The present scenario exemplifies that tablets are ready to face fierce competition from other mobile computing devices as they incorporate advanced capabilities and are growing globally. Consolidating an extensive range of appealing applications, these gizmos fit exquisitely in the palm of hand and render a sound computing experience with refined features. We certainly agree that the overwhelming success of the Apple iPad has given an inevitable rise to tablets like Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab. In one such attempt, Olive forayed into the market with its tablet which tries to integrate interesting selling points. The most enchanting thing about the Olive Pad is its Android operating system which puts forth an incredible user interface and indeed makes it difficult to take your hands off it. To find out if the Olive Pad VT100 emerges as a serious competitor to the iPad, we grabbed the device which knocked our doors in an attractive black box for a complete review.
The Olive Pad VT100 tablet packs in a 16GB memory card, a lustrous leather case and a pair of headphones. Encased by a steel rim, the device is light to carry and sturdy to hold as it weighs around 375 grams. The top edge comes with dedicated slots for the SIM card and memory card as well as a volume controller while the lower edge sports reset, mic, headphone jack and USB/charging port. The left edge houses a power on/off button. The speaker grills are precisely positioned on either edge. Once powered on, the tablet captured us with the remarkable Android 2.2 interface. The overall appearance and its curved edges will eminently supplement your style factor. Driven by an ARM11 600MHz processor, the tablet shows off a Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset.
The screen wasn’t sluggish and was highly responsive to our finger swipes and taps. We could smoothly glide our fingers on the screen without any flaw. The responsiveness was remarkable without any excessive lag during prolonged movements. The screen shows off effectual touch controllers namely Back, Search, Home and Menu, as well as a VGA camera for seamless voice conversations. The rear side flaunts a lustrous black finish that comes entrenched with Olive logo and a 3 megapixel camera. The captured images were sharp and crisp but when we clicked few snaps in low light conditions the image quality seemed to deteriorate. The experience was facile as the application’s interface was easy-to-use. The Olive Pad VT100 tablet’s tantalizing appearance is easily tarnished, thanks to the display screen’s inability to resist annoying fingerprints. The screen enables us to choose from 480 x 800 and 320 x 480 resolution as per our liking. It also displays images and videos with improved clarity and renders a great touch experience.
The leather case helped us shield it from sudden bumps and shocks. The minimalistic design is skillfully accentuated with the tablet’s curved edges. The typing experience was truly prompt as the keys are precisely positioned and the QWERTY keypad is not cramped up with unnecessary shortcuts. We could type in landscape as well as portrait modes without any glitches. The Bluetooth functioned efficiently and transferring our favorite files was not a difficult task. The eBook reader Aldiko was easy-to-use and reading books on this screen does not strain the eye. Other apps like Documents to Go, Mobile Maps 10, Zenga TV and RSS Reader are also included.
The Documents to Go application enabled us to view, edit and create Word, Excel, PowerPoint and pdf documents. The apps are neatly arranged in an alphabetical order. Moreover, the pre-installed Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Navigation and GPS Tracker can be accessed easily. The Android browser was good and we could hold on a link to save it as a bookmark. We could also check the history with ease but were disappointed with the browser’s zoom capabilities which failed to work competently. The display lacked sharpness and the pages were not crystal clear while browsing through several websites.
We could easily store our music collection and few movies as the Olive Pad VT100 comes with 512MB internal memory which can be expanded to 32GB without issues. When we pressed the menu icon for long we could view all five home pages in one single layout which was really convenient to navigate. The VT100 tablet’s G-sensor tranquilly changes the orientation from portrait to landscape mode and vice versa. To our surprise, setting up a Google account was easy and accessing various interesting applications from the Android Market was simple.
The incoming and outgoing call clarity was satisfactory but we feel Olive could have improved this functionality by trimming down the tablet’s size for a convenient experience. It lacked audibility and we could not clearly listen to calls while in a crowded place. Nevertheless, the calling experience was easy with options like Call Log, Contacts and Favorites. The browsing experience was seamless and the pages uploaded quickly, thanks to the ARM11 600MHz processor. Moreover, syncing the device was just so uncomplicated. By offering enticing features in an exquisite yet miniscule design, this gizmo surely exhibits a top-notch balance between features and performance. Flipping through the menus and web pages, typing messages, reading documents and watching videos was just so convenient.
The audio quality was paltry but the integrated player played music without any disturbance. Disappointingly, our review unit was not packed in with headphones. The virtual keypad that pops up is extremely convenient and typing a text message, tweeting or updating our Facebook status was not strenuous. The gaming experience was proficient and we could access various necessary touch controls with ease for improved gameplay. Powered by a Li-Polymer 3240mAH rechargeable battery, the Olive Pad functioned efficiently for one complete day on a single charge. This is important as battery life is considered to be a crucial factor for most travelers. It is highly portable and can be easily carried along while traveling from one place to another.
To round it up, tech enthusiasts can surely pick the Olive Pad considering its features and vibrant screen. With Olive’s focus on providing a compelling user interface, the Olive Pad VT100 emerges as a major growth to the Indian tablet segment. Though the Olive Pad VT100 is no competition to the iPad, it comes across as a pretty decent device to clutch. The Olive Pad is price tagged with Rs. 25,000 which is quite close to the starting price of the iPad at Rs. 27,000. Olive’s this offering has managed to get a rating of 7 on a scale of 10 from us.
