Tech Review – CD-R King 10” Fastpad (FP-004-SEC)

I believe that the form factor of the future for portable computers is the tablet.  The tablet form factor began with the Tablet PC of Microsoft in 2001, but it did not really catch on. The tablet became popular with the advent of Apple’s iPad in 2010.

The concept may have begun with the PADD, a portable computing device used in the Star Trek series and movies.

But the ancient Sumerians were the first to use the tablet—the clay tablet, that is. They use a steel stylus (yup, that pointer thingy that you have in some of the earlier touchscreen phones) to imprint cuneiform characters on clay—literally a “soft copy”. In order to make a “hard copy”, these tablets were baked in ovens. Some of these clay tablets still survive today!

I already own a notebook computer (see the tech review of my first laptop), but I decided to get a tablet also. Tablets are lighter than laptops so they are easier to carry around (for example, from classroom to classroom). I decided to get an Android tablet instead of an iPad (with Apple’s iOS). Android tablets are way more affordable than iPads and there are plenty of exciting (and free!) applications coming out that are written for this open-source operating system (God bless Google!). Despite the proliferation of 7- and 8-inch tablets, I decided to get a good, big, 10-inch screen for ease of use and viewing (especially when I have to show pictures in class).
 

My aunt (left) showing my mother (right) how to use an iPad.

I immediately vetoed buying the iPad because of the hefty price; likewise the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs on Android 2.3. (I managed to get my hands on one and I’m not impressed: basically it’s a Gingerbread tablet with call and text features—but a bit sluggish.) After extensively canvassing (both in stores and in reading online reviews) for a tablet which is a balance between quality and affordability, I finally settled on CD-R King’s 10” Fastpad.

Specifications (from CD-R King):

·         CPU:1.2Ghz Cortex A8

·         Operation System: Android 4.0

·         Screen:

LCD: 10 inch,1024 x 768 WVGA

Touch panel: Capacitive

·         Memory: 1G DDR3

·         Storage: 8GB NAND flash

·         External Storage: Support Micro SD card (up to 32GB)

·         WIFI: 802.11 b/g/n supported

·         Power:

Battery Capacity: 6600mAh

AC/DC: input 100~240V, 50/60Hz Output 5V/2A

·         Supports: 3.5mm Audio jack

·         Supports: Flash 10.3 & HTML 5

·         G-Sensor: Supported

·         With Multi touch

·         Audio Devices: Built-in Speaker & Microphone

·         Camera: Built-in Front VGA camera up to 1.3MP / 2MP up to 5MP Rear Camera

·         HDMI: Support 2160P HDMI Output

·         USB Host: USB Keyboard, USB Mouse & USB Flash Drive supported

·         I/O Port: HDMI port x1, Micro SD reader x1, Audio port x1, MIni USB x1,DC in x1

·         Actual usage time: up to 7hrs

·         Standby time: up to 100hrs

·         Weight: 540g

·         Dimensions: 242mm x 189mm x 9mm

I initially had apprehensions on purchasing a tablet from CD-R King. The blogosphere is replete of deprecations of its cheap affordable products which are either defective or easily broken. It is one thing to buy rewritable CD’s and USB flashdisks; it’s quite another thing to spend thousands of pesos on something that could potentially fail on you.

But I guess being a cheapskate got the better of me so I headed over to the friendly neighborhood CD-R King. There were two models available and I asked if I could test handle those. The other one was the FP-005-XON (I later accompanied a co-worker to buy one of these) which was a bit more expensive than the SEC. The saleslady said that the XON had better graphics but what won out the SEC for me was its larger internal memory. (See a comparison of these two tablets on Ilonggo Tech Blog here.)

To my surprise, the FP-004-SEN did not feel like the cheap “APad” which I bought sometime before. The unit felt heavy (more than half a kilo according to the specs) and sturdy. It sported the latest flavor the Android operating system: Version 4.0, nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich (or ICS). Scrolling through the graphics was smooth because of its capacitive touchscreen and 1.2 gigahertz of CPU. It also supports high-definition games and ten points multi-touch ability with pinch zoom.

Whenever I bring my tablet to meetings, I am besieged with “May I look?” and questions about my tablet. Here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQ’s):

“What’s its brand?” I show then the back of the tablet. It never fails to elicit shock.

“Does it have games?” Yes. The tablet comes bundled with Angry Birds Space, Fruit Ninja and Temple Run. The huge display and smooth graphics make playing Angry Birds in space enjoyable. (There’s something extra geeky launching fowl and having to account for gravitational fields.) Because of multi-touch, you can actually play Fruit Ninja with more than one finger (which my brother calls “Fruit Wolverine”). Temple Run on a huge tablet was totally different from playing it on a relatively smaller iPhone. You have to make really make big movements to make the Explorer jump and turn. (My young godson once racked half a million points on it.)

Playing Fruit Ninja--Wolverine style.

My two other favorite games, both downloaded from Google Play, are Raging Thunder II and F18 Carrier Landing. Both games use the tablet’s responsive accelerometer to make high-performance race cars turn and jet fighters bank.

“Can you create documents on it?” Yes, using Documents To Go, which is bundled with the tablet. (The key for the full version is downloadable from Google Play.) DTG supports reading and writing Word files, Excel files, PowerPoint files, and even PDF files. Yes, you can read and create documents, spreadsheets, and multimedia presentations on this tablet. Of course, there are certain functions (like making columns in Word) that cannot be done considering that this is only a mobile app. But for basic reading and typing, DTG is a useful tool.

One of my favorite uses of this tablet is using it as an e-book reader. As I mentioned earlier, DTG can be used to view PDF files. Another app is Aldiko, which displays my favorite e-books (ranging from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica to John Wesley’s Notes Upon the New Testament) in a virtual bookshelf. Reading using Aldiko is like using the Amazon Kindle—flipping a page is like flipping a page. Some of my reference books in class are e-books so I bring my tablet in class in lieu of a traditional paper textbook.

Have tablet, will WiFi.

“Does it support Globe Tattoo?” Yes; and Smart Bro as well (I have not tested it with Sun Broadband Wireless). Unlike the earlier Apad where you need to input the values, you just have to insert the 3G USB modem. However, unlike a regular computer, don’t expect a dashboard to appear. (Hence, you have insert the USB modem’s SIM card into a cell phone and register to whatever data plan you want.) To enable Internet connection, go to Settings>More…>Mobile Networks and click Data Enabled. (In my experience, the connection could be spotty at times and you could not download using a USB modem. It’s better to use WiFi.)

My tablet recharging on my Powerbank (inside leather pouch). Attached to the Powerbank is a USB hub so that I could use my USB WiFi router.

“Is the camera good?” The only down side I guess is the camera. The back camera claims to take pictures up to five megapixels but the pictures come out a tad blurred. The app Camera 360 did not help much. And the front camera is something I don’t even want to think about. Maybe it’s just useful for videochat like Skype but definitely not for snapping pictures for your summer vacation.

“How long does the battery last?” In my experience, it takes a whole night to fully charge the battery. I plug it before bedtime and I wake up with a fully charged tablet. In standby mode, a charge lasts for about four or five days. In active use, like reading e-books, playing some games, and surfing on WiFi, the batteries last up to three hours. That’s comparable to a three-celled laptop.

“Have you ever dropped it?” There was only time I dropped it. I was attending a seminar when a woman who wanted to ask a question sat down beside me because it was near the microphone. As she stood up, she accidentally knocked the tablet off my armchair to the floor with a resounding clatter. To my astonishment, the tablet had an uncontrolled contact to the ground at the constant rate of 9.8 meters per second squared and survived!

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Overall, I highly recommend this tablet for all those gadget-hungry but budget-conscious people out there. This goes out especially to those who think that all CD-R King products are easily breakable. Of course, it can never hold a candle beside the iPad. But if you want a tablet that is functional, durable, and affordable, this one is for you.

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Another downside of buying "non-standard" gadgets is the lack of aftermarket accessories. It is difficult if not impossible to  appropriate accessories from other gadgets because even a few millimeters makes a difference. So I made myself a tablet case from a hardbound book (bought from a secondhand bookstore and has a geeky topic: Repairing Appliances), a piece of plastic board, elastics, adhesive velcro, and duct tape. Tools include scissors, a knife, and a needle and thread. Too bad I did not document the step-by-step procedure so I could post it on Instructables. It's a freshman effort, but I think it went well. I can't wait to go to Burger King or Starbucks and watch as people look at my tablet case made from a hardcover book.