[Article] Home-brewed tablet could cure access ills

[MickeyD]

There was a previous reference on MyBB : http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/388435-PEP-Tablet-promotion but that did not tell the story behind the Netsurfer 7. According to their website it is an Android device....

THE rise of tablet computers has changed the way people do business and entertain themselves - and now South Africa boasts its own new low-cost device.

Entrepreneurs Tracy Andersson, 45, and Graham Davies, 34, lived in China for four months last year to build a cheaper tablet for South Africans.

The result of their Chinese adventure is Netsurfer Touch 7. It may not be as slick as the Apple iPad or Samsung's Galaxy Tab, two of the most popular tablets, but at just less than R2000, it is affordable.

Andersson said because she and Davies designed the tablet and were able to handpick its components, they were able to ensure that its price was kept to a minimum.

It has a 17.7cm colour touchscreen that can play high-definition video, surf the internet, do e-mail and access popular social networks, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

With its built-in 3G modem, it can also function as a telephone and, unlike most tablets, it has USSD functionality - the technology used to buy airtime and do banking.

Full article by Toby Shapshak here.

 

[skimread]

This husband and wife aren't even technical. :erm:

This shows you if you have cash anyone can give specs to a Chinese manufturer and design an android tablet and rebrand it.
Even Esquire has done it.

17.7 centimetres is equivalent to 6.97 inches so it's your standard 7 inch size.

Their website doesn't even list what version of Android it is. I doubt it is ICS4.0. (Icecream sandwich) If you buy a new tablet in 2012 if it is not ICS 4 always check if it can be updated from the manufacturs website to ICS4 and with these no name brands you cannot.

 

[MickeyD]

This shows you if you have cash anyone can give specs to a Chinese manufturer and design an android tablet and rebrand it.

17.7 centimetres is equivalent to 6.97 inches so it's your standard 7 inch size.

Their website doesn't even list what version of Android it is. I doubt it is ICS4.0. (Icecream sandwich) If you buy a new tablet in 2012 if it is not ICS 4 always check if it can be updated from the manufacturs website to ICS4 and with these no name brands you cannot.

I agree but what they have done is to target a specific market and then design their device(s) around it. I seriously doubt whether any MyBB members would buy this device as we love to "customise" and experiment with anything that we can get our hands on!

 

[skimread]

I agree but what they have done is to target a specific market and then design their device(s) around it. I seriously doubt whether any MyBB members would buy this device as we love to "customise" and experiment with anything that we can get our hands on!

The specs are OKish not the worst not the best. Not sure why they only sell it at Pepstores as the lower end consumer will shop there.

BTW. Incredible connection dropped the price of the Telefunken 7 inch Android tablet to below R800 a few weeks back (trying to get rid of it) though it doesn't have 3G.

 

[GPS]

Technical specs from their website: (Android 2.2 it seems.)

Display

7" Multi-Touch (Capacitive)
480 x 800 pixels

Components

CPU: ARM Cortex A9 Dual Core
CPU Speed: 533 Mhz x 2
Memory: 512MB DDR2
Storage: 8GB Internal Memory

File Formats

Audio: : MP3 ,WMA, ACC
Photo: JPEG,PNG,BMP,GIF
Video: AVI, MKV, WMV, TS, RM/RMVB, 3GP, MPEG, FLV, MP4

Software

Android 2.2

Connectivity

Embedded 3G: WCDMA 900/1900/2100 Mhz
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth

Input / Output

Micro SD Card slot (up to 32GB)
3D sound
3.5mm audio jack
Micro USB v2.0 port
HD output 1280x720p

Camera

1.3 Megapixels(photo)
Resolution 1280 x 1024 pixels

Battery Power

3400mAh ; 3.7V

Physical Attributes

117mm X 195mm X 13mm

Power Adaptor

Input: 100 - 240v~; 50/60 Hz; 0.3A .
Output: 5V; 2A

 

[Synaesthesia]

There are tons of tablets like this, nothing new really.

 

[Lupus]

I've seen chinese tablets with better specs going for less, go to tabletworld.co.za for example