Anyone got an Android tablet?

[Eric The Viking]

The Domestic Controller loves her iPad, but for me the lust is now cooling somewhat (for the iPad... what WERE you thinking?). I'm still intending to go down the tablet route as soon as practical, but I think a non-jailbroken iPad would be more frustration than I can cope with.

But... I've no evidence that an Android jobbie would be better. I've had a look at Samsung's web site, and its Galaxy tablets look good, but I'm not convinced. So does anyone use one on 'ere who'd be prepared to say how they're getting on?

I'm hoping to use it for business apps and photography, so I need to be able to get files on and off it, and open most MS Office stuff, and be able to view images well.

Any experiences, I'd love to hear about.

Cheers,

E.

 

[Dibs-h]

My mate's just bought a Google Nexus and he's over the moon with it, according to our lengthy phone chat on the weekend.

Would be interested to know how the Android tablets fair against the Ipad, etc.

Dibs

 

[paultnl]

This one gets a good review and doesnt break the bank. http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/24/r ... id_tablet/

 

[kostello]

I got. Google nexus 7 for my birthday last month and SWMBO prefers it to her iPhone 4 s

I think its good but I would have rather have got a domino


There seems to be plenty of apps to choose from

 

[Elapid]

I'll agree with what everyone else has said. Go for a Nexus as they seem to be the best value for money. There are also cheap Chinese tablets on ebay but they are CHEAP CHINESE tablets and great if you get a good one but it's a toss up.

I think there is another good one made by Acer or Asus too but can't remember the name of it.

 

[gregmcateer]

I think there is another good one made by Acer or Asus too but can't remember the name of it.

I think you are referring to the Asus EEE PC Tansformer.

I've not seen one, but they have had some pretty good write-ups.

You get a tablet AND a docking fully keyboard, which also gives you zonkyt-millions of battery life, apparently.

HTH

Greg

 

[UTMonkey]

You could do those things on an android tablet, but I am not sure it would be as slick as you might hope.

I use my Asus transformer which is permanently in my Palm, but I just do the internet thing (email, browsing, eBay, astronomy, this forum).

Anything else, I suspect I would resort to firing my laptop up.

Mark

 

[Jensmith]

I would use a laptop for what you're suggesting you use it for Eric. Tablets are great for internet browsing and games etc but try and do anything serious with them and they're a bit lacking in processing power. I think your frustration is borne from not using the right tool for the job!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Guys, this is really interesting!

I can open the dreaded Powerpoint files on the DC's iPad, and Excel sheets (but I can't alter them). I don't use wordprocessors much these days (straight to HTML/CSS if it's important).

Will look at the Transformer too. I've had a succession of Tosh laptops in the past - don't think I'd want another Toshiba computer - life's too short!

Keep the thoughts coming...

E.

 

[Dodge]

I have got and use a Blackberry playbook - bit limited on the apps compared to the ipad but does everything I want it to do and more.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I would use a laptop for what you're suggesting you use it for Eric. Tablets are great for internet browsing and games etc but try and do anything serious with them and they're a bit lacking in processing power. I think your frustration is borne from not using the right tool for the job!

I've got fed up with lugging kit about these days. My first laptop was one of these, around 1985:



It was actually brilliant for its day: colour-capable, optional hard disk (10MB!), infra-red keyboard with eight soft keys, voice recognition, Penny+Giles cordless mouse/trackball (that was *really* good!), and no 640k limit. I uprated mine to 1Mb RAM and used it for about three years. It came with a good wordprocessor and spreadsheet too. I think there was even an Ethernet adapter of some sort (there was an expansion socket).

But I'm fed up with the hassle.

The other thing about tablets is that, as far as I can tell, the colour rendition is much better than a typical laptop screen (at least, the iPad's "Retina" display certainly is). For photography this is important. I was caught out with my present laptop. It's a Compaq which I was persuaded to have as an insurance replacement for an Asus, and I got a poor deal. It's got one of the worst LCDs I've ever seen. The colour rendition is laughable.

So one of the requirements is something that will work with a Canon camera, as it would be very useful indeed. Apple don't support anything like this. I've gone into it and, although there is software out there that claims to allow you to tether to an iPad, there's always some sort of fudge that means it doesn't work as you'd want it to.

 

[Peter T]

I've got a Galaxy Tab 10.1, from which I'm sending this reply!

I can do all the things on your list, browsing, photo, open and edit M/S Office files.

While you wouldn't want to create a large, complicated power point pressentation or spread sheet, it's perfectly adequate for editting these files.

I also have a USB adaptor so I can plug in a memory stick or even a mouse.

You don't get the huge range of downloadable apps like you do with Apple but, for me anyway, this is not a big deal.

Good luck,

 

[nev]

I was given a cheapy chinese tablet, a Jumpad? for crimbo and while it does 'work' its not really an option. I bought an ipad for the missus' birthday and spent a good hour in the shop playing with and trying to decide between nexus7, galaxy 10.1 and the ipad. I reckon the samsung is the most versatile worktool (usb and sd? card slot) and if i was buying one for me it would be that one. the ipad has the slickest interface,the nexus the most portable but is basically a game playing browser.
dont forget also that if yo u can now open and edit most ms office docs in google docs.

 

[cambournepete]

If you want a good screen but want to do more "serious" stuff, then how about a MacBook Air?
Very light, a good screen (although not a retina display) and can do almost anything a "normal laptop" can do.
Not that much more than a top of the range iPad.

 

[Harbo]

I've got the small screen MacBook and an iPhone, so never felt the need for a tablet?

Rod