In the market for a media tablet that offers plenty of spec bang for your bucks, comes preloaded with a spate of useful apps and is backed by an extensive warranty? Tarsus’ Onyx Calypso 9.7 tablet definitely fits the bill.

The Onyx Calypso 9.7 tablet is housed within a protective aluminium shell that measures 245 x 185 x 86 mm and weighs 589 g, making it lighter than the new iPad and as portable as the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity. Users access this tablet’s features via its 9.7" (1024 x 768) capacitive ten-point multitouch IPS LCD touchscreen, which together with the tablet’s built-in stereo speakers, delivers an enhanced movie viewing and web browsing experience over smaller 7" form factors.

ICS runs the mobile OS show

The Onyx Calypso 9.7 operates on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) straight out of the box, with performance determined by its single-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. Users receive 16 GB onboard storage and can expand upon this via a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32 GB in size. The Onyx comes preloaded with more than 20 applications to start off with, including an eBook reader, PDF reader, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and Documents To Go, which enables users to edit and view Office documents.

In terms of ports the Wi-Fi-enabled (802.11b/g/n, 3G version also available) Calypso 9.7 sports a mini- and micro-USB port, 3.5 mm audio jack, and HDMI port allowing users to showcase their movies and high-resolution photos on an HDTV or monitor. In addition, users are also able to record voice notes via the built-in microphone, record video via the 2 MP rear-facing camera and capture self-portrait photos or make video calls via the 2 MP front-facing snapper.

To the point

The Onyx Calypso 9.7 goes for a recommended retail price of R3190 for the Wi-Fi only version, and R3990 for the unit with built-in 3G. This includes a two year warranty and one year TAG (Tarsus Accident Guard) cover. The latter is a warranty extension that not only covers this tablet for accidental damage, but also provides cover for costs resulting from identity theft or viruses and malware. For more info contact Spirit Data Solutions 011-781-6992 or visit the Onyx tablet site at www.onyxtablets.co.za.