A1CS 10.2 Android 2.2 Tablet PC 1Ghz 512MB RAM, SUPPORTS FLASH 10.3, A9, 4GB STORAGE, CAM, HDMI HD SCREEN

If you are reading this review then you are probably interested in purchasing this device, what you get is exactly as described in this advertisement. The item arived promptly and A1CS have very good customer services.

In the box: The epad, manual, power supply unit, UK plug adaptor, Black slip case, earphones, stylus and a Christmas air freshener. Android 2.1 with the latest patches is installed - check [] for details. It must be pointed out there is no Adobe Flash support. You will need Android 2.2 or above.

The manual: Having never used android or this form-factor of PC, I read the manual first. Unfortunately it appears to have been directly translated from Chinese with minimal editing to make it `understandable' for English speakers. Saying that, it did not take long to familiarise myself with the buttons, ports and the basic usage.

The ePad: Measuring 10.1" by 7" (268mm by 179mm) and weighing approx. 19oz (535gm). The screen has a visable screen area of 8.75" by 4.8" ( 223mm by 125mm). The device feels comfortable in the hand without being heavy. The boot time is a little long but once loaded everything seemed fine. The Android UI is fairly intuitive however it would have been nice to have some basic instructions regarding creating shortcuts. The `settings' App was easy to use and I had the ePad attached to my Wi-Fi in a couple of minutes, I have also attached it to the Wi-Fi at work so that it switches between the two smoothly. Connecting to Email, IM and using the browser was simple and worked first time. By default, Android is configures with five home screens for your Apps, I have reduce this to three to make life easier. You can increase the number of icons per home screen within the settings app. The Android Market is easy to use and finding/downloading new apps is easy, as is removing them. The supplied apps will cover most peoples' requirements: Facebook, YouTube, and Skype. There does appear to be some duplication: two office Apps, two gallery Apps, but these can be tidied up. I have downloaded a couple of games, Yahoo Messenger, IM+, IMDB, Wi-Fi Switch - saves power, Toggle Screen , TuneIn Radio, TripAdvisor , UK Newspapers and Kindle. I have also created shortcuts to my favourite websites so I can do most things from the home screens.

Problems: The problems I found are not major and can be worked around: The touch screen is not overly responsive with no multi-touch but a little patience goes a long way. The onscreen keyboard is usable but I find swapping between keyboard layouts (Caps, numeric etc.) a pain. So I invested £22 in a Keyboard-case. If you are going to download a lot of Apps or content you will need to add a TF memory card: TransFlash = MicroSD. As this is touchscreen it suffers from sticky finger marks, I invested in a good screen cleaner and will be getting a screen protector. There is no 3G on this model, but it can take 3g dongles and I will probably invest in this soon.

Still to try: I am yet to transfer video to the TF card, but it handles streaming well and the music files I transferred worked. The Citrix client is un-tested as I am awaiting permission to connect to the company LAN.

Conclusions: I purchased this as a technology test box, being a third of the price of an iPad, in a word: bargin! But, as always, you get what you pay for. The machine is usable and covers most of my computer based entertainment needs, I am still to be convinced the form-factor can be used productively but I will keep trying. Over all I am pleased with it and think of it as a good investment. I do not think it will replace my Notebook PC just yet, however integrates into my life for niche requirements: e.g. reading books on the train. So for those of you that want an entertainment device with Wi-Fi connectivity for email & IM, it is well worth considering.

I bought this epad solely for the purpose of net-surfing, ebook reading and watching videos and I can say that it served my purpose well. The screen is also pretty large, like a netbook which is 10.2 inch. This is one of the main reasons why I chose to buy the zt-180. The relatively large screen and smooth video-watching on the tablet is pretty enjoyable especially when you are lying in bed.
The tablet arrived with loads of apps already installed to it which I really appreciate especially those that are vital. That includes youtube, android market, pdf viewer. Watching youtube with this tab is really enjoyable. The android market allowed me to download various apps from it. I downloaded a note-taking app which allowed me to scribble onto the tablet with my stylus (i do not use it for note-taking just to draw and have fun!). I also bought this tablet so that I can take it to lectures. I am the sort of person who hate wasting papers and printing stuff. With this tablet, I can get away without printing notes, just store them in the memory card and read them on the tablet. I find this really convenient. Besides, reading notes/ebooks from the tablet is a breeze. The exterior is ABS plastic, holding the tablet, it felt pretty light, which I like.
However, the resistive screen needs some time getting used to. Reading previous reviews, i took the advice to navigate around using my nails instead of my finger and that really help. They have loaded a calibration tool though which allows you to calibrate the screen, how thoughtful.
I would recommend this tablet, it is really a bargain. Do not expect an ipad though, you get what you pay for and it is worth the money.

Honesty time.

I didn't set out to purchase a tablet. Originally, I just wanted an e-book reader for Christmas.

Having looked at them, I decided it would be more worthwhile to spend a little extra and get a lot more.

I commute to London daily, so I have about 1hr each way to fill.

Having looked at various pad's available through Amazon I narrowed my search down considerably. Firstly, I dodnt really want to spend more than £150-175 and I needed something that was robust.

Having read a lot of other reviews, I finally settled on this product.

So did I get what I wanted. In one word- Yes.
I ordered the pad late evening on Thursday and it arrived Monday AM. About a week later I also order the usb keyboard/folder also from A1CS which arrived within 2 working days. So excellent on both counts.

I use the pad daily for commuting and also for making notes. I've just begun to download more apps but havent tried any games yet. I'm still learning.

E-books are easy to read. I also listen to music (on supplied headphones) which is excellent. Built in speakers are not really adequate, but not surprising on such a small package.
I've also converted some of my DVD's and played them. Also excellent.

So, I appreciate its not an I-Pad, but for what I wanted it really fits the bill and the servce was excellent.

Battery life with what I use seems to be about 5-6 hours.

Any gripes? Just one. When I try to surf the net, I find it very sensitive in relation to my router, in terms of distance and angle.
Not a big deal for me, but it could be an issue. My router is getting changed in the next few weeks, so it will be interesting to see if this improves.

Overall - Excellent. Its not an I-Pad, but then again it a lot cheaper.

Would I buy from A1CS again. Certainly.
I'm not technical, so cannot comment on that side, but for what I wanted it's ideal.