The Lenovo IdeaPad A1, while less popular than the Kindle Fire, is nevertheless a great option for those looking for an Android tablet on the cheap. In fact, it ships with a much more stock build of Android including the Market, giving it a slight initial advantage over the Fire.
That advantage was quickly removed by the development community around the Fire, who rapidly produced an almost working Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Tablet. Fortunately, even though it took a little longer, the IdeaPad A1 is also getting some love from developers.
Just today, an XDA member announced that a build of CyanogenMod 7, based on Android Gingerbread, was almost ready for the device. It is still very much a work in progress, but still a great sign. If the A1 can become an official CyanogenMod device, it will get Ice Cream Sandwich when CyanogenMod 9 is released later this year.
Even though it hasn't gotten much publicity for some reason, as far as I've seen the Lenovo A1 looks like a great tablet. I actually saw it on sale today for $167, and if it hadn't been sold out I would have bought it. That's cheaper than the Kindle Fire, and other than the single-core processor, the specs are nearly identical, and the A1 even has two cameras.
I've spent some time with the Kindle Fire (and the review is coming soon), but at this point I am seriously considering returning it for the A1. An Cyanogenmod/Ice Cream Sandwich tablet for $170? Count me in.
[xda-developers]
