Choosing a tablet computer

Anarchy Rules!

So, my girlfriends laptop is slowly dying, and since she only uses it to surf the web and for multimedia (films, music etc.)I was thinking about getting her a tablet as a replacement.

Browsing the web I'm edging towards an Android operating system, looking at low to mid-range prices (£0-£350). Any suggestions or recommendations?

kaliyama

Why don't you put your price range in a currdncy denomination?

Anarchy Rules!

Price range is added

Peen

Google's tablets are great. I have a Nexus 7 and love it.

GnomeTank

Second the Nexus 7 recommendation if you want to go 7", I love mine. Can't beat it at $250 bucks for the 32GB version. It's running an Nvidia Tegra 3, so it's no slouch.

I haven't used the Nexus 10, but I've heard decent things about it.

In terms of 10 inch tablets, have you considered a Surface? It's more in the iPad price range, but having used one, I think they're pretty great. Obviously the iPad (which I also own) is a time tested and proven platform.

Spiritfire

My wife questioned why I wanted to get her a tablet since we already had a capable laptop. We picked up a a 16GB Nexus 7 and it's basically been her go-to device ever since. She doesn't tote it around everywhere, though, which is fine since this model is restricted to wifi connectivity. All I ever see her do with it is surf, check e-mail, and occasionally read/play an audio book for our son. I've loaded up a few video files off the desktop to see how well they would play and was happy with the results. If there's a downside, it's the annoyance of accidentally hitting the back or home button at inopportune times (worse with the baby touching the screen randomly) and the audio isn't anything to write about it... unless you're writing about how unimpressive it is.

badpoet

I have the first generation Asus Transformer and it's still going strong. The keyboard is great (albeit it takes a little time to get acclimated to the smaller sized keys) and the extra battery life the dock gives (6 hours) is invaluable and there's plenty of expandable memory slots and USB port. I use it on work trips extensively. The newer ones are still pretty good, they have a budget one for $349 U.S. plus the dock for $149.

Other companies have similar designs as well.

I'd recommend going with her to check out a variety of them at an electronics store then going home to see if you can get it cheaper online.

GnomeTank

Spiritfire wrote: »

My wife questioned why I wanted to get her a tablet since we already had a capable laptop. We picked up a a 16GB Nexus 7 and it's basically been her go-to device ever since. She doesn't tote it around everywhere, though, which is fine since this model is restricted to wifi connectivity. All I ever see her do with it is surf, check e-mail, and occasionally read/play an audio book for our son. I've loaded up a few video files off the desktop to see how well they would play and was happy with the results. If there's a downside, it's the annoyance of accidentally hitting the back or home button at inopportune times (worse with the baby touching the screen randomly) and the audio isn't anything to write about it... unless you're writing about how unimpressive it is.

Lets call a spade, a spade: The speakers on the Nexus 7 are terrible. Like, really bad. My iPad sounds like a virtual symphony compared to the Nexus 7. It's one of the places Asus and Google obviously cut costs.

That said, if you plug some decent headphones in, it sounds fine.

MushroomStick

I've got a kindle fire hd and its been pretty great for me. The only thing I don't like about it is that whenever amazon sends out a software update, the tablet will stop whatever you are doing and update without asking if its a good time.

GnomeTank

As long as you understand what you're getting with the Fire (a heavily customized version of Android with the Amazon store locked in) and/or you're willing to root it and put a custom ROM on it, the Fire is a good tablet.

The reason I find the Nexus 7 more appealing at the 7" price point is that it's a completely stock version of Android, and is kept up to date with the latest Android by Google. The appeal of the Fire is going to be relative to how much that matters to you.

zerzhul

You can also load up the kindle android app onto the n7 and read your kindle stuff there the big allure for the fire I would think would be the video library access

GnomeTank

I have video library access from my Nexus 7. The Amazon video app. It's on iPad too. I use it to watch my free prime videos.

zerzhul

Oh damn, I didn't know that was available. It wasn't available on my phone when I looked last... maybe only tablets? /me downloads it

GnomeTank

Yeah, not sure about phones, but I use that video app on my Nexus 7, iPad and XBox 360.

SniperGuy

Alternatively, a Nook. Disclaimer: I work at B&N as a minimum wage register jockey, but it's a pretty good device. Now, the B&N software is pretty mediocre, much like the Kindle Fire, but you can root that sucker, throw in a microSD card (which is a very nice thing to have access too) and you've got a nice light, awesome screen tablet.

GnomeTank

My issue with the Nook, is mostly the same issue I have the with the Fire: Why?

For 30 bucks more, you can get a Nexus 7 with double the storage, and not have to deal with any of the rooting stuff.

Not trying to disparage the Nook, it's just that the Nexus 7 has sort of made other 7" Android tablets kind of pointless, unless you very specifically want the B&N/Amazon customization.

Cobell

One thing of note that tablets are superior to compared to laptops. The boot times are significantly faster; I've been using an Android tablet a lot for surfing and other assorted things and it's good.

I'd avoid the Surface, as I hear the Microsoft OS for it takes up a very large amount of space (especially when compared to iOS or Android).

SniperGuy

I do like the Nexus 7. As far as nook goes though, it's got a nicer display and that SD card slot, which seems kinda rare for tablets.

Then again I like rooting stuff, so there's that.

GnomeTank

Cobell wrote: »

One thing of note that tablets are superior to compared to laptops. The boot times are significantly faster; I've been using an Android tablet a lot for surfing and other assorted things and it's good.

I'd avoid the Surface, as I hear the Microsoft OS for it takes up a very large amount of space (especially when compared to iOS or Android).

It does, but it's also a significantly more full functioning OS than Android and iOS, since it came from the other direction (rather than being a mobile platform built up over time, it was a desktop platform shrunk down for mobiles). It does some things the other OS's just don't do, or are just now being hacked to do (such as true multi-tasking).

Dr. Frenchenstein

The surface pro is coming out soon as well, i think that runs full-on windows 8, and is a lot nicer than the regular surface. the keyboard looks like it would take some getting used to though. I'm not sure of the price point though.

GnomeTank

Yes, it runs the full Windows 8...and it's also 400-500 bucks more than the Surface RT, putting it squarely in to ultrabook territory price wise.

Quid

GnomeTank wrote: »

I have video library access from my Nexus 7. The Amazon video app. It's on iPad too. I use it to watch my free prime videos.

Buh? Where? I don't see it anywhere on the Google Play store.

GnomeTank

Hmm, it's called Amazon Video. When I get home, let me make sure I'm not talking out my arse. I know for a fact it's on iPad, but I could be misremembering it being on stock Android.

Quid

Yeah I know it's definitely on the iPad too.

And honestly if I'd had the time to wait for a Kindle Fire I would have much preferred it for internet and media consumption.

zerzhul

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.avod

There's the google TV version.... not for tablets though

Edit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Amazon+Mobile+LLC

yeah I'm not seeing it for anything other than google tv.

GnomeTank

You guys are right, I'm not seeing it either. Hrmph.

I bet it can be very easily side loaded though.

Elin

In my time with a Nexus 7 I never got the Amazon Video app to work. The issue is that it needs flash. I downloaded flash, I downloaded browsers that would use flash, I clicked all the buttons. I didn't root though. I decided it was a pain in my ass and just picked up the Fire HD. The Fire HD does everything for me that the Nexus did other than the Silk browser not being good. At some point I'll side load a good browser and it'll all be dandy.

acidlacedpenguin

Clearly what you need is a lenovo Ideacenter Horizon which goes on sale this summer.

But seriously, at my house there are 3 tablets: a Nexus 7, a lenovo thinkpad tablet 10.1, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. I like that the thinkpad has an optional pressure sensitive stylus and an optional keyboard folio case, those may be some good features for your use. There's a newer model coming later this year as well.

Quid

Elin wrote: »

In my time with a Nexus 7 I never got the Amazon Video app to work. The issue is that it needs flash. I downloaded flash, I downloaded browsers that would use flash, I clicked all the buttons. I didn't root though. I decided it was a pain in my ass and just picked up the Fire HD. The Fire HD does everything for me that the Nexus did other than the Silk browser not being good. At some point I'll side load a good browser and it'll all be dandy.

This has been my experience too.

If anyone wants to trade their Kindle Fire for my Nexus by God let me know.

Kalkino

I don't know if the Amazon streaming content is quite so good in the UK, where I presume the OP is from. I think they own a streaming service, Love Films, but whether the Fire range of tablets has the US style library is less clear

gameenthusiast

Here is my list:
1.Apple iPad
2.ASUS Transformer Prime
3.Google Nexus 7