February 25, 2013 at 09:54Review ASUS MeMO Pad ME172V tablet
There is a fierce battle in the 7-inch tablet market today. Large manufacturers, releasing their tablets, set the tone in the market. Chinese factories are not far behind, producing many tablets on various platforms, costing from 3 thousand rubles. True, sometimes they are not so good with quality. Of course, one of the best tablets in this category in 2012 was the Google Nexus 7, manufactured by ASUS. The hero of today's review has similar features to him and makes good use of successful Nexus 7 solutions.
Operating system: Android 4.1
Display: 7 "LED-backlight, TN + WV film, WSVGA (1024x600)
Processor: VIA WM8950 1 GHz
Graphics: Mali-400
RAM: 1 GB
Data storage: 8/16 GB + 5 GB in the cloud ASUS
Wireless data transfer: WLAN 802.11 b / g / n 2.4 GHz
Camera: 1 megapixel front camera
Sound: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC, High Quality Speaker
Interfaces: 2-in-1 audio jack (headphones / microphone), micro USB, MicroSD (SDHC)
Sensors: G-sensor
Embedded applications:ASUS launcher, MyLibrary, ASUS Webstorage, File manager, ASUS Sync, SuperNote Lite, App Locker, App Backup
Battery: about 7 hours; 16 W / h lithium polymer, 4270 mAh
Colors: Sugar White / Titanium Gray / Cherry Pink
Dimensions: 196.2 x 119.2 x 11.2 mm
Weight: 358 g
The tablet comes in a small matte box - its size is comparable to approximately the area of the tablet itself.
Inside is the device itself, under it is a power supply and micro USB cable.
The charger is small, like modern smartphones. The current strength is 2 times greater: instead of the usual 1 ampere, there are 5 volts and 2 amperes.
The case of the MeMO Pad is almost the same as that of the Nexus 7. The correct proportions and good materials that have proven themselves well. The tablet has a rectangular shape with rounded corners.
The back cover is made of textured matte plastic, thanks to which the tablet does not slip in the hand, and there are no fingerprints on the cover.
Comparison with iPad mini
Comparison with Kindle 4
The tablet case has a minimum of elements. On the bottom there is a micro USB connector for connecting to a computer and charging. A bit to the left is a microSD card slot with support for SDHC cards, the maximum memory card capacity is 32 GB.
On the left side there is an unlock button and a rocker for volume control. The buttons are soft and pressed with a soft click.
At the top we see a universal headset jack and microphone.
On the right side there is a small hole designed to hot restart the tablet.
The speaker is located on the back cover and is covered with a metal mesh.
ASUS MeMO Pad uses a 7-inch LED screen with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. Density - 168 dots per 1 inch. This, of course, is not an HD screen, as in the Nexus 7, but the pixels are not so noticeable.
The sensitivity of the sensor is excellent - the tablet responds even to light touches. There is support for multi-touch. In total, the sensor fulfills up to ten simultaneous touches.
Thanks to the use of TN + WV (Wide View) technology, wider viewing angles were achieved than in a conventional TN-matrix. At certain viewing angles, the screen loses color and contrast, but this only happens in landscape viewing - you can’t watch movies together. In portrait orientation, the review is all right: the colors are displayed correctly.
Above the screen is the peephole of the HD camera (1 megapixel resolution, f / 2.0 aperture). The camera gives a picture in 720p resolution, video shooting - up to 30 frames per second.
The sound component of the tablet has support for SonicMaster, which has proven itself in some notebook models from ASUS.
Developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, this technology involves the use of hardware and software to enhance sound quality similar to what a complete separate audio system provides.
Unlike other audio solutions designed to only improve the sound by artificially amplifying certain frequencies, SonicMaster focuses on transmitting the originally recorded sound as accurately as possible without deceiving your hearing with “primitive” audio filters. Therefore, you can be sure that you hear the recording exactly as it was recorded.
The heart of the tablet is the VIA WM8950 processor. This is a 1 GHz single core CPU, built on the basis of ARM Cortex-A9.
The graphics here are ARM Mali-400. The tablet's power is enough for hardware decoding of FullHD-video 1080p, H.264. Of course, we can’t play high-performance 3D games, but simple games like Angry Birds will work fine. Given the cost of the tablet, it is no longer required from it. There is 1 GB of RAM here, there will be plenty of RAM for daily work. The amount of internal memory is 8 or 16 GB.
According to the performance benchmarks, the MeMO pad works at the level of the previous single-core flagships.
The device runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Thanks to this version, it was possible to achieve a smoother interface even on a single-core processor. On top is the ASUS Launcher shell, which adds functionality to the interface.
Some major programs from ASUS for working with the tablet are already built into the firmware. It’s worth a little talk about each.
MyLibrary is a reader supporting epub and pdf formats, with the ability to sort books, create shelves where books will be stored, and sort them. When reading, you can change the font size and highlight interesting areas with a marker.
App Locker allows you to protect applications with a password.
ASUS Studio - a program for convenient photo management. You can watch photos on a geographical map, sort them by tags and time. There is also an advanced editor that allows you to crop the image, rotate it, as well as apply various effects, make notes with a marker, add frames.
Buddybuzz- Aggregator of your feeds from Facebook, Twitter and Plurk.
MyBitCast is an application for keeping various notes and synchronizing them in the cloud. You can also view notes from a computer. Notes can be created either as text with a photograph, or as a voice recording or video.
MyPainter is an ordinary drawing machine that allows you to create your own cards and sign them.
SuperNote Lite is a convenient application for writing and drawing, with which you can create notes, cards with audio recordings or videos, send messages, make sketches and much more.
ASUS Webstorage- An online repository for files that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. The application can be configured so that all photos and documents are immediately uploaded to the cloud.
File manager - the name speaks for itself. It contains all the basic functions: rename, copy, cut, drag and drop, create folders, search.
The tablet is equipped with a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 4270 mAh.
Video viewing mode: medium brightness, Wi-Fi is disabled, the tablet worked for 7 hours.
Reader mode: minimum brightness, Wi-Fi off, the tablet lasted 8.5 hours.
With constant use of the Internet, watching videos and reading the charge lasts for 6.5 hours.
It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the battery, provided that you use the original charge.
ASUS has a good budget tablet. Its main positioning is working on the Internet, social networks, reading books, news and watching videos. If you need productive applications and games, then it is better to pay attention to the Nexus 7. The new tablet from ASUS is designed for people who would like to purchase an inexpensive, but high-quality device from a well-known brand. The expected price of the tablet is 7 thousand rubles.
Specifications
Operating system: Android 4.1
Display: 7 "LED-backlight, TN + WV film, WSVGA (1024x600)
Processor: VIA WM8950 1 GHz
Graphics: Mali-400
RAM: 1 GB
Data storage: 8/16 GB + 5 GB in the cloud ASUS
Wireless data transfer: WLAN 802.11 b / g / n 2.4 GHz
Camera: 1 megapixel front camera
Sound: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC, High Quality Speaker
Interfaces: 2-in-1 audio jack (headphones / microphone), micro USB, MicroSD (SDHC)
Sensors: G-sensor
Embedded applications:ASUS launcher, MyLibrary, ASUS Webstorage, File manager, ASUS Sync, SuperNote Lite, App Locker, App Backup
Battery: about 7 hours; 16 W / h lithium polymer, 4270 mAh
Colors: Sugar White / Titanium Gray / Cherry Pink
Dimensions: 196.2 x 119.2 x 11.2 mm
Weight: 358 g
Packaging and packaging
The tablet comes in a small matte box - its size is comparable to approximately the area of the tablet itself.
Inside is the device itself, under it is a power supply and micro USB cable.
The charger is small, like modern smartphones. The current strength is 2 times greater: instead of the usual 1 ampere, there are 5 volts and 2 amperes.
Appearance
The case of the MeMO Pad is almost the same as that of the Nexus 7. The correct proportions and good materials that have proven themselves well. The tablet has a rectangular shape with rounded corners.
The back cover is made of textured matte plastic, thanks to which the tablet does not slip in the hand, and there are no fingerprints on the cover.
Comparison with iPad mini
Comparison with Kindle 4
The tablet case has a minimum of elements. On the bottom there is a micro USB connector for connecting to a computer and charging. A bit to the left is a microSD card slot with support for SDHC cards, the maximum memory card capacity is 32 GB.
On the left side there is an unlock button and a rocker for volume control. The buttons are soft and pressed with a soft click.
At the top we see a universal headset jack and microphone.
On the right side there is a small hole designed to hot restart the tablet.
The speaker is located on the back cover and is covered with a metal mesh.
Screen and camera
ASUS MeMO Pad uses a 7-inch LED screen with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. Density - 168 dots per 1 inch. This, of course, is not an HD screen, as in the Nexus 7, but the pixels are not so noticeable.
The sensitivity of the sensor is excellent - the tablet responds even to light touches. There is support for multi-touch. In total, the sensor fulfills up to ten simultaneous touches.
Thanks to the use of TN + WV (Wide View) technology, wider viewing angles were achieved than in a conventional TN-matrix. At certain viewing angles, the screen loses color and contrast, but this only happens in landscape viewing - you can’t watch movies together. In portrait orientation, the review is all right: the colors are displayed correctly.
Above the screen is the peephole of the HD camera (1 megapixel resolution, f / 2.0 aperture). The camera gives a picture in 720p resolution, video shooting - up to 30 frames per second.
Sound
The sound component of the tablet has support for SonicMaster, which has proven itself in some notebook models from ASUS.
Developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, this technology involves the use of hardware and software to enhance sound quality similar to what a complete separate audio system provides.
Unlike other audio solutions designed to only improve the sound by artificially amplifying certain frequencies, SonicMaster focuses on transmitting the originally recorded sound as accurately as possible without deceiving your hearing with “primitive” audio filters. Therefore, you can be sure that you hear the recording exactly as it was recorded.
Performance
The heart of the tablet is the VIA WM8950 processor. This is a 1 GHz single core CPU, built on the basis of ARM Cortex-A9.
The graphics here are ARM Mali-400. The tablet's power is enough for hardware decoding of FullHD-video 1080p, H.264. Of course, we can’t play high-performance 3D games, but simple games like Angry Birds will work fine. Given the cost of the tablet, it is no longer required from it. There is 1 GB of RAM here, there will be plenty of RAM for daily work. The amount of internal memory is 8 or 16 GB.
According to the performance benchmarks, the MeMO pad works at the level of the previous single-core flagships.
Software platform
The device runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Thanks to this version, it was possible to achieve a smoother interface even on a single-core processor. On top is the ASUS Launcher shell, which adds functionality to the interface.
Some major programs from ASUS for working with the tablet are already built into the firmware. It’s worth a little talk about each.
MyLibrary is a reader supporting epub and pdf formats, with the ability to sort books, create shelves where books will be stored, and sort them. When reading, you can change the font size and highlight interesting areas with a marker.
App Locker allows you to protect applications with a password.
ASUS Studio - a program for convenient photo management. You can watch photos on a geographical map, sort them by tags and time. There is also an advanced editor that allows you to crop the image, rotate it, as well as apply various effects, make notes with a marker, add frames.
Buddybuzz- Aggregator of your feeds from Facebook, Twitter and Plurk.
MyBitCast is an application for keeping various notes and synchronizing them in the cloud. You can also view notes from a computer. Notes can be created either as text with a photograph, or as a voice recording or video.
MyPainter is an ordinary drawing machine that allows you to create your own cards and sign them.
SuperNote Lite is a convenient application for writing and drawing, with which you can create notes, cards with audio recordings or videos, send messages, make sketches and much more.
ASUS Webstorage- An online repository for files that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. The application can be configured so that all photos and documents are immediately uploaded to the cloud.
File manager - the name speaks for itself. It contains all the basic functions: rename, copy, cut, drag and drop, create folders, search.
Battery and Runtime
The tablet is equipped with a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 4270 mAh.
Video viewing mode: medium brightness, Wi-Fi is disabled, the tablet worked for 7 hours.
Reader mode: minimum brightness, Wi-Fi off, the tablet lasted 8.5 hours.
With constant use of the Internet, watching videos and reading the charge lasts for 6.5 hours.
It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the battery, provided that you use the original charge.
Conclusion
ASUS has a good budget tablet. Its main positioning is working on the Internet, social networks, reading books, news and watching videos. If you need productive applications and games, then it is better to pay attention to the Nexus 7. The new tablet from ASUS is designed for people who would like to purchase an inexpensive, but high-quality device from a well-known brand. The expected price of the tablet is 7 thousand rubles.