Verizon Ellipsis Tablet Review

Verizon Ellipsis Tablet Review

Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: Good form factor and speedy enough. It could use longer battery life and some more memory.

Verizon recently lent me one of their Ellipsis tablets for review and I spent several weeks toting it around and using it in a wide variety of situations. At the onset, I’ll note that I’ve found Verizon wireless to be very speedy, and available in 4G everywhere I have travelled.

I won’t bore you with the litany of specs that you can find on any of a dozen tech geek websites. Instead, I’d like to offer my impressions as a writer and reader.

The best thing about the Ellipsis is its size. At 7 inches, it is easier on the eyes than a phone, but much more portable than my 10 inch Samsung Note. I could actually tuck it into the outer pocket of my well-worn tweed sport coat and not look like a gadget toting geek (although I perhaps look like a geeky professor anyway).

My main interest in a tablet is as a consumer of media. To support the blogs I write (Golfblogger, as well as MiniatureWargaming dot Com ) , I make extensive use of the Feedly RSS reader service. My reading list runs to hundreds of sites, so I found it incredibly useful to be able to scan headlines and read articles wherever I roamed.

The 7 inch form factor is the perfect size for ebook reading as well. My 10-inch Samsung Note is really too large to comfortably hold for book reading. I still prefer my Nook e-ink reader, but in the name of just hauling around one device, the Ellipsis is a good median.

Finally, I found the device great for viewing video. With my home wifi connection, I was able to stream HBOGO and other DirectTv services right to my working desk. The speakers are fine for my use, and it is plenty fast in rendering video.

As a blogger, I also found the tablet good for writing. I paired it with my Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard  and was able to bang out a couple of articles while waiting for my son’s violin lesson to finish.

It was also good for keeping up with the email mountain I face daily. I love the idea of email on the run.

Ultimately, there’s nothing I like better than a device which allows me to make more efficient use of my time. I hate downtime.

I have two small quibbles with the tablet. First, I would have liked the battery life to be longer. And second, the 8GB of storage was tight. I think you have to balance that against the price, though. You can get one for $50 on a two year agreement.