tablets

Acer Iconia W3 - [year] review

Acer Iconia W3 – 2024 review

June 16, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

With Windows 8, Microsoft turned its focus to touchscreen devices as the new operating system featured swipe gestures and charms that could be best experienced on touch-enabled devices. While we've been seeing ultrabooks, hybrids and 10-inch tablets running Windows 8, it was not ported to a device with a smaller form factor, until now. This is primarily because the OS has been majorly seen as a platform focusing on 'productivity' (Microsoft is also to be partially blamed for that), and not on content consumption. The other reason being that anything less than 10-inch would make the experience of using legacy apps cumbersome and OEMs wanted to market their devices as a PC substitute.
The Acer W3 changes all that, becoming the first 8-inch (8.1-inch to be precise) tablet to run Windows 8 and not Windows RT, which Microsoft created specially keeping tablets into consideration. The 8-inch form factor is really good when it comes to using a tablet for consuming content – read..

Review: HTC Flyer tablet mates with slippery pen

Review: HTC Flyer tablet mates with slippery pen

March 4, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all? That's the question posed by a new tablet computer that takes aim at one of the deficiencies of the iPad: that it's difficult to write on it with a stylus or pen.
The HTC Flyer is a $500 tablet with a 7-inch screen. At a glance, it's not much different from the other tablets that are scrambling to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPad.
The iPad and all its copycats are designed to sense the touch of a finger. The screen layer that does this looks for big, blunt, electrically conductive objects such as fingers. It doesn't sense small, sharp ones like pens.
That's why third-party styluses for the iPad are blunt rubbery sticks. They're essentially imitation fingers. They're not very good for drawing, but some people find them better than nothing.
The Flyer has the same finger-sensing screen layer. But it backs this up with a second one, which looks for the movement of a specially designe..

Asus PadFone X [year]

Asus PadFone X 2024

August 12, 2018 Richard Gomez 2

Companies often blend old products to give you something new.
This summer, AsusTek Computer Inc. claims you don't need both a phone and a tablet – as long as you get its new PadFone X. The PadFone works like any other phone and has a screen that measures 5 inches diagonally. When you want a tablet experience, you simply slip the phone into a slot on the back of the tablet display, which is included. All the apps on the phone now work on the 9-inch tablet. The phone is what runs the tablet. Asus is bringing this concept to the U.S. for the first time.
In some cases, apps switch to the tablet screen automatically, so you don't have to restart the video or reopen the mail app. In other cases, you'll have to close the app and reopen it after attaching the phone to the tablet screen.
For apps that have been optimized for tablets, the layout on the PadFone rearranges automatically to use the extra space. Yet it's fundamentally a phone. You can make calls in tablet mode, u..

Global 7 sell Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series

Global 7 sell Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series

May 19, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

Samsung is back in the tablet market with its next generation Galaxy Tab range, Galaxy Tab 3. The South Korean giant unveiled the Galaxy Tab 3 series with three tablets the Galaxy Tab 3 211 7.0-inch tablet(3G+Wi-FI), the Galaxy Tab 3 310 8.0-inch tablet (Wi-Fi only) and the Galaxy Tab 3 311 8.0-inch(3G+Wi-FI).

We got a chance to play with the new Galaxy Tab 3 series at the launch and we try to sum up our first impressions in this post.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series marks a comeback for the company in the tablet segment, after it unveiled the Note 510 in the Indian market, a few months back.
The Galaxy Tab 3 tablets still employ the use of plastic, but sport smooth, rounded corners and well-placed hardware keys that don't feel cheap at all. One thing that we noted here is that all products under the Galaxy range have started to look similar in design and the only difference is the form-factor and the sheer size of the display.
All the tablets in the Galaxy Tab 3 range share th..

Samsung Galaxy Tab S [year]

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2024

August 30, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Samsung, the market leader in Android smartphones, on Tuesday launched a new range of tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, in India. Two models with different screen sizes are available – the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 – with prices starting at Rs. 37,800 and Rs. 44,800 respectively. Both tablets mark Samsung's re-entry into the OLED space. The last tablet by the company with an OLED screen was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, in 2011.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 were first launched by the South Korean giant at its Samsung Galaxy Premiere 2014 'Tab in to colour' event in New York City on June 12. Now, at the launch in India, Samsung has revealed that it will be selling the 3G Exynos-based versions of the tablets here in the second week of July. LTE versions with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoCs will follow shortly.
We at NDTV Gadgets got a chance to play with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 at its India launch event, and these are our fir..

Penta T-Pad WS707C review [year]

Penta T-Pad WS707C review 2024

November 28, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

The Indian tablet market seems to be growing at a rapid pace. As per a recent report by Cyber Media Research, there were about 3.11 million tablets sold in India in the year 2012 and the research company is quite bullish about expectations for this year.
The category that is seeing the maximum number of launches in the recent past is the Android Jelly Bean tablets under Rs. 10,000. Pantel Technologies, which manufactures tablets under the Penta T-Pad branding, have also launched their T-Pad WS707C in the Indian market for Rs. 7,999. So will this tablet stand out from the clutter? We find out in this review.
Build and Design
The Penta T-Pad WS707C sports a 7-inch (1024×600 pixels) capacitive touch screen display. The screen with a broad black bezel takes up most of the front. There is only an earpiece on the right bezel (while holding the tablet in landscape mode), while the front camera is on the top left corner. On the top panel are the volume rocker keys and the power/ standby button..

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 [year]

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 2024

August 28, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

To appreciate Microsoft's latest tablet computer, you need to accept the notion that one device can do it all.
The Surface Pro 3 works as a tablet when you want to watch video or read e-books. It works as a laptop when you need to get serious work done. The Surface delivers on both, though it falls short of meeting Microsoft's claim to do so without compromising on either.
(Also see: Microsoft Unveils Surface Pro 3 With 12-Inch 2160×1440 Pixel Display)
The Pro 3 runs a full version of Microsoft's Windows 8 system, the same as you get on a traditional desktop or laptop computer. That means that, unlike other tablets, it can run just about any program designed for Windows: Microsoft Office, Photoshop and more.
The Surface has a touch screen like other tablets, but it also has an optional cover that opens to reveal a physical keyboard and touchpad. It has a USB port and one for external displays, both of which are rare on tablets.
It also matches laptops in price. Although ..

Lava Etab Xtron [year] review

Lava Etab Xtron 2024 review

July 10, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

As more Indian brands explore the Android tablets segment, consumers are getting access to devices that sport decent specifications, and run the latest version of the OS, at attractive price points. We've recently seen Acer launching a 7-inch budget tablet running Jelly Bean, and now we have Lava launching its first Jelly Bean tablet, the Etab Xtron, in the Indian market, for Rs. 6,499. We take an in-depth look at the tablet.
Build
Unlike the Acer Iconia B1, the Etab Xtron exudes a feeling of durability, with its solid build. The 7-inch tablet looks compact yet sturdy. The front of the tablet features a 7-inch screen, which is surrounded by a large bezel. You'll also spot a front shooter right at the middle.
The back of the tablet is made of polycarbonate but has been given a brushed aluminium finish. The frame extends to the front, and adds to the design of the tablet. A microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack sits on the top, while there are no ports on the bottom.
Th..

Acer Iconia W4 [year]

Acer Iconia W4 2024

July 25, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Windows 8 has an identity problem. The Modern UI, with its big, bright tiles and touch-friendly apps still isn't useful for anything more than the occasional game. Microsoft's most recent updates seem to have been designed to make life easier for non-touch laptop and desktop users, making the traditional Windows desktop more prominent and consigning the Start Screen to the background.
We like Windows 8.1 on desktops and laptops, and like many users, we have adjusted to the lack of a Start menu. Once we're in the desktop, there's almost no need to ever deal with the Modern UI, but we don't mind dipping into it occasionally. On most laptops and hybrid ultrabooks, we often forget that the screens are touch-capable, and frankly, that isn't a problem at all.
Perhaps that's why Windows-powered tablets have all but disappeared from the market. Sure, we've got plenty of ultrabooks and hybrids with keyboards that either detach or fold away – but pure tabl..

BSNL Penta T-Pad WS802C review [year]

BSNL Penta T-Pad WS802C review 2024

January 16, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

It's a season of tablets and there seems to be a new budget tablet being launched every other day. However, even in the midst of all these tablets, BSNL's Penta T-Pad WS802C looks like an interesting option for a number of reasons.
Most tablets that have launched in India so far are either 7-inch tablets or 10-inch options, with the only exception being Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, which has 8.9-inch screen. BSNL's Penta T-Pad WS802C is a bit different in this regards as it sports an 8-inch screen. Also, this tablet comes at a very interesting price point. Priced at Rs. 14,699 Penta T-Pad is placed exactly in between the entry level tablets and high-end tablets. So let's explore whether this tablet is a good buying option or yet another also-ran?
Design/ Hardware
BSNL's Penta T-Pad is an ivory white tablet 8-inch tablet, which looks an interesting tablet on first glance. However, the moment you hold the tablet in your hands, the first thing that one notices is its ..