14 DAY TRIAL // During the IFA 2012 trade show in Berlin, Germany, Archos put on display the 101 XS tablet, complete with the magnetic Coverboard that we'd been hearing about.
The product was officially launched last month, and we definitely didn't miss the event, but this was the first time we got to hold it.
You'll see what the product looks like in the gallery below, and you may or may not share our opinions on it.
We'll get the hardware out of the way first: a 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex smart multi-core A9 processor runs the item, backed by 1 GB of RAM.
The storage capacity is of 16 GB and can be expanded via the microSD card slot, SDXC-compatible, for up to an extra 64 GB.
Moving on, the slate is not bereft of the standard connectivity and I/O capabilities (Wi-Fi-n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, mini HDMI).
The Android 4.0.3 operating system is installed, but Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) isn't far off. We wouldn't be surprised if the upgrade were ready, or even installed from the start, by the time shipments begin in November (for 379,99 Euro / $379-399).
The only low point on the spec sheet is the 10.1-inch display. Though the size is standard (10.1 inches) and the multi-touch support is present and accounted for, the native resolution of 1,280 x 800 won't win it any special prizes, especially when compared to the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD (1,920 x 1,080) or the “retina” screens (or its betters).
Fortunately, the 101 XS is not without its perks, and we do, of course, mean the magnetic Coverboard, a keyboard dock that holds the slate in place magnetically and sticks to the front, like a protective case, through similar physics.
But here is the second, and final (not counting the existence of a single camera, on the front) element that can come across as problematic: as nice as the white case is, it is likely to lose its pristine condition easily, since smudges and dust are known to be nuisances both individually and together.
