Review: Colpad 2

The Colpad 2, from Tablet World, is a budget tablet, priced at R1 299. It boasts a 1.2GHz processor, delivering enough power to run its preinstalled apps.

While the Colpad has low specs in terms of display and connectivity, it is capable of performing some great functions like video calling, and it also comes preloaded with Kindle, Gmail and social media apps.

The Colpad 2 has a simple, functional design. The screen is encased in a black, plastic chassis, which has rounded corners. The tablet has a box-like feel, which is a bit of a drawback. Then again, lacking the slick and delicate design of some upper-end tablets, the Colpad has a rugged feel, which could attract a new market. Users who want a device they can grab and throw into whatever bag they are carrying will be happy with this tablet.

Power and function buttons are found at the top of the tablet, and not on the screen panel itself, while inputs and outputs are neatly placed on the adjacent side.

This tablet comes across as heavy for its size, weighing in at just over 300g. I must, however, point out that, when I make this judgement, I am unfairly comparing the Colpad to an e-reader, because that's my device of choice. A tablet, of course, comes with a host of other features and added functionality, and these come at the cost of extra weight - the Colpad is no different.

Running on Android 2.3, the Colpad 2 offers an easy-to-use, yet elegant interface. Apps are easy to recognise, and scrolling between them using the touch-screen comes fairly naturally. The touch-screen itself is very responsive, eliminating frustrations that often go hand-in-hand with touch-screen devices.

The Colpad's battery manages a full day without needing to be recharged when used for reading and updating social media feeds. The battery depletes, of course, when used for browsing and watching videos.

With an 800x480 pixel resolution, the Colpad falls significantly behind high-end tablets in the display area. However, the resolution is more than adequate for the majority of the tablet's preinstalled apps. In fact, even YouTube videos will play out as well as they do on most handsets, if not better. Also, the Colpad offers a seven-inch screen and allows for 16:9 viewing.

The Colpad is WiFi-enabled, but 3G users will have to purchase a separate dongle. It's a drawback, but then again, at the Colpad's incredibly low price, buying a dongle at a few hundred bucks is not a big ask of the user. Even if users don't want to lay out cash for any further costs, there are many WiFi-enabled coffee shops in SA, and quite a few offer free WiFi.

The Colpad 2 comes preloaded with social media apps for Twitter and Facebook, as well as Kindle, Gmail and News24 apps. Of course, the Kindle app is a real score for users like me. One of the great things about Kindle is that users can log into their accounts and select whatever book they were last reading, picking up were they left off. Having a dedicated news app (and a local one to boot) is also a major plus. These preinstalled apps make the Colpad a multifunctional device.

Of course, for app-hungry users, there is a shortcut to the Android market, where users can download a host of free and paid-for apps.

The Colpad comes with a 1.3MP camera. While that's a bit low to take photos with, given that people look silly taking photos with tablets anyway, the folks at Tablet World have actually done their users a favour. The camera is largely geared towards enabling video calls, and it does this more than adequately.

While a 3G dongle has to be purchased separately to make use of 3G functionality, the Colpad supports WiFi. It also comes preloaded with vital apps, and packs enough power to support these, and most other Android apps.

The Colpad 2 is a great tablet for users on a budget, or as a more economical option for school-goers. It is a low-spec tablet, but one that's incredibly well priced for what it offers.