is a low cost Windows 7 tablet, with an excellent 10.1-inch multitouch capacitive screen.

It has a powerful processor that can handle high-definition video playback, browse the web speedily and deals with Windows games. You also have full Flash compatibility for watching web video.

As the W500 runs Windows 7, you can load any desktop Windows application and this means you have access to millions of apps. However, most of these are designed for use with the mouse or trackpad of a desktop/laptop computer, and in a lot of cases they are difficult to use on a touch-based tablet.

The Acer Aspire Iconia Tab W500 also provides substantial flexibility with a keyboard dock, 2 cameras, USB ports, HDMI output and an SD card slot.

Again, be aware that the Windows 7 operating system isn’t designed for tablets. It’s fiddly and frustrating to use with a touchscreen. It doesn’t have the high-end processor of the Eee Slate EP121 above so can be laggy when loading apps and slow to respond to re-orientation of the screen. It’s heavy and the internal storage is limited. The keyboard dock is not a good quality and the battery-life weighs in at a disappointing 4 hours of video playback.

Ultimately, if you really must have Windows on a tablet, your options are limited, and this does provide a cheap-ish option with an acceptable performance. It’s worth holding on a little longer until Windows 8 launches as it will be more tablet-friendly.

Click here for the Acer Aspire Iconia Tab W500 review in full.

10. Blackberry Playbook

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £225

Size: 7-inches

The Blackberry Playbook is a 7-inch slate with a responsive and sharp capacitive screen. The high spec processor delivers a fast performance and the operating system has been specifically designed for this tablet so is intuitive and slick. It also supports added security to protect your data – a feature particularly relevant for businesses.

The PlayBook is limited if it isn’t paired with a Blackberry phone though. The core productivity apps (email, calendar, tasks list) only work when in range of your Blackberry phone. For this reason you need to be a Blackberry enthusiast and expect to own such a phone for the life of the tablet otherwise you’ll be missing out on core apps. You can overcome this using web apps but given there isn’t a Playbook 3G option, you’ll need to be in range of a Wi-Fi signal.

Overall the hardware and software of the Blackberry Playbook is excellent but the average consumer will find it limiting due to the restrictions on apps and requirement to link to a Blackberry phone for the full range of function.

Click here for the Blackberry Playbook review in full.

11. Archos 101

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £180

Size: 10.1-inches

The Archos 101 tablet PC is a low cost 10-inch tablet that offers a good option at the price.

The screen is responsive and the processor delivers a reasonable performance. This means it can deal with video and speedy web browsing.Batterylife is reasonable for a budget tablet too.

The limitations are that it runs an older version of Android (Android 2.2), has a fairly plasticy build and weaker screen than other tablets. You also don’t get direct access to the Android Market from the Archos 101 so you have to manually install apps or use the limited selection available from the Archos AppsLib.

Overall the Archos 101 is a good tablet for the price but it doesn’t match up to the more expensive Android tablets that run the latest edition of the operating system.

Click here for the Archos 101 tablet PC review in full.

12. Advent Vega

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £230

Size: 10.1-inches

The Advent Vega is a similar spec’d tablet to the Archos 101 with a near identical feature set and performance.

You can expect a decent media and web experience, responsive multitouch screen and decent range of ports.

Again it runs the dated Android 2.2 operating system and so has the same limitations.

If you can’t decide between the Archos 101 and Advent Vega then your best option is to shop around for the best offer as they pretty much give an identical experience.

Click here for the Advent Vega review in full.

13. HTC Flyer Tablet Review

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £440

Size: 7-inches

The HTC Flyer is a 7-inch Android tablet with the unique feature of a very accurate and responsive magic pen stylus and a range of pre-installed apps that support note taking. This makes it’s great for annotating books and articles, plus you can capture notes on other apps too.

The tablet itself is pretty fast and has a reasonably high-powered processor. It offers a good quality multitouch screen that reacts well to taps and swipes, good web browsing function (including Flash compatibility), and front- and rear-facing cameras for recording video or making video calls.

On the flip side, it’s expensive and let down by not offering the latest version of the Android operating system. Furthermore, the range of apps optimised for the stylus input are limited. It’s also missing a HDMI port and the battery life isn’t great.

Taking all this into account though, the HTC Flyer would suit anyone in an education, research or creative field due to the note taking features.

Click here for the HTC Flyer review in full.

14. LG Optimus Pad

Operating System: Android 3.0

Price: £720

Size: 10.1-inches

The LG Optimus Pad is unique amongst tablets in that you can record 3D video. 3D video has yet to catch on with the mass market but it does offer an interesting feature if you’ve got a 3D TV to watch these on – you can’t get all the glory of 3D video playback on the tablet screen.

Overall the rest of the tablet specification is comparable to the best of the Android Honeycomb tablets. That means a decent processor to handle Android 3.0, an excellent battery life, a responsive multi-touch screen that delivers bright and sharp images, the best quality cameras of any tablet (front- and rear-facing) and a range of ports to extend the tablet’s function.

The weaknesses come in Android 3.0’s lack of finish in comparison to the iPad operating system and a price that is extremely high when lined up with the other Android tablets with similar specs. You’re paying a lot more for the 3D video option so make sure you’re going to use it if you buy this tablet.

The LG Optimus Pad has a specification and performance that is at least comparable to the Motorola Xoom, Acer Iconia and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. It also has the 3D video capture option and better cameras for shooting stills. However, it’s the most expensive Android 3.0 tablet currently on offer.

Click here for the LG Optimus Pad review in full.

15. Samsung Galaxy Tab (Original)

Operating System: Android 2.2

Price: £232

Size: 7-inches

The original Samsung Galaxy Tab was the first big-brand challenger to the iPad but is now rather dated. It’s very different to the iPad in that it’s a 7-inch tablet so about half the size.

It only runs Android 2.2 (you can now update to 2.3) and so you’re limited to an operating system that was designed for a smartphone and doesn’t take full advantage of the larger screen.Batterylife is also a little weak.

But, if you’re someone who prefers the more portable 7-inch format then the Galaxy Tab has a great screen and is quick. It also has direct access to the Android Market range of apps.

Overall the Galaxy Tab is a decent choice but now becoming superseded by higher-spec 7-inch tablets. If you can pick up one on the cheap side then it could still be an option though.

Click here for the original 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab review in full.

16. Dell Streak 7

Operating System: Android 2.2

Price: £250

Size: 7-inches

The Dell Streak 7 has a unique spec in that excels in some areas and is severely let down in others.

The processor is strong and handles Android 2.2 very well giving you a responsive 7-inch screen, speedy web surfing, HD video and Flash. It’s also one of the few tablets available now that allows access to the 4G data network. However, there’s not much of a 4G network in theUKjust yet.

The flip side is the low resolution display and poor battery life.

Depending on what’s important to you, there may be some value in exploring the Dell Streak 7 tablet – particularly with the 4G connectivity.

Click here for the Dell Streak 7 review in full.

17. HP TouchPad

Operating System: WebOS

Price: £250 – guide – discontinued so prices vary 

Size: 9.7-inches

The HP TouchPad bought a new operating system – WebOS – to tablets. However, despite some promising early signs, a few issues with performance lead to the tablet flopping.

WebOS is regarded as a fantastic polished operating system. But the performance of the tablet was inconsistent and there were very few tablet apps or games for the TouchPad.

Subsequently HP have stopped making the TouchPad and sold off the remaining stock on the cheap. If you can get a cheap TouchPad via eBay or another online retailers it’s still a decent tablet, but bear in mind it won’t be supported in future.

Click here for the HP TouchPad review in full.

18. NATPC/Tabtech M009S Tablet Review

Operating System: Android 2.2

Price: £70

Size: 7-inches

The Tabtech M009S tablet (also referred to as the NATPC M009S) is a cheap and basic option. The performance is as you should expect at this price. It made this list due to the price point, but don’t expect it to compare to the other tablets in those list.

It’s a 7-inch tablet running Android 2.2 so effectively an oversized smartphone. That means it will run the apps and games associated with Android smartphones but you have more screen to play with.

It has a limited memory but there’s a MicroSD card slot so you can extend it. Similarly the accessory that comes with it allows you to attach a USB stick and connect to a wired Internet connection.

It has a low powered processor, that means it stutters along and occasionally freezes up. The screen is resistive so not as responsive as the other tablets in this list.

Overall it does a decent job at this price. If you’re keeping to a tight budget for your tablet this is about as good as you can expect. I would recommend paying a bit extra though to get a far better capacitive screen and stronger processor – such as on the Archos 101 or Advent Vega.

Click here for the M009S review in full.

Tablets that didn’t make the list:

What Tablet PC has lots of review of other table PCs available to buy in the UK that haven’t made the top 10 list but you may still be considering.

Check out the Creative ZiiO Tab Review, ViewSonic ViewPad 10 Review, Commtiva N700 and bModo12G reviews.

I’ve also covered a number of specific areas such as the best cheap tablets and the best Android 3.0 tablets so you can find more information on those too.

If you want to compare the specifications of all of the tablets above, click on our Tablet Comparison Table.