The new Archos G9 tablets were set to follow on in the footsteps of their successful predecessors, with the 80 G9 and the 101 G9 tipped for success off of the back of the older Archos 70 and Archos 101 tablets.

Although 10.1 inches seems to be a popular choice for the majority of tablet manufacturers (which the Archos 101 G9 measures at) as well as consumers, there are still people calling out for something slightly more portable, whilst still being bigger than 7″ tablets such as the PlayBook or the new Kindle Fire.

8.9″ tablets are not something brand new that Archos have brought to the market with the Archos 80 G9 tablet, with Samsung previously releasing – and still selling – the Galaxy Tab 8.9, but the Archos 80 G9 is proving to be extremely popular for a number of reasons.

1) Portability – Being over an inch smaller than most tablets, the Archos 80 G9 is lightweight and easy to carry around.

2) Cost – The decisive factor in a lot of people’s decision to go for a tablet. At less than £200 ($320) the tablet won’t have too much of an impact on your pocket.

3) OS – Yes, it isn’t running the latest version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich) but it is running Honeycomb, a damn good Operating System.

4) Design – It’s undeniable that this is a cool looking tablet. Its sleek curves and built-in stand make it one of the best looking tablets around.

So, with all this in mind – is the Archos 80 G9 the perfect tablet solution?

This is a guest post written by Luke Jordan. Luke works for GearZap.com, one of the UK’s leading online electronic accessory retailers that sell items such as a Samsung Galaxy Note case and a range of Kindle accessories.