NVIDIA TEGRA NOTE 7

Long a supplier of processors for the electronics world in general and tablet/smartphone technology specifically, Nvidia has taken the plunge into producing a full-on tablet or two, beginning with the Tegra Note 7.

The accent is naturally on speed in this 7” device, and is notable particularly for gaming and some truly unique camera features. Surely no one checking out the Nvidia note 7 will fail to notice the power of the Tegra 1.8 GHz quad-core processor just taking it through a few laps on any game of choice. Video, too, flows seamlessly and the heaviest apps should be no problem. Additionally, the built-in speakers offer great sound.

The 16 GB of storage space and 1 GB of RAM are notable at the near budget-level price and the micro SD card slot is of course a nice addition to the package. Note, too, that Nvidia riffs on Samsung’s S Pen design with its own functional stylus, though the Tegra Note’s is hardly the behemoth of use like Samsung’s. Nvidia’s stylus may be used with the touchscreen, in tandem with embedded and/or downloadable apps or not at all.

Camera-first users certainly need to put the Tegra Note 7 near the top of their wish lists in a new tablet; simply put, the functionality here from out-of-the-box is higher than any such device we’ve seen thus far. Included are a VGA front camera and a 5 MP rear camera; the killer app herein is the so-called “CameraAwesome” in its debut in Android tablets. Coupled with the hyperquick processor’s ability to track moving objects in high definition, CameraAwesome allows surprising results, tablet or no. Which brings us to the puzzling bit, i.e. the 1280 x 800 resolution of this screen. With so much power for video and image-related apps, why skimp on the feature that’s built to show these things off – especially in, say, storefront displays? Scarcely better is the cheap-looking screen protector which may be clamped on – though be advised to take care with the thin, easily-breakable plastic latches.

In the end, then, the short analysis goes something like “Nvidia Tegra Note 7: So close and yet so far.” Meanwhile, we’re waiting for the next edition of this otherwise spiffy tablet – the Tegra Note 7 HD, perhaps…?