I'm currently engaged in a really exciting project that will involve using tablets of the 9" - 10" variety. While I'd love to use an iPad, the project's sales model is pushing me more towards Android. As such, I've spent some time researching what's currently available in the Android tablet space.
The first thing I found when doing research is that there are a lot of inexpensive options out there in a variety of sizes. While this sounds promising, these lower-end devices invariably seem to involve resistive (passive) touch screens rather than the more expensive capacitive (active) type. Disappointingly, most of the reviews I found regarding these tablets were unfavorable. Many criticized the inaccuracy of the resistive screens and others the lack of processing power. And, for better or for worse, the Android OS needs processing power to feel responsive.
The one device that seemed to garner generally favorable reviews was the Archos 101. Since I couldn't find one locally, I ordered the 8Gb model to determine its viability for my project (and to have an actual tablet device to begin testing on).
Now I'm admittedly biased by my year or so with the iPad. The screen on it is fantastic and everything about it is elegant and responsive. I fully realize it's not fair to compare a $300 device with a $500 one. Unfortunately, the iPad has set the bar for a tablet pretty high in my mind.
Unsurprisingly, the Archos case is all plastic but I wouldn't say it feels flimsy. I wouldn't want to drop it but I wouldn't want to drop an iPad either (probably for different reasons). The device currently runs Android 2.2 (Archos claims it will run 2.3 when available) and feels reasonably responsive, although not as responsive as 2.2 on my Nexus One. Again, probably not a fair comparison given how much bigger the screen real estate is on the Archos.
There were two things I found surprising on the device: the viewing angle of the display and the lack of the Android marketplace.
When you view the display head on, it looks good (I wouldn't say great). However, as you tilt the device at an angle, the screen darkens noticeably. It seems worst when looking at it from above, but it occurs at all angles. While not a deal breaker, it poses a potential problem for my intended use of the device.
The other eyebrow raiser was the fact that the device is not Google certified so can't include the Android Marketplace on it. I don't know the implications of that but Archos' literature assures me that it's no big deal and a lot of manufacturers are in the same boat. There is a replacement application for the Marketplace called "AppsLib" that seems to serve a similar function. Unfortunately, it seems to be very poorly written and prompts me that it has stopped responding and requires me to force quit it most of the time. While it is running, it's painfully slow to browse through so I've pretty much given up on it. Given that my use of the device would be for my app to run exclusively on it, it's more a curious observation than a big deal for me.
All in all, the Archos 101 would probably makes a pretty good entry-level tablet. It's definitely not an iPad killer and probably not the best choice for my current project needs. I'll just continue to use it until something better comes along.
In that vein, it seems like the Android tablet market is about to explode with a slew of what appear to be pretty high-quality devices -- the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, LG G-Slate, etc. While these will no doubt be significantly more expensive than the Archos, I'm hopeful they will also be of significantly higher quality. It's certainly nice to have lower-priced options (which Apple doesn't provide) but I think the adage "you get what you pay for" is in full effect here.
Let's see what the future holds for the Android tablet market. While it may look a bit bleak right now, things may change pretty quickly.