Tablet help - Cube any good?

andyman1908 on 04/02/2013 - 16:40

I’m in the market for a tablet for my son. Mainly to watch kids shows and we will use to browse net from time to time. I have been looking at the Ainol range as I see here its got some good raps.

I was about thinking about getting a media player to the spare room so we can play from USB sticks so to kill two birds with one stone I would like HDMI output if possible.

I am looking to spend quite minimal (less than $85) as I don’t want to experience heart palpitations if he accidently drops it.

The HDMI output seems to only be on the mid-high range Ainol tablets and the low range seem to have sucky resolution.

I noticed that the Cube U25GT seems to fit my criteria, HDMI output, 1024*600 resolution, 1gb ram and comes with 4.1 android which I assume would be a bonus.

I have no idea about comparing CPUs/GPUs/chips but looks like it comes with single core A9. Will this be sufficient for general web browsing and video playback or will it be slow and laggy?

If no good, please throw in your recommendations and suggestions on a tablet in the less than $85 range.

Computing

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 04/02/2013 - 16:47

    I have no experience with the U25GT, but I have a U23GT. I can recommend Cube. Cube build quality is good and it is compatible with Play Store. I don't know if it's still available and it cost me over $100, more than your budget. It's also 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9, but I actually like that.

    If you don't need portability and it's going to be in the same room all the time, why not a LCD TV and one of those Android TV sticks? Would cost more in total but you won't have to worry about dropping it and you get a big screen.

    • andyman1908 on 04/02/2013 - 17:24

      Thanks for the reply. I actually do require a tablet (for my son during car trips), if I get one with hdmI I can use that also instead of purchasing a seperate media player.

  • scrimshaw on 04/02/2013 - 16:55

    The performance should be OK for standard web browsing and media playback.

    Just don't expect long battery life as Rockchip CPU's are fairly battery draining chipsets, coupled with the fact that low end tablets don't pack big batteries either.

    • andyman1908 on 04/02/2013 - 17:29

      Thanks for the reply. Yeah I noticed it was even smaller than the low end ainol (2700 iirc). Shouldn't be a huge issue as most use will be in the car (does it charge by usb??) or at home

      • retiredfeline on 04/02/2013 - 17:43

        No, Cubes have a separate charging port that takes a 2.5/0.8 mm plug that takes 5V so with the right cable and adaptor you can charge it in the car.

        • andyman1908 on 04/02/2013 - 17:51

          Argh yuck! That sucks. Knew there'd be a catch :(

        • retiredfeline on 04/02/2013 - 18:04

          It's actually not so bad. Those cables are readily available, e.g. here:

          http://dx.com/p/usb-to-2-5mm-dc-charging-cable-2538

          Took 8 weeks to arrive though, but that's DX for you. Don't know if the AU direct service will be faster. Or look for another seller.

          The charging current can be high, up to 2A for my tablet, so it makes sense to have a separate port. Why tie up the data pins while you are charging?

        • andyman1908 on 04/02/2013 - 18:15

          Just asked the question on buyincoins and they said it can be charged by usb??? I'd be stoked if it is right, but good to see i have an alternative if it doesnt.Thanks for your advice guys. ill take the plunge and order it now.

        • retiredfeline on 04/02/2013 - 18:18

          It is possible your model accepts USB charging, but if you see a picture of its charger with that plug, then not it doesn't.

          Edit: I think not, look at the specs near the bottom of this page:

          http://www.pandawill.com/cube-u25gt-tablet-pc-7-inch-rk2928-…

        • andyman1908 on 05/02/2013 - 12:43

          I have had a tablet (ePad) that had a wall plug connection (5v) but was able to be charged by USB also. So it may still be possible.

          I will update the thread once I receive it to confirm either way, if anyone is interested to know.

        • andyman1908 on 20/02/2013 - 13:48

          Looks like your right greenpossum :(

          Is the plug definately 2.5mm? Looks like a pretty small plug and cant really gauge the size to compare in any of the pictures.

          Also Ive tried searching but are you able to find any of these cables ~1m in length? Would like to use it to charge tablet in the car.

        • retiredfeline on 20/02/2013 - 14:08
          +1

          Yes, it's 2.5 mm. That's the outer diameter. The inner diameter (the hole) is 0.8 mm. Be sure to specify both dimensions right when searching. The USB to 2.5 mm cable I bought from DX is about 60 cm. You could use a standard USB extension cable to increase the length.

        • andyman1908 on 20/02/2013 - 17:17

          Thanks mate

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