Inspect A Gadget

Money Supermarket contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like to take part in their Inspect A Gadget challenge to try to find the best budget gadgets for 2013.

There were 5  gadgets and I could choose which one I would like to test.. One of these was a tablet. This was perfect timing as my iPad is broken. Bob stood on it a while ago and, instead of paying over £100 to fix it through Mac, my husband tried to get it repaired cheaply. This didn’t work and the screen cracked again within days of the repair.

When I saw that the tablet only cost £34.99 I was amazed! I knew it couldn’t be as good as an iPad but if it was 10 times worse it would still be value for money in theory. 

When the tablet arrived I couldn’t wait to try it out! It took me a short time to work out how to use it. The user manual wasn’t very clear but with a bit of trial and error I managed to work it out. If you are familiar with a tablet or smartphone you should be able to work out how to use it.

I felt a bit sorry for this tablet as I am so used to an iPad and I couldn’t help but compare it to one. It takes longer to load than an iPad and the screen isn’t as sensitive which can be frustrating. It doesn’t seem to have a very long battery life but that maybe because you are supposed to turn it off between uses. I am used to leaving my iPad lying around all day and still being able to use it. You are also have a limited choice of apps but there are enough games, books and movies available to keep you entertained.

One thing that I liked about this tablet was it’s size. It is smaller than an iPad (I think it is a similar size to an iPad mini) and because of this I found it easier to write on. I struggle to write on my iPad as it is too big to hold it and write at the same time. I know it has the split keyboard option but I can never write comfortably on it and always end up typing clumsily with one finger. This tablet is a much better size and I am writing this whole post using the notebook app. Something I have never done on the iPad.

As this tablet is so cheap I am also happy for Bob to share it with me. She is not allowed near my iPad after the breaking incident. This tablet also seems less fragile than an iPad which is good where Bob is concerned.

As I am a bit of a Mac addict (I have an iPad, an iPhone, an iPod and a Mac) this tablet didn’t impress me but I would recommend it if you would like a tablet and only want to spend a small amount. This tablet is great value for money. It isn’t an iPad but it is a simple tablet that only costs £34.99.

Disclaimer : I was sent the money to purchase a gadget for the purpose of this review but all opinions and photographs are my own.