Need tablet recommendation from tablet experts

R

requiem99

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Mar 4, 2003
Messages
4,532
I want a tablet for carrying ebooks/recipes/etc around, listening to radio/TV in the shower, watching TV while while cooking, and browsing the web/Youtube. Has to have Wifi obviously, and needs to have as much processing power as possible because some of my TV is HD/high bitrate.

I'm not into gadgets too much, and to date I've been using my extremely old Droid A855 for all of the above and it simply does poorly at everything. I don't watch movies and I won't use the new tablet for gaming much but gaming capability is definitely a plus for car trips. I will not use anything made by Apple, and I want to be able to have full control over the tablet OS/software (will jailbreak if necessary). Money is not a concern, but of course I'd prefer something 90% perfect for 1/2 the cost of something 100% perfect.

I'm doing research myself on this obviously, but I'd love to have some [H]ard opinions as well. Thanks guys!

edit: And also, I have no need for details and excess, or other features I haven't mentioned. I really only need it for reading (pdf, txt, maybe epub), TV (avi, mpg, mkv), and light web browsing. I don't care about built in cameras, social media functionality, universal remote, content personalization, fancy crap like Kindle has with sync between devices/IMDB integration, etc. If a tablet is the wrong gadget for my needs, maybe someone can recommend the right one. It just seemed the right area, because a laptop is too much and a phone is too little.
 
Last edited:
So, I take it, that you won't need 3G? You may try then Windows 8 tablets... I believe Surface will do fine, Might check also Ativ from Samsung.

Though, if you need full control, you need Android, and well... I hate Android, so can't give you decent recommendation for those.
 
I don't need 3G in a tablet. I have fiber with wifi in my home and I rarely ever leave home. When I do leave home, I'll use my Droid which can do what I need on the go.

Leaning towards a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 because of Android and all the positive reviews. Not sure I want ice cream though... do I?

edit: and I know nothing about the Nexus 10 or tablets in general. I never even thought about buying one until yesterday when I realized I'm sick of dealing with my Droid for multimedia and I rarely buy myself any toys. This is going to be my xmas present to myself.
 
Nexus is pure google system - no producer's addon, no Android modifications, nothing. Just Android as the Google envisioned it.

You want ICS or higher, to make sure all the apps are running properly. And 3.0 was a mistake, that even Google admitted :)

Note is fun, been playing for it a while, but Samsung is known of having trouble with quick software upgrades (actually that's the problem of all Android-devices - sometimes you have to either wait for official soft, or you won't get it.
 
But remember I'm planning to barely do anything complicated with it. If it plays video well, displays pdf properly, web browses well, and doesn't crash, I probably will root it and not allow it to upgrade itself (except for essential security and web components) for years. Unless there is a reason I shouldn't. The main thing I want is a portable video/text display, and a netbook is too big, a phone is too small.

edit: and I should have mentioned before that an essential element is a touch screen. I will never work with little miniboards or dpad controllers ever again.
 
Last edited:
How do you deal with electronics in the bathroom as you shower?


I am always afraid that the steam would damage hardware like tablets..
 
If it happens it happens. Hasn't happened with my droid phone yet after several years of doing it. If steam buildup in the bathroom is high I always run a large fan at the door immediately afterwards. Shrug.
 
jordan12 said:
How do you deal with electronics in the bathroom as you shower?

I am always afraid that the steam would damage hardware like tablets..
Click to expand...

I use my iPad in the bathroom all the time and it's fine.

OP, if you are looking for the very best selection of tablet-focused apps, the iPad is worth a look. I know you're not specifically looking at Apple but the amount of software for iPad blows every Android tablet out of the water, especially when it comes to productivity and content creation. You can get a used iPad 1 or 2 for a price on par with other similar tablets. If you just want to consume content and don't care as much about apps, the Nexus 7 is worth a look. The new B&N Nook also has the highest resolution screen ever on a 7" tablet (1440x900) so if that's something attractive to you, it's worth checking one out. They should have them soon on demo at all B&N stores.
 
requiem99 said:
I will not use anything made by Apple
Click to expand...

Looking at various products and comparing right now. Still on the fence. Video playback is still the most important feature to me.

edit: after a lot of reading I've ruled out the Nexus 7 due to build quality concerns and customer service issues. It has too many negative reviews around the net for me to consider it as an option. I wouldn't rule out waiting for the Nexus 10, however I'm not usually an "early adopter" of anything. I like to wait and let other people pay to beta test it for me, since releasing beta products seems to be the rule these days.
 
Last edited:
jordan12 said:
How do you deal with electronics in the bathroom as you shower?


I am always afraid that the steam would damage hardware like tablets..
Click to expand...


I always have my laptop when in the restroom for showers or craps.

I have gamed (raiding in an MMO), or downloading, whatever.....Steamy shower or not....the laptop still runs.


edit: Put some tape over the camera......and yes I am paraniod ^___^
 
Last edited:
Too bad you ruled out the Nexus 7...that was going to be my 1st recommendation. But, based on why you ruled it out, now I'm leaning toward recommending the iPad. You will NOT find better support for any tablet that comes close to what you get for an Apple product. And it does all you need it to do and more.

Beware the Samsung Note 10.1. Android Police raked it over the coals pretty badly. If they hadn't put videos up showing the flex on the back and the creaking seams, I might have bought one already. Also, the nexus 10 is off my radar as well. Other than the GN7, I'm not strong on any Android tablet now other than the GN7 or the Amazon KF HD, if you can deal with the thick skin. If I only had one tablet I'm not sure I could deal with a Kindle.
 
I just got a Nexus 7 last night...I'm fucking amazed at how awesome it is. I can't stop messing with it.
 
requiem99 said:
edit: after a lot of reading I've ruled out the Nexus 7 due to build quality concerns and customer service issues.
Click to expand...

Most of those were early builds. They probably fixed it by this point (I have an early-build with minor screen lift; it's minor enough that I'm not going to bother RMAing it).
 
Any opinions on the NExus 10? I'm looking for a tablet for the same reasons as the OP, pretty light use. THe NExus 10 seems to ave good specs, the other one I've benn tinking of is the ASUS Tegra 3 unit (TF300?)
 
Since you don't need a power house of a tablet, I recommend the Toshiba Thrive. Had mine since release and it hasn't let me down. Plus, you gotta love the user removable/replacable battery. I don't plan on replacing my tablet for a long time. If you're into tinkering, there's already a ROM on Jelly Bean which is what I'm running now and it's awesome!
 
griffstert said:
Since you don't need a power house of a tablet, I recommend the Toshiba Thrive.
Click to expand...

+1
I bought a Thrive about 3-4 months ago and love it. Replaceable battery, full size HDMI and USB, SD slot, dock connector for dock with 2 USB and HDMI out. You can plug in hard drives, flash drives, RJ45-to-USB adapter for ethernet instead of WiFi, game pads, and apparently even CD-ROM drives to read discs! AND you can get them for $200 or less easily.

One important note when shopping for one; if you ever want to root it, make sure what you buy is either A. still on Honeycomb or B. already rooted running ICS. If you buy a ICS Thrive that's taken the stock upgrade you won't currently be able to root it. You'll have to contact some people online to revert it back to Honeycomb for you so you can root and update to a pre-rooted ICS ROM.
 
Hello folks

I'm looking for a replacement for my iPod Touch.

So size, portability is the key here. So 10" is out. I'm eyeballing GN7

My concerns
--- my iPod Touch is heavily used for my mp3 and mp4 for lunch breaks and one hour drive. I have a Subaru Forester, which I have an auxiliary input and power in the center console, so I can play my mp3 + mp4 to the car stereo using the Aux...the charging is done with another cable.

Will the GN7 do the same for me?

my other apps
--- Dropbox, Box, Evernote....gotta have these apps
--- Comic flow for my comics and eBook files/ ePub
--- need basic picture editing with cropping and watermark
--- podcast player (following Adam Carolla and Jay Mohr, Freakonomics, etc)
--- need free games like Solitaire, Galaga, Bejeweled, pinballs, Battlelog, STEAM
--- Pandora, Soundcloud, Redbull Radio, Fandano, Redbox
--- Amazon, Target, Newegg
--- Tumblr, Tweet, FB
--- Viber or better

Are there any concerns I should have before plunging into a GN7?

Advance thanks
 
You can go for Samsung galaxy tab 10.1
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers a feature set that is rivaled by few tablet devices. The first thing that you'll notice is the brilliant display screen.
The 3.0-megapixel rear camera takes good if not spectacular pictures, and while the form-factor of a tablet isn't ideal for photography, it's certainly functional.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1's design is dominated by its 1200 x 800 pixel touchscreen
Its design is not coincidentally similar to that of the Apple iPad 2, which continues to set the standard but is now being challenged. If you're a fan of the many advantages of Android smartphones, this is definitely the tablet for you
Hope it helps:)
 
thanks

Unfortunately, I find the ST10 too big. I have the iPad 2, which I don't find portable for my description.

iPad mini and GN7 is more the size I'm looking for
 
Check out the Nook HD. It's got MicroSD and a 7" 1440x900 screen.
 
I've used a Nexus 7 and I felt it was small for anything, but a child.

I would suggest a Kindle Fire HD 8.9, it's bigger than a 7" by 2 inches, but still smaller than the 10". I think it has a great market segment there. It doesn't have a front camera.It uses a locked version of android, if your comfortable with it you can put a non-locked out version of Android on it.

Nexus 7 side by side with Nexus 10.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4784673/Pictures/DSCF2135.jpg

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Dimensions
240.03 x 165.1 x 8.89mm

Google Nexus 10 Dimensions
263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9mm

Google nexus 7 Dimensions
198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm
 
SlayVus said:
I've used a Nexus 7 and I felt it was small for anything, but a child.

I would suggest a Kindle Fire HD 8.9, it's bigger than a 7" by 2 inches, but still smaller than the 10". I think it has a great market segment there. It doesn't have a front camera.It uses a locked version of android, if your comfortable with it you can put a non-locked out version of Android on it.

Nexus 7 side by side with Nexus 10.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4784673/Pictures/DSCF2135.jpg

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Dimensions
240.03 x 165.1 x 8.89mm

Google Nexus 10 Dimensions
263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9mm

Google nexus 7 Dimensions
198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm
Click to expand...

I like the side. A coworker has one and I've been interrogating her about it.:D
I'm thinking this is going to be the one I'm eventually going to get.

the front camera is not a deal-killer. the front camera on our iPad is rarely used, maybe on occasion.

the ability to drag & drag my collection of movies and music is plus.
now, the podcast and cbr/comic file is new obsession. that's because it's easiest instant gratification. podcast subsciption/downloading is rather quick over wireless wifi

now, I discovered emailing a cbr/comic file is the easiest way to transfer/sync to my ComicFlow app.

unfortunately, within the iPod Touch, I cannot download the file from the website, save in a folder, then email to myself. I have to do that on a desktop. then email to myself.

I'm hoping the Kindle Fire HD will allow this. Again, I wish I can experience this first before purchasing.
 
raygan_gamer said:
Hello folks

I'm looking for a replacement for my iPod Touch.

So size, portability is the key here. So 10" is out. I'm eyeballing GN7

My concerns
--- my iPod Touch is heavily used for my mp3 and mp4 for lunch breaks and one hour drive. I have a Subaru Forester, which I have an auxiliary input and power in the center console, so I can play my mp3 + mp4 to the car stereo using the Aux...the charging is done with another cable.

Will the GN7 do the same for me?

my other apps
--- Dropbox, Box, Evernote....gotta have these apps
--- Comic flow for my comics and eBook files/ ePub
--- need basic picture editing with cropping and watermark
--- podcast player (following Adam Carolla and Jay Mohr, Freakonomics, etc)
--- need free games like Solitaire, Galaga, Bejeweled, pinballs, Battlelog, STEAM
--- Pandora, Soundcloud, Redbull Radio, Fandano, Redbox
--- Amazon, Target, Newegg
--- Tumblr, Tweet, FB
--- Viber or better

Are there any concerns I should have before plunging into a GN7?

Advance thanks
Click to expand...

IPad mini is the obvious choice for you. It is awesome and the switch will be effortless.
 
bAMtan2 said:
IPad mini is the obvious choice for you. It is awesome and the switch will be effortless.
Click to expand...

effortless, yes.

Unfortunately, being able to find free music=mash ups DRM-free and having to wait till I get home to my desktop, load iTunes, then finally sync I'd really REALLY getting old.

I'm constantly envious at co-workers finding files like these, download and play right away on Android devices.

Again, I'm not pirating music files. These are mashups DRM-free files.

Plus, I really want my drag & drop system back.
 
Btw I ended up buying a Playbook 64gb. I love the hardware, the touch screen is awesome, the OS is fast and stable, easy to use, video looks and sounds great, and the battery life is perfectly good. I just hate RIM.

First for forcing me to use a BBID when I don't want their services, second for blocking people from rooting (apparently you can't downgrade to older rootable OS anymore), third for a disgusting "privacy" policy that offers anything but privacy (seriously, have you read it?), fourth for requiring acceptance of their privacy policy and EULA to even boot the fucking tablet you just purchased (can't click "I do not agree" -- I tried), and last for simply acting suspicious and sketchy at every stage. I don't trust the Playbook to put media files on it, to take pictures of my family, or to read books on, because according to the privacy policy RIM is allowed to snoop on anything I do with the tablet and basically I don't own my own hardware, RIM does, and they're "allowing" me to use it. The privacy policy is so fucking ridiculous that you can request that RIM provide you with a list of the information they hold on you, but they'll withhold any information that "would reveal RIM or third party confidential information" -- so if they invade your privacy and don't want you to know they simply won't tell you to ensure their privacy. What a great company.

Fuck you in your worthless faces RIM, I'm glad you are on the verge of bankruptcy.
 
requiem99 said:
Looking at various products and comparing right now. Still on the fence. Video playback is still the most important feature to me.

edit: after a lot of reading I've ruled out the Nexus 7 due to build quality concerns and customer service issues. It has too many negative reviews around the net for me to consider it as an option. I wouldn't rule out waiting for the Nexus 10, however I'm not usually an "early adopter" of anything. I like to wait and let other people pay to beta test it for me, since releasing beta products seems to be the rule these days.
Click to expand...



By all means research the products well but remember that 90% or more of people reviewing a product are generally stupid to real technology and create most of their own problems with new gadgets.

I have a Nexus 7 and if a 7 size tablet in Android format is what you like there is NONE better right now. I rooted it, easy, but it really doesn't need it unless your a tinkerer. The bang for the buck is unbeatable. I will seriously consider the Nexus 10 for my next tablet if their specs and price are better than the Apples or others that are available.

Best to you in your hunt. :D

EDIT
Sorry, didn't see your post above but congrats on your new tablet. I think....
 
Last edited:
If I can't get satisfaction with the Playbook I'll give the Nexus 7 another look.
 
Video playback is extremely buggy. I create my own content and many of my files play but others encoded exactly the same with identical codecs and settings return "File type not supported." Not at all impressed.
 
Wow I've never seen such a worthless, pointless, utterly hilarious app store. Words cannot explain how lame it is. I'm at a loss.
 
What made you decide to go with the Playbook over an Android, iOS or Win8 tablet?
 
Quality and flexibility of video playback, ironically. The videos that it will play are fantastic, but it won't play many that should work properly based on reading official BB specification publications. Bizarre.

Web browsing on the playbook is excellent. No problems so far. I don't like trying to read PDFs though, the built in Adobe Reader is AWFUL, very tricky and bitchy in navigation and it makes reading books work rather than play.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top