A Tablet For Everyone

This is for all those who want to try a tablet but either can't afford an iPad or just don't want to invest a good amount to get a taste of a different technology form factor. Chinese brands are difficult to trust because most of them don't build reliable products, but I think brands like Huawei and Ainol are going to change this.

Ainol was in the headlines last year when it became the first brand to offer a device running Android 4.0 Ice-cream Sandwich, the device was called Novo 7 Paladin. Although the company sold many units, it wasn't particularly successful because it ran on a MIPS architecture processor that is not compatible with a number of Android apps. MIPS processors offer a snappier performance and efficient battery life, but Ainol realised that supporting more apps is more important than having a slightly better processor. After gaining some popularity the brand released a number of tablets improving the specifications with every new device.

Ainol 7 Aurora White

For anyone who wants to buy an Android tablet that's budget friendly, powerful and looks great, Ainol's Novo 7 Aurora is probably the best choice. The device has a 1GHz processor, 1GB DDRIII memory, IPS display, a 2MP front camera and the latest version of Android, that is, 4.0 Ice-cream Sandwich. 

Here's a short specification table for Aurora:

Display Type	IPS Display (by LG)
Display Size	7 inch, 1024x600 pixels
Memory	8GB internal, 1GB RAM, Expandable upto 16GB
CPU,GPU	CPU: 1.2 GHz All-winner A10, GPU: Mali 400
Operating System	Android 4.0.3 Ice-cream Sandwich
Front Facing Camera	2MP
Body	189 x 123 x 9mm, Plastic shell, weighs 313g
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G/WCDMA dongle, No built-in 3G support
Sensors	Accelerometer, GPS
Software	Flash 11.1, Android Market, YouTube, Skype
Battery	3700mAh, 6hrs of video

Ainol 7 Aurora Black

The device can handle almost anything you throw at it, it is smooth in performance and you can enjoy all the 3d games that Google Play (Android Market) has to offer, without a lag. The thing that sets Aurora apart from the previous Ainol products is its brilliant display, IPS screen made by LG. The colors are brighter and the viewing angles are literally 178° wide. There is no back camera or built in 3G support but then, it is too much to ask for such a small price. Unlike other cheap tablets, Aurora boards a capacitive touch screen with a 5 point multi-touch support, so you won't have any trouble regarding response. The device arrives with Chinese as the default language but you can easily change it to English, you'll have to perform a quick firmware update to get the regular Android Market and other standard Android apps. The tablet is available for around $170 (around Rs.15000 in Pakistan), comes in black and white colors. You can buy it in Pakistan from ShopnShop, Symbios and MyTabletPC.

The device has been extremely successful all over the world with suppliers running out of the stock several times. This month a new dual-core tablet is to be released with a price of just $199, it will be called Aurora II or Tornado. A similar, cheaper device Elf II priced at $149, will also be released with it but the Elf will come without an IPS display.