Review: T-Mobile G-Slate Tablet Computer

PC World reviewer Melissa J. Perenson liked the Android-based T-Mobile G-Slate's in-between size - bigger than a 7-inch, smaller than an iPad at 8.9 inches - but says it's too expensive at $750 without contract.

At 8.9 inches (diagonal), the T-Mobile G-Slate is the first tablet to hit the middle ground in terms of size, landing firmly between the larger slates that resemble netbooks without keyboards and the smaller models that feel like oversize phones. But the G-Slate (made by LG, and shown by that company as the Optimus Pad) also packs in features not found on other Android 3.0 tablets--including twin cameras for 3D video capture, and three speakers for producing stereo audio no matter how you hold tablet. And with that, the G-Slate ($530 after rebate and with a two-year T-Mobile contract, or $750 without a contract; prices as of April 21, 2011) carves out a niche for itself, albeit one largely limited to people looking for a tablet on contract.

After using the G-Slate for several weeks, I found myself appreciating the tablet's more-compact, widescreen dimensions vis-à-vis the Apple iPad 2 (9.7 inches) and the Motorola Xoom (10.1 inches). The sizing--9.6 by 5.9 by 0.5 inches--makes the G-Slate feel less obtrusive to use in social situations, yet it provides a satisfying amount of screen real estate. The contoured sides are comfortable to hold, but I would have preferred the G-Slate to be thinner; at this point in the tablet hardware wars, a half-inch thickness really feels like too much. Likewise, the G-Slate is heavier than I would have expected given its size: It weighs 1.37 pounds, more than Apple's 1.34-pound iPad 2 (the version with Wi-Fi and 3G)."