2011 Tablet PC Holiday Gift Guide: Mid Range Tablets

11/10/2011 Comments Off on 2011 Tablet PC Holiday Gift Guide: Mid Range Tablets Tablet PC Buyers Guide Like

With the holiday season fast approaching, we present another installment of our 2011 Tablet PC Holiday Gift Guide. In today’s installment we’ll be covering a number of the best, most popular and most affordable mid-range tablet computers of 2011. However, if a mid-range tablet isn’t on your shopping list, you can always feel free to check out our high end tablets gift guide.

At Let’s Talk Tablets, we know that not everyone is made of money. I personally am made up of the following:

Snips:

16%

Snails:

28%

Puppy Dog Tails:

Unknown:

10%

Loose Change:

21%

Bills:

13%

Pocket Lint:

Money in its various forms constitutes 34% of my make up, thus, making me an ideal candidate for a mid-range tablet. So, why not join us here at Let’s Talk Tablets as we go shopping for the ideal mid-range tablet.

Archos 80 G9 8 GB 8-Inch Tablet

The ARCHOS 80 is a slick 8-inch tablet equipped with a solid selection of features. At its heart is the Texas Instruments OMAP 4 smart multi-core processor. Running at 1.0GHz, the dual-core processor is lightning fast. The Flash compatible tablet runs on Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). It features 512 MB of (DDR2 SDRAM) RAM, and an 8 GB (flash memory) hard drive. The 8-inch multi-touch, capacitive screen renders images beautifully, with a resolution of 1024 x 768. With (802.11 b/g/n) Wi-Fi®, you’ll experience the Internet the way you would on a PC. Connectivity is rounded out with Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR.

Thanks to the Android operating system, you’ll have access to the Android Market, which currently offers a selection of over 250 thousand apps. The versatility of the ARCHOS tablet also allows you to playback videos, listen to music/audio, and proudly display your photos among many other things. The lithium polymer battery provides a minimum of 7-hours of service, with a potential 36-hour run time, depending on how the tablet is used. The 720p forward facing video camera allows you to record the significant moments of your life, and share them instantly. Once more, you can play your favorite videos on an HDTV, thanks to the HDMI (out) connection. Check out these other handy features:

Built-in GPS
Built-in speakers
G-sensor
Compass
Built-in kickstand
Built-in Microphone

Why not get yours now?

Price: $269.99 on Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0

Now we’re talkin’. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 offers a lot of bang for the buck. In our opinion, it delivers all the features you could want, without breaking the bank. At its nucleus is a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, providing both power and speed. The Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system offers access to over 250,000 apps, and the Adobe Flash Player provides unrestricted web browsing.

The Galaxy Tab also boasts a 7-inch widescreen display with 1,024 X 600 resolution. In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy Tab is maxed out. It offers Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0, and USB 2.0. Moreover, it features two on-board cameras, a rear-facing 3.0 megapixel (MP) camera, and a 2.0 MP front camera. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 is also highly portable. It measures 7.62 inches long, 4.82 inches wide, and it’s a mere 0.39 inches thick. It weighs in at 12.16 ounces. Lastly, it features TouchWiz, a user-friendly touch interface developed by Samsung Electronics.

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 comes with a one-year warranty.

Price: $399.99 on Amazon

Acer Iconia Tab A500

The Acer® Iconia Tab A500-10S16u provides the ultimate tablet experience. The heart of the beast is a NVIDIA® Tegra 2, dual-core mobile processor. The Iconia Tab boasts 1000 MB of (DDR2 SDRAM) RAM, and 1GB DDR2 Memory. Moreover, it features a 16 GB hard drive, and a gleaming 10.1″ HD multi-touch display with astounding 1280 x 800 resolution. Operated by Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the Iconia Tab offers (802.11b/g/n) Wi-Fi®, and two USB Ports. The Iconia also features two on-board cameras. On the rear face, you’ll find a 5-megapixel (MP) autofocus camera. On the front you’ll find a 2MP camera.

The A500 allows you to easily check Facebook and Twitter updates with a single glance. Battery life is middle of the road. One can expect up to 8-hours of life from a single charge. In terms of dimensions, the Iconia Tab measures 10.2 inches long, 7 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick. Weighing in at 1.69 pounds, the Acer A500 is a bit heavier than most. Although, considering its many features, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Price: Starting at $269.99 on Amazon

Toshiba Thrive 10.1-Inch Android Tablet

The Toshiba Thrive is a great Android tablet, offering solid versatility, and value for the money. At its core you’ll find NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processor, orchestrated by the Android Honeycomb operating system. With an 8 GB hard drive, and 8GB of RAM, the Thrive is more than equipped to meet your needs. It connects via Wi-Fi® and supports Adobe Flash empowering unrestricted Internet access.

The 10.1-inch, multi-touch, widescreen display features Adaptive Display Technology, and supports 720p. Although the Toshiba Thrive is a bit thicker than most, it compensates by offering a wide range of ports. The ports include USB, mini-USB, and an HDMI port. Moreover, the Thrive also comes with a full-sized SD card reader and Bluetooth connectivity. On the rear you’ll find a 5.0 MP autofocus camera, and on the front, a 2.0 MP webcam. Sound is delivered via stereo speakers with Toshiba sound enhancements. The prismatic lithium battery is user-replaceable, and provides 7 to 8 hours of life on continuous play. For variety and protection you can purchase an interchangeable, easy grip, non-slip, rubberized back plate. The back covers are available in five vibrant colors:

Silver Sky
Blue Moon
Green Apple
Raspberry Fusion
Lavender Bliss

The Toshiba Thrive 10.1 packs a bit of weight, weighing in at 1.6 pounds. That being said, it also packs a slew of high-quality features. If you don’t mind a bit of weight and thickness, the Toshiba Thrive is an excellent choice.

Price: $368.20 on Amazon