But now the company is launching a $5 version designed for the Apple iPad.

Avid Studio for iPad is optimized for touchscreen input and the Apple tablet’s small screen. The mobile app can’t export videos in Adobe Flash format, but you can export apps to the Avid Studio for desktop app, which means that you can start working on a video on your iPad and finish on your PC.

The iPad app lets you work with audio, videos, and photos on your device or capture videos and photos while using the app. There’s support for 3D animations, transitions and titles as well as other effects such as picture-in-picture, pan and zoom.

All Things D reports that the $4.99 price tag is introductory. Avid will raise the price to $7.99 after 30 days. That’s still a bargain compared with the company’s desktop software, but Avid Studio for iPad will have to compete with Apple’s $4.99 iMovie app which offers many (but not all) of the same features.

Avid Studio for iPad is available from the iTunes App Store.

Avid Studio video editor hits the iPad, looks a lot like iMovie is a post from: mobiputing

The company has offered a mobile app for Android for a while, but up until now it’s been optimized for phones. Now Mint has released a new version which looks great on tablets running Android 3.0 and up. It’s available as a free download from the Android Market.

While the tablet-friendly app is new to Android, it actually looks a lot like the iPad app Mint released late last year.

The new app makes better use of the screen real estate on tablets, offering some of the attractive graphics that you can find on the website but which aren’t available in Mint’s smartphone app. There’s also a whole lot more information viewable on a single screen — but in a way that doesn’t look cluttered.

I’ve been a Mint user for over a year, and the smartphone app is great for adding transactions on the go. But the tablet app is a whole lot prettier.

Personal finance app Mint comes to (some) Android tablets is a post from: mobiputing

The folks behind the popular Dolphin web browser for Android recently expanded into two new areas: tablets and iOS. Now hot on the heels of the company’s first iPhone web browser and its first browser for Android tablets, Dolphin has launched a free iPad app.

Dolphin Browser HD for the iPad has all the feature we’ve come to expect, including:

• Browser tabs which let you flip between web pages without minimizing the current page first
• Support for gesture-based navigation
• A sidebar that lets you access bookmarks and other data by swiping the browser window left or right
• A full-screen mode
• Support for user agent switching so you can see desktop or mobile versions of websites

The developers are also running a contest through September 14th to celebrate the launch of the iPad app by giving away an iPad 2.

Dolphin Browser brings tabs, gestures to the iPad is a post from: mobiputing

While the BlackBerry PlayBook is fairly solid from a hardware standpoint, it lags behind the iPad and Android tablets when it comes to app selection. RIM has a pretty crafty workaround for that up its sleeve, however: a virtual machine that enables Android apps to run on the PlayBook.

The company demoed the Android Player for PlayBook earlier this year, and an early version was even discovered hiding out on RIM’s website. Both helped generate a good deal of anticipation, especially since RIM’s original launch target of Summer 2011 was in full swing.

Today, however, there’s a bit of news from the folks in Waterloo that puts a damper on things. A “reliable source” has told Engadget that the Android Player for PlayBook has now been delayed until the Fall, which will almost certainly compound its tablet market woes.

RIM executives admitted at the company’s 2011 annual general meeting that they didn’t quite know what to do with their first product launched via retail channels. Any further delays in key pieces of promised functionality could well seal the fate of the PlayBook — which would be a shame, since it has so much potential.

Still, potential isn’t always a good way to make consumers open their wallets, especially if it remains untapped for too long.

BlackBerry PlayBook Android App support delayed until fall is a post from: mobiputing

Google is starting to roll out a new search page designed for touchscreen displays. The idea is to make it easier to interact with Google’s primary product: its search engine, while using a device with a reasonably large display and touch input.

The new page looks like a cross between the desktop browser interface and the mobile page you’d see when visiting Google.com on an iPhone or Android smartphone. At the top of the page you see a toolbar for Google services, and under that there’s a search bar — just like you’d see in a desktop browser.

But like the mobile version of Google, the new search page lacks any sidebars. Instead you can refine your search using new boxes between the search bar and the results. You can use these tools to switch between all search results, images, videos, places, or other categories.

The image results page has also been revamped with larger picture previews, faster image loading, and the ability to scroll continuously instead of loading a new page page of images.

The update supports the Apple iPad and Android 3.1, but Google is rolling the new interface out in batches, so you may not notice it right away.

Google gives search page a tablet overhaul is a post from: mobiputing

One of the biggest complaints early reviewers have had about the HP TouchPad tablet is the lack of high quality apps available for webOS 3.0. In fact, some of the apps HP had promised would be available at launch didn’t make the cut when the tablet started shipping earlier this month. Take the Amazon Kindle app for the TouchPad, for instance.

The TouchPad hit the streets on July 1st. Nearly three weeks later, Amazon released a beta version of its Kindle app for the tablet last night.

You can find the new app in the webOS App Catalog, but there’s no mention of it on Amazon’s web site yet. The eBook app is also geographically restricted right now — you can only download it if you’re in the United States.

The folks at PreCentral have put together a detailed hands-on review. In a nutshell, there are a few bugs that have to be worked out (for instance, many users are seeing multiple copies of the same book), but overall the app provides a good experience for reading eBooks. You can also search books, take notes, or highlight passages.

If you’ve already used the Amazon Kindle app on another platform, any books you’ve already purchased will be available to download and sync with the TouchPad.

While an Amazon Kindle app doesn’t really set the TouchPad apart from the competition (there are similar apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry), it does help the new tablet compete.

Amazon Kindle app now available for the HP TouchPad is a post from: mobiputing

Image Credit: CNET

Skype offers apps for voice, video, and text communication for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. But so far there’s one platform Skype doesn’t support: the Apple iPad. That changes on Tuesday when Skype is expected to launch its first iPad app.

The folks at CNET got a sneak peek at Skype for the iPad. They say video calls look great over a WiFi connection, but less-than-stellar when you’re using 3G.

The overall layout looks like a simplified version of Skype’s desktop applications, with a contact list on the left and big video windows on the right. The dialer, contact list, detailed contact info and other features also hang out on the right.

As with Skype’s iPhone app, you can use the iPad app to switch between the front and rear cameras or even make voice-only calls by keeping the camera turned off.

It’s probably a matter of opinion whether Skype’s iPad app is better than Apple’s Facetime video chat service. But there’s one key difference: Skype already supports a number of different protocols, so the person you’re calling doesn’t have to be using a Mac or iOS device.

Skype also briefly posted a demo video demo on YouTube today before removing it. You can check out a soundless copy someone saved after the break.

Skype for the iPad coming Tuesday June 28th is a post from: mobiputing

Research in Motion has rolled out a software update for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 brings a handful of new features. None are showstoppers, but overall they should make the experience of using the tablet a little more pleasant.

Here are a few highlights:

• You can now charge the tablet even when it’s turned off.
• You’ll get a notification if you try to use the wrong power adapter with the PlayBook.
• There’s a pop-up power widget for turning off or restarting the tablet, adjusting screen brightness, or viewing the battery status.
• OS v1.0.5 will automatically detect WiFi hotspots.
• There’s support for additional languages.
• RIM has added support for in-app payments to the BlackBerry App World.
• Facebook now comes preloaded.

If you already have a PlayBook you should be prompted to install the update soon, or you can check for an updating the Software Updates section of the Settings Menu.

BlackBerry PlayBook OS update adds in-app payments, Facebook is a post from: mobiputing

One issue which has reared its ugly head on most current tablet OSes is how to deal with legacy apps. For the upcoming HP TouchPad and the shiny, new webOS 3, the challenge is how to handle apps created using the older Palm Mojo SDK. As the Touchpad nears launch readiness, however, HP has finally revealed its response in the latest beta build of its tablet emulator.

Right now, Mojo apps default to running in their original resolution — a Pre-friendly 320×480. As you can see, the emulator also defaults to rendering a virtual handset around the app. HP has included a way for developers to tag their apps so as to utilize the TouchPad’s full 9.7″ display, though doing so causes the virtual gesture area to disappear. That’s not a problem if an app offers other built-in navigation options, but it could certainly cause issues in some cases.

Of course, the emulator is still in its beta form and HP has released four versions between April 12th and now. As they continue to update, the rough edges will no doubt be smoothed out.

via PreCentral

Mojo app support appears in HP TouchPad Emulator Beta 5 is a post from: mobiputing

Plume is an attractive Twitter client for Google Android which offers all the usual features including support for viewing your timeline, updating your status, sharing links or photos, or managing favorites, @mentions, and direct messages. But while Plume started off as an app for Android phones, the latest version also looks great on tablets running Google Android 3.x Honeycomb.

When you open the app on a Honeycomb tablet it will show you three side-by-side panels for your timeline, mentions, and direct messages. You can change the function of any column by tapping on it. So if you don’t want to see your DMs, you can switch that column to Favorites, for instance.

You can also rotate your tablet into portrait mode for a single-column view, but the app really shines in landscape.

Plume for Android also includes an integrated Twitter search function and the option to view the latest trending topics on Twitter.

The basic app is as a free download from the Android Market. This version includes some advertising, but honestly the ads are pretty unobtrusive, especially on a tablet with a high resolution display. If you’d rather go ad-free though, there’s also a Plume Premium app available for $2.84.

via Android Police

Plume Twitter client for Android adds support for Honeycomb tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Android developers are starting to ramp up development of tablet-friendly versions of their apps to take advantage of the extra screen real estate and new menu options available in Android 3.0 Honeycomb. While there are still a relatively small number of apps designed specifically for Android tablets, it looks like the number is growing, and the developers of two popular social media clients for Android are getting in on the action.

This week Seesmic started showing off a new tablet version of its Twitter and Facebook client, while Twitter client Plume launched a public beta of a Honeycomb app.

The new version of Seesmic takes advantage of the new fragments component of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, breaking up the screen into three areas. You get a menu on the left, a timeline in the middle, and a detailed message view, complete with web pages or other media, on the right.

The new version of Plume has a new Android 3.0-optimized user interface, changes the URL shortener and image uploading services, and has a new dark theme option, among other changes. In order to try the new version of Plume you’ll have to uninstall any existing version of the app already on your device first.

Seesmic, Plume social media clients get Android 3.0 tablet makeovers is a post from: mobiputing

Update: That was fast. Facebook for BlackBerry is now available from the BlackBerry App World.

The new video chat app for the BlackBerry PlayBook isn’t the only major update coming this month. Research in Motion has also announced that an official Facebook app is on the way.

The app isn’t just a scaled up version of the BlackBerry smartphone Facebook app. Instead it’s been optimized for the tablet’s 7 inch display and includes all the usual features including managing your friends, viewing photos and videos, and interacting with the news feed.

You’ll also be able to use Facebook Chat with notifications arriving in the tablet’s notification bar. The app lets you tag friends in photos, respond to comments, and perform all the other usual actions.

What’s interesting is that this is the first Facebook app that will be optimized for any tablet platform. There’s no official Facebook app for the Apple iPad or for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets yet.

Incidentally, you can always follow Mobiputing on Facebook at facebook.com/mobiputing.

Facebook app for the BlackBerry PlayBook to arrive this month is a post from: mobiputing

Amazon has released a new version of its Kindle app for Android, bringing improved support for tablets running Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Appropriately, the new app is Kindle 3.0 for Android.

There are two key areas where the app has been redesigned. The first is the new grid view for your library which lets you see thumbnail icons of all your books instead of a the default list view which Amazon’s Kindle apps for smartphones uses. The new grid view option is also available on smartphones now, but it looks much better on a big-screen tablet such as the Motorola XOOM.

The other major change is the in-app Kindle Store, which has a much more app-store like feel.

When you visit the store, you’ll see a list of personalized recommendations at the top, a list of categories to the left, and links for the top 100 paid and free books in the center. There are also featured titles to the right.

You can purchase and download books in the app without using an external web browser.

The one thing Amazon didn’t tweak for tablets is the actual reading view. There’s still no two-pane viewing mode, which means that if you hold a tablet like the XOOM in landscape mode, much of the 1280 x 800 pixel screen is wasted. Unfortunately, I find it much easier to hold the XOOM in landscape than portrait mode most of the time, which makes reading an eBook using the new Kindle app a less than stellar experience.

Kindle 3.0 also adds support for the German language, a new layout for newspapers and magazines, and the ability to pause and resume content downloads.

via Engadget

Amazon Kindle 3.0 app adds support for Android 3.0 tablets is a post from: mobiputing

This just keeps getting better. Research in Motion caught a fair amount of flack for launching a tablet which doesn’t include native email, calendar, or contact apps. But the company said all you need to do is download an app called BlackBerry Bridge on your BlackBery smartphone and you can access versions of your phone’s personal information management apps in big screen glory on the PlayBook.

There’s just one problem: The BlackBerry Bridge app is now availabel for download, but it doesn’t work on AT&T’s network.

The app works with all other carriers, but because BlackBerry Bridge doesn’t just let you share your calendar, contacts, and other apps but also your internet connection, AT&T has blocked it — likely to prevent you from tethering your tablet without paying an extra monthly fee. Of course, free tethering is probably one of the biggest selling points for the PlayBook, but I wouldn’t be surprised if AT&T eventually adds support for the Bridge software only after the company figures out how to charge extra for it.

Fortunately the folks at CrackBerry have discovered a workaround which will let you run the software on AT&T BlackBerry phones.

Update: AT&T says the company is still testing the app which is why it’s not yet available for AT&T customers.

AT&T blocks Blackberry Bridge software for the BlackBerry PlayBook is a post from: mobiputing

It looks like HP may be preparing to launch new music and movie stories fro webOS devices including the upcoming HP TouchPad tablet. PreCentral received a tip suggesting that the tablet will have an HP Music Store and HP Movie Store.

The leak comes from a presentation HP sent to a PreCentral tipster. The images look like mockups for now, but the slide includes information about  the stores — and also a cloud-based storage locker that will let you keep your music online so you can listen on the go.

That sounds a lot like the cloud music storage service Amazon just launched, and much like the one Google is expected to introduced soon. But the HP TouchPad will apparently use an algorithm to detect the songs you’re most likely to play and make sure they’re cached on your tablet so you can listen even when there’s no internet connection handy.

While it sounds like the service will be for the HP TouchPad only at launch, it could eventually be released for webOS smartphones.

HP to launch music, movie stores for HP Touchpad webOS tablet? is a post from: mobiputing

Adobe has launched an updated version of Adobe Connect Mobile for Android which brings a redesigned interface optimized for tablets running Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Adobe Connect Mobile 1.5 still supports phones, but when you use the app on a tablet it will make better use of the higher resolution display.

The update also brings support for two-way video, and poll and note pods.There’s also a new meeting overview view which lets you see all activities at once including a video window, shared desktop or presentation, chat window, and other elements.

You can check out a demo video after the break.

Adobe Connect Mobile for Android is available as a free download from the Android Market, but you’ll need to pay to use the web conferencing service.

via Android Guys

Adobe Connect web conferencing app now supports Android tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Security firm AVG has offered antivirus software for Android for a few months, but now the company has announced the launch of a new security app for Android tablets.

AVG Mobilation for Android tablets scans your device to find apps, settings, data, or media files that may be infected with malware. The app can also remotely locate your missing device or wipe your data. AVG’s software can also backup your data to a password-protected folder on your SD card for safe keeping.

The press release doesn’t really make it clear how the new tablet version of the software differs from AVG’s existing Android solutions, but Laptop Magazine has a few photos of the new tablet version of AVG Mobilation.

I took the free version for a spin on my phone recently, and it looks like AVG might not be the best solution for users with rooted devices. It detected a number of apps and settings that required root access — which makes sense, since rooting an Android phone requires finding an exploit in the core operating system. But it’d be nice if AVG could tell the difference between intentional exploits and security threats from outside.

via Android Guys

AVG launches security app for Android tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Amazon has launched a new version of Amazon MP3 for Google Android which improves notifications on the Motorola XOOM, fixes an issue with Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and most importantly, adds support for Android devices that don’t have carrier plans.

That means you can now purchase and download music using the Amazon MP3 app with any number of WiFi-only tablets including devices from Archos, Notion Ink, eLocity, ViewSonic, and others.

The latest version of the Amazon MP3 app is available as a free download from the Android Market. Of course, that might not do much good if you have a device without Market access. Hopefully now that Amazon supports WiFi-only devices, the company will also offer a standalone download soon.

Amazon MP3 now supports Android tablets without carrier plans is a post from: mobiputing

HP webOS 3.0 will be the first version of the HP/Palm mobile operating system designed for tablets. It’s what the HP Touchpad will run when it’s launched. The company showed off a number of features and third party apps for the platform during yesterday’s introduction of the Touchpad. And HP has also released a preview of the software developer kit for webOS 3.0.

Developers can get access to the SDK preview by emailing pdc@palm.com. What’s interesting is that the tools allow you to write resolution-independent apps. That means you can create an app that will work on devices with small screens like the HP Veer smartphone or large screens such as the Touchpad.

The operating system also features some tablet-friendly optimizations, including an on-screen keyboard which is resizeable with small, medium and large options so that it takes up no more screen real estate than you need. Notifications now pop up in the top right corner near the status bar, and you can tap the notification icon to see a list of the latest notifications.

The web browser features a new toolbar with forward, back, bookmark, history, and URL buttons. And the email app now features a multi-panel view which shows a list of messages or contacts on the left and the full message on the right.

HP demonstrated a video chat application yesterday which takes advantage of a front-facing camera and PreCentral reports that Skype video calling support is in the works.

As far as third party apps, Amazon has announced it will bring a Kindle eBook app to the platform. QuickOffice will let you view Microsoft Office documents, and possibly edit them as well. Time Inc is developing magazine apps for titles which could include Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, People, and others. And Roxio will power a video store to let users rent or purchase movies on webOS 3.0 tablets.

HP releases webOS 3.0 SDK: webOS for tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook is aimed at business users and one of its selling points is the way you can pair it with a BlackBerry smartphone to access corporate email, calendar, and messaging paps. Disconnect the phone and the data from those apps disappears. This not only makes it easy for corporate IT folks to support the PlayBook (since it’s basically just using your smartphone’s connection, which is probably already set up), but also helps protect secure data.

Unfortunately it also means that at launch RIM won’t have native email, calendar, or messaging apps for the PlayBook — so if you were planning on picking up the WiFi tablet and didn’t want to pair it with a BlackBerry phone, you may have to look to third party software or web-based apps.

Now there’s good news on that front, because IBM has announced plans to bring a version of its Lotus office suite to the PlayBook. That includes Lotus email, document, spreadsheet, and presentation apps. Rather than focus on native apps for the tablet though, it looks like IBM is developing a cloud-based version of LotusLive Symphony which will be able to run on Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and other tablets — presumably through a web browser. But at a recent event, IBM specifically singled out the PlayBook by demonstrating the office suite on the tablet.

IBM to offer Lotus office suite for the BlackBerry PlayBook, other tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Amazon already offers Kindle apps for Windows and Android, allowing you to purchase and read eBooks on a PC or phone. But the company has announced plans for new Windows and Android apps specifically targeted at tablets.

Android tablets will likely have larger, higher resolution displays than a typical Android smartphone, which means a redesign is in order. Windows tablets, on the other hand may have lower resolution displays than many desktop and laptop computers. But more importantly, the way you interact with touchscreen tablets is very different from the way you interact with a keyboard-and-mouse computer, so a user interface overhaul could come in handy.

Like other Kindle apps and devices, users will be able to download content they’ve already purchased from the Kindle store and synchronize data between devices. So if you start reading a book on your tablet you can put it down and grab your phone or a Kindle DX, or an iPhone or another device to pick up where you left off.

Amazon already offers an iPad-specific Kindle app which offers two-column viewing and other features not available in the iPhone and iPod touch apps.

The new tablet-friendly apps are due out later this year.

Amazon plans to launch Kindle app for Android, Windows tablets is a post from: mobiputing

Google is expected to push a new version of the Google Android Market app to smartphone users in the next few weeks, but if you don’t want to wait that long, hackers have already ripped the APK installer file for the new Market. It should install properly on on most devices running Android 2.2 and up, but it’s probably a good idea to backup your device before installing.

In addition to the new features Google told us about (new categories for widgets and live wallpapers, improved app description pages, a featured apps carousel, and so on), there’s one hidden gem: support for tablets with high resolution displays. When you use the new Market app on a tablet in landscape mode, it looks like the image above, with the carousel and categories on the left side of the screen and a list of apps on the right. On most phones, these two areas are stacked one on top of the other vertically.

via Android Police

New Android Market app leaked, includes tablet mode is a post from: mobiputing

Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread? That’s so yesterday morning. Last evening Google’s Any Rubin pulled a prototype Motorola Tablet out of his bag, and it was running an early build of Android 3.0 Honeycomb. He says the new operating system will be available “next year” and it’s designed to work with both phones and tablets.

That means it supports higher resolution displays — and not just by letting apps scale to full screen. Some apps, like Gmail, will now support a two-pane approach where you can see a list of messages on the left and the body of a message on the right. You know, like Apple’s Mail app for iPad.

TechCrunch also notes that the tablet appears to have a new lock screen, which you can unlock simply by dragging the lock icon in any direction. There’s also a new desktop layout. It still supports icons for apps and widgets, but the tablet doesn’t have any physical buttons. This mean that if you’re holding a tablet in portrait or landscape mode, or even upside down, you don’t have to reach around the tablet at an awkward angle to reach the buttons.

Rubin says the way Android 3.0 will work on both smartphones and tablets is that developers can write apps that have multiple views. On a tablet, both of those views may show up at the same time, stacked side-by-side (like the Gmail app), while on a smartphone, you may only see one screen at a time (like the current Gmail app).

Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb coming to tablets, smartphones next year is a post from: mobiputing

But what makes the Archos 5 Internet Tablet special is the underlying operating system which allows you to run thousands of Android applications. Out of the box, the tablet has a few Android apps installed including the Android web browser and the eBuddy instant message client. A few hundred more are available from the AppsLib app store. But with a little tweaking you can install the full Android Market, granting you access to many of the 16,000+ applications available for Google Android smartphones.

All this without the need to sign up for a contract with a mobile broadband provider. The lack of a service plan alone would make the Archos 5 one of the cheapest devices to run Google Android, since most Android Smartphones will end up costing you thousands of dollars over a 2 year contract. But with prices ranging between $250 and $500, this Android powered WiFi slate is truly one of the most affordable internet tablets around.

The folks at Archos were kind enough to lend me an internet tablet to review. The demo unit I received has 32GB of storage, an 800MHz ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, 256MB of RAM, 802/11b/g/n WiFi, a USB port, and runs Android 1.6 plus some custom Archos software.

Design

The tablet features a 4.8 inch, 800 x 480 pixel resistive touchscreen display. It took That means you’ll get better results if you tap at it with a stylus or fingernail than with your fingertip, although because Android features large icons you should be able to perform most actions with a fingertip.

The case plastic case features a glossy finish, and there’s a shiny strip surrounding the screen. All of which is to say, that the tablet is something of a fingerprint magnet. Things get even shinier on the back of the tablet, where there’s a reflective almost mirror-like panel. But how often are you going to look at the back anyway?

Also on the back you’ll find a kickstand which you can pull out in order to prop the Archos 5 on a table for easy, hands-free viewing. A first I thought it was a stylus, but it turns out that no stylus is included with the tablet.

On the bottom you’ll find a micro SD card slot for additional storage. There are also a few proprietary ports on the bottom that you can use to connect an external battery or an optional docking station that lets you play video stored on the tablet on a TV.

The left side of the tablet has a headphone jack and a USB port which is used to charge the tablet and to transfer files to and from a PC.

On the front left side of the tablet you’ll find a speaker which provides reasonably loud, if not exactly stellar audio. On the back of the tablet, just behind the USB port there’s a reset button that you can poke with a straightened out paperclip to restore the tablet to factory default settings.

On the top of the unit you’ll find a power button and volume buttons. That’s it for the physical buttons on the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. All other controls are software-based. if you want to turn on the tablet, you press and hold the power button until it boots or resumes from sleep. If your tablet locks up, press and hold the power button until it shuts down.

There’s also an accelerometer which will automatically rotate the display depending on whether you’re holding the tablet in portrait or landscape mode.

Overall, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet has a rather cheap plasticky feel to it, especially when compared with a more expensive Android device such as the Google Nexus One smartphone. But I’ll let that pass, given that the Archos tablet has a larger screen and enhanced media playback capabilities with a starting price of less than half the cost of the unsubsidized Nexus One.

Measuring 5.6″ x 3.1″ x 0.4″ and weighing 6.4 ounces, the Archos 5 tablet is pocketable, but just barely. If you compare it to a smartphone, it’s enormous. Compared with a netbook, it’s tiny. That’s partly due to the fact that there’s no physical keyboard, something which dictates the size of a comfortable netbook.

Web browser

I’ll touch on the Android operating system and application environment in a moment. But first I wanted to single out two different software features: The web browser and the media software. The browser is the standard Android browser, but it’s particularly well suited to a small tablet like the Archos 5. The multimedia software on the other hand, is all Archos and blows away the standard media playback software that comes with most Google Android devices.

One of the things that bugged me most about the original Asus Eee PC 701 was that it’s 800 x 480 pixel display just wasn’t quite big enough to handle most web pages and many PC applications. Surfing the web is a lot less fun if you have to constantly use a mouse or touchpad to scroll from side to side or if you need to continually reposition windows to hit the OK and Next buttons.

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet has the same 800 x 480 pixel resolution (albeit on an even smaller display), but I don’t find the experience of web surfing on this tablet to be nearly as cumbersome. That’s largely due to the Android web browser, which is designed for the even smaller screens found on smartphones.

Like the iPhone web browser, the Android browser is capable of displaying full web pages as well as pages that are formatted for small screens. If a page is normally formatted for a 1024 x 768 or larger screen, the text may look tiny and unreadable on the Archos 5 screen — especially if you’re holding the tablet in portrait mode. But you can double-click on the page to zoom in, or use the zoom in/out buttons that appear at the bottom of the screen.

This may sound like a clunky solution, but anyone that’s ever used an iPhone or other Android device can attest to the fact that it actually makes reading full sized web pages on a small screen rather pleasant.

Pages that are formatted for smaller screens, such as the mobile versions of Gmail, Google Reader, or Engadget are even better since no scrolling is required at all.

Pages don’t render quite as fast on the Archos 5 as they do on the Google Nexus One, which has a faster 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. But they do still load reasonably quickly over my home wireless network. Surfing the web using the Archos 5 Internet Tablet and Android browser is almost as fast as using Google Chrome or Firefox on a Windows netbook. I was surprised to find that I was able to accomplish some tasks, such as checking the latest news and marking stories as read in Google Reader were even faster using a mobile device such as the Archos 5 than a desktop browser. Your results may vary.

The Android interface as featured on the Archos 5 features a toolbar at the top of the screen with a home, settings, and back button. You can also see the current time, battery and WiFi status and other notifications in this area.

Once you fire up the browser app, you’ll be taken to the browser homepage. To visit another page, hit the settings button in the far right corner to bring up a menu at the bottom of the screen which. Hit “Go” to enter a URL, “Bookmarks” to visit a bookmarked page or add the current as a bookmark, or “New Window” to create a new window/browser tab.

Flipping between open browser windows does take a few clicks, since you first have to hit the Settings button, then the “Windows” button and then find the window you want to open or close. It’s not quite as elegant as the way the iPhone and iPod Touch handle browser tabs. But it gets the job done.

Media playback

If there’s one thing that the Archos 5 Internet Tablet has to offer that you won’t find on any other Android-based device, it’s the excellent multimedia software developed by Archos. Most Android phones can handle H.263, H.264, and some MP4 and 3gp video files as well as MP3, AAC, WAV, and Ogg Vorbis audio. But the Archos 5 can handle almost any format you care to throw at it with support for video resolutions up to 720p. Here’s a partial list of supported codecs:

• MPEG-4
• H.264
• WMV
• MKV
• MPEG-2
• MP3
• WMA
• AAC
• FLAC
• Ogg Vorbis
• AC3

Basically, Archos took its multimedia software and ported it to the Android platform. I really wish the company would offer some of this software for purchase for other devices through the Android Market, but since Archos has no control over what kind of hardware other device makers use, it’s likely not going to happen anytime soon.

In addition to playing media packed onto the tablet’s hard drive, flash storage, or micro SD card, you can also stream content over a home network or connect to UPnP devices. Using the UPnP capabilities, I was even able to connect to my media center PC running Windows 7 and PlayOn‘s software — which allowed me to stream video from Hulu. Playback was nearly flawless, but this trick will only work over a home network. I would be able to stream Hulu at a coffee shop this way.

There’s also a video recording plugin that lest you record 720p TV shows as MPEG-4 videos using the optional DVR station docking accessory.

The Music application can play files from the internal storage, from over a network, or using the built in FM radio tuner.

You can also view photos stored on a network or the device, use the Archos Games section to download and install games including some Adobe Flash games. Did I mention that the Archos 5 Internet tablet supports Adobe Flash? Because it does. It’s not a new enough version to handle Hulu and some other web sites (without the help of PlayOn), but this is definitely another area where the Archos 5 Internet Tablet stands apart from other Android devices.

There’s also a “Media Club” section in the media software menu which lets you access web TV and Radio, as well as download stores for music and videos.

Other software

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet has a slightly modified version of Android 1.6. In addition to the media playback software, the UI has been tweaked so that the default layout is landscape rather than portrait, and the navigation buttons are at the top of the screen on the edges of the notification bar.

As with other Android devices, you can customize the layout of the home screen by tapping and holding on icons for a second and then dragging and dropping them to any location you like. You can also add widgets such as a calendar, clock, or music player to the home screen by tapping and holding on the desktop and then choosing the Widgets option. If you run out of space on the home screen or want to separate games from utilities, you actually have three home screens to choose from. Just drag the home screen to the left or right to open up a new workspace.

On the right side of the screen you’ll see a little tab with an arrow on it. You can tap this to open a complete list of applications. Any of these can be added to the home screen using the same tap-and-hold method I just described.

I’ve been using Android on a few different devices for the past couple of weeks and I’ve gotten somewhat used to the way the operating system works. I like the level of customization you have over the home screen, for instance. But Google sort of goes overboard when it comes to the settings menu, which has almost too many options, which aren’t always laid out in the most straightforward manner.

For instance, you want to know how to adjust the display brightness on the Archos 5? You open the settings dialog, click “Sound & display” and then scroll all the way down to the second last option to find “Brightness.” Tap that, and you can finally adjust the brightness using a slider. This setting comes below the Archos theme color, animation, storage notification, and equalizer settings. Maybe it’s just me, but I would have figured brightness would be right next to media volume at the top of the screen — or possibly even higher, since there are physical volume buttons on the Archos 5 Internet Tablet.

The on-screen keyboard that comes with Android 1.6 is usable, but not perfect. Since the Archos 5 has a resistive touch screen, I actually find it easier to tap on the keyboard using the back of a single fingernail rather than typing away with two thumbs. Generally I find the iPhone/iPod touch keyboard to be better for accuracy than the default Android keyboard, but the Archos 5′s large screen makes it pretty easy to enter text without too many typos.

One of the benefits of purchasing the Android powered Archos 5 Internet Tablet rather than a media player with custom software such as the Archos 5 without Android, is that there are thousands of third-party applications available for the Android platform. Unfortunately you can’t access most of them using the software that comes with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. That’s because Google hasn’t officially approved the Android Market for devices that aren’t phones. Since the Archos 5 doesn’t make phone calls or have a camera, it might not be able to run some of the apps in the full Android Market, which I suppose is a bummer.

But the AppsLib marketplace that comes with the Archos 5 is no replacement. There are just a few hundred applications available at the moment. And while a growing number of apps are showing up in the AppsLib director, I’d much rather have access to the full catalog of 16,000 apps, most of which do work on the Archos 5.

Fortunately, there’s an unofficial tool that makes it incredibly easy to install the Android Market on an Archos 5 Internet Tablet. All you have to do is copy a file to the tablet using a USB connection, open it up in the Archos file browser, and then run the application once it’s been installed to add Google apps such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Talk, as well as the Android Market.

As I mentioned, some of the apps in the Market may not work on your device due to the lack of hardware support. And because the Archos 5 runs Android 1.6 rather than the newer Android 2.1 that’s running on the Google Nexus One smartphone, some programs such as Google Earth for Android won’t be available. But I’ve heard that Archos does plan to release an Android 2.1 update for the Archos 5 in the future.

Another thing I should point out is that while the Archos 5 has much of the functionality I’ve come to expect from an Android smartphone plus excellent multimedia capabilities, the device generally feels less stable. From time to time a program would crash or the entire device would become unresponsive. The solution was invariably to press and hold the power button to reboot the system and start over from scratch.

Verdict

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet is one of the cheapest Android devices that will let you surf the web over a WiFi connection. It also happens to have excellent media player software. Or to put it another way, the tablet is a decent media player that has the added bonus of being a web browser and Android tablet that will let you run thousands of third party applications. And it gets pretty good battery life. I didn’t test it extensively, because it’s much tougher to do a run-down test of a device that’s meant to be used on and off throughout the day than a standard laptop. But Archos says you should get 7 hours of video playback time and up to 22 hours of audio playback time, and that seems about right from my experience.

But is it worth shelling out the money for an Archos 5 instead of an Android powered Smartphone or an iPod touch?

The smartphone comparison is tricky. If you’re not interested in paying a monthly fee for access to a mobile broadband network, the Archos 5 is a much better deal than an unlocked smartphone — even if the software is a little older and the system is more likely to crash than a newer phone such as the Google Nexus One.

But you can pick up an iPod touch for less money than an Archos 5 and you get a web browser, app store with more than 150,000 applications, and a decent media player. But the iPod touch ahs a smaller, lower resolution display than the Archos 5, and limited multitasking capabilities. Try listening to a streaming radio station while surfing the web on an iPod Touch. You can’t do it unless you jailbreak the phone.

You can buy an Archos 5 Internet Tablet with 8G of flash storage for $250 from Archos. It’s also available with 16GB or 32GB of flash storage, or a 160GB of 500GB hard drive, with the top of the line 500GB model selling for $500. Some models are a few bucks cheaper from Amazon, but not all models are listed there.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet review is a post from: mobiputing