Android Tablets for offroading - what's on the market?

The future of in-car computing is a tablet computer and your smartphone, not a laptop, nor a dedicated PND (Personal Digital Navigator). Tablets can do all sorts of good things – play video or MP3s, browse the web, check email and of course work as moving-maps. The evergreen Oziexplorer has been ported to Android, and that’s why I’ve selected the Google-tablets as my fondleslab of choice. But which one? Buying Apple is easy, it’s the iPad 2 or the iPad 2. But as Android is an open operating system you’ve got more choice, and making a decision starts with working out what you want the thing to do. In the case of an in-car system that would be:

• Moving-map, which needs GPS and plenty of storage for maps
• Playing videos, MP3s etc
• General web browsing and apps
• 12v power

A general point for the offroading tablet is that it must be self-contained. Some tablets are now designed on the assumption that you will always use them connected to a network, either wifi or 3/4G, so it makes sense not to bother with memory card slots.  There also be an assumption you have other devices or can wait for facilities such as USB host.  But 3G access is hard to come by in places where offroaders like to travel, hence the need for local storage and as many features as possible.

All Android tablets have GPS, and all can do general web browsing. The difficulty comes in working out 12v power and, surprisingly, the storage capacity. Tablets typically have a mere 16 or 32Gb of storage, and after the map and video collection is sized up that starts to look pretty small. Therefore, a memory card slot and preferably an USB host port for keys and disks is a good idea.

Android tablets also come in various sizes, but for general travelling use I think 10.1 inches is a good size. A smaller, 7 or 5” unit would do nicely for a dedicated navigation device but isn’t so good for general purposes. So with the criteria set, what’s on the market? A bit of research came up with the following as of Feb 2012:

 ..continued...

Quite a lot of units, but very few are of any use. The ASUS Transformers, Xoom 2 and Galaxy Tab all fail straight off by not having memory card slots so they simply won’t be able to store the quantity of maps and videos I’d want to take. The rest have either SD or MicroSD, so nicely expandable. Then we come to the question of in-car 12v power. Only two have options, the Lenovo Think Tablet and the Xoom. So the Think Tablet it is, and it also offers both a Mini-USB and full-sized host USB port into the bargain. It is also upgradeable to version 4 of Google’s operating system, “Ice Cream Sandwich”, which will replace the current Honeycomb. Given the sheer size of a tablet it’s odd they don’t all have all the useful ports, as smartphones are much smaller yet they all seem to pack more in.

The ASUS Prime and the Slider offer built-in keyboards, but those are of no attraction to me. A tablet is not at the moment a serious input device. For example, try cutting and pasting...it’s far too hard. The keyboards also don’t come anywhere close to the quality and feel of a decent laptop, netbook or ultrabook, and that’s whether you’re using the on-screen keyboard or a built-in version. So for the moment, when I’ve got serious work to do a PC is the only solution and right now, tablets are for consuming content, not creating it.

There are of course other power solutions if the tablet manufacturer doesn’t offer a 12v option. One is to use an inverter, which I don’t like because it is inefficient, noisy, runs hot and is something else to take and get in the way. The other is to see if one of the many generic adaptors such as those from Targus would work, which is something of a hit and miss affair.

The Lenovo Think Tablet with Android Dude.

So a Lenovo is the answer, and I’ll post a review once I’d had some time with the unit and a chance to compare it against my Acer Iconia A500, not a bad device but one without a 12v solution and its GPS performance isn’t the best.

If you’re after a 7” Android tablet then look at the models from:

• Samsung
• Toshiba
• Archos
• Huawei
• Pantech - interesting 8" model that's waterproof
• Suli http://www.suli.com.au - who seem to have some pretty sharp pricing and deals (thanks to Anon for the comment!)
• Elocity http://www.elocitynow.com

More details when I get one of those!  I wouldn't expect these 7" models to be as powerful or smooth to use at the name-brand 10.1" models, but if it's just for running a moving-map in car that doesn't matter.  If you need a mount, check out www.ram-mount.com.au.

Samsung have also now released the Galaxy Note, a great looking 5.3", 1280x800 resolution Android tablet/phone device.  This would be about perfect for on-dash mounting.

• http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/note/spec.html?type=find

Related links

• Android apps for offroading
• Android tablet introduction

External links

• http://reviews.cnet.com/best-tablets/best-5-android-tablets
• http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/15-best-android-tablets-in-the-world-905504