Elegance in a slate

Atablet computer with a beautiful 9.4-inch display and good multimedia and game performance, the Sony Tablet S will probably win most hearts for its ability to double as a portable Sony PlayStation console and an infrared remote control for TVs and electric appliances.

Tablet S uses a TruBlack panel that provides more vibrant colours, deeper blacks and beautiful images and also controls the refraction of light between the LCD and the screen, allowing you to use it for hours.

Unlike other tablet computers, Tablet S has a wedge shape, with a thicker and curved top and thinning out at the bottom of the screen. This ergonomic design makes it look like a folder. Sony says the design allows you to carry and use Tablet S for long periods by holding the curved edge of the tablet and using it in vertical view.

Holding Tablet S this way, the centre of gravity shifts the device’s weight closer to your palm, making it feel lighter and more comfortable while you’re reading a book or watching a video.

Two models of Tablet S are available: one with 16 gigabytes storage and the other with 32GB storage. I tested the 16GB model.

Tablet S does not have 3G connection. It needs Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11b/g/n) for Internet connection. I tested it on my home Wi-Fi router as well as with TrueMove Wi-Fi hotspot.

Tablet S runs on Android Operating System 3.2.1 (release 2) and it is powered by a fast NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor with dual core ARM Cortex A9 CPU 1 GHZ and is equipped with 1 GB memory.

I found the performance impressive, web browsing fast and the touch panel very responsive.

The fast performance was reflected through the game play too. Tablet S is the first PlayStation certified tablet. It is preloaded with Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes and you can buy more classic PSone game titles online through Sony.

When you’re running PlayStation game, Tablet S’s screen turns into a PSP console with the traditional buttons of the console display appearing on the screen. Just hold the tablet with both hands and use your thumbs to tap the controlling buttons. The game play was really fluid during the test.

Tablet S played smooth video clips and YouTube clips as well. Its 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution and the TruBlack panel made the video clips look really great.

I particularly liked the universal remote control function, which allows you to control not just the TV, Blu-ray disc player, stereo system, satellite receiver and home theatre system but also an iPod dock, amplifier, PC (Media Centre) and projector.

It is also easy to set up. Simply select the type of device and brand and Tablet S will do the rest.

Unlike other tablets, Tablet S has a slot for a full-size SD card, instead of a microSD card, for storage expansion.

You can store movie clips on a SD card and play them from Tablet S to your TV using the “Throw” feature.

The Music player of Tablet S is also very good. It lets you organise your music library with cover art view. The speakers are of good quality but I preferred using my Sony premium in-ear earphones. 

Sony Tablet S with 16 GB storage retails for Bt14,900 (VAT included).

 

       Key specs

_ OS: Android System 3.2.1

_ Processor: NVIDIA Tegra2

_ Memory: 1 GB

_ Display: 9.4-inch TFT touch screen with 1280 x 800 pixels

_ Camera: 0.3 megapixel front camera, 5 megapixel rear camera

_ Storage: 16 GB, expandable with full-size SD card slot

_ Battery: Li-Ion 5000mAh

_ Dimension: 241.2 x 10.1 (thickest point: 20.6) x 174.3 mm

_ Weight: 598g