Five tablets of Archos

Archos, the French equipment manufacturer, has released a new range of tablets and they are both cheap  and fully featured. There are five tablets in total, Archos 28, Archos 32, Archos 43,  Archos 70, Archos 101 all of them are internet tablets and  running Android 2.2 Froyo. All of the tablets has actually been released...

Archos 28 Internet Tablet

The first of the five Archos tablets is the Archos 28 Internet Tablet, thi is smallest pocket tablet  as you might have guessed, the Archos 28 features a 2.8 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 320x240. There is no word on whether the display is resistive or capacitive, but looking at the price point it is most likely restive.

The Archos 28 runs on a 800 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and  which comes with WiFi 802.11n connection facility also features, a built in microphone, an accelerometer, and it runs on Android 2.2 Froyo. The Archos 28 doesn’t seem to feature speakers, though. If all this wasn't enough, the device include video playing also supports a large number of video and audio codecs and formats. So you can use it as an audio, video player along with MP3 songs playback.

An interesting feature is a USB 2.0 port with USB host capabilities. As for battery life the Archos 28 gets up to 16 hours of music playback, up to 4 hours of video playback, and up to 6 hours of web browsing.  The device also comes with your choice of 4 or 8 GB of built in flash memory and internet browsing to enjoying all the android based applications. The tablet is powered by an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor along with an accelerometer to enjoy the apps.

Unfortunately, the Archos 28 doesn't support the Android Market, and neither do any of the other Archos Android devices. In terms of size and weight the Archos 28 is 100x54x9 mm and weighs just 68 grams. The Archos 28 hasn't been released yet but Archos is marketing it as being under $100, presumably for the 4 GB version. 

Archos 32 Internet Tablet

This is an upgrade of the Archos model 28 that comes with a feature size of 3.2-inch screen, resistive touchscreen display with 400x240 resolution. You might think that with resistive screens will certainly become unresponsive, but the fact that many reports stating that this is like a capacitive touchscreen. This device is equipped with 8GB of internal storage to store media files and also comes with 720p video recording camera that makes it a viable device. Android 2.2 Froyo, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1, accelerometer, and 800 MHz ARM  Cotex A8 processor as the Archos 28.

The largest increase from  Archos 28 to Archos 32 in addition to the monitor screen is the addition of a camera with VGA video recording capability, but  still no images.  Battery life on the Archos 32 is also slightly improved from the Archos 28, and you will get up to 24 hours of music playback, up to 6 hours of video playback, and up to 8 hours of web browsing. Along with this you can also watch your device screen on the TV using the TV out option. For connecting to the Internet you can connect it with your 3G enabled mobile phone using the USB Cable or the Bluetooth and get started.

The Archos 32 also supports a large range of video and audio codecs and formats and as with the Archos 28.  Lack of availability of the Archos 32 there is no loud speaker built in and as with the Archos 28 and all remaining tablets Archos Android does not have access to the Android Market. as the Archos 28.  As for the size of the Archos 32, it measures 105x55x9 mm and weighs just 72 grams. The Archos 32 is also the only Archos tablet that is currently available for purchase, and it goes for just $150.

Archos 43 Internet Tablet

The next Archos Tablet after 32, this is Archos 4.3 Internet Tablet, a "palm-sized tablet that comes in a sleep design with a screen size of 4.3 inch touchscreen with 480x854 resolution equal to the size of the other tablets such as Samsung Galaxy S. The Archos 43 also features Android 2.2 Froyo, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1, a built in speaker, a built in microphone, an accelerometer, a built in kick stand, and a camera capable of recording HD video at 720p. The camera is also capable of taking 2 megapixel stills. 

A big improvement from the Archos 28 and 32 is that the Archos 43 features a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. As for its similarities, the Archos 43 features a USB 2.0 host device and has support for a large number of video and audio codecs and formats, and the Archos 43 is also capable of playing 720p HD video. Another feature that differs from the previous Archos tablets is that the Archos 43 has a mini HDMI output and an external microSD card slot. Battery life is also improved and you get up to 36 hours of music playback, up to 10 hours of video playback, and up to 12 hours of web browsing. 

The best part is that there are no physical buttons and its completely a touch screen device with WiFi connectivity, sublime user interface and 3D graphics accelerator. The device is also compatible with Flash 10 to run flash based games. You can record videos and also take snaps in HD quality with 1280 x 720 pixel video resolution with a software to create a slideshow and upload the same media to Youtube or FaceBook.

The dimensions are 135x65x9 mm and it weighs just 130 grams. The Archos 43 will be available with either 8 or 16 GB of built in flash memory, but the 16 GB model is available for pre-order now for just $250. There is no word on how much the 8 GB model will cost.

Archos 70 Internet Tablet

The next Archos Tablet after 43, this is Archos 70 Internet  Tablet,  a tablet with 7-inch  capacitive multitouch screen and 800x480 resolution. the size that will compete with Samsung Tab in terms of  screen size.  A light touch multi full weight of the tablet are equipped with 3D graphics accelerator, like the previous Archos tablets, this device running Android 2.2 Froyo.

There was a breakthrough of this 70 Archos, this device is embedded stereo speakers, but generally tabet the size of available speakers is mono speaker. There is no back camera on the Archos 70, which is a surprise. The Archos 70, as with the previous Archos tablets, supports a large variety of audio and video formats and codecs, and also plays 720p HD video. A mini HDMI output is also included as well as a USB 2.0 host port. Battery life on the Archos 70 is great with up to 36 hours of music playback, up to 7 hours of video playback, and up to 10 hours of web browsing.  This device has a capacity of 8GB flash memory and a a 250 GB hard drive. These models differ slightly because, first of all, one of them has 242 more GB of memory, but also because the flash version has a microSD card slot. There is also a size and weight difference; the Archos 70 flash memory version measures 201x114x10mm and weighs 300 grams while the hard drive version measures 201x114x14 mm and weighs a hefty 400 grams.

The biggest downside is that there is no access to the Android Market, but Archos does have its own AppsLib app market available, and while it might not be the Android Market there are still some pretty good applications. You can also download applications directly to the Archos 70. There is no word on a release date or pricing for the Archos 70.

Archos 101 Internet Tablet

The next Archos Tablet after 70, this is Archos 101 Internet  Tablet,  This is the biggest model in this series which comes with a 10.1″ screen size, touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024x600. like all of the other Archos tablets, this device also runs Android 2.2 Froyo and WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 to get coonnectivity. And also features a build in speaker, a built in kickstand, a build in microphone, an accelerometer, a microSD card slot, and a front facing VGA camera for video conferencing. Some other features are a mini HDMI output, a USB host, and a USB slave. Like the Archos 70 and the Archos 43 the Archos 101 also plays 720p HD video and supports a wide range of audio and video codecs and formats. Finally this model is quite similar to the Apple iPad in terms of features and size but in terms of cost its almost 50% at 300$.

in general this device supports everything what all the above products support along with a webcam, email and chat applications, a virtual keyboard and support for high resource required apps like instant messengers, 3D games, video chatting etc, but there is one weaknes like as another Archos internet tablets, none of them have support for the Android Market, but don’t worry, the Archos has created its own app store called AppsLib Archos.

HP The Slate 500

Hewlett-Packard Co. jumped into the nascent tablet computing market Friday when it released its Slate 500, an $800 competitor to Apple, Inc.'s 6-month-old iPad.  The Slate 500, which runs Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system and is aimed at workplace users rather than consumers, goes beyond the iPad in some places, and stays behind it in others. 

The iPad has no camera, where the Slate has built-in front- and rear-facing cameras, including a three-megapixel higher resolution camera on the back. And unlike the iPad, the Slate has a USB port that allows it to work with a variety of plug-in digital accessories. 

But HP's tablet, which is now available through its retail store and will ship in mid-November, is priced higher than Apple's entry-level $499 iPad, has half the advertised battery life (five hours instead of 10) and does not come with the option of a cellular wireless plan, like Apple's more expensive iPads. Instead, the Slate is limited to Wi-Fi Internet connectivity.  A press release advertising the device says it is "designed specifically for business, enterprise and vertical customers looking for the mobility of a tablet, the familiarity of Microsoft Windows 7 and the ability to run custom or corporate applications." 

HP, which acquired Palm earlier this year, is also at work on a consumer device that will use the webOS operating system that runs on some of Palm's smartphones.

The CherryPad America

CherryPal, the company that brought you the $100 netbook, has just announced a cheap new Android tablet. The CherryPad America is a 7 inch tablet running Android and has plenty of features, despite the low price point. The CherryPad America features a 7 inch resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800x480, Android 2.1 (An upgrade to Android 2.2 is planned to be released later), 256 MB of RAM, 2GB of memory, a microSD card slot, WiFi 802.11g, an 800 MHz ARM processor, and an accelerometer. The device will also feature a built in microphone and speaker. As for battery life, the CherryPad America runs off of a 3200 mAh battery, which should give you six to eight hours of use. The device also has an aluminum case and weighs just 1.1 pounds.

Another great feature of the CherryPad America is that it will have access to the Android market, unlike other cheap Android tablets. CherryPad is saying that the CherryPad America is by no means a competitor to the iPad, but insists that it is "neither an iPad killer nor an iPad clone, it's a completely different product designed for a different market". The CherryPad America is available now through online retailer Zecozi, and will cost you just $188. Overall, the CherryPad America seems like a great tablet for the lower-end tablet market. Below is another image of the CherryPad America and the full press release.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cherrypal, a California-based manufacturer of high quality, low-energy  consuming and affordable personal computers, today announced the availability of its new sub $200 tablet computer, the CherryPad America.

The CherryPad was designed for consumers who are looking for an affordable, powerful, high quality, and low energy-consuming tablet computer with the ability to run the Android operating system. CherryPad is powered by the fast Samsung ARM11, (CPU + GPU + DSP, OpenGL 2.0) 800 MHz processor and runs Android 2.1 and all Android applications. An upgrade option to 2.2 is planned for the fourth quarter 2010.

The CherryPad America features a 7-inch resistive touch widescreen display (no stylus needed) at 800x480 resolution with built-in gravity sensor. Memory, storage and wireless functions include 256 MBs of DDRII RAM; 2 GB NAND Flash; Micro SD (1x) reader, and WiFi 802.11 b/g.

Standard I/O ports include USB 2.0 supported by an external adapter; 3.5 mm headphone jack, built-in speakers and microphone, DC port, optional external 3G modem. The CherryPad America's Polymer 3200 MAH battery has a run time of 6-8 hours. The device weighs just 1.1 pounds and is housed in a sturdy aluminum case. MSRP of the CherryPad America is $188.

"The CherryPad America does not compete against the Apple(C) iPad. The CherryPad addresses the sub-iPad market," said Cherrypal CTO Max Seybold.

According to Seybold, CherryPad has been designed for consumers who seek a lower cost, more compact tablet PC with the ability to run Android.

"The CherryPad is neither an iPad killer nor an iPad clone, it's a completely different product designed for a different market," Seybold said. "The screen of the CherryPad is only 7-inches big, the processor is slightly less powerful, and the CherryPad comes with Android 2.1 and not Apple's iOS." At a MSRP of $188, the price for a CherryPad is also less than half of the iPad.

"Early user tests confirmed the CherryPad userexperience has been extremely positive. Users appreciate full access to the Android Market, its powerful processor, battery run time, and high quality," Seybold said.

Cherrypal Partners With Zecozi Cherrypal also announced a strategic partnership with Zecozi (www.zecozi.com), a new online shopping site for conscious consumers. All Cherrypal products will be exclusively sold through Zecozi in the United States, with the exception of volume buyers. Every Cherrypal comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, as well as a 1-year replacement warranty.

"We are a hardware manufacturer first and need to focus on our core competence in order to drive down costs and offer quality products that consumers can afford. We can offer our products for such a low price because we are frugal with non-product related costs. When we looked for a strong partner who shares our green, open and fair corporate value system, Zecozi was the obvious choice," said Cherrypal CEO John Collier.

About Cherrypal Corporation Cherrypal (http://www.cherrypal.com) is a Palo Alto, California based manufacturer of high-quality, energyefficient and low-cost computers with worldwide sales operations. Cherrypal's products are designed in Palo Alto, California and manufactured in Asia.

About Zecozi Zecozi (www.zecozi.com) is a community-driven marketplace for conscious consumers, that enable users to shop with friendsand come together in real-time with the community to collectively define sustainability. The Zecozi community is the next generation of sustainable commerce.

iPad and Apple are registered trademarks of Apple. Other products/company names are either trademarks or trade names of their respective holders.