Enso's zenPad is the cheap Android tablet you've always wanted, available now
By Tim Stevens 
posted March 22nd 2010 9:54AM
posted March 22nd 2010 9:54AM
Update: We were guessing this was a rebrand of something, and thanks to commenter Raikus it looks like this is a Smit MID-650, which eviGroup's Wallet was also said to be based on -- at more than twice the price. Also, we (well, you really) seem to have taken down Enso's site thanks to traffic. Oops! Hit that eBay link if you're desperate to Buy It Now®.
Update 2: The annoying demonstration video previously embedded, which Enso had provided, has been replaced by the original, nagware-free version courtesy of ARMdevices.net.
Update 3: Possible fraud alert! We got a tip from @PitchingAFit that there are some shady dealings afoot, including Enso not providing updates to those who have bought this thing. The eBay listings for the company have all disappeared and, well, some folks are getting worried. At this point we'd strongly advise against ordering one of these suckers until Enso clarifies the situation. There's a little more info on the current situation over at Multimediawerld.be.
[Thanks, Corey]
"Moyea Demo, Moyea Demo, Moyea Demo" -- You don't say?
@snoxie
I had to stop watching the video because of that.
@snoxie What you fail to realize is that Moyea Demo means "buy me" in Japanese and this is their failed attempt at subliminal messaging.
@snoxie
f**king annoying
@grydlok Never heard of a mute button, eh?
@snoxie
I actually got hooked on listening to that.
@snoxie Giggity.
@snoxie
Now someone tell me why I need this again...
@durangojim
YVAN EHT NIOJ YVAN EHT NIOJ
@durangojim Not so subliminal. :p
@grydlok
But does it have USB and can it get 4g with a Clear usb-modem??
@Slvrgun
Yeah - I've NEVER wanted a tablet -- cheap Android or otherwise.
I will say that once the whole tablet / ebook reader / super picture frame thing results in a sub-$100 tablet with "sensible" specs (whatever that may be), I MIGHT get one as a novelty.
But wanted or needed? Nope.
@snoxie
Sweet Lord, get 2.0 on this fella and mount it in the dash, ultimate head unit!
@snoxie The smakit s7 is better the only bad thing about it is that it only plays 720 p and and it's 7 inch but before it comes out this summer it will have android 2.1!!!! And it has 2 USB ports with hdmi on it's dock plus I bet it'll be better than this thing plus i bet it wont be too much ether since its a MID not a tablet this thing is a MID too anyways and has tegra 2
@snoxie Pretty cool because of the price and not of the specs, although, if you have some money, I think you can resort to the mini 5 (as the post suggested) Reactions: http://bit.ly/dellmini-five-impressions
Omg. This is the last nail in the iPad's coffin.
@barac Probably, it's pretty small though. A great start though if it's shipping. I'll be interested to watch it's reliability at this price.
@barac
Lol! If you say so..
@barac
iPad, WePad, ZenPad... Make it stop!!!
@barac Wouldnt it make more sense to compare it to the Dell Mini5?
Comparing everything to the iPad just seems to come off as "I hate Apple" more than interesting or constructive forethought.
@barac
I'm getting a 3g ipad. And there's no doubt I'd probably get this ALSO. There's no need to settle on just 1 tablet. iPad for the solid apps, interface, and user base, and then this one for mucking around with. Personally I think this sounds like a GPS killer more than anything else. Lots of possibilities there
apple lawsuit!
@barac Lol your an idiot
@lespaul85 Me likes also... Especially the price... Hack to 2.1 gets Google maps with nav features and I am sold...
@dxdragon
and plug it into the car stereo and you can use it to play music - while running nav at the same time!
@(Unverified) Only two of those Pads are ones that I'm looking into buying. Can you guess which?
I'm sure someone's got somethin to say about the bevel ^_^
what about the iPad ? can some brilliant mind on this forum say it compares to the iPad ? :-p
@phearme
But it's the year of the bezel. Like there was the year of the flares.
Oh i remember when bezels were so in, I had a bank of Hansol or something, man those bezels they could take post it notes and everything!
They come in squares, like a monitor with flares, and can take out the neighbours dog! It's bezel! Bezel! Bezel!
/end ren and stimpy flash back
DO. WANT.
@InspectorEngadget Call me when an Android tablet can actually scroll without a 1/4 second of lag.
At that price, it looks like something I'd consider having just for the heck of it.
@erickh Thats what I was thinking. I wish it was android 2.1 but I wonder if you can put custom ROMs like the phones
@erickh Yep. But then I read this once the site finally came up. Ugh, sounds like resistive touchscreen!
# The touchcreen has a fast response and works smoothly both with fingers and stylus control
# The Stylus is included, and stored unobtrusively in a special small hole carved in the back of the device
@patsy Ugh, yeah I see that now. I was trying to figure out what type of screen it was. Now I am a lot less interested... Sigh.
If this thing's screen was 9 or 10 inches it would be ordered NOW.
You know what I am going to be in a month?
An Android developer.
@blland I just installed the android dev tools, nice and simple to dive into.
@blland
When can we begin our orders? Some apps are sorely needed in that marketplace.
@blland So... Broke?
It looks slow and not as snappy! And why a 5" screen?
@mplaisance That's why it's cheap. Not a totally bad piece of kit, I would shove this in my kids hands(if i were a father).
5"screen?, Android 1.6?
"let's throw something together and see if it'll sell"
Android 1.6 is a deal breaker. With 2.1's Navi this would be a decently priced Carputer.
@CT
Totally. I have no idea what any manufacturer is thinking using anything except 2.1 at this point.
A device can have the best specs in the world, and if it's not 2.1 no sale from me. More and more of the cool software out there seems to be 2.1+ only.
@CT
Not to muddy the water with facts, but 1.6 does google maps with Navi just fine. 1.5 is the only release with out navigation.
@manekineko2
From what I've read, it often takes months to optimize and test a version of a mobile OS for a new device. 1.6 was probably the newest version of Android when they started working on this tablet.
The only exceptions are the times when Google has worked closely with a manufacturer (G1, Droid, Nexus One).
@hated one
Revolutionary AND magical! You forgot the most important!
I was wrong, it actually means "Magical and Revolutionary"
Apart from the annoying woman talking over the video ..
This thing bores me already .. Stock Android on a mini Tablet ..
Exciting ? No !
The Price is though ..
LOL, they already got /.ed (or should that be engadgeted?):
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