Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source. It’s a full-blown Android-powered display that can be used for several purposes. It’s not the most powerful tablet in the world, but that’s not the point. It’s large, well-built, and ready for action.
The stand on this display is solid and versatile.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
After I had the display up and running, I decided I was going to do something fun and install the minimal Olancher home screen launcher, just to be different. The launcher installed perfectly, and I found it to be well-suited for the tablet. In fact, I found the minimal launcher made the device perform faster, which comes as no surprise given its lightweight nature.
With that taken care of, I ran the display through the gauntlet of apps, such as YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, Keep Notes, and more. Everything performed well, and having the larger display made interacting with them even better than on a phone. Take Keep Notes, for example. Using it on the large screen in the kitchen was great for managing shopping lists and to-dos.
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I didn’t bother installing any games because most of the ones I play require using both hands, and this display is far too large to hold. I could have used the included mouse, but the batteries it came with were dead. My curiosity did get the best of me, so I installed Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition to see how well it would play.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that the game played smoothly, and the size of the display made it far easier to enjoy than when venturing forth on a quest using a phone or smaller tablet. Even the sound felt more immersive.
This is fun.
Of course, the device isn’t all about fun and games. When using it as a productivity tool, it was quite nice. I would say, however, that if you want to do much in the way of typing, you’ll want to purchase a Bluetooth keyboard because typing on a 25″ display is not exactly efficient.
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As far as the camera is concerned, it’s fairly basic, but it does well with Zoom and other video chat apps. The only issue you’ll have to deal with is that it doesn’t perform well in low-light situations. Because of that, you might want to invest in a ring light or just make sure you have plenty of ambient light (natural light is your friend). As long as you don’t expect high-definition images, you’ll be fine.
Everything else about this 25-inch Android display was all good. I felt it was a great addition to my home and was able to use it for several scenarios. In fact, while writing this review, I watched Ozzy Osbourne’s Live at Budokan concert and found it to be quite good (although the resolution was nearly that of my MacBook or desktop monitors). The sound, on the other hand, was huge. Anything above 50% was far too loud for my kitchen.
in several rooms for several different purposes.
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