14 DAY TRIAL // With all the Android 3.0 tablets running around on today's market, one wouldn't expect anyone to come out and release a slate loaded with an older version of the OS, but BeBook did exactly that with its BeBook Live.
The thing about media tablets is that they have enough multimedia features, portability and a sleek enough design that buyers are willing to overlook the lack of a physical keyboard.
That, and tablets have pretty much every component needed for one to connect to the net, wirelessly or otherwise, and browse the web, stream videos, etc.
iPad contestants took off in terms of popularity when the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system was completed.
As an example, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer sold out just minutes after it went on sale, although that seems to be owed as much to shortages as to appeal.
BeBook, however, decided to settle for the Android 2.2 OS, otherwise known as Froyo, when it created the BeBook Live.
Powered by a 1 GHz CPU (central processing unit), it has a 7-inch TFT-LCD display with a native resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.
The amount of storage space is not too high, only 4 GB, but a MicroSD card slot will let one add memory cards of up to 32 GB.
Needless to say, USB 2.0 connectivity is present, as is 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and an HDMI connector, which allows owners to stream videos to a HDTV or compatible monitor.
Finally, a 2 megapixel webcam exists (on the front), as does a speaker, audio and mic jacks, a g-sensor and support for the Adobe Flash Player.
All the hardware is packed inside a frame measuring 140 x 202 x 11 mm and weighing 426 grams.
BeBook even provided a short video introduction for the tablet and intends to start selling it next month (June, 2011), for the price of $279.