Unboxing the Window N9 Capacitive Android Tablet

Today we get to look at the Window N9, an RK2818-powered 7-incher (800 x 480) with a capacitive touchpanel and running Android 2.1. We’re just unboxing and taking a look, no in-depth benchmarking here or anything of the like. We’ve unboxed, sussed out and snapped up the tablet. Keeping it brief, keeping it simple.

BOX

To begin with, the Window N9 tablet comes in a pretty solid and neat box. So solid in fact that it can take a little while even getting the thing open. Once the tough cardboard lid is lifted, you’ll find the tablet snugly fitted within the foam frame. Lift that up to find all the accessories which includes a case underneath.

TREATS

With regard to the accessories, the majority is standard stuff but there are a couple of unexpected treats. These bonus goodies include a screen protector sheet and a nice looking case-sleeve. You also get a pair of standard earphones, a USB to MiniUSB cable, a DVD with some relevant files, an instruction manual and a blank receipt slip (major bonus points with that one).

BODY

Now on to the actual device. I’ll start off with the aesthetic side of things. The tablet has an overall clean, simple look to it. It has a nice black frame around the screen, a pearl-white plastic back and a brushed aluminium band surrounding the tablet. These three may sound conflicting, but in my opinion, they go together quite well and gives the tablet that sleek and stable look. The tablet also weighs a bit more than you’d expect. The con of this would be that it’s heavier to carry but I’ve always been someone that is a tad skeptical when it comes to a tablet too thin. If you too prefer something more stable and heavier, then no worries here. The actual weight of the Window N9 is roughly 376 grams. Dimension wise, the tablet is W:190mm x H:118mm x D:10mm.

BACK & BUTTONS

The tablet comes with a single built-in speaker that you can see there in the above image. As for the buttons – there aren’t actually many. Only three which includes the power button, the menu button and the escape button.

FACE

On boot you get logo images including a Google Android image, and then a ‘My Smart Life” loading display. It’s a snazzy animation. Once in, we’re brought to the standard Android 2.1 user interface. Its capacitive touchscreen response works well -  drag, tap and the 2-point pinch-to-zoom works without a hitch. The tablet also has a 360 degree accelerometer and is capable of playing 720p video playback which worked smoothly and without hiccup. Pausing and scrolling through the video time frame caused no issues, and the same can be said with the audio files.

Just a personal comment, but if you’re familiar with the ‘Hummingbird’ test video clip, then you might agree that that may be one of the best test videos to run on a tablet that boasts great video playback. Vibrant and simply beautiful looking is how I would describe it. And it certainly looked that way when I played it on the Window N9. But enough on the video and back on to the device.

The Window N9 sports a 7-inch screen that has a resolution of 800 x 480. As for the files it supports, it should be able to support a wide range of files due to the RK2818 chip – a stalwart in the PMP arena. Media playback, web browsing and other Andriod implementations seem to be this tablet’s cup of tea. However, I would have to say that 3D gaming may not be what this tablet is optimised for. The RK2818 is not a powerhouse and isn’t really meant for the hardcore stuff that the Tegra 2 was made for. It also doesn’t have Flash support – well, not officially anyway – there ‘s already beta firmwares out for RK2818 devices that enables Flash support, or so we’ve heard anyway.

SPECS

We already know that the Window N9 is powered by an RK2818 processing chip, has a 7-inch capacitive screen with a resolution of 800 x 480, runs Android 2.1, has 720p video playback and has an accelerometer. The tablet also comes with 256MB of DDR2 RAM, 8GB of internal storage with up to 16GB/32GB of external memory via its MicroSD card slot. It also has 3G Dongle support via USB host.

VIEW

Viewing angles are what you’d expect – not great on such a large screen. Of course, you would never really watch a video on your tablet at a skewed angle in the first-place, but if you did, then you would still be able to make out the basics. The only obstruction would be glare, as this screen is glossy. If you’re worried about viewing angles or glare, I’ve got two pretty great solutions for you that I implore you to consider. 1) Watch videos on your Window N9 from an angle approximating straight-on; 2) Don’t attempt to watch videos while sitting directly under the sun.

PORT

As for the tablet’s ports, docks and slots: you’ve got USB host, a MiniUSB, an AC port, a 3.5mm headphone port and a MicroSD card slot. Nothing out of the ordinary here. The full-sized USB is pretty cool.

OVERALL

The Window N9 is a pretty nice tablet. Stable (in our brief usage), solidly built and the capacitive touchscreen is quite nice, but perhaps a tad bit sticky. Not much more to say – we know what to expect from RK2818, and the Window N9 doesn’t fail to deliver. Hopefully we’ll also be able to look forward to a possible Window firmware upgrade as Teclast have just released a 2.2 upgrade for their T720 RK2818 tablet. More than enough media playback capabilities, unhindered web browsing and a good weight in your hands, this tablet will pretty much give you what you you’re looking for – as long as you’re not looking to play 3D games…

Categories: Android Tablet, Featured, Review, Tablet, Tablet Review, Window

Tags: N9, Window