Viewsonic ViewBook 730 is a cheap Android tablet

I think that the biggest problem with most of the Android tablets on the market today is that they cost too much. Many consumers will simply opt for the iPad 2 if the price of the Android tablet is close to the price of the iPad 2 just out of name recognition. What the market needs is some lower priced Android tablets that people looking to step into the tablet world can get cheaply. That is exactly what Viewsonic has offered with the new ViewBook 730 Android tablet.

The MSRP for the tablet is $249.99 and the 730 is set to hit at the end of June. For a price that low, you don’t get the high-end specs that the $500 or more tablets offer. What you get under the hood is Android 2.2 for the OS, an ARM Cortex A8 processor, and 512MB of RAM. Internal storage for the tablet is 8GB and that can be expanded with microSD cards up to 32GB. The screen is a 7-inch 800 x 400 resolution unit and the contrast ratio is 400:1.

The screen is rated for a brightness of 380 CD/M2. Other features include 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, integrated speakers and mic, and a VGA resolution front camera for video chats. The 730 also has a 3.5mm headphone port, mini HDMI output, and mini USB port along with the MicroSD card slot. The battery is a 5000mAH unit good for up to ten hours. This should be a decent entry-level tablet for people looking to buy their first.