Regardless of the Asus Memo Pad ME172V's attractively low $149 price, you shouldn't buy it. Its performance is slow, it crashes when attempting to play some of the latest games, and the narrow viewing angle and low resolution of the screen make it look like a hologram sticker placeholder rather than a quality screen with solid colors.
Asus Memo Pad ME172V
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The Memo Pad does include a microSD slot, something the Nexus 7 (also manufactured by Asus) doesn’t have; however, even at $50 more, the Nexus 7 is clearly the better product. It’s faster, includes the very latest version of Android, and its sharp screen can be viewed from nearly any angle -- not something the Memo Pad can claim.
The ME172V is aimed at people looking to save a few bucks on their tablet purchase, but the budget-conscious would be better served by biting the bullet and paying more for the Nexus 7 (or even the $159 Kindle Fire), rather than saving a few bucks and regretting their purchase.
Design and features
The Asus Memo Pad ME172V could easily be mistaken for the Nexus 7. Asus makes each tablet, so it's not surprising that they're of very similar design. They're about the same size, although the Memo is slightly heavier and not quite as thin. Aesthetically, the Memo is missing the silver highlight trim around its screen, and instead of a smooth, comfortable backside like the Nexus 7's, the Memo has a bumpy, rather unpleasant-feeling posterior texture.
The Memo Pad is only 0.4 pound heavier, but since its weight doesn’t appear to be distributed as evenly, it feels noticeably heftier. Also, given that most small tablets place their power and volume buttons along the right edge, having them run along the left edge instead, as they do here, feels awkward. The Memo Pad just doesn't hit the same comfort highs that the Nexus 7 easily nails.