If you can’t beat Apple’s iPad, change the rules of the game. Amazon and Barnes & Noble are taking a bath on sales of the $199 Kindle Fire and the $249 Nook Tablet, respectively, and making up for it with profits on sales of electronic merchandise (e-books, videos, music, and apps). The strategy has succeeded in moving a lot of hardware, with each company on track to sell millions of units (although the ratio of Kindle Fire to Nook Tablet sales is greatly in Amazon’s favor so far). Both tablets feature nearly identical 7-inch, 1024x600 LCDs and rely on Wi-Fi for connectivity. Which should tempt you away from the high-end tablets? Only a bloody-knuckled deathmatch will tell.At first glance, the ViewPad 7 looks like an iPad 4 that’s been taking injections of gadget growth hormone. Like the latest iPhone, ViewSonic’s tablet has rounded-off edges, a handsome metal band skirting its circumference, and a glossy black backing plate. From an industrial design perspective, it’s the slickest Android tablet we’ve tested. And, while the ViewPad 7 easily bests the Dell Streak and lesser Android tablets from a real-world use perspective, it falls short of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and lags far behind the iPad.
