Mintpad MID First-Impressions: Surprisingly Capable

We're still harboring a soft-spot for mintpass' mintpad MID, so it's relieving to hear that the first English-modified units are meeting with approval.  Pocketables shared their unboxing earlier this week, and now it's time for some first-impressions.  The mintpad's 1.3-megapixel camera is proving surprisingly capable, as is the browser (despite not being fully translated yet) and the QVGA screen may be small at 2.86-inches but it's still highly readable.

Build-quality, responsiveness and file support continue to satisfy, while the mono speaker is loud and clear.  Fans of Windows CE – and we're sure there are some out there – will be pleased to hear that the mintpad is compatible with apps for the Microsoft platform, so there's flexibility in what you can run.  Flash support in the browser is a nice touch (especially when you look at the number of smartphones that can't do this) and audio quality is decent.

On the downside, there are no hardware volume controls, the browser lacks an on-screen keyboard so far, and the rotation-sensor is underused.  Still, these things might change when the final English firmware release arrives at the end of the month.

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