There are a few options if you’re looking for a cheap tablet. First up you need to decide how much you want to pay.
Less than £200?
At this price you are probably going to get a cheap Android tablet with a decent enough processor a responsive capacitive screen and the ability to load apps and games. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get a tablet-optimised operating system so you’ll probably be running a version of Android 2.x. Tablet sizes at this price will range for 7-inch to 10-inch. Manufacturers that operate in this price range offering 10-inch slates include Archos and Advent. You can also find smaller 7-inch tablets from Blackberry and Lenovo around this price.
Less than £100?
At this price you’re in ‘starter’ tablet territory. You’ll effectively get a 7-inch tablet with a relatively weak processor and less responsive screen. There are some decent tablets in this range but you need to judge them on their value given the price you pay. Don’t expect an iPad comparable experience and the brand names won’t be any you recognise. These are usually imports from China and the components used won’t be up to the same quality as more expensive devices. The build quality can also be a little lacking so expect a plastic finish. Having said all that there are some good value tablets just under the £100 mark so it’s worth checking out user reviews to see if they might suit your needs.
What tablet PC will you choose?