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Hi peeps been looking around at the android tablets on the market and wondering if i should take the plunge?.Thought i would ask here as you guys probably have more experiance than most.Can you recomend a couple?, i'm not looking to spend a fortune just want something that covers most bases and doesnt struggle to run the usual suspects.HDMI out would be a plus but any ideas you can offer or just give me ideas on what not to buy.Any helps good, thanx in advance.
I have a smoldering interest in a tablet as well but I will continue to hold off as my Lenovo X61t and Windows Phone compliment each other pretty well and I don't "need" one.
However, I have taken note of the Archos' that were just released. The general feeling is that they feel cheap in build quality but the price and performance is right there. This is engadgets take on the two tablets they have.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/
I have used the Samsung Galaxy S and it is a nice device. Gotta be honest though, nothing seems to be "more complete than the ipad", just in terms of docks, jailbreaking, best apps, etc.
There are so many 'knock offs' in this category, let us know what you find!
I agree in the upset front, it's a great piece of kit but I refuse to spend that kind if money. Have found plenty of cheap ones, and I don't mind the price tag but most are just a bit gutless lol. But yeah likewise bring the info if you find something good.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Back again, on the subject off cheapo knock off tablets have you seen the a-ok pad lol now don't laugh. I could be persuaded to gamble on something as (shall we say rough) if it ticked the right boxes. Anybody heard if them? Any horror stories?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Buying a new tablet
I'm in the market for a tablet, and have taken my sweet time for the last 3 months researching and looking for the best one to buy. I've done my fair share of research and now i'm asking you: Should I buy the ASUS Transformer Prime with the dock, od should i wait for samsung/htc/moto/lenovo/acer... next-gen tablet? My fear is you see, that I'll buy The Prime, and that it won't be supported by some software develeopers, and left out in the cold with some apps, or not on par with the next-gen 2012 tablets. I want the best hardware specs, possible future windows 8 compatibility, preferably tegra device, 3g isn't a must, nor GPS but preferred. I don't mind waiting for a few more months since this would be my first tablet, wich i don't really need. NO IOS/IPad talk please, android tablet only (but like i said, with a possibility of win8 in the future). Any reasonable advice is more than welcome, and thank you all very much in advance!
IIRC Asus Prime will begin getting ICS/4.0 Jan 12th.
With that said, I would definitely play around with one before buying. Numerous reported issues that can't really be fixed through OTA's or software. (GPS, WIFI, light bleed, glass/screen loose from rest of tab).
Typical Asus if you ask me, crapshoot on quality.
Also depends on what you want in a tab. If you don't really want to play around/mod/customize then I think the Ipad 2 or hold out a couple of months for an Ipad 3 would be your best bet.
If you have to have an Android you have one of two options. Wait for more quad core tabs to be released, or start looking at what's available now.
Samsung 7.0 Plus is probably the best out for 7"ers.
For the 10"ers it's a toss up right now. Galaxy Tab 10.1 has good support, decent performance, light, easy to hold, good screen, great speakers (for a tab). It's cons to me are the Tegra 2 isn't up to snuff with Honeycomb OS.
The HP Touchpad is a great buy for the OS and specs, and can also be ported to Android (Still need to play with one)
Asus Transformer TF101 is also a good buy but again a crapshoot on quality but can be had for a good price.
The new Moto Xyboards are getting good reviews but they are overpriced for what they are, are only sold through VZW and were "technically" outdated before they were even released. Also locked bootloaders are never fun if flashing kernels are your thing.
Right now I'm looking at getting another tab so I guess you could say I'm in the same boat as you. I have an OG Galaxy Tab 7 on the way b/c I got it cheaper than cheap and just wanna play with it.
Considering picking up an 8" Xyboard also.
ETA: I probably won't pick up a Xyboard however until they come down in price or a WiFi only version is offered.
The SGT 7.7 also sounds promising. Decisions decisions.
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like I said I never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The things I'm worried hardware-wise are: the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
Now you may laugh at this seeing your sig, but in my mobile history (25+ phones) the worst were accually motorolas (v3 being the worst of the lot, but than again A925 was more than excellent) I'm not so fond of HP either, last month i sold my DV6 3020em, (that's the i7 touchscreen version for Europe since i'm european), and i can say it was utter rubbish, overheating, shoddy build quality, squeaky, noisy fans, you name it... That's why I sold it, but it had a touchscreen which was more than handy, and that's why i want a tablet, I just might look a bit more into the HP touchpad after all.
Acer is great quality for it's price, really great. But I only had Acer's laptops, and the Iconia tablet is as ugly as a bullfrog from chernobyl, so I wouldn't want one.
Tf101 is ugly too by my standards, too big as well, but the looks aren't so important if it was an excellent performer, which none of the now available androids are compared to The Prime (at least not on honeycomb).
I played with samsung 8.9 a few days ago and I can report is't a great little device, thin, capable, satisfying all in all, but i'd like a bigger screen, and a real keyboard and it's not a tegra device (I play a lot of games so i'd like the tegra zone, as chainfire's plugins don't support all tegra tweaked games)
Now I do like to install a new ROM every few weeks on my SGSII but i srsly don't think that will be the case on a tablet (except Win 8, when it comes out).
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
cavkic said:
First of all, thank you for the fast and torough reply... And yes, sweet sweet decisions
I forgot to say that I'm in the market for a 10" minimum tablet, don't want smthng smaller 'cause i allready have an SGSII so I'm covered for mobility.
As for ASUS's build quality, like i said i never owned a tablet so I definately will try out/play with one for a couple of hours before purchasing, and watch out for the screen bleed on an ips display. But currently most of my pc's componens (2xmobo, 2xgraphic cards, and a lappy) are ASUS made and i must say i'm more than satisfied with them, and as I recall, when I was buying my SGSII there was talk about screen burn-in, overheating and wifi problems too, but I haven't had a single one with my device. Besides that, I don't really need GPS or 3g in a tablet so it's not a dealbreaker with me on The Prime.
The problem is: I wouldn't buy any other tablet now existing in the market, mostly because of the Tegra3 chipset The Prime has, so if I'm paying a hi-end device (around 700$) i want the latest and fastest performer in the ring. And yes, in my book that is android only, as i find apple's devices a bit limiting sometimes (without any fanboyism, I come from a long line of iphones before my android). The only thing I'm worried hardware-wise is the amount and speed of Prime's RAM (1gb od ddr2), possible wifi signal problems, screen bleed, and that it's topheavy when docked (a minor thing really). I love that it has a full USB 2.0 port, so you don't need a jack/ adapter of some kind (e.g. like on a SGSII microUSB to full USB). Not really worried about the one speaker layout eather, altough i was a bit dissapointed since the TF101 had a stereo layout, but still, not a dealbreaker (hey, it's still a tablet)...
So i guess the question remains: should i wait for Samsung's next gen 10.1 answer or just go with the prime now
P.S. sorry for my poor english
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Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
littleemp said:
Don't jump the gun on the Prime until stock has settled in, right now retailers are price gouging due to low availability. The Prime should be $500 for the 32GB, $600 for the 64GB, not $650-700 for the 32GB.
I have a Transformer and an Iconia Tab A100, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the build quality isn't nearly as bad as the above poster is making it out to be. I actually like the finish on both the original Transformer and the Iconia series a lot, and the Prime seems to be a winner also. Another thing to consider for both ASUS and Acer is that they keep their Android releases relatively 'vanilla' except for a few bloatware-type apps of their own, unlike Samsung and HTC, who just can't help themselves but smear TouchWiz and Sense over everything they produce.
The only real reported issue with the Prime appears to be the GPS accuracy, but at least to me, it's a non-issue, since I disable GPS and bluetooth on everything.
The Windows 8 bit is yet to be seen, porting a device to another OS is something you can hope, but never hold your breath for. We've yet to see how Windows 8 distribution is going to work and remember that even if you do install Windows 8 down the road, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to run all windows-based programs, since mobile devices use ARM CPUs, and everything written for windows right now is made for x86 CPUs, so it will be up to each third party to rewrite their programs for compatibility.
Although I would never write out a company with pockets as deep as microsoft, they have proven time and time again that they are unable to compete in the mobile segment, so I don't see Windows 8 with as much hope and awe as many others do. (Especially since Ice Cream Sandwich is the first Android iteration we can really call "excellent")
TL;DR - If you can find a Prime for a decent price, then it's an amazing device to be had for a very reasonable price. If you plan on waiting, then checking out the upcoming Iconia A700 isn't a bad idea either if the dock isn't that important to you.
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Click to collapse
Tnx for the reply, and I have to say I think you misunderstood me. I don't think I said anything bad about acer's or asus's build quality just HP's (and only the perticular model of the DV6 I had), just that they're a bit on the ugly side, but that's totally a subjective stand, and irrelevant to anybody else.
As far as Prime's price goes, it should be available in Croatia, about 2hrs drive from my home in 10days for less than 700$ with the dock for the 32gig version, which is not a bad pricetag considering where I live, and I'm ready to give that kind of money for it. The dock is accually something i like about the Transformer, and it would probbably be a dead heat between TF101 just because of the dock) and the Sammy 10.1 if it weren't for the prime.
GPS, like I said, I don't mind. The SGSII has a great GPS reciever which i hardly ever use, maybe 6 times since i got it in july.
As far as ARM windows goes, I know what to expect from it , nothing special, but it would be nice to have that option when it's available
So you are happy with the TF101 and the Iconia? But would you recommend buying now the Prime if I'm happy with the price? I should mention I probbably won't buy it before ICS, and I'll try to get a hold of a stock ICS one when it's out after Jan. 12. because I want to make sure i missed the first version shipment
I believe you about Motorola. Until my Droid X I have ALWAYS hated Motorola. I never had a phone that worked right after some wear and tear and always had problems. From before smartphones thru the Droid 1, 2, and 3. (Went through multiples of those). I'm also a Samsung and HTC fan.
I've never had a problem with Asus computer components myself, w/ that said, there are quite a few complaints when it comes to the TF201 on quality. With that said, you, as I'm sure you do, have to take into account the dissatisfied ones are always going to moan and groan much more and louder than the happy customer.
I guess I just wish it was like cars when it comes to Tablets and would love for them to let me take the exact tab I'm looking to buy for a test drive. (Not leave the store but just open the box and get a good look at it and test everything to make sure I'm getting what my hard earned money is paying for).
I really want a TF201, but I'm going to wait til a few more Tegra 3 tabs come out. I really think Motorola would have hit a homerun if they would have put a quad core in their Xyboards and kept the price what they're charging now.
The three tabs I'm really torn between right now are the Xyboard 8.2, TF201, and Samsung 7.0 Plus. But man we are so close to seeing quad core as the new standard for tabs so the other part of me just wants to sit it out and wait.
So true what you said about the sitting and waiting for the quad core as the new standard, but on the other hand, HOW BAD DO WE WANT ONE!?!
Personally for me it's no competition between the Prime and other tablets, the Prime is just on another planet.
This morning the store answered my email saying that the Prime will be available mid january (in about 10 days) and said that maybe they could reserve one for me because of the small supply, but said the price may be different depending on the usd/euro stocks, but under 700$ for the 32gig version with dock...
Still I'm not planning on buying one before a test drive like you said (mostly to check for screen bleed). And yes, I took into account the moaners which is true like you said again...
I think I wathched every single review/comparison of the tablet on youtube, and read at least 10 reviews online, and it's all mostly positive.
I'll update as soon as i get my hands on a test one, hopefully in about 10 days.
Back in the day (2004, that is) somebody asked me why I had such a big phone. Back then I had the HTC Blue Angel,touchscreen was a niche market and 3G was a nasty rumour. Nowadays, theres the tablet, as much as I love the idea of eventually purchasing one, Ive no idea where i'll put it. its too big for my pocket, too small for me to consider it a bona fide laptop. Am I gonna have to end up being one of those guys carrying purses? What are the current owners of tablets doing with these fabulous machines when theyre not using them, where do you put it?
Sit on it
On a serious note, try Samsung's 7" Galaxy tab...fits in a blazer pocket.
Get the viewsonic gtablet, its has a dual core tegra 2 cpu, 512mb of ram, 1080p playback, 10" screen, this is by far your best bet, it retails for 350$ or less.
You guys don't wear blazers all the time. Anyway, I happened to see the samsung add, they always show the guy using it, I still don't know where he tucks it afterwards. I think I would definitely buy a 5 inch Windows tablet, if it exists.
I looking to buy a tablet and from everything I have read and tested at Office Depot (viewing angles) the G tab seems fine to me. I am sure it will be faster after I root and load new ROM.
But with all of the new tabs coming (xoom and so on) at this point should I just wait. I know the xoom seems very high to me (800.00) not sure I want to pay that much. I know I don't want to buy another tab for 2 years or so. So maybe the xoom would solve that issue.
Thoughts?
David
If you are willing to root the 'g' tablet and install one of the community developed ROMs, I say go for it. The 'g' tablet was bleeding edge when it came out, is still at the head of the pack and will remain a strong platform for another year and a half to two years.
The price is right and unless you always have to be right at the bleeding edge, you will not be disappointed with a 'g' over the time frame you are looking at (and perhaps a little beyond).
Wait for Xoom to Come Out and Then Buy GTablet
Given how active the developers are, I'm betting that within a couple of weeks of the release of Xoom there will be a XoomLite Rom here for the Gtablet. So I'd wait a couple of weeks until the Xoom comes out. Take a look at it in a store and if it is really $800, unless there is something in the Xoom hardware that you can't live without, buy the Gtablet. Then put the ROM of your choice on your Gtablet (I use TNTLite) and keep checking back for what I expect will be a version of Xoom for our Gtablets.
If you are a tinkerer- get the Gtablet now. Seems all of the devices have quirks coming out, but one common thing is some form of dual core chipset. Quirks are there in one combo or other:
1. Overpriced
2. Proprietary connectors
3. No USB Host
4. No USB
5. Did I say overpriced yet?
Example is the Xoom. Costs $800. My Gtablet and 64gb iPod 4 cost $86 less than that.
My next tab will be the iPad "2". I love the app ecosystem and the game & app quality is AMAZING. I have my Gtablet and Incredible for Android fun and for Flash & internet function. Game emulators too.
BTW, my next phone will be either the Thunderbolt, Bionic or something similar on Verizon. No iPhone and the Xperia Play will likely have proprietary connectors, no microsd (Sony proprietary) and be locked down, so no dice for me.
iTunes may suck butt since a forced interface, but a lot of apps rock hard! Real hard.
Please forgive the slight tangent of my post.
If you're still unsure, then your best bet is to wait. You may even want to wait for the new 10.1 inch samsung tablet. I believe it will cost more than the Xoom but its another option. Here are some specs for that device:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=953341
I just bought one yesterday from office depot after looking at the tabs in general for awhile and
Buying a archos 7 first. I got rid of that because it wasn't what I thought. I think the g tab is the coolest
toy I have ever had. If you want just a giant cell phone without the phone then wait for the Xoom.
The new Elocity A10 is coming out, but the 4gb is more money than the 16gb Gtablet. For the extra money you get a (supposedly) better screen and backlit buttons. But, since it hasn't been shipped out yet you have no idea about the quirks involved.
The Notion Adam looks cool, people that have it seem to like it but who knows how long it will take to get your hands on one. I would wait and watch since it is a new company.
The Archos 101 has it's pluses like a ton of codecs, but it has bugs and also supposedly has a bad screen. The price is nice though.
The Xoom is $800 and requires a month of Verizon service. It is a great looking tablet, but if I were going to spend that much I could get a good computer with money left over.
You can wait forever for more tablets tablets to come out. When the iPad was announced I kept hearing over and over that a better, cheaper Android tablet was on the way. Here we are, nearly a year out and there is nothing that competes.
Were I think the G tab excels is price point. Especially if you can get the $279 price. It has a great following on this site, a good set of hardware and once it is rooted it flies.
Buy the gtablet...better yet buy two for the cost of one xoom! We'll get honeycomb too.
If you're willing to wait, also consider toshiba's tablet. http://www.thetoshibatablet.com/
I like that it uses a full SD Card slot for cheaper/larger storage options (>32gb) and has a user replaceable battery.
vpad10s ?
I've seen a lot of comparisons between the Gtablet and other tabs, but what does everyone about the vpad10s?
From the specs and all, it looks like a dual boot Gtab, which has its own appeals.
yelrx8 said:
I've seen a lot of comparisons between the Gtablet and other tabs, but what does everyone about the vpad10s?
From the specs and all, it looks like a dual boot Gtab, which has its own appeals.
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Click to collapse
Dual boot would be great if the device would at least come with Android 2.2 but instead only having 1.6 makes it deal breaker for me.
And then there's the Touchpad, the HP/Palm WebOS tablet that's due out this summer:
palm.com/us/products/pads/touchpad/index.html
Was in the same boat...
I was torn between waiting and getting the G...ended up with the G-tablet and no regrets once I figured out how to encode high def video so it would play.
Wth TNTLite installed, this thing really hums, and frankly, I was expecting a seriously bad screen, and while it's not a 90 degree viewing angle, it looks fantastic when you're looking right at it (and frankly, if I'm using it, I'm looking at it).
Not to mention that at the price they're going for (and I had shipping and taxes to get to Canada), it is still soooo much cheaper than any of the alternatives with same specs (The Elocity A10 for around the same price only has 4GB onboard).
Hope that helps...
You can always wait for something better, but for us it was a matter that it seemed like a great deal for the price. I had the FCs with the stock TnT apps but after installing the vegan rom everything is great.
Would of loved to have gotten a Xoom, but considering we got 2 Tegra2 based 10' tabs for the same price, and they do everything that we need I am satisfied.
Thanks everyone for your posts.
I have ordered a GTab from Amazon (should be here tomorrow.. you have to love prime). I have not ordered a keyboard yet nor a sd card. But have a 6gb card that should work for now.
If all goes well then I will keep it. I will try the xoom when it comes out, but for the money and features of the Gtab and for the use I need (really just notes in meetings and browsing the web) I think I am good.
Another question: I want to use either a USB keyboard or a RF keyboard/Track ball) what ROM do you suggest?
And if I wanted to make a backup of the current ROM before I upgrade what do you suggest? Or should I just use one of the manufacturer ROMs listed in the dev forum?
Again thank you for your help.
Up until last week, I too, was torn between waiting for the Xoom, or 'settling' with a lesser tab like the Galaxy Tab.
I picked up a Viewsonic G Tablet at Sears for $399, rooting it 30 minutes after unwrapping it, I've no regrets. My reasoning was as follows:
1 - Wanted it to be Android-based, so no Ipad.
2 - Galaxy Tab at 7", a little too small.
3 - Tegra2 based, should be Honeycomb-ready, no need for a rear camera.
4 - Xoom, even if Wifi-only version is released, I doubt it would beat the GTab at price.
This should last me until maybe the next gen of Android tablets arrive next year.
Currently running Vegan 5.1.1 ROM, with full market, all the apps I could want. This is so much fun!
Really was an easy choice for me. Price plus fun of rooting and flashing roms while I wait for honeycomb. The gtab rules and my friends that get to play with mine can't put it down. I can't put it down ;-)
G'day,
IcedCube here. I have in my possession a Galaxy Tab 7" and for the life of me, I love the little thing (I recently got a ICS Chinese Tab but it's a different kettle of fish. ). I carry it everywhere I go, as it's a beautiful size. Looked at the Galaxy Note, and went "Pfft. So what? My sexy little Galaxy Tab is what I want". And even if it's a little "fat", it feels like a tank. I've dropped from chest height onto a concrete floor by accident and it survived. Not a single scratch or crack in the screen. And it had it's protective OEM cover on it too.
Recently (okay, maybe one or two months ago), I got rid of my Iconia Tab A501 (3G). Kinda feel sorry I did that though, because as soon as I loaded the leaked ICS up on it, I felt the Tegra power. Anyway....
My friend recently got a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9" and I was surprised at it's size and performance. So I guess I am a little envious; but whatever. I was wondering if you guys could help me suggest a tablet. I know I can search google myself, but here we go.
My local PC store has a ASUS Transformer TF201 I believe, but not sure if it's 3G or not. It looks pretty nice and that keyboard is awesome - replenishes vital juice while you type. I wish the Iconia had a keyboard for it, because that Dock connector was quite under-used...
Needs to support hardware video decoding. This helps me along boring car trips, I can load up my anime and have the H/W decode the x264 video stream, without my battery life being depleted quickly. I know Tegra video decoding got really good in ICS, but yeah.
Hardware accessories. Optional, but if the tablet has options (like keyboard) or other things that I can buy to add on to it if I wanted to, then that would give it bonus points.
I know how the Tegra 2 was a bit poor in comparison with other tablets, so if it's not nVidia, then I guess it might be interesting. I'll take a look at nVidia tabs too, so I'm not ruling them out.
Bonus points if there's custom ROMs for it. Even more bonus points if there's AOKP or CM9 for it.
On that note, unlocked bootloader. I'm looking at you, Acer.
At least 10" screen, unless the 8.9" screen has a high resolution. My chinese tab runs at 1024x600 and it's a little meh. I miss the 1280x800 screen that the Iconia Tab has. The screen should also be sharp, because I don't like blurry text.
3G Support. Because what's a tablet to me if I don't have WiFi access on the road? I know I can carry around a pocket WiFi hotspot but then you have to recharge it's batteries and all that crap. Also must be GSM since Australia doesn't have CDMA anymore (was killed off in 2005/2006).
At least 8GB or 16GB internal storage. Bonus points if the tablet has microSD slot, so I can slip in an external microSD filled up with my songs, etc.
Decent battery life. Don't want something that will conk out in less than half a day. Do note that I would be using it on the road, so it should be able to survive moderate web browsing use.
Price tag that won't give the wallet a heart attack. If possible, less than $500. I can go over this, but if I can get it under $500 (or even see if anything's up in the XDA marketplace.... now there's an idea...)
Alright. So that's the list. Over to you!
Hi!
I think, that a Acer Iconia A510 would be nice. That is the tablet i buy in the next few days, if it is available in germany.
I hope, that the display and the reaction time is good on it.
The power with a quadcore and enough of RAM in a 1280-panel would be very nice for everything and the price is OK for that.
I tested the Sony Tablet S-Tab and it was very very nice to handle. It was (only) a dualcore, but it was very smooth to surf and use all the apps. But now the hardware is to old and the price to high for that.
Greets from germany
Sony S-Tab, eh? I never heard of that. Sounds rather interesting - I guess I'll add that to the list of "random research" to do.
in the Design Aspect and style its Sony
samsung tablets r surely gaining momentum recently but i dont lik samsung designs and UI. if u hav taste in good designs and UI styles and special unique features i recomment Sony tablets ..they are awesome and iam sure u wil fall in love after evaluating a sony tablet.. just try on..
Sony tablet S is very nice very good.. pricing not much bad.. its worth.. soon getting ICS update.. its really fantastic piece of hardware..
galaxy tabs are rather feels lik boring aftr a while of use.. othr tabs just feels dull and there isnt anything special of its kind.. but i guarantee sony delivers everything u need..its truly of an impressive feel u ever get..
mahesh911 said:
samsung tablets r surely gaining momentum recently but i dont lik samsung designs and UI. if u hav taste in good designs and UI styles and special unique features i recomment Sony tablets ..they are awesome and iam sure u wil fall in love after evaluating a sony tablet.. just try on..
Sony tablet S is very nice very good.. pricing not much bad.. its worth.. soon getting ICS update.. its really fantastic piece of hardware..
galaxy tabs are rather feels lik boring aftr a while of use.. othr tabs just feels dull and there isnt anything special of its kind.. but i guarantee sony delivers everything u need..its truly of an impressive feel u ever get..
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Looked at this. Saw a WiFi-only one, looks pretty interesting. However, when I eBay'd a 3G version, the price tag broke my wallet. Also looked at the Sony P Tab, which has 3G and Dual 5.5" screens (looks like a clamshell). Price tag stung the wallet.
I also took a look at the Iconia Tab A510 model, and it looks like it'll suit the bill. The price tag is still is a bit of an issue, but I guess I can sell my Galaxy Tab on the XDA marketplace to get some cash.
I dont know the size but Asus Padphone?
You thought about the Nexus 7?
...sin you already have the tab. And they worked with Asus on it.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
ASUS PadFone: Possible, but looks like it might be out of my league. GSMArena states it's around 610 EUR, which means... according to XE.com... 754.420 Australian Dollar. That's some serious cash right there, and would also mean that it would replace my Galaxy Nexus...
Nexus 7: No 3G version I believe. Gotta have something that does 3G since it's impractical to carry around a modem in my pocket every single place I go.
Galaxy Note also looks like a worthy contender.
I'll probably get flamed but oh well. Get the new iPad. You might not be able to get the 3G version but you should be able to get the wifi model for your budget. If you've got a smart phone then most likely you can tether to it for 3G access providing you have a decent data bundle.
The screen outs any Android tablet. You'll get a better app choice, it's fast and runs extremely smooth.
I've got a Teg 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and my iPad destroys it in everything. Ok it doesn't have flash nor will Jelly Bean. No expandable storage, cloud storage fixes that, you can jailbreak it easily and get iFile and get the camera connector kit for a few dollars then you can hook up an SD card for those longer journeys.
It simply is the best tablet I've tried and now I see why it is widely popular. Jailbreaking it opens a ton of useful features.
nikzDHD said:
I'll probably get flamed but oh well. Get the new iPad. You might not be able to get the 3G version but you should be able to get the wifi model for your budget. If you've got a smart phone then most likely you can tether to it for 3G access providing you have a decent data bundle.
The screen outs any Android tablet. You'll get a better app choice, it's fast and runs extremely smooth.
I've got a Teg 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and my iPad destroys it in everything. Ok it doesn't have flash nor will Jelly Bean. No expandable storage, cloud storage fixes that, you can jailbreak it easily and get iFile and get the camera connector kit for a few dollars then you can hook up an SD card for those longer journeys.
It simply is the best tablet I've tried and now I see why it is widely popular. Jailbreaking it opens a ton of useful features.
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BTW, OP can also get iPad 2 since hes on a budget.
> new iPad
Ever since I know how the new iPads and such are made and how much effort you have to take into consideration when trying to repair it yourself, I wouldn't even consider one. Plus, I will not support a company that is trying to eliminate Android. Call me crazy, but ever since Android got into my blood, it's been calling my name every time I attempt to walk away from the OS.
I have had an WiFi only iPad in the past, and while it was very nice, I found when I went back to an Android device, I felt refreshed knowing I'm using something loved by the community and I have the freedom to root and install a custom ROM if I feel like it. On iOS, it's locked down and while you can regain root access by jailbreaks, can I download a completely different ROM on the iPad and use that? Nope.
I understand your views and I'm not flaming anyone, I'm just stating that I'm a Droid and I'm not going to let myself be corrupted by Apple. I've had my share of Apple devices in the past (owned 2 iPhone 3G, a MacBook, 2 PowerPC Mac Minis (one of which I still own) and an iPad), and yeah.
More suggestions welcome!
the best size tab I've seen is the 7.7
Tbh I am so annoyed that the nexus isn't a 7.7 ... it just looks too narrow at 7" and i'm contemplating whether to get one or not. 7.7 or Note IMO
Have a look at one, its the best size IMO
mojo22 said:
the best size tab I've seen is the 7.7
Tbh I am so annoyed that the nexus isn't a 7.7 ... it just looks too narrow at 7" and i'm contemplating whether to get one or not. 7.7 or Note IMO
Have a look at one, its the best size IMO
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I looked at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and i must say, i think that hits the "I'm sold!" Button. The screen looks pretty good and the resolution is a nice 1280x800. 7" normally gives you a 800x480 screen resolution, and that is a little skinny if you hold it upright.
Get any if the ASUS Transformer Pads. You can get an older model that will definitely fit your budget and your needs. The transformer tablets have FAR AND AWAY the best battery life when equipped with the attachable keyboard. I believe it has 3G capability. It has a 1200x800 screen if I remember correctly. It has a Tegra processor depending on the model, and is upgradeable to ICS.
Or just get the LATEST Transformer and go slightly over budget, but it will satisfy all your other needs. (Tegra 3! )
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda app-developers app
Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided to buy another Iconia Tab (A501), because I have used it in the past and I really liked it. Plus, the recent development with the Patched Bootloader means that I can run another OS on the tab if I wish to. So yeah.
OptimusLove said:
BTW, OP can also get iPad 2 since hes on a budget.
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This. I have the iPad 3 and love it, but I honestly wish I never sold my iPad 2. The gains from the screen are not worth the added thickness and weight, shorter battery life, ungodly charging time, and frame rate drops when gaming. Unfortunately now that I have used a tablet with such a high resolution, I couldn't go back to the iPad 2 even if I wanted to. I wish I never saw this screen :/ BTW,This is coming from an Android fan who just preordered the Nexus 7.
So, I've got a US LTE 32GB that connects only at HSPA speeds in most places, and I'm about over the tablet.
What device is out there that:
-Is approximately 8" form factor
-Has LTE that works in the US
-Includes a microSD port and some way to do HDMI out so I can hook it up to a standard TV
-Isn't completely bootloader locked / must have root and XDA Dev support
Frankenscript said:
So, I've got a US LTE 32GB that connects only at HSPA speeds in most places, and I'm about over the tablet.
What device is out there that:
-Is approximately 8" form factor
-Has LTE that works in the US
-Includes a microSD port and some way to do HDMI out so I can hook it up to a standard TV
-Isn't completely bootloader locked / must have root and XDA Dev support
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Click to collapse
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4"
Thanks. Looks like only international version / no warranty available on Amazon. Seems like a concern to me. Any other devices more available in the US , with warranty?
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Lol, I just got into the market for a tablet myself.. I spent almost a day researching the perfect tablet.
Here's what I found.
Top Android tablets.
1) Pixel C, tegra X1 cpu. No sdcard slot. 10inch screen. $600 for 32gb. Performs slightly better than K1 tablets in most benchmarks, but 100% better in others.
2) Nvidia shield K1, tegra K1 cpu, sdcard slot, front facing speakers, hdmi out, 8inch screen. Great display. $200, discontinued and can't find anywhere other than ebay for well over $200...
3) Nexus 9, tegra K1 cpu, no sd card slot, front facing speakers. cheap build quality, screen has light bleed, scores 20%worse than shield tablet in benchmarks. 8.9 inch display. $290 for 32gb black WiFi, will be gone soon. Or $500 for 32gb lte
That's it.. all the rest of the Android tablets are subpar. The Galaxy tab S3 is the only other honorable mention. Doesn't perform as well as K1 cpus but looks like a solid tablet... But $500?? Get outta here...
I wasn't looking to spend over $300 on a tablet... I intend to use it for gaming and web browsing and watching movies. Clearly the shield tablet is the best bang for the buck by farrrr... So I kept checking eBay over the last 2 days and found a pristine one for $200 from a reputable seller ...
TL: DR - the Nvidia shield tablet is still the number one Android tablet on the market, at least for my needs. The pixel c is seemingly great, but​ too big and heavy, has no expandable storage, and far over priced.
Why don't you just drop data on the tablet and turn your phone into a hotspot?? I hotspot for my PC from my pixel XL all the time when my net goes out.. im able to competitively game in twitch games with only an extra 25ping...
All the other tablets lose something to gain something. THE PERFECT tablet would be the cancelled shield tablet 2 with the x1 cpu.. looks like their deal with Nintendo caused them to back out of the tablet game for a bit. I don't expect to see it for another year maybe two. If ever.
lucid888 said:
Lol, I just got into the market for a tablet myself.. I spent almost a day researching the perfect tablet.
Here's what I found.
Top Android tablets.
1) Pixel C, tegra X1 cpu. No sdcard slot. 10inch screen. $600 for 32gb. Performs slightly better than K1 tablets in most benchmarks, but 100% better in others.
2) Nvidia shield K1, tegra K1 cpu, sdcard slot, front facing speakers, hdmi out, 8inch screen. Great display. $200, discontinued and can't find anywhere other than ebay for well over $200...
3) Nexus 9, tegra K1 cpu, no sd card slot, front facing speakers. cheap build quality, screen has light bleed, scores 20%worse than shield tablet in benchmarks. 8.9 inch display. $290 for 32gb black WiFi, will be gone soon. Or $500 for 32gb lte
That's it.. all the rest of the Android tablets are subpar. The Galaxy tab S3 is the only other honorable mention. Doesn't perform as well as K1 cpus but looks like a solid tablet... But $500?? Get outta here...
I wasn't looking to spend over $300 on a tablet... I intend to use it for gaming and web browsing and watching movies. Clearly the shield tablet is the best bang for the buck by farrrr... So I kept checking eBay over the last 2 days and found a pristine one for $200 from a reputable seller ...
TL: DR - the Nvidia shield tablet is still the number one Android tablet on the market, at least for my needs. The pixel c is seemingly great, but​ too big and heavy, has no expandable storage, and far over priced.
Why don't you just drop data on the tablet and turn your phone into a hotspot?? I hotspot for my PC from my pixel XL all the time when my net goes out.. im able to competitively game in twitch games with only an extra 25ping...
All the other tablets lose something to gain something. THE PERFECT tablet would be the cancelled shield tablet 2 with the x1 cpu.. looks like their deal with Nintendo caused them to back out of the tablet game for a bit. I don't expect to see it for another year maybe two. If ever.
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Thanks @lucid888 for a great post.
Using my phone as a hotspot is doable if necessary, but it becomes a frying pan quickly, and the battery dies fast. I've considered dropping the idea of an LTE tablet and instead getting a mifi/jetpack whatever dedicated hotspot too, and turning it on whenever I want to run the tablet away from normal wifi zones, but that's complicated and it's another thing to lug around. Sigh.
I just loved my tablet with built in LTE that I could take anywhere and it just worked well. Now it works slowly. Another sigh.
I've no idea why LTE-enabled Android tablets are so few and far between. I know lots of "iOS" people that have iPad minis, and they all have the cellular version. Then again, they probably couldn't figure out HOW to tether it to a phone or mobile hotspot, so they need the built in connectivity.
I'm tempted to pop for one of those MediaPads on a lark... but it could be an expensive lark due to lack of US warranty.
For now I'll just sit tight. Sooner or later the right device will show up. If you (or anybody reading this) finds anything new, please post about it here!
I'm seeing the mediapads on Amazon with a US warranty for $300, WiFi only though. I did look at the mediapad m3, but it's gpu the Mali 8800 m4 is underwhelming and performs ~40-50% worse than the K1 gpu. It has bottom firing speakers, apparently they are great though. Also has the miu os to deal with, which for me is a huge turn off.
From what I can see, the only tablet that can beat the shield is a non existent 8" X1 powered tablet, priced around $300 from either Nvidia, Google or htc. Thanks to Nintendo I don't think we'll see one too soon. Maybe a Snapdragon 835 tablet would do the trick too... But the $500 Galaxy tab S3 is only using the 820..
Also take a look at the mediapad m3 development section on XDA, there is literally nothing.
lucid888 said:
Lol, I just got into the market for a tablet myself.. I spent almost a day researching the perfect tablet.
Here's what I found.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came to a lot of the same conclusions.
- Pixel C: way too expensive.
- Nexus 9: while I have loved a lot of HTC devices, this one is nothing special.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Also way too expensive. 9.7" form factor is also bigger than I want, as it seems Sammy has abandoned the 8"-ish form factor in their high end "S" series tablets. I might be able to overlook that. But I'm still sore about how Samsung handled the Tab Pro 8.4. Zero major updates (just a few patches) so it was stuck on the Kitkat it was released with (if not for the dev community which kept it kept for a bit). And many folks (myself included) suffered battery charging issues, which the company never acknowledged.
- Huawei MediaPad M3: Good price, cice hardware, but crap software. And zero developer support means you can't do anything about that.
All in all, I've decided my Shield K1 is sufficient for my needs; especially considering the lack of a worthy replacement. I'd like something a little snappier (especially since I upgraded my phone to the OnePlus 3T with Snapdragon 821). But I'm content to wait and see if anything better comes around.
I'd be perfectly happy to upgrade to the next version Shield, be it X1 or whatever it would be. But I am skeptical there will be a "next" version.
The only thing I feel lacking on the K1 shield is the memory capacity, and maybe it's battery life. The 2gb doesn't seem to be enough for Albion online which I was hoping I'd be able to play on it.. apparently it used to work but now crashes while loading or two seconds after loading. Hoping it gets fixed, but they do say in their minimum the game will eventually require 3gb min ;(...
I really love everything about the shield from it's size, it's front facing speakers, it's HDMI output, it's graphical capability, sd slot. I don't want to lose any of those features... I may be able to live without the front facing speakers but I really like how versitile the device is being able to plug it into the TV and play movies and emulators with zero input lag. There isn't another device I'm aware of that can do that. A next gen shield is my only hope for a succesor to this device. But again it's not happening any time soon thanks to Nintendo, and lmao my phone literally just auto suggested Nintendo without me even typing N.
Hopefully their non-compete with Nintendo doesn't last long, and by then they can hopefully produce at least an X1 tablet around the ~250 price range.
Lack of LTE for K1 is a deal breaker for me, and my original shield doesn't do more than HSPA+ due to modem issues not yet fixed...
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