If you are looking for an Android tablet, you are probably confronted with an avalanche of options. Almost every major electronics manufacturer has joined the race to create an internet tablet with Android. To further add to the confusion, there are currently several versions of Android on the market, each manufacturer choosing the version that is best suited for their device. But Google regularly updates Android, which means that you can be stuck with an old version and miss out the better performance and the additional features offered by the latest iterations of Android. Not to mention the coolest new apps.

Many Android tablets use the 2.2 version of the Android operating system, codenamed Froyo. If we exclude Gingerbread, which was launched less than a month ago and has not yet been rolled out in significant numbers, Froyo is the most recent version of Android to equip mobile phones and tablets. Froyo was launched in May 2010 and features a number of improvements over its predecessor, 2.1 or Éclair.

The most significant improvements are:

• a general increase in the speed and stability of the OS

• an improved application launcher with a more intuitive shortcut system

• better integration with Exchange servers and syncing with calendars and contacts stored on such servers, a feature which is addressed to those who use capacitive Android tablets in a professional environment

• USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality.

Along these major improvements, Froyo is also updated in many other less conspicuous aspects, which contributes to the general performance of the Internet Android tablet. A number of capacitive Android tablets that run Froyo are available on the market, from manufacturers such as Samsung, Archos, and Dell. The best known is probably the Samsung Galaxy Tab, launched at the beginning of September 2010. You can also find Android tablets from less known manufacturers. Be cautious, nevertheless. When a new version is released for Android the update is not applied automatically. Instead, manufacturers choose when to update the OS, which they do at their own convenience. This means that if you make the mistake to purchase an Android tablet that operates on an older version than Froyo, you might have to wait a long time before you can benefit from the better performance and new features of Froyo.

The best approach is to carefully study the product before buying any internet tablet with Android. Look for reviews and specifications on the internet or ask the sales representative what specific version of Android is running on the tablet. In this way you'll avoid purchasing a device running on an outdated operating system and instead you will enjoy the superior experience offered by Froyo.