Review: Archos 101 Internet Tablet

Devices like the Archos 101 Internet Tablet are likely to be forever in the shadow of their sexier rivals such as the Apple iPad 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

 But does this relative obscurity mean users are missing out on what is essentially a sound and affordable alternative?

The Archos 101 is a reasonable effort at an entry-level tablet. The 8GB unit is fairly priced and at £250 costs less than many high-end smartphones. 

With dimensions of 270 x 150 x 12mm, the device is of similar size to the iPad and is even 1mm thinner. However, this is one of the few areas where it outdoes Apple's popular device.

Hardware


If the Archos 101 was to be judged solely on the basis of its specifications on paper, it would be up there with high-end tablets. The unit comes with a 10.1in touch screen, which responds well to gentle swipes and presses and has a 1024 x 600 resolution.

But during testing there were a couple of occasions when it froze and a manual reset was required to continue using the device.

While the large display is welcome, it is too big to type on using thumbs in landscape mode. However, users can overcome this problem by holding the tablet with one hand and typing with the other, placing the device on a flat surface or using it in portrait mode.

The 101 is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, which should mean that the device runs quickly. However, with only 256MB of RAM the tablet struggles at times, particularly when resource heavy apps are being used.

An area where the 101 does excel is connectivity, with the tablet outdoing a number of competitors in this department. There is a standard USB port incorporated to allow easy transfer of files to and from the tablet.

The micro-USB port, meanwhile, allows the device to be connected directly to a PC and used as any other external storage device. Micro-SD support is a noteworthy addition, and means users can switch memory card between the tablet and smartphone easily.

Mini-HDMI output is another impressive feature, and allows for video output to bigger HD displays.

Another well executed feature is the kickstand, which allows users to position the device on a flat surface at a variety of angles to watch videos or provide a comfortable angle to type.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam, which displays an extremely grainy picture the majority of the time. The slightest movement results in the image being distorted beyond recognition and this is likely to make video-calling a frustrating experience.

Operating system


Archos ships the 101 with Android 2.2 Froyo, the same as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Although this version of Google's mobile operating system is barely six months old, it is close to becoming redundant with the upcoming arrival of Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets.

The device still provides a good introduction to those new to the Android platform. All the regular features such as the five customisable home screens and drop-down notification menu are present.

A very good feature built in by Archos is a shortcut menu running along the right-hand side of the device. This menu is fixed in place and offers quick access to four very useful commands in the form of search, home, settings and back.

However, users should be warned that Archos has yet to confirm whether the tablet will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread and beyond. At present any update looks unlikely, which does not bode well for the shelf life of the device.

Applications


Archos would have been well advised to do better in this area, especially as applications are pivotal in attracting users to a portable device.

Basic apps such as Gmail and Google Maps are missing, and there are no business-friendly word processing or PDF reader apps included out of the box.

However, the File Manager app is useful as it allows users to browse networks and physical storage sources. Archos has also bundled the Aldiko e-reader, Wikipedia, Fring mobile calling and Deezer radio apps.

Another drawback is that users are not able to access the 200,000-plus apps in the official Android Market. However, access to the Android tablet apps marketplace AppsLib, which offers over 30,000 apps, does go some way to compensating for this.

Internet


Browsing on the device is inconsistent. While the wide screen means that web pages are displayed comfortably, pixilation is a major problem where text is concerned. The pinch-to-zoom feature can be jerky at times and pages are not automatically reformatted unless the context-sensitive zoom buttons in the bottom right-hand corner are used.

The tablet is Wi-Fi only, but can be wirelessly tethered which is handy.

Text input is passable, with Archos opting to go for a basic soft keyboard. The letters are quite large and generally easy to hit. Although as with any other tablet, touch screens are not yet as easy to use as physical keyboards.

Web video did not play smoothly, even over a decent Wi-Fi connection. Flash support also appeared to be missing and when we tried to download the plug-in, we received a message stating that the "content is not supported on the device".

Battery life


Archos claims up to seven hours of video playback, 10 hours of web surfing and 36 hours of music playback.

Impressively, the device lasted for three days before needing a charge, with moderate use mainly in the form of web browsing.

Ultimately, the good battery performance and connectivity features are not enough for us to recommend the device given the lack of business features, poor screen and lack of Flash support. We would urge users to wait for the Motorola Xoom Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet.

This review originally ran on V3.co.uk