Arnova 7 G2: Your Tablet Computer Bliss Doesn’t Have To Cost A Leg

The Arnova 7 G2 tablet is a low-caste tablet computer. Unlike the more famous and more expensive tablets in the market, it has a low-end bearing and it lacks pedigree. The two weeks I have spent with this tablet, however, have convinced me of its ability to perform computing tasks just as capably as most other tablets.

Features and Specs

This lowly tablet, however, comes with adequate muscle power to perform tasks as capably as the other tablets do. It has a 1GHz processor for its heart and a multi-touch screen. Although some might say it comes hobbled with a Jurassic version of the Android mobile operating system, the Arnova 7 G2 seems cool and dandy enough with the Gingerbread OS.

It has 8GB of built-in storage space, which is as large as those of the “more pricey” Android tablets, such as the entry-level versions of the Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. The Arnova 7 G2 offers expandability via a micro SDHC slot.

But what grabs most users’ attention is the tablet’s 7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen, a TFT LCD capable of displaying up to 16 million colors. And while its 800 x 480 screen resolution is not the richest in its class, it can display photos, videos, and texts with more than enough clarity.

For connectivity interfaces, this Arnova tablet comes with a micro USB 2.0 and micro SD slots and connects to a network or the Internet via WiFi.

It plays back video files with various extensions including .avi, .mp4, .mkv, .mov, and .flv, using the H.264, MPEG-4, and Realvideo codecs. It also plays back audio files in the MP3, WAV, OGG, and FLAC formats, which makes the Arnova 7 G2 a virtual jack of all media.

This 12mm, 370gm tablet comes with an integrated kickstand, which lets users watch videos comfortably, and built-in speakers, microphone, and G-sensor.

Performance

My experience with the Arnova 7 G2 convinced me that in most occasions, for most tasks, budget-friendly tablets can perform just as well as their higher-end counterparts. Watching movies, listening to MP3 files, and playing Android games proved enjoyable most of the time. There were times, however, when its being a cheaper tablet would sometimes get too obvious with its apparent reluctance to launch and run some apps, especially those graphics-heavy ones.

Also, while its screen is supposed to be of the capacitive variety, its performance, however, sometimes caused me to cast some doubting glances its way. There were instances when the screen seemed to ignore my forefinger’s intention and “calls” for action and reaction.

At times, I would think that the screen had failed to sense my finger’s input, making me think that, perhaps, I did not push or swipe hard enough. Usually, such occasions would cause the tablet to “hang” or pause for a while, as if it was gathering its wits after taking a bad fall.

Taking a fall the Arnova 7 G2 is not afraid, apparently. My unit emerged none the worse for taking a couple of unplanned plunges.

The ancient-ness of its operating system, however, obviously hampers the Arnova 7 G2’s performance. I sincerely hope its maker would make it possible for current owners of the tablet to upgrade their Arnova 7 G2’s OS to Android Ice Cream Sandwich, at least.

My overall impression, after all things have been said and done: this Arnova tablet offers a low-cost tablet computing experience and more. It does most tasks as capably as the other tablets do most of the time. It certainly is never among the sexiest and coolest tablets currently in the market, and it doesn’t have that swagger that the pricier and higher-end tablets (and their owners) have.

But for its price, however, it beats the hell out of almost every other tablet out there.

By ALLAN D. FRANCISCO

mb.com.ph

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