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General discussion

iPad vs. Android ?

Feb 25, 2011 2:41PM PST

Hello and thank you in advance for any advice you can offer me. I'm an iPhone user who has used the phone to it's fullest potential and in combination with cloud computing found it an invaluable tool in business and as a mom. I can't tell you how often my kids have asked me this or that and I've said "hang on and I'll look it up". I have as you can imagine amassed several apps. At night I find the phone easier to use in bed then a lap top and if I need something off the Pc I'm on the same wifi network at home. I use a windows Pc and will also be switching over to a windows home server. Now the question. iPad which I'm familiar with or an android tablet? Is there a windows tablet or would this be an android? I'm a big fan of ASUS and I've researched that they will be coming out with their answer to IPad. Not sure if that will be android or what. Microsoft is catching up with the office suite apps by finally making one for Onenote. Any suggestions or input from either camps? Would like to hear both pros and cons.

Blessings

Discussion is locked

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I'm going to pour cold water on this idea.
Feb 25, 2011 2:48PM PST

There is ONE area that pads are failing to make the cut and here it is -> CONTENT CREATION. These are really great at content consumption (games, reading, video, music) but for Office apps I'm going back to keyboard, mouse and then I have a laptop.
Bob

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Tablets
Feb 26, 2011 1:30AM PST

Hi Bob, I'm going to have to agree with you. However, I work from home so I'm not out and about in the "real" world so to speak. I recently found myself involved in conducting an investigation and found the iPhone invaluable when used in combustion with cloud storage and remote desktop access. I wouldn't recommend this as an every day solution but for my purpose it works. Now that brings me back to the question android vs. iPad. I'm not a gamer and I use the iPhone often as a portable reference tool for me and the kids along with quick access to show or send documents also.

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Great use!
Feb 26, 2011 1:55AM PST

I too have a smart phone (droid) and now my son has one. For access to content, email and such we have a great solution.

As it stands I see the pads and smart phones will easily replace about half the PC market and take a bite out of the game console market too.

Let me comment on the cloud. I found it hard to maintain access to that when I left the country. And maintaining that connection can be pricey. From US to Canada my cellular company wanted 399 US Dollars for the first month plus usage. Ouch.
Bob

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Yikes
Feb 26, 2011 5:02AM PST

Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not a globe trotter. As I have come to realize the strengths of a smart phone and educating myself on the tablets I agree with you again. I found that using a Netbook at night while hanging out on the bed was more of a pain then it was worth. Needed a light to see the keyboard (mine wasn't backlit) and a lapdesk etc. I found myself using the phone more and reserved the Netbook to daytime sit-down typing out docs type of thing. It seems much more convenient to show someone something on the fly to someone on a tablet as opposed to saying hey wait while I find somewhere to set this and wait got it to boot up. Do you find more options for apps in the droid market and how is the melding of Pc to android? I'm a Pc (ms office) user but iPhone user as well. The whole combining apple , Pc and google thing was a bit complicated. That's why I'm considering switching over to droid but hate to lose what I've invested in apps. Can you maybe recommend any good literature regarding the pros and cons of iPad vs droid and do you believe windows may get on board and provide their own version of the iPad? Forgive me if they have already I don't know if droid is ms or something else.

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Back to topic.
Feb 27, 2011 12:21PM PST

Here I see two markets. Content creation and content consumption. Email is both so that's an example of an app that crosses both worlds with ease.

As to the Microsoft pad, they have been chasing the tablet for years but couldn't let go of the WIMP (Windows Icon Mouse Pointer) interface as well as couldn't start with a fresh slate.

When they came close to a fresh start, they locked it down so hard that the developers are waiting for MSFT to loosen up.
Bob

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Look at a laptop tablet
Feb 26, 2011 3:03PM PST

It costs any where from $800-5000, the high end ones are for outdoor usage, water proof & drop proof. HP I know makes them & at a good price, not 100% sure if Dell does, Panasoic make the "toughbook" for out door use & there other brands that make some that can be driven over by a car, those are the ones that cost $5k.

It mostly it is a laptop with a screen the spines then you can use it as a touch screen & they have A LOT more power then the iPad or an Android tablet.

I have an iPad but my 5 year old laptop still has a lot more power & is more use full over all but I have also taken proper care of it over the years & added a bigger HHD last summer.

If you can spend about $1k maybe a little over look at a HP tablet + it has a 12.1" touch screen, start price $899.


http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Brand&v1=HP+TouchSmart&series_name=tm2t_series&a1=Brand&v1=HP+TouchSmart&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/lateralnav_tablet

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Tablet/laptop combo
Feb 27, 2011 2:36AM PST

Hi there. I already went that route with the ASUS hybrid. I didn't care much for it only because I was very limited to the Apps on the tablet side. My daughter landed up living it do it's her's now. Thus I'm back in the market once again. I might be spoiled on the iPhone with the availability of apps at about 330,000 vs. Android at approx. 30,0000. For office apps I agree with you on needing a laptop yo create. But apps like Onenote was the direction I was going in. It seems that windows tablets and androids are good but still lack the options once again. I'm not looking at a tablet in lieu of a laptop but as an adjunct to it. So back to the android vs. The iPad. I'm kinda getting the impression that I'm leaning more toward iPad once the next generation comes out and bugs worked out. I'd like to break from Apple and work my way toasted a more PC friendly tablet but, and please correct me if I'm wrong here, it seems app choices are very limited.

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There are
Feb 27, 2011 12:17PM PST

No real bugs in the iPad but for the antenna could be better and make it not so slippery. The iPad2 is not going to be much different then the iPad1, the biggest thing will a at lease one camera and more RAM ( but not a dermatic increase) & maybe drop the 16gig & make the 32gig the entry model. It is going to be the same size, it maybe like 1-2mm thinner but that is because the batteries take up a lot of room & there needs to be some space from the battery & motherboard because of heat, same O/S & same chip. The gen 3 is when there will be a faster chip, better battery life & retina display.
Mostly if you look at the history of the iPhone and it's evolution is going to be similar too that of the iPad's future, 1-4 will mostly be every similar with some upgrades over the gens like a better camera, bit faster chip, O/S upgrades & better battery life, then at gen 5 to full rebuild with much much faster chip, maybe a bigger screen like 10 1/2".

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it depends
Mar 16, 2011 11:34AM PDT

if your computer is mac, it is better to use ipad
if your computer is windows it is better to use android

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stick android because...
Jul 6, 2015 5:43AM PDT

Hi
Have been a long time Apple Addict years ago using various MAC computers, G3, Mac mini, Macbook and finally Imac 27... always loved the OS , the fact that i got no problems with any of thoses comps for years, no bugs...
Much less did I enjoy the prices, and the change in SAV lately,
About smart phones and tablet I stick to Android stuff, mostly because of the prices, and because more apps in google app store, + higher choiz between brands
And when price equivalent with Cuppertino products, you oftrn gert significant advantages with phones or tablets under ANDROID, (water resitance, SONY, also you may use a lot more video or audio format)
+ , No external storage on Iphone or Ipad, (Sd card), last, i discovered its impossible to download torrents on those Apple products
In conclusio, even i dont agree with all Google politic (data selling etc), to me choice is done, I'll stick on Android for mobiles devices