ViewSonic officially confirms launch of ViewPad 7 in the US
Back in September when the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 tablet MID was officially launched at the IFA 2010 conference, the company only confirmed its availability in European markets, leaving us guessing about a launch in the US. Thankfully, after going up for pre-order in the UK last week, ViewSonic has today ended the uncertainty by officially confirming its tablets, the ViewPad 7 and its big brother the ViewPad 10, are both also headed for a stateside launch.
Set to arrive on store shelves sometime during Q4 2010, rumored to be later this month, and with a list price of US$479, the ViewPad 7 has so far been looking like a promising entry into the tablet market, with a combination of Android 2.2, access to Android Market, competitive hardware, comprehensive connectivity options, built-in phone capabilities, a good design, and some positive early impressions.
Although the official US retail price is looking much better than the converted UK price of around US$628 (from £399) we saw last week, I was hoping the tablet would be a little bit cheaper, but I'm not complaining too much. Although not the most powerful Android tablet out there, the ViewPad 7 is still looking like a good all-rounder for a reasonable mid-level price. The cheaper and more powerful Archos 70 is a compelling alternative but lacks the phone functionality and official Android Market access, although the latter can be alleviated using a hack. What do you think of the ViewPad 7's impending arrival? Will you be among the first in line?
[ViewSonic via Liliputing]
