Archos Arnova Familypad 2 8GB

Zitat: The good: + The Archos FamilyPad 2 is large, absurdly so for a tablet - it’s barely smaller than two iPads side by side, and substantially thicker, but it’s built to last. The black plastic is boring but solid and can take a few tumbles - ideal if you’re handing it off to the children - and the 1280x800 display is sharp and easy on the eye, with 10-finger multitouch support, so it’s ideal for playing digital board games on with the family around the table. Archo has used that huge frame to shove everything and a sink for the kitchen sink inside the FamilyPad 2, so there’s a microSD card slot to bump up the storage from 8GB to 72GB total, USB host for plugging in USB accessories like mice and keyboards, and HDMI-out for hooking it up to a telly. That last one comes in handy considering Archos’ skill in video playback - it provides a superb media player that opens every video file and format under the sun, and can open files from other computers on the same network too. Otherwise though, this is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as Google intended it, fast and clean - there are a million apps to download from the Play store now so you’re really spoiled for choice - and it runs smoothly on the dual-core 1.6GHz processor. The bad: - We won’t dwell on the size for long: suffice to say it really isn’t for everyone, and you should think long and hard if it’s the right fit for you first. Perhaps more of an issue is the software: the FamilyPad 2 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is now two versions behind the cutting edge. It’s a gap that’s more keenly felt on tablets than phones, as Android version 4.2 provides multiple accounts for tablets, which lets different users install different apps, run different homescreens and set different permission levels. Yes, they would have been ideal for the Archos FamilyPad 2, and no, sadly, it doesn’t offer them. Let’s talk price too: for £250, the chances are you want something that you can use out and about as well as at home. By this metric, the Archos FamilyPad 2 offers poor value for money: Asus’s Nexus 7 slates, old version and new, cost under £200 and are small enough to throw in your bag. Sure, you’ve got more space to roam with your hands on the FamilyPad 2, but you’d sooner start saving for yet another gadget than try and squeeze it in your bag for the commute. It clocks in at a hefty 1.36kg, which might not be so bad if it offered superior battery life, but it doesn’t - you’ll struggle to get more than four hours’ use from it. A sturdy tablet with a large screen, the Archos FamilyPad 2 makes for a durable and easy to use slate that’s inevitably restricted to the home by its size, so it’s perfect for families with young kids to share. But that’s just it - if you don’t want it for that purpose alone, you should go with another option entirely. Apple’s iPad mini costs just a fraction more at £269, and offers a better build, smoother experience and much more portability, while Asus’ incredible new Google Nexus 7 promises a full HD screen and the latest version of Android for just £199. In other words, unless you’ve got kids, or hands the size of small children, look elsewhere.