Sony VAIO Tap 20: a day with the world’s biggest tablet

Nicole Kobie December 4, 2012

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Steve Jobs famously said a 7in tablet was too small — but for some, even a 10in like the iPad is a touch too tiny.

The assortment of 7in tablets are perfect for average people with normal hands, but while the rest of us consider whether the Nexus 7’s portability is more useful than the iPad, monstrously large people — such as 6ft 5in man-mountain Mike Jennings, PC Pro’s senior staff writer — are left prodding at minuscule icons with their sausage-like fingers.

With hands three times the size of my child-like ones, Mike needs a tablet three times the size of a piddling Nexus 7 or wee Kindle Fire. And now there is one: Sony’s VAIO Tap 20.

Strictly speaking, this is a 20in touchscreen all-in-one, not a tablet. However, Sony cleverly included a battery and fold-in stand, allowing the VAIO Tap 20 to be moved away from the mains (for a short while, at least) and laid flat, so the kids can fingerpaint in an art app, for example.

For giants such as Mike this may very well be the perfect antidote to tiny tablets, so we took it out for a stroll to test its real world potential. And to get stared at in public.

Not only is there no 3G, but the VAIO Tap 20’s 5.2kg weight is a bit heavier than a road atlas of London, if not the entire UK. On the other hand, it attracts enough attention you’ll easily be able to ask for directions. However, finding a bag that fits the monster (the Tap 20, not Mike) wasn’t easy.

Games are great fun on the massive display — but you might need an additional table for your coffee.

Downside: the reading experience isn’t ideal. Upside: it’s great for upper body strength. (Not that Mike lacks that.)

Your photos will display lovely and large…

…but with only a front-facing camera, it’s not ideal for snapping shots on the go.

Thankfully, the Tube wasn’t too crowded — but if it were, the VAIO Tap 20’s large enough to be wielded as a weapon, as one curious onlooker pointed out, so you should always be able to get a seat…