The
Archos 101 is the 10-inch tablet Android needed in 2010. Thin, light and affordable
priced at $ 319 (8GB) and $ 365 (16GB), the Archos 101 is the first decent Android 2.2 presentation we’ve seen on a screen iPad format.
Unfortunately, Archos’ timing is terrible. The 10-inch tablets making headlines these days are all running Android 3.0 (honeycomb) and the Archos 101 is making no promises to support the latest, greatest OS from Google. Still, if you’re looking for a 10-inch tablet – you need it now, and you need it cheap – the Archos 101 is not a bad way to go.
Unlike most of the Android tablets we’ve seen in the aftermath of the iPad, the Archos 101 looks really good next tablet from Apple. Similar size at about 10.5 inches wide, 6 inches high and 0.33 inches thick, the Archos 101 feels like a real tablet – not an oversized smartphone.
The first thing you notice about the Archos 101 is how light it is. At about 16 grams, it weighs about the same as a pint of beer and is noticeably lighter than the iPad. How Archos was able to achieve this light weight is no secret, though. Instead of aluminum and glass construction used on the iPad, the Archos design and construction is mostly plastic bends easily under pressure. True, tablets are relatively fragile devices inherently, but the 101 wins no points for robustness.
Another design detail that experienced Android users will notice is the Archos 101′s lack of tactile navigation buttons. Perhaps Google’s prediction of a move of all navigation buttons to the touch screen in Android 3.0, Archos has adapted Android 2.2 with on-screen buttons for home, back, menu, run the right of the screen. The end result is really ideal for tablets, as the navigation buttons to refocus, whatever the device is held.
Archos is also a little out of Android script when it comes to connectivity. For better or worse, all of the 101 ports are crowded on the left edge of the device – and, boy, there are a lot of ports. You get standard connections for headphones, an AC adapter and a Micro
USB port for syncing with a computer. Archos also throws in a mini-HDMI port for output to a TV and a standard USB host port for connecting an external keyboard or thumb drive.
Also on the Archos 101 is a front-facing camera that both video and photos can shoot at VGA resolution (640×480 pixels). Fring a video chat application is installed that will work with the camera, along with the pinhole microphone found on the same side.
A kick stand is also included, located on the back. The stand folds from the middle and folds out far enough to prop up the tablet in a lightweight (30-degree) angle, which helps with touch-screen typing, but can also be used to the tablet upright to keep videos or a photo slideshow.
So much software goes, you’re looking at a device Android 2.2, minus the comforts of their own apps from Google, including Android Marketplace,
Google Mail and Maps. You get the stock Android 2.2 e-mail app and browser, along with remixed versions Archos’ of the Android music player, photo viewer and video player.
As a gesture of peace project, Archos offers its own App Store called AppsLib, for those looking to go through the motions. As we have noted in previous Archos tablet reviews, the content is just not there. It’s like a journey through a flea market. There are plenty of knockoffs and hastily produced games and demos, but the brand names are not around.
What are the interesting hardware features. The Archos 101 has no cellular connectivity or GPS, but you get 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a few rare features that can win over some. For example, you get a full-sizeUSB port that supports attached keyboards and thumbdrives. You will not find on a high-end Android Galaxy Tab tablet and Samsung, and certainly not on the iPad. There is also a mini-HDMI port on the screen to view mirrors on a TV – perfect for playing videos or show off websites.
Of course, not all of the specs are the winners. Despite the IPAD-like size, 101-screen has a poor viewing angle, limited brightness and a 1,024 x600-pixel resolution that does not meet its high-definition video playback capabilities. Video output via an HDMI cable (not supplied) maxes out at a decent 720p HD. Another disappointment is the lack of full support for Adobe Flash 10. It’s a complaint we make about tablets twice the price of the Archos 101 – but whatever you think you will buy, it is frustrating to come across broken Flash player while browsing the web.
Conclusion
The Archos 101 Android 2.2 tablet is not the fastest, smartest and most impressive tablet we’ve seen. It’s big and cheap, and Android provides core functionality with a few bells and whistles (HDMI, USB host), but for the most part is an obsolete instrument with a limited use for Web browsing and e-mail.
Source [
thinklaptops]
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