Wow, the tablet market is moving like a rocket, both in terms of price and specifications. Think back a mere 12 months ago and the only low cost tablets you could get were nasty tacky models with unresponsive resistive touchscreens, anemic processors which could barely cope with web browsing and all the style of a plastic brick (no offence Mr Leg0). But not any more.

The deal has changed, big time. Take this ONDA V701 Dual Core 7 Inch Tablet PC. It comes with an ARM dual core 1.5 GHz processor, Android 4.0.3, 1GB of RAM (an important improvement!) and 8GB of storage on board. It accepts microSD up to 32GB for additional storage, has a 5 point capacitive touchscreen, a front camera and microphone for video calls, and supports 3G cellular dongles for wireless roaming. Oh and did we mention high speed WiFi b/g/n and a run time of up to 7 hours?

A quick look at the video shows it to be very responsive indeed (look at how fast the photos scroll through on the gallery) and although the form factor is not as sleek as the top brands, it’s got a lovely clear touchscreen. But by far the most impressive thing about this device is the fact that they’re selling it for $87.99 (£54.06) or two for $85.00 (with $12.50 shipping).

If you’re in the market for a tablet computer to use for general use, and you’re not a fashion junky, why pay upwards of $400 for a tablet with the same spec? Quality control? Really? Are the branded products four times better quality? Answers on a generic motherboard please…