CloudNine Neuropad2 Android Tablet - Now with Android 4.0.3 ICS - 2180p HD Superslim 7" 5 point touch Capacitive Android Tablet with A10 processor NOW WITH 8GB Memory - Fully compatible with Facebook, Youtube player and Skype

To be honest I was never entirely convinced by the tablet PC thing, but I liked the idea of an Android 4 platform with a screen that was bigger than a phone so I thought I'd try one of these. It didn't cost much more than a basic Kindle and I thought it'd do as an e-reader even if it was rubbish at everything else.

Well, it's not rubbish as it happens. In fact it's a really nice little device and is a total bargain at the price.

The build quality is top-notch, it has a satisfying weight in the hand without being heavy and the touch screen is very responsive with a crisp, clean picture. The processor handles the very latest version of Android 4 (which it ships with) like a dream and the whole thing is a pleasure to use. It came with the Facebook and YouTube apps pre-installed as well as a file manager, and it also came with a USB lead and a recharger. It has a built in facing-camera, a mono speaker and a microphone, and also has a micro-USB port, a HDMI port and a micro-SD slot.

I've tried it on a few different wifi networks and it connects almost instantly, and better still, once you've put a network's password/passphrase in it automatically connects to it whenever it's detected. The wifi range seems pretty decent too, I actually managed to pick up a friend's network from a couple of streets away! (To be fair though, it was only once and not for very long, but still!)

I've installed a few games from the Google Shop, including World of Goo and Xenowar (which is a fully featured XCOM clone with 3d graphics,) and all run absolutely flawlessly. Same with the built-in web browser - it's fast, smart and does exactly what you want it to do. Video playback is solid with no stuttering or desynching, and the sound quality is pretty decent (given that it has a single speaker) and is great through earphones.

I could go on but I won't; suffice it to say that this little baby is great and has totally exceeded my expectations.

I've not even got round to using it as a mere e-reader yet!

EDIT - My review relates to the now discontinued 4gb version of the Neuropad2, which came with earphones and ethernet cable. Android Slates told me that the new 8gb version doesn't come with these items (in order to stay at the same price as the 4gb version) so I've edited my review to avoid confusion.

This tablet was purchased by my husband, so this is his review:

Like a lot of people I probably spent far too much time researching various budget 7 inch android tablets. I wish I had seen this one first of all as it would have saved me many hours of googling. I am, quite frankly, blown away by the quality, performance and responsiveness of this CloudNine Neuropad2 Tablet.

Like other reviewers the deciding factors for me were full android market, flash support, capacitive touch screen and the very lovely android 4 (ICS) OS.

I would say the sensitivity of the device, in my opinion, is easily on a par with my ipod touch.

I have installed quite a few apps - the usual Angry birds (for the kids, of course), Kindle Reader, iplayer, live wallpapers plus many other games, and they all work flawlessly.

All the preinstalled apps, such as Facebook, Youtube, Skype etc. all work fine - no crashes or freezes.

If, like me, you got fed up waiting for the UK release of the Kindle Fire, then look no further as I'm sure you won't regret buying this. I'm so glad I did, as I think it gives me far more functionality anyway.

At a £100 it's an absolute steal. If you add in a cheap Kingston Class 4 16GB Micro SDHC card you will have one little beast of a device on your hands.

Overall then - very, very impressed and would highly recommend this tablet to anyone.

CloudNine Neuropad2 Tablet - Now with Android 4.0 Tablet - 2180p HD Superslim 7" 5 point touch Capacitive Android Tablet with A10 1.5GHZ processor 4GB Memory
This was the third attempt since last Christmas to acquire a 7 inch tablet. After the second failed attempt I spent a lot of time reading up on Android tablets. To state the obvious: it depends what you want the tablet for, and, you get what you pay for.
For a machine in its price bracket, the CloudNine Neuropad2 Tablet is a great option! It does what I wanted it for.
It's a slim, elegant machine with a great screen and good speaker. It comes with Android 4.0.3 which is a great experience after Android 2.2 or 2.3. No problems connecting to WiFi, even to non-broadcasting networks, something not every tablet will do in my experience.
Flash 11 is installed and a "fully working Android Market". This last point was a real clincher for me. Taking possession of a tablet to then discover it has some look-alike version of the Android Market is frustrating. Not being able to install paid for apps already in use on my Android smart phone is a real pain.
I'm not a game player so I've no idea how the wonderful screen will perform. The charger comes with an adaptor for use in the UK. The instruction manual has unbelievably small printing and needs some updating. At least the translation is better than some I've seen.
Android 4 deals with an external sdcard in a way that left me confused but after contacting the seller everything became clear. On this point I think time will tell how the tablet performs. No problems at all contacting the seller: replies come very quickly by email.