Asus Eee Pad Slider

          Price: 36999

Digit Rating: Good

3.5/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Keyboard adds a whole lot in terms of usability
• Bright display

CONS

• Not very well built
• Keyboard not very comfortable

Summary

This is one unique tablet - stands out in a crowd like no other. The Slider may just be the perfect solution for someone who wants to replace the laptop/netbook with a tablet. The integrated keypad helps achieve that. Depends on how comfortable you find it though. But is this the first in a new genre of tablets, aimed at the business user.

What the Asus Eee Pad Slider attempts to offer is the tablet based alternative to someone who wants to shift from a netbook or a laptop, but, is driven up the wall at the very mention of typing on a touchscreen.

Look & FeelThis is the most unique tablet we have seen till date. The Asus Eee Pad Transformer also offers a similar combo - touchscreen with a keypad dock, but admittedly, looks like a netbook unless the display is switched on. The Eee pad Slider, on the other hand, looks very different.

When closed, the Slider looks like just any other tablet, a bulky tablet, but nevertheless just another tablet. All the ports and connectivity options are spread around the side spines of the tablet. However, the real interesting stiff is hidden behind the screen! You need to pull the display upwards, from the top, and wait for it to lift up and sit at an angle. And there is the keypad!

Common colour combo of black and silver is what you see around the display. The keypad however is chocolate brown in colour. While the colour combo does seem a bit dull, with the brown seeming quite bland. However, those who want understated colours will appreciate the wide berth given to glossy colours.

Samsung GT-P6200 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Price: 30350

Digit Rating: Good

3.5/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Sleek design
• Crisp display
• Good battery life

CONS

• UI tends to stutter at times
• Certain rivals offer better bang for the buck

Summary

Despite some pretty stable performance, the Tab 7 Plus' market price of around Rs. 26,000 is pulling it down a bit. For the same amount of money, you get the Sony Tablet S. Admitted that the Tab 7 Plus has 3G as well, but then again, the Galaxy Tab 730 makes a lot more sense, for a bit more money. Or even the Galaxy Note, which is infinitely more portable.

The Galaxy Tab 7 Plus essentially follows the motivation of the original Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000, coupled with the design elements of the Tab 730 and the Tab 750. The end result is quite impressive at least as far as the performance package is concerned.

Look & Feel
As we have already mentioned, the design cues from theGalaxy Tab 730 and the Galaxy Tab 750 (read our review) are more than clearly visible here. While it is thicker than the Tab 750, it is still a pretty slim tablet. The reason the Tab 750 is slimmer is because there is a wider bed for the components to be spread across, something a 7-inch tablet cannot afford. There is the black bezel around the 7-inch display. The charging port and two sets of speakers are on the bottom panel. The left spine has the SIM card and the microSD card slots, both clearly marked. The protective covers for both are well made, and easy to open and close. That isn't something we have been able to say for most smartphones and tablets off late. On the top is the 3.5mm headphone jack. The right spine has the power key and the volume rocker.

Flip the Tab 7 Plus over, and the enamel white finish is welcomed, considering the alternative could have been a fingerprint and scratch magnet glossy finish. Towards the top left is the 3MP camera with the LED flash right next to it. The silver strip running around the tablet like a frame does bring out the curves quite well. And a good slim design deserves that!

Overall, despite the generous use of plastic, we are very satisfied with the build quality. No rough edges or flimsy bits to the entire package. It is light, and slimness ensures it is comfortable to hold. Having said that, we would have loved a dash of metal, just to move away from the plasticky look. However, you cannot really use the Tab 7 Plus with the same hand that is holding it - something that the Galaxy Note allows, with ease. And if you want a slightly bigger display for better web and multimedia experience, you have the 8.9-inch display of the Galaxy Tab 730 will make a lot more sense.

Nokia 700

          Price: 18099

Digit Rating: Average

3/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Slim design
• Solid build quality
• Excellent AMOLED display
• UI isn't very different from previous Symbian versions

CONS

• Looks very similar to the archaic Symbian Anna
• On-screen keypad isn't very comfortable
• Social networking integration remains very poor

Summary

The Nokia 700 does well on the spec sheet - 1GHz processor, 2GB internal storage space and an excellent AMOLED display. And all this in a very slim yet solidly built form factor. While has the UI familiarity aspect with previous gen builds, Symbian Belle isn't the new wine in a new bottle that some people had hoped it would be.

The Nokia 700 reminds us of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray - slimness personified. With the new Symbian Belle OS, expectations are quite high that this may give a bit of tough competition to Android. While we are impressed with the phone, the OS doesn’t exude a lot of confidence.

Look & Feel
The sheer sleekness of the Nokia 700 is probably the biggest thing about it! The dimension stat reads 110 x 50 x 9.7 (in mm). However, at 9.4 mm, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray (read our review here) is thinner than the 700. And it weighs just 96 grams, 4 grams less than the Ray.

Despite keeping the weight down so well, the build quality is literally flawless. It is plastic all around, but doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy at all. In fact, we did not find even the slightest but of flex anywhere on the phone. The 3.2-inch display is the AMOLED type, and is accompanied by three hardware keys - calls connect, calls disconnect and Home. Apart from home, the likes of the return and options are on the touchscreen interface. Not the most optimal user interface experience, we must say. At the very bottom is the speaker, in a slightly curved grille design, on a step below the height of the display and the keys. Helps a lot when you aren’t looking at the phone to know where the call connect and disconnect keys are.

LG Optimus Sol E-730

          Price: 19000

Digit Rating: Good

3.5/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Very bright Ultra AMOLED display
• Good performance
• Built well

CONS

• Battery life disappoints
• Looks very bland

Summary

For Rs. 19,000, the Optimus Sol offers a stable Android experience that doesn't get bogged down over time like some phones tend to. The bright display is carried forward from the other Optimus siblings. The glossy back is a scratch magnet though, thanks to the glossy black finish.

What the Optimus Sol brings to the table is a competent mid-range Android smartphone.

Look & Feel
Straightaway, we have to pick a fault. No, it isn't anything major - we think the Sol looks a bit bland. Bland we say because the plain-Jane looks are now a bit previous generation. When we have quite distinct looking smartphones in this price bracket (and some even less expensive) -Motorola Defy+, Nokia Lumia 710 and the Samsung Omnia W, we think the Sol doesn’t have the visual punch as some of the other phones.

Having gotten that off our chest, we must say that it is built well. While plastic has been used throughout, there aren’t any rough edges to the build. Despite our best attempts, we could not get it to flex anywhere. Going by the dimensions of the phone, you would be forgiven for thinking that this has a 4-inch+ display size (actually 3.8-inches). However, what it has is an understated look that wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but is a very functional design. On the left spine is the depressed volume rocker, which you will know only once you run your finger over the area. On the top are the power key, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro USB slot with a neat cover over it. Don’t like the battery cover opening mechanism, which doesn’t feel classy at all. Even more so, you are scared of breaking it every single time you attempt to open it. And this is one glossy black piece of plastic that is a complete scratch and dust magnet.

The three touch sensitive keys below the display light up when touched, and have the guidance text written above them, if you look hard, helping the uninitiated understand the purpose. They don’t light up however. Since you wont be able to see them clearly in the pictures, they are - menu, home and back. No search key on this phone.

Viewsonic ViewPad 7e

Price: 13000

Digit Rating: Average

3/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Built well
• Classy looks

CONS

• No access to original Android Market
• 3D User Interface is very sluggish

Summary

For a price of around Rs. 13,000, there is no denying that this is an extremely affordable tablet, targeted at the demographic that is willing to spend on a device that is one level above the basic category. It is built better than some of the competing products in the market, and carries the retro-ish design quite well. However, it is let down by a sluggish UI and the fact that access to Android Market has been removed.

The ViewPad 7e is a tablet that definitely looks more expensive than it actually is. And that is quite an achievement, considering it is competing against tablets that look their price.

Look & Feel

The 7-inch display of the ViewPad 7e is bordered by a pretty thick bezel, something that could’ve been thinner. Not only would that have helped in making the tablet less thick, it would’ve helped immensely with the ability to hold and use to a certain extent with one hand. Having said that, we must say that the tablet 15.5mm thickness may not be able to match the likes of the Blackberry Playbook, but is quite manageable.

Below the display, in what seems to be oodles of empty bezel space are four retro looking buttons - Home, Menu, Return and Search. The power key and volume rocker are on the right spine, while the memory card slot is on the left spine. On the top are the mini HDMI, USB port and charging point. Optimally placed 3.5mm headphone jack on the spine below the display. Flip the tablet over and the camera is on the top, with the speaker to the right side of it, designed in a two parallel lines.

While it is mostly plastic, the material used is quite good quality. There seem to be no rough edges anywhere. Not the lightest tablet around but is very comfortable to use still. We would have preferred a slightly less wide tablet, something that can easily be done by slimming down the area around the display.

Dell Vostro 3750 Dell Vostro 3750 Dell Vostro 3750

           Price: 65912

Digit Rating: Average

3/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

• Very good Hardware
• Full-sized Keyboard with separate numeric-keypad
• 2 MP webcam

CONS

• Thick and heavy
• Connectivity ports

Summary

The Dell Vostro 3750 has very good innards and delivers better-than-average performance; which you kind of expect considering the laptop's high asking price. The Dell Vostro 3750 business laptop is almost a desktop replacement machine.

The Dell Vostro 3750 is an update to the Dell Vostro 3700 sporting the same look as the Dell Vostro 3350 we reviewed earlier but with difference in dimensions. Thanks to the Dell Vostro 3750’s 17.3-inch form factor, the laptop is literally a monster in terms of size and weight rendering the device virtually to be a desktop replacement. Apart from Dell Vostro 3750’s 17.3-inch screen, the business laptop packs in very good hardware.

Design and Build:
The aluminium outer-shell gives the Dell Vostro 3750 business laptop a sturdy build and good looks overall. However, the screen lid suffers from a lot of flex and bend, especially when you move the laptop’s screen using only one hand or finger. Having said that, the metal hinges the screen rests on tie it down securely to the rest of the chassis pretty well. In terms of style and design, the Dell Vostro’s 17.3-inch screen is excellent to look at, although the viewing angles are average – they could’ve been better. Sporting a matte finish the business laptop’s screen doesn’t catch smudges or dust.