Budget tablets running Android software are still available

If you have been thinking about getting upgraded to your first 7-inch tablet, there are plenty of options that do not include the Google Nexus 7 or the iPad Mini from Apple.  Typically, those devices are priced a little higher than others because you are getting premium hardware with the product, but there are a few companies that have developed entry level, Android powered devices that are also affordable for everyone.  The Amazon Kindle Fire HD is another option if you are looking for a decent tablet that is reasonably priced, but there are others as well.

The HP Slate 7 is one of those devices that showed up on the market with hopes of stealing a little bit of that valuable market share from the Google Nexus 7 with a device that is priced at just $142.99.  Just by judging on the price, you know the company has had to skimp on features and hardware to get the price that low and because of that it does not compare to the Nexus 7 from this year.  Specs for the HP Slate 7 include a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory 3MP camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Another affordable device that you might not have thought about, mainly because it does not appear in the news much, is the Nook HD+ from Barnes and Noble.  Similar to the Kindle Fire from Amazon, the Nook HD+ is operating on a over customized version of the Android operating system, but the Nook HD+ recently got access to the Google Play store along with a price drop.  Specs include a dual-core processor 9-inch display, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microSD card slot and support for HDMI.

Another device at least comes from a company that knows what they are doing and actually produced the first Nexus 7 tablet.  The ASUS MeMO Pad HD tablet starts at just $129 and even though the hardware cannot be as impressive as the Nexus 7, but with a price tag about $100 less it can be compared in a few ways.  The ASUS MeMO Pad HD comes with its own user interface and extra features that include Movie Studio and Power Saver.  Specs include the 7-inch display, a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of memory, microSD card slot, a 5MP camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.