Google Android isn’t just the name on everyone’s lips when it comes to mobile phones. The open-source OS has also made it on to mobile internet entertainment devices, netbooks and other gadgets. An android device is not necessarily a Phone; not always. It can be anything from the categories given below. Here is a list of 7 non-phone gadgets that run on Google’s Android OS but aren’t mobile phones.
1. Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android (32 GB): The Archos 5 Internet tablet/portable media player offers a large, high-resolution touch-screen display, Wi-Fi, music playback, photos, Flash video and game compatibility, Bluetooth, e-mail, a Web browser, a built-in speaker, an integrated kickstand, GPS, and support for a limited selection of Android applications. hanks to the optional accessories such as the HDMI Minidock and the DVR Station, the ARCHOS 5 internet tablet will become your one and only media center, letting you benefit from the exceptional quality of your HD TV to watch movies like never before, at full resolution. And with the DVR Station, you can record your TV and thus transform your TV experience into a mobility experience. Last but not least, the ARCHOS 5 internet tablet lets you easily access over 1,000 webTV stations (and over 10,000 webradio stations).
On the down-side, GPS signal reception in Archos 5 Internet tablet is poor enough to make the feature useless; many popular Android apps are unsupported; Flash video support is hit or miss; no multi-touch support for keyboard or gestures; text copy and paste is a chore; and the glossy design shows fingerprints.
List price: $369.95
2. SmartDevices SmartQ V5 MID 1080P Player: A multimedia player that supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and can also connect to cellular service providers with an optional card. Not only can you play YouTube and listen to music, but the device also lets you read and edit documents in Microsoft Word/Excel, Open Office, RTF, HTML or TXT formats.
List Price: Sells for about $150
3. Ramos W7 “Blue Magic” MID: A MID with a bigger emphasis on the Internet, complete with a 4.8 inch touch screen display which connects via Wi-Fi. The device caused some stir in the fall thanks to its Android-specific 600MHz Rockchip CPU.
List Price: Between $200 and $400.
4. eviGroup’s MID Wallet: A 5-inch touch screen MID that includes a Webcam, Wi-Fi and integrated 3G. This device has been talked about for months and was initially supposed to ship in January, but as of press time, still didn’t seem to be available. Beyond a few basic hardware specs, details on what the device will do to distinguish itself are a bit sketchy.
At one time, it was thought it would use an x86 processor and be capable of running XP, but latest word is that it will use ARM chipsets.
5. Aspire One D250 Model 1613: A version of Acer’s popular Aspire Net book that runs Android on an Intel Atom processor with a 10-inch display. Weighs in at less than 3 pounds. This net book dual-boots into Android or Windows XP. (Windows with Android huh! Cool, isn’t it?)
Pricing: Less than $350 on Amazon.
6. Menq EasyPC E790: A net book from a company famous for making inexpensive net books. Sports a 7-inch 800 x 480 display and a Samsung ARM9. Word is that Menq is planning on selling this puppy for a mere $80. Although it’s not available yet, it will likely be sold through retail outlets. It is also supposed to be able to dual-boot Windows CE and Android. What’s more? It has got video gaming included into the feature lists, recently.
Pricing: About $80.
7. Compaq AirLife 100: Not only does the 10.1-inch HP Compaq Airlife 100 look like an scaled-down MacBook Pro, but it runs Android and has a touchscreen and a webcam and an SD slot. In other words, an iPad for the Apple haters. This is a tablet that is, in some ways, almost a phone. It features a 10.1-inch touch screen, and an almost full-sized keyboard, as well as Wi-Fi, GPS, a Webcam and integrated 3G.
This could be the first Android tablet (meaning touch screen netbook) by a major U.S. PC manufacturer, although Dell is rumored to be working on both an Android tablet and a netbook. It’s powered by a 1-GHz Snapdragon processor.
