Archos 80 G9

“In the world of sub-$300 Android tablets, the Archos 80 G9 is one of the better options, but that's not saying much. While we like that it offers full access to the Android Market, snappy performance, and fun media apps, it's far from perfect. The lackluster build quality, high temperatures, and less-than-stellar screen all should give buyers pause. But, if you're looking for an inexpensive tablet, you could do worse than the Archos 80 G9.”

“We had very high hopes for the Archos 80 G9. The French firm has arguably done all of the hard work with this product -- dual-core CPU, Android Honeycomb, HDMI-out functionality and the ability to upgrade to 3G at a later date -- but has dropped the ball when it comes to case design and quality control. The ripple-like effect on the display meant the Archos 80 G9 we reviewed couldn't be held without the screen resembling a pond during a fierce downpour. During our review period we tried as hard as we could to ignore the issue, but it's almost impossible to do so.”

“After months of testing Honeycomb tablets with similar specs, we didn't begin our review of the Archos 80 G9 expecting to be blown away. And yet, by the end of our testing period, we had grown rather attached to the thing. Curiously, there wasn't just one feature that bowled us over. The display offers excellent viewing angles, but isn't the most vibrant we've seen. Its performance is snappy enough, but nothing to write home about.”

“Is this the tablet for you? It’s a strange time to be purchasing a tablet since we know that before the end of the year, we’ll be seeing quad-core processors on the market. That said, we’ve seen single-core devices out-perform dual-core devices in the past, it all depends on what software you’re running. ARCHOS, you did a pretty decent job here making a tablet that’s going to be accessible by the masses. People will buy it and love it if you include replaceable kickstands. The rest of the tablet is good to go!”