14 DAY TRIAL // While 10.1-inch Tegra tablets and the iPad continue to hover at the $500 / 470 Euro mark, the number of cheaper tablets is increasing.
Ainol has just made its contribution, even though its device hasn't, technically, become available yet.
Then again, though it isn't shipping, it did get set up for pre-order, so people who want a cheap ice Cream Sandwich tablet can stop by either PandaWill or Merimobiles.
Speaking of the operating system, Android 4.0 ICS wasn't expected to land on devices that aren't high-end, but Google allowed it this once.
In fact, not only did it allow for ICS to be installed on the 7-inch Ainol Novo7 Paladin, as the device is called, but also permitted for all Google services, like the Android Market, to be accessible through it.
A JZ4770 Xburst MIPS processor lies at the heart of the electronic, with its operational frequency of 1 GHz.
That chip is paired with the Vivante GC860 graphics processor, which is supposed to handle even 1080p video playback just fine.
Meanwhile, the 7-inch screen has a capacitive touch panel (5-point multitouch) and a resolution of just 800 x 400 pixels.
Furthermore, Ainol put in 512 MB of RAM (random access memory) and 8 GB of NAND Flash storage space, plus the obligatory microSD card slot.
There is even support for Adobe Flash Player if people are still interested in it now that its decline has arguably begun.
All these capabilities might not seem much, especially with all the Tegra android devices out there, until users see that the price is only $120.
Exchange rates say that is as much as 91.77 Euro, but it is well known that prices don't often reflect them, so EU models will likely sell for more, perhaps 110 Euro or the full 120. Ainol will have to release it there (if it ever does) for all to be clear.