Difference Between iPad 2 and ARCHOS 10.1

iPad 2 vs ARCHOS 10.1

iPad 2 and ARCHOS 10.1 are two competing products in the tablet market, iPad 2 is from Apple and ARCHOS is an Android tablet. The tablet PC market is warming up with the launch of several new models from various companies. Latest in line is Apple’s much awaited iPad 2 with latest iOS 4.3, which seems to be among the leaders of the pack but there are some unknown players that seem to be catching up fast. One such tablet comes from Archos, a French company known for making inexpensive tablets for quite some time now. This Android tablet runs on Android 2.2 with Linux  Angstrom. It’s fully open to run different Linux based application frameworks, you can add any other Linux framework replacing Angstrom.  Archos 10.1 has features and specifications that rub shoulders with iPad 2, so the real comparison will depend on the difference between apple ios 4.3 and android 2.2. Let us find out the difference between iPad 2 and Archos 10.1 to make it easier for the consumers to choose a product that matches their requirements.

Apple iPad 2

iPad 2 has been launched and Apple says it is not a tweaked version of iPad but actually a completely new design with a much improved performance and new features than iPad. iPad 2 has a much faster processor which is 1 GHz dual core A 5 chip and run the latest release OS, iOS 4.3. According to the company, its graphic processing power is 9 times faster than its predecessor and the clock speed is twice faster. Despite such speed, iPad 2 consumes as much power as iPad, thus the battery life will be same.

Again, iPad 2 is lighter and thinner than iPad, and compared to iPad which had no camera, is equipped with a rear as well as a front camera. While the rear one is capable of video recording in HD in 720p, the front camera can be used with FaceTime for video conferencing . It is also HDMI capable meaning the user can watch the videos captured by it in HD on their TV also (you can connect to TV through the AV adapter, which comes separately). The screen size is 9.7” which is the same as iPad and the resolution is also the same which was 1024X768 pixels.

iPad 2 is available in 16, 32 and 64 GB internal memory capacity priced differently and you can have the models with either Wi-Fi or with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad 2, which weighs only 613gm, has Apple iOS 4.3 as its operating system an allows web browsing through Safari. The advantage for iPad is the App store, thousands of apps are available from Apple app store and latest iTunes 10.2.

Archos 10.1 – Android Tablet

Riding over the wave of criticism of Apple iPad 2 being a closed system, Archos, a French electronics major, has announced the launch of Android based tablet, Archos 10.1, an internet tablet with stunning features that have the capacity to be one up on iPad 2. It has a display of 10.1” (thus the name), which is a capacitative touchscreen at a resolution of 1024X600 pixels. This Android tablet runs on Android 2.2 with Linux  Angstrom. It’s fully open to run different Linux based application frameworks, you can add any other Linux framework replacing Angstrom. And switching between the OS is made very simple, just by tapping on the icon you can switch to other platforms.  Android 2.2 does all that iPad is capable of thus posing as a stiff challenger to the throne. With a GHz super fast processor, this amazing tablet is priced at just $300, which is significantly lower than iPad 2.

Archos 10.1 is extremely light at 480 gm and is also very thin at 12mm. It has a front facing webcam allowing for video chatting though it is VGA (0.3 MP) which is inferior to that of iPad 2. The unique feature is a back stand that makes watching videos captured through it very easy.

Archos 10.1 comes with a standard USB port for connecting various devices and the user can increase internal memory to 8 or 16 GB, depending upon his requirements. It has HDMI capability just like iPad 2. Good thing is that it allows for multitasking by switching between open applications and offers full Adobe Flash support. The user can download thousands of apps from the Android Market, but not directly but it is actually managed by Archos.

For connectivity, it is Wi-Fi b/g/n with Bluetooth 2.1 and the battery lasts for 10 hours with Bluetooth. To connect to mobile internet you can connect via Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth or even via USB cable using the data service plan of your mobile phone.

Archos has an accelerometer that allows for switching between horizontal to vertical modes without any problems. Web browsing is fun with Android OS, and with a pinch to zoom feature, it is really easy to bring web pages closer and also to scroll down.

Read difference between Android OS and iOS here.