I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that you had perhaps forgotten about the Archos G9 tablets. They haven’t seen much coverage of late, though we did get our hands on one back in October. In our review we found them to be fun but ugly, with various ports and a somewhat untrustworthy build quality, though solid enough for casual use.

But the 8- and 10-inch G9 slates may be due for a refresh, which is exactly what they’ll get come the new year. Archos has confirmed that Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich will be available on the G9 series in Q1 2012. To prove it, they sent us over a video of ICS running on an OMAP 4-powered G9.

I must admit Ice Cream Sandwich definitely paints the slate in a more delicious light, though Archos has reminded us there’s more work to be done. They still have to complete a few more tweaks including hardware acceleration for video support and Archos’ 3G dongle/port support.

Short Version: The Archos 80 G9 tablet isn’t necessarily something I’d recommend for the hardcore tablet enthusiast, but it certainly gets the job done. Powered by pure Android 3.2 Honeycomb, the tab offers everything you’d expect out of Android and a nice variety of ports, albeit with a somewhat rough build-quality.

Features:

• 8-inch 1024×768 capacitive touchscreen
• 8GB, 16GB and 250GB (hard drive) storage options
• Android 3.2 Honeycomb
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• Front-facing web cam for 720p video chat

Pros:

• Stock Android install works fine
• Battery life exceeded the amount advertised, which is unheard of/lovely
• HD 1080p video via HDMI-out was an unexpected treat

Cons:

• Really poor build quality
• To put it nicely, it’s not the most gorgeous tablet I’ve seen
• Wi-Fi only, yet it teases you with a slot for a 3G dongle which will only work in Europe

Long Version:

Body

While it’s not exactly fitting with my tastes, I wouldn’t say the Archos G9 is ugly. The slate deviates from your more minimalist designs like the iPad and the Galaxy Tab, and instead adds a little flare. The G9 sports a dark grey bezel, along with a lighter grey plastic casing that has rounded edges. Along the side you’ll find a microUSB port for charging, HDMI out, and the lock button. There’s also a full-sized USB port that’s meant to hold a 3G dongle, but unfortunately that’ll only work in Europe. To those of us in the States, it’ll merely act as a full-sized USB slot.

The build of the Archos 80 G9 tablet is probably what I have the most beef with. Granted, it comes with a totally sturdy little kickstand, which is a useful addition, but on the whole you can tell that is isn’t a top-quality build. If you press just slightly against the smooth plastic back panel, either on the 3G USB port or the kickstand area, the plastic depresses and makes a bit of a cracking noise. Worse, the plastic depresses enough to affect the display, making it look like you’ve been pressing way too hard on the touchscreen.

In terms of size, the G9 is just right. I’ve played around with plenty of 10- and 7-inch tabs, but the 8-inch segment seems to be somewhat untouched. I found that its a great size for gaming, as you aren’t sacrificing too much screen real estate for a better grip.

Processor/Battery

The processing power on this little guy had me impressed. Android 3.2 Honeycomb ran like a dream powered by the G9′s dual-core OMAP 4 SoC chip. Even with a little stress test — me zipping my finger across the interface/web pages as fast as possible — the tab had no trouble keeping up. However, once I had a few things going at once (a few apps, a movie, and the browser), the processor certainly lost pace. I started to feel the lag when I tried to add a few more tasks to the list and the next app I launched abruptly crashed.

Battery life, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. Archos promises 7 hours of video playback, which the G9 stood up to brilliantly. I spent an entire day conducting work from the G9 last week, and though it wasn’t the most efficiently I’ve ever worked, the G9 stuck with me throughout the day. It’s worth noting, however, that the tablet gets slower and slower as battery life decreases. With a full charge, hitting the lock button wakes the G9 up almost immediately. Once battery life gets low, it takes a few seconds to wake up and perceive gestures.

Display

The 1024×768 LCD display on the G9 was better than expected, showing very minimal differentiation from pixel to pixel. This becomes most clear while watching HD movies, which I did plenty of. Even better, this is the kind of tablet that many people can enjoy viewing content on at once. Even at a 45 degree angle off to the side, the screen still displays great quality and color. Thanks to the kickstand, I guestimate you can have up to five or six people watching a movie at once. However, the screen becomes increasingly difficult to see from lower or higher angles.

Taking it outdoors isn’t necessarily ideal, but with screen brightness turned all the way up I was still able to use it as an e-reader. Viewing video and pictures was more difficult, though.

Sound

Audio, on the other hand, may make it difficult for you and your friends to enjoy the movie. Before I turned on my air conditioner, my roommates and I were comfortably watching a few music videos. After the AC went on, we had to turn the volume all the way up to the max just to hear it. In the same vein, audio sounded a bit fuzzy, especially when pushed to the max. As far as tablets go, audio quality was adequate but nothing to get excited about.

Camera

Unfortunately, the G9′s front-facing web cam was not all that pleasurable to use. At first, it didn’t work at all until I downloaded a firmware update. Ever since it’s worked, but been super buggy. At times, the viewfinder simply goes black. If you happen to take a picture during the “black periods,” the picture is also a large rectangle of black. When it does work it’s unsurprisingly grainy, but at least gets the job done where it counts: video chat.

Conclusion

At just under $300, the Archos G9 is a fine slate. It comes packed with all the essentials, and has a battery life that should last around as long as you do. But if you’re looking for a high-quality tablet, this probably isn’t it. I’d recommend it as a Christmas gift for a tween, or perhaps a mobile computing device for someone older (who does mostly simple tasks like browsing the web and answering email). Size-wise it’s a great fit for someone who enjoys gaming, and it’s certainly light enough to travel with you.

This is not a tech geek’s tablet, and if high-quality is what you’re expecting out of it, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Configuration options:

• Archos 80 G9 8GB: $299.99
• Archos 80 G9 16GB Turbo (processor boost to 1.2GHz): $319.99
• Archos 80 G9 250GB Turbo: $369.99
• Archos 101 G9 8GB: $369.99
• Archos 101 G9 16GB Turbo: $399.99
• Archos 101 G9 250GB Turbo: $449.99

The Archos G9 tablet comes in two flavors, 8-inch and 10-inch, and runs Honeycomb 3.2. The specs are more than acceptable with the 8-incher starting at $299 for 1 GHz of power and $100 more for a half a GHz extra. The tablets have internal flash memory of up to 16GB or a 250GB hard drive, your choice.

The 101 is a 10-inch model with a slightly faster CPU standard while the 80 is the bargain basement model at 8 inches. Here is your pricing.

ARCHOS 80 G9 8GB – 1 GHZ at $299
ARCHOS 80 G9 16GB – 1.5 GHz at $329
ARCHOS 80 G9 250GB – 1.5 GHz at $369
ARCHOS 101 G9 16GB – 1.5 GHz at $399
ARCHOS 101 G9 250GB – 1.5 GHz at $469

The devices will be available in October with pre-orders starting this month in the U.S.

Product Page

The Philadelphia Media Network has had an ambitious summer: in July, the company announced their intention to sell subsidized Android tablets with subscriptions to the digital editions of Philly’s two daily papers. August was presumably spent sourcing hardware and working on the apps, and now that summer is over, PMN is ready to reveal the fruits of their labor.

Unlike Tribune’s plan to have a tablet made specifically for their newspapers, PMN chose from readily available tablets and went with the Arnova 10 G2. While the no-name brand implies cheapo Android tab roots, Arnova tablets are actually made by venerable PMP manufacturer Archos. No mention of device specs were made in the announcement, but a little digging reveals that it packs a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 10-inch (duh) display running at 1024 by 600. The Arnova 10 G2 also runs on Gingerbread, which is a bit of a heartbreak for Philadelphians looking for some inexpensive Honeycomb love.

PMN is offering the Arnova on two contract tiers: those who want read the Inquirer and the Daily News for two years play $99 for the tablet, and a $10/mo subscription fee. People who would rather keep their contract terms as short as possible can ink a one year deal for $13/mo, and pay $129 for the tab. The total outlay comes out to $339 on a two year term, and $285 on a one year, so please Philadelphia — just get the one year subscription.

The apps in question are full digital replicas of the Inquirer and the Daily News, and subscribers are also given access to a multimedia app that expands the news experience with photo galleries and videos. Considering that getting both dailies on your doorstep (including Sundays) for a year would easily cost over $500 a year, the deal looks mighty sweet, even with slightly lackluster hardware.

It’s a gutsy move for the Philadelphia Media Network (they are the first to officially commit to a tablet venture), and maybe one that’s necessary in light of recent trends. With newspapers losing readers to always-on news sources, providing that same kind of real time access to their content means that PMN’s papers can continue to fight for relevance. There are 5,000 tablets waiting to ship to subscribers as soon as tomorrow, and if the first wave goes well, PMN will try and expand the program further on Black Friday 2011.

John riled up the Internet the other day by stating buying Archos’ latest, low-cost tablet is like buying cut-rate toilet paper. I get that and fully agree. Howover, some people have more of a tolerance for crapgadgets than others and if that’s you, head over to Woot and snag this $80 7-inch Android tablet. It’s 2010′s model running on Android 1.6 but comes with a modest 8GB of memory and plenty of video codex support. $80 and it’s yours.

Product Page

The comments on yesterday’s post concerning the Xoom’s bungled launch stated loud and clear that people want inexpensive Android tablets — or at least that the high MSRP was the Xoom’s undoing. The thought is that if you’re going to spend over $500 on a tablet, the iPad is the only choice, which therefore makes the $800 Xoom a no-sale. I sort of agree with that even though I still feel the Xoom is a fantastic tablet. Still, I feel the poor marketing and product placement doomed the tablet rather than the price alone. Motorola never publicly justified the price.

That said, the Xoom would be a similar, but still different fail whale even if it launched at $300. It wouldn’t be the same Xoom. The dual core CPU, lovely screen, and abundant amounts of memory would be the first options on the cutting board. From there Moto would have probably slash the build quality from solid to cheap along with opting for a weaker battery. A lower-priced Xoom tablet would not be a more successful tablet. The vertical iTunes ecosystem opens up a huge revenue stream that allows Apple to price products different than most Android tablet makers. It’s not fair, really.

Still, it’s disingenuous to say companies are ignoring the low-end Android tablet market. It’s actually alive, well, and more than thriving. But please, don’t call the tablets after the jump iPad or even Xoom competitors. They’re not even in the same league. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a look.

Viewsonic G-Tablet

The Viewsonic G-Tablet is a fan favorite. It’s second only to the Nook Color in number of discussion threads over on XDA’s forums. Why? It’s relatively inexpensive and easily modded. Inside is a 1GHz Dual Core Tegra 2 chipset, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, and enough video juice to run 1080p video. The stock Android 2.2 build runs snappy enough, but it’s not exactly iPad 2 or Xoom smooth. That doesn’t matter. Don’t buy the gTab to run 2.2. Buy the Gtab to run the dozens of different custom builds on various dev forum sites. Wanna make it look like the Notion Ink Adam? Use this ROM.

• MSRP: $499
• Internet price: $299

Pros:

• Vibrant support community
• Comes with a fair amount of baked-in apps
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Lightweight is synonymous with cheap
• A tad sluggish at times
• Screen is below standard

Archos 101

Archos is flooding the market with low cost Android tablets. There’s the original 5 Internet Tablet that was released (and reviewed) back in 2009, which was followed up by the 48, 7, 10, and now the popular 101. The company even outed a new product line dubbed Arnova that hits with the bare minimum physical memory. But it’s the 101 that’s selling like, well, a cheap Android tablet.

The 101 comes in both 8GB and 16GB flavors with the former carrying an Internet street price of $280~ and the latter hitting around $325. Both have the same 10.1-inch screen, Cortex-A8 CPU, and long-life lithium ion battery. Ports are plentiful with a full size USB 2.0 port, a handy USB 2.0 slave port, MicroSD card slot, and HDMI output. Plus, there’s a nifty kickstand. The 101 runs Android 2.2 out of the box, but like so many other of these tablets, modders and devs are currently cracking the system wide open for ROM fun. Once that happens, the 101 will likely become as popular as the Viewsonic gTab.

• MSRP: $299/$349
• Internet price: $280/$325

Pros:

• Best build quality in the round-up
• Sexy hardware
• Tons of ports

Cons

• As of writing, just the Bootloader has been cracked. No ROMs yet.

eLocity A7

Confession: I’ve never touched the eLocity A7 tablet so I can’t comment on build quality or system response. However, from the specs and design and a conversation with an owner, the tablet seems on par with other products in the price point. It ships with Android 2.2 and in many ways, shares design cues with the Notion Ink Adam. Ports are plentiful with USB 2.0, HDMI, 3.5mm audio out, MicroSD slot, and a docking port. The major downside that I can see is the traditional size advantage that comes along with a 7-inch screen is effectively countered by a rather large bezel. In reality though, it’s just a touch larger than the Samsung Galaxy Tab that’s proven pocket-friendly.

• MSRP: $349
• Internet price: $299

Pros:

• Small
• Unique styling
• Tegra II platform

Cons:

• Only 4GB of built-in memory
• Large bezel
• Not upgradeable to Honeycomb — officially at least

Nook Color

The Nook Color is the Xbox of the Android Tablets. People are buying it in droves to mod it rather than using the stock system. It’s great. I have a CyanogenMod running on mine right now with a bootable Honeycomb MicroSD card somewhere on my desk. The modding community is so vibrant that even newbies shouldn’t feel intimidated ordering one just to run Android. NookDevs has fantastic DIY guides and XDA has a massive forum for the device. It is without  a hint of question in my mind the best starter Android device on the market.

There are downsides though. The Nook Color is underpowered for Honeycomb. It just doesn’t run well. Sure, it works, and it’s a fun device to explore the new platform, but I couldn’t live with it as a go-to tablet. Cyanogen 7 is the popular ROM and the 2.3 build works great on the device. It’s a tad quirky and probably isn’t for general consumption, but many of our readers should still find it satisfying. Best of all, unlike the rest of the inexpensive Android tablets, there are a fair amount of accessories built just for the Nook Color including a ton of cases, skins, and more. Modding not your thing? B&N just announced they’re accepting apps for the OEM system, which could turn into a big deal.

• MSRP: $249
• Internet Price: $249

Pros:

• Thin and solid
• Sold nationwide at B&N stores, which makes returns easy
• Highly modifiable

Cons:

• None I can see for a $250 tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab

The Samsung Galtab was 2010′s hot Android tablet even though it carried a high price and small screen. Not much has changed since it first debuted which makes me a little hesitant to recommend the tablet — especially with a two year commitment — however, the fact remains that it’s still a good entry level Android tablet. Verizon sells it on-contract for only $199. Honeycomb has already been unofficially ported to the tablet signaling that even if Samsung forgets about its first born, the Internet won’t. Just ask its biggest fan and my first online editor, @KevinCTofel. He ditched the iPad for the GalTab.

• MSRP: $600
• Internet Price: $200 on-contract

Pros:

• Tons of accessories
• A well-developed platform
• 3G capability
• A solid future even without modding

Cons:

• Heavy for a 7-inch tablet
• Could be slow to receive official Android updates
• Will be really old when contract runs out

Archos quietly became the favorite low-cost Android tablet maker of fanboys everywhere thanks to a solid 2010 offering. The company’s Arnova brand builds upon the same formula with even cheaper tablets. The secret sauce? The bare minimum amount of internal memory. But buyers might overlook that little detail especially with the Arnova 10 shipping for only $180.

Under the Arnova 10′s 1024 x 600 10-inch screen is an ARM-based CPU running Android 2.1, 802.11 b/g, front-facing camera and an SDHC slot. Archos says there’s enough computing juice to handle 720p video . The only downside is the 4GB of internal memory, but the SDHC slot effectively counters that altogether. Liliputing points out that the model carries a $199 MSRP but can be found for $180.

Remember Archos? With all this talk of Droids v. iStuff, Archos’ stable and handsome PMP/Tablet line has been cast by the wayside, relegated to a distant third place where it commiserates daily with Creative and the Zune. However in many markets Archos is still a leader and now they have the financials to prove it.

According to a recent release, Archos hit 83 million Euro in revenue compared to 59 in 2009. Most of the revenue came from Europe with 116.2% growth and, surprisingly, an over two-fold increase in revenue in America.

Archos saw the most growth in the tablet space, selling many ARCHOS 2.8, ARCHOS 3.2, ARCHOS 70 IT and ARCHOS 101 IT tablets. The 101 IT, for example, is a very capable 10-inch capacitive touchscreen tablet running Android 2.2 as well as a business-oriented Linux distro called Ångström. Great for nerds, no so great for people who just want to watch Glee.

Said CEO Henri Crohas:

“By year end, the success of the Generation 8, especially ARCHOS 70 and ARCHOS 101 tablets, had exceeded all our expectations. The demand was such that we faced shortages in most stores. The demand is maintained at a high level in the current quarter, confirming the strong development potential of the tablet market and validating the strategic choices made very early in this area, more than two years ago.”

So enjoy a finely wrought French meal, Mr. Crohas, and wash it down with a bottle of Bouchard Pere & Fils Pouilly-Fuisse 2008. It’s been a bad few years for the once mighty Archos and things are definitely looking up.

A proposed French law (well, an expansion of an existing law) has supporters of Android and other non-Windows operating systems slightly upset. The law would make it so that France’s private copying levy applies to all non-Windows tablets, that is, Android tablets and the iPad. The private copying levy was first introduced several years ago and adds a “copying fee” to several forms of recordable media, including blank audio CDs and portable media players of a certain size. The question becomes, what’s so special about Windows-based tablets that would exempt it from the law?

Certainly Archos would like to know the answer to that, being one of the few French tech companies you could name without having to google “french tech companies.” The company’s CEO, Henri Crohas, came out against the proposal [French], arguing that its tablet PCs are merely small computers, despite the fact that they run Android. Since the French private copying levy doesn’t apply to plain ol’ computers, Crohas says the new law shouldn’t apply to its products.

It’s all to do. The private copying levy was first enacted in order to ensure that artists and related parties wouldn’t go broke as a result of the digital music revolution. A sort of, “Sure, you can buy that stack of blank CDs, but we’re going to have to tax you extra because we’re going to assume you’ll be using them for nefarious ends.”

The question here is twofold. One, should the law apply to tablets in the first place, and two, if so, then why are Windows-based tablets exempt? Could it be that French politicians are trying to cosy up to Microsoft? Comments and message board rants would seem to indicate just that.

Starting with the first question, why should the law even apply to tablets in the first place if plain ol’ computers are exempt in the first place? Other than physical size, what’s the difference between an iPad and a Dell laptop? It seems artificial to apply the levy to tablets but not “regular” computers.

And if we accept that, that it’s fine to apply the levy to tablets, then why should Windows-based tablets be exempt? As Archos asked, what’s the difference between Android and Windows? They’re both operating systems, right? And given that Android is basically a tricked out version of Linux, does that mean the levy should apply to all Linux PCs?

It seems to be a case of creating artificial distinctions between nearly identical devices in order to curry favor with one group or another. You don’t want to see that.

The final decision will be made at a January 12 meeting.

What, do you think Froyo grows on trees?! Avast!

Update: It was for a little while, anyway. Are they finding these things or growing them from seeds? Taking their sweet time either way.

Unfortunately, availability is still in question. Things are in and out of the Archos store in Europe, and American distribution for the larger tablets is still pretty much a mystery. That’s too bad, because I think the 70 would stand up pretty well to competition here, but only if they actually release it.

[via Ars Technica]

Our excited narrator doesn’t have too much to say regarding the the upgrade other than that it’s really cool and fast, which I believe. An Archos 70 is looking like a good deal in today’s tablet market, though to be honest I’m waiting to see what Google’s got up its sleeve for Gingerbread. Hopefully Archos users will be able to take advantage of that, though rumored resolution restrictions might spoil their fun. Actually, I can’t imagine that 1024×600 and 800×480 (on the Archos 101 and 70 respectively) wouldn’t be supported; they’re extremely common.

Archos 28 ($100) and 32 ($150)

At 2.8 inches and 320×240, the 28 is more of a pocket PMP than a tablet. It’s got a resistive touchscreen, 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi, and a Cortex A8 processor at 800MHz. That’s a serious processor for an MP3 player, geez.

The 32 adds a little bit of screen space (it’s 3.2″, if you haven’t figured out the naming convention by now) and ups the storage to 8GB. It also adds a camera to the back that records in 720p. These will be available in September.

Archos 43 ($200)

This guy falls into that Dell Streak zone where it seems too big for half the stuff you want to do, and too small for the other half. It’s got a resistive display, too, which I’m not too excited about. It does have a 1GHz A8 processor, though, and a camera on the back. I don’t know, I just can’t find anything about this thing to like. 854×480 on a screen that size should be nice and sharp, though.

Archos 70 ($275)

Here we get into the real tablet range. This thing has a 7″ capacitive screen at 800×480, 8GB of storage, HDMI out, a MicroSD slot, and a front-facing webcam. It also has that same 1GHz A8. It supports a lot of video formats (FLV and MKV included) and claims 7 hours of video playback. This thing sounds like an ideal airplane tablet: supports a ton of formats, has decent battery life and removable storage, less than half an inch thick and .69 pounds. Of course, for just a few bucks more, you can get the 101.

Archos 101 ($300)

This is the one they’re aiming at the iPad: 10.1 inches at 1024×600, 1GHz processor, and… well, pretty much the same capabilities as the 70. It’s really just a matter of which size you prefer. Neither is capable of displaying full HD (though they can play 720p files), so personally I’d go with the thinner, lighter 70. But that’s just me. The 101, as well as the other tablets, will be available in October.

More information can be found at the Archos website, of course.

JR.com posted the Gen 8 Tablet’s product page a bit early it seems, revealing these specs. A 3.2-inch 400 x 240 display is up front with a ARM Cortex A8 powering Android 2.1. The big story is that JR listed this guy with 32GB storage for only $150. That’s literally half the price of the comparable iPod touch. Of course fanboys will quickly point out the device isn’t exactly comparable because the Archos Android device simply doesn’t have the same apps available, but I believe 32GB for $150 more than makes up it. Yeah, it’s only an 8GB module. Nothing all that special.

The rest of the specs are pretty standard with a USB 2.0 connectivity, composite video out, microphone, WiFi b/g/n, and Bluetooth. Fine job, Archos. Now, here’s hoping that JR didn’t get anything wrong. [via NetbookReviews]

It’s sad, really. While the iPad caters to the masses with the Luddite-approved iOS, others crave much more usability and none of the tablets announced that claim to fulfills these needs have been released yet. Click through to see what I mean.

What follows is the tablets listed in the original order, complete with availability updates.

ModBook

Currently available and selling for $1849. This tablet is for those that want OS X in tablet form. Axiotron starts with a previous generation Macbook and converts it into tablet form, complete with a stellar Wacom Penabled digitizer. This is the closest thing to a pure Mac tablet available and has actually been available complete with USB ports since 2007.

Viliv X70

The Viliv X70 has been on the market for over a year now and is still a great full-feature Windows XP tablet. The 7-inch tablet packs an Atom CPU, GPS, 3G modem and 32GB SSD. However, it comes with Windows XP, which isn’t exactly made for a touch interface. Even Windows 7 isn’t that great on it. Trust me, I know. I use one every day — but with a wireless mouse and the windshield mount inverted so it stands up on my desk. Hopefully Viliv is working on a refresh that adds a multitouch touchscreen and updated hardware because I love this tablet.

Archos 9 PC tablet

The Archos 9 looks like a great kit on paper, but reviews clearly state that it’s anything but. The hardware simply cannot run Windows 7 efficiently and therefore provides a poor user experience. It looks great, but neither CNET or Wired enjoyed using it.

Viliv S10 Blade

This convertible tablet launched a couple of months back. It brings to the party a 10-inch multitouch screen, 3G modem, swivel design, and Windows 7. Too bad I found the manufacturing shoddy and performance sub-par. Pass.

Notion Ink Adam

It’s not hard to fall in love with the Adam. It has a Pixel Qi screen and an almost anti-iPad design. But Notion Ink missed the June target and now there are reports that they won’t hit the November deadline either — although there are also reports to the contrary. All I can say for sure is that the Adam isn’t shipping yet and that makes me sad.

HP Slate

For what it’s worth, the Slate was supposed to be the first real Windows tablet. But then HP reportable killed the project. It was a sad day everywhere for the dozens of people that for some reason want a full desktop OS on an underpowered tablet. HP later bought Palm and apparently shifted the Slate towards webOS — a truly spectacular OS previously hampered by only Palm’s crappy hardware. The HP Slate is currently MIA, but when it finally appears, it will certainly make a run for the title of the 2nd most popular tablet on earth.

Dell Streak

Dell hadn’t came clean with its full Streak strategy when I published the first iPad alternative list. It was later leaked that there’s going to be at least three different sizes of the Streak, but so far only the 5-inch has hit the market. Currently it’s only available in the UK, but it’s set to hit the states later this summer. Think the EVO 4G is big? This thing looms over it.

Spring Design Alex ebook reader

The Alex looked like it had so much potential. The design one-ups the Nook with the same sort of e-ink screen up top with a 3.5-inch LCD on the bottom. Android even powers the device. But then you use it and discover Android really isn’t all that great for this sort of task. At least it’s not great in the implementation. It’s slow, unresponsive and the form factor is clunky to say it nicely. But it’s available for $399 — or $200 more than the Kindle or Nook.

enTourage eDGe dualbook

Yet another example of a novel design before its time. The low-power hardware combined with Android just doesn’t work well. The form factor is right — even Microsoft was looking at the hinged book design with the Courier — but the eDGe isn’t.

WeTab, previously known as the WePad

*Fingers crossed* The WeTad is supposed to launch this month and while it’s already the 13th, there’s still time for the company to meet their self-imposed deadline. The plan is reportable to soft launch in Europe and then gradually increase while prepping for the US launch. If there’s one tablet that can stand up to the iPad, it’s the WeTab.

Lenovo Skylight Smartbook

Dead. Lenovo killed off this project a few months back and I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s basically a notebook with the same underpowered hardware generally found in a tablet. In other words, it’s a fancy netbook. It was certainly a crowd-pleaser at CES, but there really wouldn’t be that much to set this guy apart in the the retail market.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

Another CES favorite thanks to the clever tablet within a notebook design. First we heard that Lenovo killed the project, but then a report surfaced stating that it might live on as an Android device. Sigh.

ExoPC

The last we heard, the ExoPC is supposed to hit the US, Canada and France on September 7th. If it does eventually hit the market, this could be the tablet for those looking for a full Windows install. Plus it comes with ExoPC’s so far stunning-looking UI layer for when the novelty of using Windows with your fingers wear off.

2010 might be the year of the tablet but so far it’s been all about the iPad, which is actually alright. If nothing else, the iPad set the bar high for future tablets. The hardware might leave people wanting more, but the iPad provides a fantastic user experience and that’s actually the most important trait of a secondary computing device. Just like with the iPod, the iPad might always be the best selling tablet on the market, but that doesn’t say that other tablets will not be successful and loved. I just hope some of the purposed tablets like the Notion Ink Adam, WeTab, and ExoPC actually make it from concept to production. If they eventually hit — this year or next — that’s when the real tablet race will begin.

We now have a release date and price for the Archos 7 Home Tablet, a device that Matt has been talking about pretty much nonstop for a while now. Does June for $199 sound good to you? Hope so, because that’s what we’re looking at.

Android powers the Archos 7 Home Tablet, and it’s pretty much exactly what you think of when you think of “home tablets.” A reasonably sized touchscreen (seven inches, 800×600), built-in Wi-Fi, USB port (for connecting to other devices~!), and so on.

What are you using a home tablet for? Maybe checking a message board thread while in bed before turning out the light? Reading people’s reactions to episodes of Lost on search.twitter.com?

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet just got a bit cooler. It finally has access to paid apps from the Android Market thanks to the latest firmware. This solves one of the biggest gripes we’ve heard about the small Android tablets. Previsously users could only download the free Android apps, not the preimum apps that cost something. This is actually a significant move in the Android tablet market, a trend we hope is followed by others.

For some reason most Android tablets do not have access to the full Android Market. Some do not have access at all, instead preloaded with a bunch of apps right from the factory. But part of Android’s appeal is the open system and many tablets aren’t conveying the openness. Hopefully we’ll see more tablets outing firmware that opens up the Android Market to users. Then we’ll be able to have a valid conversation about the iPad vs Android tablets. [Archos Fans via liliputing]

The 7 Home Tablet — dumb name, btw — is basically a large-screen version of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet we reviewed a while back. Android still powers the device, but the CPU is a 600 Mhz chip instead of an 800 Mhz model found in the 5 Internet Tablet. But the price is supposed to be slightly lower with the 8GB version retailing for $179 instead of the 5′s $379 price.

It seems that the model that the FCC is playing with is branded with a German wireless carriers logo, implying that it’s a 3G model and we might be one of the models available here in the states. [FCC via Wireless Goodness]

Another German retailer states it will be available soon somewhat confirming its impeading launch. Of course Archos hasn’t announced US availability just yet, but that should stop an enterprising buyer from importing it from Euroland whenever it turns up. [geizhals via SlashGear]