[OLPC-SF] Fwd: How Does the New Haitian Sûrtab Tablet Measure Up?

Mon May 5 15:47:30 EDT 2014

Here's a review of a Haitian made tablet for ~$100. -- Grant

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From: Inveneo <jana at inveneo.org>
Date: Mon, May 5, 2014 at 9:00 AM
Subject: How Does the New Haitian Sûrtab Tablet Measure Up?
To: Grant <grantbow at gmail.com>

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   How Does the New Haitian Sûrtab Tablet
Measure Up?<http://ictworks.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=84e9f392a668e74df589375c7&id=174c7a38a3&e=dfd4657bf5>
By Sam Perales, Inveneo Senior Field Engineer

Since 2013, consumers have had their eye on a new Haitian-made tablet,
known as the Sûrtab. It’s price and weight may seem ideal, but how does it
measure up in terms of  durability? With all of Inveneo’s work in
Haiti<http://ictworks.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=84e9f392a668e74df589375c7&id=5dd5f30e1d&e=dfd4657bf5>,
the team wanted to run the Sûrtab7 WIFI through the paces using Inveneo’s
standard testing
process<http://ictworks.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=84e9f392a668e74df589375c7&id=a6c0df4915&e=dfd4657bf5>to
see how well the Sûrtab performs.

What were the results?

*Product Description*

Sûrtab tablet manufacture is producing lightweight and affordable tablets
made in Port au Prince, Haiti. This is a new company, and availability is
limited as they ramp up operations. They are currently offering three
models: Sûrtab7 3GHD, Sûrtab7 3G, and Sûrtab7 WIFI.

Inveneo decided to review the lowest-cost touchscreen Sûrtab7 WIFI model.

Sûrtab7 WIFI comes at an affordable price of ($100 USD +/-) making it
attractive for consumers (especially those in developing countries). The
Sûrtab7 WIFI comes with Android 4.1 and access to the Google Play store
which has over 600,000 apps and games. The Sûrtab7 WIFI is a 7-inch device
with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

In addition, the tablet:

   -

   Runs on a Dual Core Allwinner 1.2GHz processor.
    -

   Comes with 512MB of RAM.
    -

   Has 8GB of storage expandable to 32GB via the microSD card.
    -

   Features an HDMI port and two cameras (0.3MP in front and 2MP on the
   back).
    -

   Is very lightweight, weighing in at 287 g / 0.63 lbs which makes it easy
   for travel and transport.

A warranty is available, and in Haiti, tablets will be repaired at the
factory. Inveno’s Sûrtab representative explains further. “The local
support/warranty is huge when used in Haiti. The tablet can just be dropped
off at the Sûrtab production facilities and will get repaired.”

*Inveneo’s Quick Thoughts*

*Pros:*

   - Budget friendly
   - A protective rubber case for harsh environments is included with tablet
   - Lightweight
   - Front and back camera
   - SD card expansion and HDMI port

*Cons:*

   - Screen can be hard to see depending on angle of view and its display
   is not very bright making it hard to see at times.
   - Battery life is limited, 2-4 hours under stress conditions.
   - Has a special power port and adapter (not the common micro-USB) which
   may be difficult to replace if lost or stolen.
   - Limited availability for the time being although surtab will be
   launching an online sales platform making it easy for international
   customers to easily purchase tablets.

*Since the Sûrtab7 WIFI Is Cheaper, Does That Mean Lower Quality?*

Since the Sûrtab7 WIFI is nearly half the price of its competitors, it is
natural that the overall performance and hardware specifications would be
lower than those of its rivals, for example:

   - The battery life is poor, surviving only 2.5 hours under cpu stressed
   conditions.
   - The display is not as sharp nor bright as other tablets in its class,
   and depending on what angle you view the display, it could limit visibility.
   - The non-standard barrel connector power port makes it difficult to
   find a replacement, especially in developing countries. This means you’ll
   have more equipment to handle and maintain.
   - The micro-usb adapter is only used to connect it directly to a
   computer for data transfers. In tough environments it may be more
   vulnerable to the elements since there are more ports/openings than are
   found on other tablets.
   - Last but not least, the Sûrtab7 WIFI is currently under limited
   availability as operations and distribution channel ramp up.

*Final Thoughts*

Don’t get the wrong idea though, this Haitian-made tablet will give you a
great overall tablet experience for a great value. It physically performs
well with its lightweight design, a responsive touch screen and an included
protective rubber sleeve.

The system does have a HDMI slot that can be used to expand your display to
an external monitor or projector (which is great for educators). An SD Card
expansion slot can be really useful to expand storage space on your tablet.
This feature is rarely seen on competitor devices.

The dual camera capability also makes it nice to capture forward facing
pictures and videos while also conducting front facing video calls.

Overall the Sûrtab7 WIFI is worth its price. Since it runs the industry
standard Android OS, you can have access to all the settings one is
familiar with while enjoying good hardware features and expandability
options.

It may have some weak points in hardware, but it will more than get the job
done for half the price.

*Where Can You Get One?*

Currently the Sûrtab is easily available in Haiti at all Digicel outlets.
However, online sales are set to begin soon so international consumers can
easily purchase the tablet. For more information visit the Sûrtab
website<http://ictworks.us4.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=84e9f392a668e74df589375c7&id=d0a6c5a2ac&e=dfd4657bf5>
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