Storage Options Scroll 7

The Scroll is a small tablet PC that uses the Android operating system. Its 7in widescreen display is smaller than those of the others in our round-up but the size also makes it easy to slip the unit into a large pocket. We've seen better screens on tablet computers, but it was usable.

Generally we've been unimpressed with cheap tablets because they skimp on processing power which makes them irritating to use. The Scroll, though, uses a 1GHz processor similar to most of the others here. It was a little slow to start up, and occasionally we had to press a button a couple of times before it registered.

It doesn't have a memory card reader but USB storage devices can be plugged in, and it has an HDMI socket for attaching a flat-panel TV. It connects to wireless networks but not the mobile network, so you are limited to internet access where there's a wireless connection. The 2GB storage is small – if you are watching high-definition video you will need to attach more storage.

It uses an older version of Android, 2.3, which is designed for phones rather than tablets, and there are some omissions: there's no icon to access the Android Market and download apps, and instead there is access to a different ‘SlideME' marketplace that includes several apps for free and paid-for download, though the selection was unimpressive.

We were able to access the main Android Market and download some apps from there but while some worked, others such as the popular Angry Birds game, didn't.

Otherwise the tablet includes apps for accessing the web, email, calendars, music, Youtube videos and more, which worked well, though the web browser was quite flaky and crashed a lot. The camera isn't great – for any kind of serious purpose it's not good enough, but most tablets have the same problem.

Overall, we would be happier spending some more money and getting a faster, smoother experience from the Motorola Xoom. But actually for £200 the Storage Options Scroll isn't bad at all, if you're willing to put up with the occasional slowness and lack of apps.

Note that there are two 7in Scroll versions on sale – the one we reviewed has part number 52577. An older model has a slower processor and cheaper screen. The model we reviewed has a list price of £200 and is on sale for £170.