Monday 2 December 2013

ADVENT TEGRA NOTE 7 INCH TABLET REVIEW

I have a new tool for my trades.

It also doubles up as a new toy, love it when I but things that can truly multi-task!

Now this is a 7 inch tablet computer and how I came about getting it as well as how I found it is both weird and very lucky.

Make no mistake when I state this but this is one hell of a tablet for the money and though some have been put off with it for just one thing, it IS just one thing. Some have stated this is ugly but I think them morons and I think that the Apple iPads are bland and boring both the design and the graphical user interface. The iPad Mini being the only exception but still has the iOS GUI which has not changed one bit and not capable of having a decent desktop screen nor widgets.

As for it being ugly it looks like a giant HTC One in black which everyone loves the look of so there you go. But I will add that the body is not metal but plastic but it is a deep solid plastic. To get this point across I new it was plastic and one idiot reviewer stated that the tablet was "flimsy" and yet when I got it out of its box I had to look closely at the materials as it felt solid with a nice weight. Took a few seconds before I had decided that the speakers on the edges were indeed covered in plastic!

SO yes the speakers face you and there is also a BASS speaker on one side, many thought a microphone. Indeed I even removed an app that was downloaded automatically as I thought it had no microphone but indeed it does!

Now for the bit that some complain about, but only some, and that is the screen resolution of somewhere around 1280x800 so obviously not a 1080p screen. But here I have a 7 inch screen that is a higher resolution as the last TV I watched which was a 720p screen and listed as 'HD'. So it is higher than the normal HD and oddly higher than the XBox 360's resolution and more bizarrely higher than the XBONE, oops sorry my bad X-Box ONE lol.

DO I notice this? NO! The screen is perfectly fine and it is an IPS panel to boot. Yet you could argue that it could be a little sharper but at the price it cannot be faulted.

The CPUs inside is the latest nVidia Tegra 4 which is a quad +1 processor. I do not know if the plus one is a co-processor, GPU ot whether or not that does not include a GPU, if their is one, and it therefore has 6?! LMAO!

Now I nearly missed this unit and I had visited my local PC World store several times and it has never been on display! This is not only strange but gets stranger when I tell you that is is badged under their own label of ADVENT! But do not despair as it is ADVENT in name only. The tablet was designed by nVidia because many companies decided against there newest processor and opted for the latest quad core Snap Dragon processor. SO thay approached EVGA and as PC builders will be aware they build Graphics Cards for PCs and a highly reagrded brand they are due to some fine graphics cards produced. In fact in some countries this unit has the EVGA brand printed on it instead of Advent.

To give it its full name, well here in the UK at any rate, it is the Advent Tegra Note 7 and it has another surprise when I explain it has a rather nifty stylus! Yes a stylus and this is NOT chunky like most stylus you get but extremely fine, though the other end as another thicker bit of rubber. This stylus also will not work on other screens either and was created by nVidia. It is held in place by magnetism and does not come out easily at all. Also on removal of the stylus the unit senses this and gives you a pop up menu to run one of two apps both designed to make use of it. These are 'Draw' and 'Write'. The tablet is also pressure sensitive so you co do fine lnes or thicker lines but just applying more pressure. The nibs are also wedged shape so you can have a greater degree of control over the thickness. It works well too and is very responsive and this alone had me sold!

It came with Android 4.1, I think it is, or Jellybean but it immediately updated to 4.2.2 after I switched it on indoors. There is also an nVidia app that shows you games and programs that are specifically designed for their Tegra chips and clicking on one takes you to the program within Google's app store. Other than those last three programs there is nothing else or no bloatware or skins by the tablet manufacturers so kept clean and simple. I did read that this tablet will receive the KitKat update reported to be faster and more streamlined which will vastly increase the already vast longevity of this tablet. All in all very cool.

It comes with 16GB or memory and also houses a Micro SD Card slot for expansion which is the only thing that puts me off devices. Not including this is purely to get you to pay out for another machine in 6 months to 12 months in my opinion and leaves a bad taste in my mouth with the manufacturers and whoever it is that may or may not force this upon the manufacturers. Because these days and for sometime now 16GB and even 32GB is not enought for some. Two years ago an Apple owning ex friend of mine was complaining because he wanted one that had 128GB and was hoping that the iPhone 5 had that. I laughed and said these companies know people want higher memory and they wont do it for at least several models yet. Maybe you might get that on the iPhone 6 or even 7 but not on any of the fith models.

I think the same about upgrades to Operating Systems and apps. That is why they do not like the modding community because once you have paid between 200 and 1000 quid out you want it to last but now they have your dosh they want you to upgrade as soon as they can get you to do it.

Odd how this is never covered in the magazines? Lol.

I used Real Racing 3 on the tablet and it looked very bizarre to see this on a large screen. I have been plaing it on a rotten Apple iPhone 4S and in all honesty it is very small. I do not thnk the fifth version goes quite big enough in all honesty and neither does iOS 7 do much of anything. They have been left behind for years and only the look and design of the latest 5S is a positive thing as regards this phone. Oh the finger print scanner is good too. But the less said about the gaudy horrible 5C the better, lol. They must have been on mind altering drugs to think that people would pay that money for that horrid phone?! Only fifty quid cheaper?! Even at £100 cheaper I would rather stump of the exra £100 and get the 5S, if I was mad enough to pay £800 foir a phone! I would much rather buy the Nexus 5 not long out because at around £300 it is less than half the price! Even if it has no Micro SD Card slot!

So what was the price of this 5 core Tegra 4 7 inch tablet?

£180!! Yup you read that right it s one hundred and eighty quid that is ahead of everythihg else in all but the screen! In benchmarks it was three times more powerful than many other devices, you will need to look it up but I may download a benchmark and film a run through of one.

Also there is a games controller like that on the games consoles but specifically designed fot this tablet!

Oh yes it has wifi up to 'n' and Bluetooth 4.0, yes indeedy!

Still I think that is enough rambling on for now...here are some pictures...

 The Advent Tegra Note 7 inch tablet and its Advent badged UK box.

Nice screen, not quite as nice as Nexus 5 (2013) but not a million miles off.

 Soft feel rubberised back when holding in landscape mode.

 Bass speaker. Stylus to the right. Left side has plastice that can be removed from the design and a specific and magnetic cover that slides in to become attached to the tablet. Foigot to look and have no idea of it is stocked here in UK PC World stores. I have found a leather case it manages to fit into!

 Two cameras with rear one 5MP one that also has TRACKING and HDR!

 Ports a plenty with HDMI, 3.5mm audio socket, Micro USB! Volume and Micro SD Card Slot next to each other on right side.

 Hands up those that thinks it looks like a black HTC One?!

This fine end of stylus is exactly that!

 Landscape mode sends the permanent apps to eaither end of screen
 
Removing the stylus prompts the tablet to present you with the stylus apps, see next photo.

 Pop up menu for stylus specific apps, you can add any others you download too.

Very, VEY slender but solid stylus. Does NOT come out easily either and ridges there for you to get your fingernail in to pull out. Not difficult to remove but you will realise it is not falling out, EVER! Lol.

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