Camangi WebStation fails to impress, is Android right for these devices?

Google Android is the talk of the town on the smartphone platform, but is also appearing on web tablets and netbooks. The first tablet was the Archos 5 Internet Tablet that most people are finding substandard. The next device we see people getting their hands-on is the Camangi WebStation and again most people are unimpressed with this $400 Android tablet. Google Android is really optimized for the smartphone and we are seeing it doesn't appear to be as flexible as we once thought at going across form factors. It could be that the specifications are not optimized for this form factor as manufacturers try to keep the price down.

Dan and Judie both pre-orderd the Camangi WebStation and posted their first thoughts in a joint article on Gear Diary. Judie seems to like it more than Dan, but both agree the build quality is excellent. Judie particularly likes the support for eReader books. They have only spent a day or so with it so we'll keep an eye out as they get to spend more time with the device.

Other reviews and conclusions include the following:

• Laptop Magazine: "So far, our first impressions are mixed."
• Tommorowland.com: "The unit is basically a digital picture frame loaded with a cell phone..."

The device is loaded with a Marvell 624 MHz process like we saw years ago on Windows Mobile Pocket PC devices. It seems that this processor is what is making the experience rather uninspiring. Will we continue to see manufacturers trying to come up with acceptable Google Android products? With Windows 7 and Linux netbooks running at or below these prices, is there really a need for devices like this?