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Viewsonic ViewPad 7 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £400
inc VAT

It's a big improvement over Viewsonic's ViewPad 10, but the Galaxy Tab is a similar price, faster and has better customisation of the OS.

Specifications

7 in 800×480 display, 375g, 0.6GHz ARM11, 512MB RAM, 512GB disk, Android 2.2

http://www.misco.co.uk

It’s fair to say that we weren’t impressed with the first Viewsonic tablet we reviewed. Running Windows 7 and Android, we felt as though the ViewPad 10 was hampered by being forced to run both operating systems. In particular, Android 1.6 meant that the tablet couldn’t do half the things we’ve come to expect of Google’s operating system.

With the ViewPad 7, Viewsonic could well make up for the shortcomings of its first tablet. Running Android 2.2 and with a 7in touchscreen it looks, on paper at least, as though it could well compete with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It’s worth pointing out that this is actually an OEM product of the Linx Commtiva N700.

In terms of price, it looks a more attractive proposition, costing almost £100 less than Samsung’s tablet first went on sale for. From a first look, it doesn’t even appear as though Viewsonic has cut any corners to get this lower price: there’s a SIM-card slot for 3G access, GPS, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless networking.

Viewsonic ViewPad 7 SIM

Build quality is also very good. A glossy plastic back and brushed-metal-style surround makes the ViewPad 7 look a little like a large Apple iPhone 4. It feels tough, and can easily be held in one hand leaving one hand free to operate the touchscreen. Its square edges are a little sharp and we slightly prefer the rounded edges of the Galaxy Tab, but it’s a close-run thing.

Viewsonic ViewPad 7

There’s even a leatherette carry case included in the box, so you can carry the tablet everywhere without getting it scratched. Cleverly, the case folds in half acting as a stand, should you want to use the tablet as a media player.

Viewsonic ViewPad 7 in case

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Basic Specifications

Rating***
ProcessorARM11
Processor clock speed0.6GHz
Memory512MB
Maximum memory0.50GB
Size110x179x12mm
Weight375g
Pointing devicetouchscreen

Display

Viewable size7 in
Native resolution800×480
Graphics/video portsNone
Graphics MemoryN/A

Storage

Total storage capacity512GB
Optical drive typeNone

Ports and Expansion

Bluetoothyes
Wired network ports0
Wireless networking support802.11b/g
PC Card slots0
Supported memory cardsMicro SDHC
Other portsSIM

Miscellaneous

Carrying caseYes
Operating systemAndroid 2.2
Operating system restore optionnone
Software includedN/A
Optional extrasN/A

Buying Information

Warrantyone year RTB
Price£400
Detailswww.viewsonic.com
Supplierhttp://www.misco.co.uk