ViewSonic ViewPad 10e

The ViewSonic ViewPad 10e pairs what, at face value, appears to be an acceptable array of entry-level specs with a cheap and relatively cheerful shell to appeal to those not convinced by the iPad's much higher price tag.

Looking to steal a couple of market share percentage points from Apple, ViewSonic has forgone a number of core Android values when adopting Google's operating system for the ViewPad 10e, most fundamental of which is the overlooking of the now standard 10.1-inch display in favour of an iPad-mimicking 9.7-inch offering.

With the unwritten rule of the tablet market seeming to be 'if you can afford it, plump for the iPad', ViewSonic has looked to dramatically undercut the market leader in an attempt to win favour with the masses, jumping in at a low price with a very impressive £199 retail tag in the UK, and $399 cost in the US.

This is significantly cheaper than the entry-level iPad 2, which starts at £399, or $499.
The ViewSonicViewPad 10e is also cheaper than the leading Android tablets, save for the currently US-exclusive $199 Amazon Kindle Fire, and even ViewSonic's own 7-inch offering, the original ViewPad 7, which retailed at £300.

Sadly, as will all facets of the tech market, this low-end price tag does come with a number of device-hampering limitations, with a somewhat shoddy build quality combining with a number of lower-end components and weak specs to fulfill the old truism 'you get what you pay for."
While the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e does run Google's Android operating system, it isn't a true Android tablet.
Unlike a number of its roughly 10-inch Android tablet competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola Xoom 2 and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e doesn't run a fully certified version of Android.
Instead it opts for a slightly flaky version of the OS that means, among other things, it has no official Android Market.

Despite some hardware and software restrictions, ViewsSonic has done something with the ViewPad 10e that the likes of Apple, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Asus have failed to do: get the tablet to market with a price that will appeal to the everyman, not just those with a hefty wedge of spare cash and a keen interest in tech.
Although a sub-£200 price tag can't counteract all problems, a number of the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e's issues can be overlooked when you consider the device's price compared to its competitors - a trait that will no doubt be adopted by a number of consumers looking to enter the tablet scene.

Features:

Having replicated the iPad's 9.7-inch form factor, ViewSonic has taken further design hints from Apple's tablet when crafting the plastic-backed ViewSonic ViewPad 10e.
Lining up at just 9.1mm thick, the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e is a mere 0.3mm thicker than the iPad 2, a difference barely noticeable when the devices are viewed individually, but one that keeps the ViewSonic tablet's near-perfect replication of the iPad 2 dimensions safely on the correct side of complete patent infringement.

While its form factor might be quite similar to that of the iPad, the build quality of the two devices is a world apart. Although some plastic-backed Android devices have come in for criticism due to their lack of structural rigidity compared with the aluminium hewn iPad, the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e takes this to new, painfully low levels.
Despite a good feel in the hand with the 620g weight well balanced throughout the device, the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e is let down by a number of large design and construction faults.
The join between the locked plastic back plate and plastic outer frame leaves a sharp and uncomfortable join where the two meet that repeatedly catches your fingers. But with very little pressure the frame pulls away from the side of the LCD display, leaving edges of the 9.7-inch screen unveiled.

Although the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e's 9.7-inch XGA LCD screen is touted as sporting an impressive 1024 x 768p resolution, boot the device up to the home screen and this seems a farcical overestimation.
Images appear grainy, with dull colours and a frankly ridiculous Ask search bar that looks likely to have been plucked as an unmodified afterthought from a browser from the last decade.

In truth, however, under further inspection the XGA offering does provide strong image quality that is let down by the poorly-constructed faux Android home screen. When viewing images and streaming videos, colours are crisp, with a wide viewing angle enabling users to work around the direct line of sight limitations of some devices.
Where the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e's display struggles, however, is in changeable light conditions. With no light sensor offering auto dimming options, on-screen content can become drowned out by bright artificial light or become difficult to make out in darker settings.

Moving on to the processor: a 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU paired with 512MB of DDR3 RAM shows its age, with commands taking some time to be acknowledged, often causing quite a stuttering fuss when they finally kick into life.
With just 4GB of internal storage, the incorporated microSD slot is key to this budget tablet's success. With the expandable storage enabling you to fully use the device's music and multimedia players, the option to upgrade to an increased capacity via a cheap memory card helps make the hardware hampering entry-level price tag appear even better value.

Featuring few physical buttons, the tablet's edge is well-used, with a micro USB connector and 3.5mm audio jack featuring on the top of the device, enabling easy file transfers and music playback.

With physical volume controls neatly nestled atop the ViewSonic ViewPad 10e's left side, the only other physical button, the power and unlock switch, is poorly designed and infuriatingly difficult to use.
Farcically small and fiddly, the power button is represented by a small plastic nubbin that needs to be slid and released to lock or unlock the tablet. Removing any ease of use, the button sits almost flush with the frame, resulting in perhaps the device's most important button creating more frustration and irritation with every use.