ASUS MeMO Pad Pro Reviews

The Asus MeMO Pad ME172V is a solid low-cost Android tablet for less demanding users, with reliable performance for lighter tasks like Web browsing and media consumption.

If you’re looking for a 7 inch tablet with a decent screen, a zippy processor, and the ability to run most apps, buy the Google Nexus 7. While the Nexus 7 doesn’t have a microSD card slot or a rear-facing camera, it’s faster, easier to look at, and in my opinion feels better in your hands than the Asus MeMO Pad 7. If you really want a rear camera and microSD card slot, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) is a good option.There are plenty of other choices in the small tablet space, including models from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Samsung, and Chinese device makers such as Hyundai. Most of those devices offer a better user experience than the MeMO Pad ME172V. It’s nice to see companies trying to offer dirt cheap tablets. But the MeMO Pad ME172V isn’t enough cheaper than the competition to justify the compromises Asus made with this tablet. I could live with the relatively slow processor, but in 2013, I’d have a hard time recommending anyone spend money on a tablet that doesn’t have an IPS or similar display with wide viewing angles.

Don’t let its $150 cost fool you, just because it fulfills that age old adage of “you get what you pay for.” Sure it’s cheap, but there’s good reason for that. Naturally, its outdated specs and low-res display make it extremely obviously, but its molasses slow performance makes the experience extremely unbearable at times – justifying that cheap is cheap. Still, if you’re the kind of person with a lot of patience, you might not mind its arduous performance, but if not, stay far away from this. Somehow, it might end up being thrown across the room due to frustration.

At $149 for 16GB of storage, the Asus Memo Pad ME172V is clearly targeted at budget-minded users. However, I think those users would be better served paying more for Asus' (and Google's) current crown jewel, the Nexus 7. There’s no microSD slot on the Nexus 7, but you won’t have problems playing the latest games, either. Also, the Nexus 7’s faster performance and high screen quality more than make up for the extra $50. If you absolutely must go sub-$200, the Kindle Fire (2012) with its 7-inch IPS screen, will easily meet your media consumption needs.