Archos 7 Android tablet

Of course, these are all failings that a timely firmware update could fix in short order. Archos reckons a full charge of the battery pack will get you 42 hours of music playback or seven of video. I struggled to match those numbers getting only 5 hours of video playback even with the screen brightness turned down to 50 per cent.

Inexpensive and worth a look if you need something more than a phone and less of what a netbook can offer

Direct comparisons to the Apple iPad or Dell Streak are pointless when, at under £130 for the 2GB model, the Archos 7 will set you back less than a third of the price of either and makes no pretense to cellular connectivity. Given that price point I can see many people thinking it's a better value for money proposition than Apple's magical gizmo or Dell's big phone.

Verdict

The Archos 7 Home Tablet has to be taken on its own merits with both price and target audience in mind. For £130 you get a decent little connected device that will let you access the web, send e-mails, read ebooks and chat over IM, albeit without video. It's a decent media player too. Sure, it's no iPad, but at the entry-level, it is £300 cheaper. ®

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