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General discussion

Need help selecting a tablet

by rrock--2008 Apr 27, 2013 11:38AM PDT

I'm in the process of updating my iPad 1 with something newer; possible an android tablet.

I just received my new Kindle Fire 8.9 HD today BUT am returning it unopened ASAP. Made the mistake of reading the reviews after I placed my order. As much as I didn't want to spend the money on an iPad 4, it looks like I'll have to spend nearly as much for an Android such as the Google Nexus 10 or Asus TF500T. I'm so confused!!! One has 2 GB of ram vs. 1, another has expandable card memory vs. none, and there's a number of processors available...duel core vs. quad core etc, etc. My iPad just recently started hanging up/shutting off unannounced so I'm not looking to repeat that experience again. I read where that's common with both the Androids as well as some iPad 4s.

I'm retired, don't play games, seldom read ebooks, and am definitely not a power user. What I do is surf the net, check my email, read my Facebook account from time to time, listen to iTunes, watch/listen to YouTube, verify/research facts, and occasionally watch a movie on Netflix. Now I've read a lot of reviews and since they often conflict with one another, I still don't know what to buy!

Can someone help?

So, if I'm looking for something more utilitarian than the Kindle Fire 8.9 HD, is there a reliable Android tablet out there that doesn't cost over $500?? Should I bite the bullet and wait for the iPad 5 to come out, get my $700-$800 out, and pretend to be somewhere else when I pay for it??

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3 Posts
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The office is doing some work on Android.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 27, 2013 11:51AM PDT

I have the Nexut 7 and a tf300 with dock handy. The GB of RAM is rarely an issue for most. Some don't like the Nexus because of no card slot, and the tf300 with the dock gets an very long battery time (over 14 hours?) so the thing you have to consider is YouTube is very different from an Apple/Windows laptop experience. I'll keep it short. Not everything is shown in the YouTube app. Yes you can find and install some apps to help but I find more and more folk just want to use the thing.

Why not a laptop?
Bob

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Apologize for more questions
by rrock--2008 Apr 27, 2013 2:41PM PDT

Thanks for your speedy reply Happy

I'm afraid that a good laptop would put me way over my spending limit. I already have a desktop computer so the tablet was more of a convenience. Might a netbook be a good option?

The TF700 sounds like a possibility. Unfortunately, if you add the keyboard, it becomes quite expensive. I'd be more interested in the tablet alone. Also, since I had a stroke my left hand shakes badly. I can no longer touch type like I did during my teaching days (I was a school teacher before I retired). I'm now a courageous, one-finger typist. LOL As long as the tablet keyboard is responsive, an optional keyboard might be an unnecessary expense.

You didn't mention much about the Google Nexus 10. How does it compare to the TF700?

Since I enjoy listening to music, tablet sound quality (speakers) are also important to me. How do the two tablets compare in that respect? This was one of the reasons I was initially drawn to the Kindle Fire 8.9 HD. I use the headphones but after a while they hurt my ears.

Finally, I'm not clear on your reference to YouTube. I didn't mean to judge a tablet based upon how many YouTube apps were available for it. I also don't use it for tablet app evaluations; just listening to music or watching the occasional video clip.

Again, thanks for helping me!

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The Nexus 10 starts at 399.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 27, 2013 3:08PM PDT

And we spent that much on the transformer and dock. The office picked up a Windows 8 laptop Asus K55N for 380 so I can't tell what the tablet attraction is here.

OK, at home we have a Kindle Fire HD 7 as well and it does great at playing HD on the big screen and the sound is really good.

My comment about YouTube is that it's not the same as the PC. Google has moved to monetize the tablet experience and you might not see some content on the phone or tablets. Some folk get really upset over that.

Sorry but as the Nexus 7 is about the same, I thought it was close enough.
Bob

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