I've decided to buy a tablet. Any input?

[InfinityOctopus]

I've decided that I need a tablet to help facilitate the learning process. The market seems to be pretty biased to the iPad and I am a bit wary about supporting Apple products due to personal opinion but I will purchase a product if it is well constructed.

I am partially looking for an alternative as the 499usd price point of the iPad2 (16gb/wi-fi) is a bit steep compared to other alternative. I was just looking for input to see if the product is superior and worth the extra price.

What I am looking for:
A tablet that can properly display .pdf files and load them quickly and snappy. I know some friends that have an iPad and find that an initial draw.
My primary use will be viewing journal articles, books, and textbooks.

Aside from this battery life is another major factor as well as durability.

Obviously apps are another draw, although utility is more important as I cannot find it beneficial for me to have a myriad of games that will just kill my time.

 

[endlessmike133]

iPad

I can't think of any reason to get an Android tablet, unless you really really prioritize customization over everything else.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Refurb gen 1 or gen 2 iPad from Apple.

How are you going to get the textbooks into the tablet?

Perhaps a Transformer/Transformer 2 as it accepts mSD cards...

 

[zinfamous]

Post doc in the lab has the 7" galaxy and loves it.

he uses for pretty much the same purpose you would use it (journal articles)

Or, wait for the Kindle Fire. that looks like an instant win at $199.00

 

[Kreon]

I've been looking at getting a tablet too.

My main uses will be:
viewing PDF files (which I also needed to have on a thumb drive, thus needing a full USB port)
taking notes

I ended up settling on a Toshiba Thrive. It seemed to be more connectable than some others. It also felt a lot sturdier in my hands when I was playing with tables at a B&M store, and I love the rubber casing. Waiting to see if the price comes down a bit over Christmas, but right now a 16 gb, wi-fi, 10.1" is $400. Might be overkill for what you're doing, but just a thought.

 

[zerocool84]

Right now the best tablets are the Galaxy tab 10.1 and iPad. Start looking at those.

 

[InfinityOctopus]

I was hoping to find textbooks of some variety in digital format despite the unlikely nature of this. I'm not intending to find the exact material required for any future classes but know I will be able to find instructional manuals and guides on educational topics that would interest and aid me.

I could also potentially utilize a portable scanner and the university library to secure material I would need.

In the case of customization, it is a nice feature but I do not think I have the time or effort to spare to really put it as a major selling point.

How does the Toshiba Thrive, Galaxy Tab, and Transformer 1 and 2 handle .pdf compared to the iPad 1 and 2? I really am looking for something that loads .pdf as quickly and efficiently as the iPad appears to manage.

The Kindle Fire from what I'm understanding has these key points:
(in comparison to an iPad2)
300 dollars cheaper.
7in. display(9.7in for iPad2)
50% lighter.
-2hours battery life
1/2 storage space with allowance of a large cloud based storage
Wi-Fi only.
No mic.
No Camera.

From what I see I would be fine with the lack of storage as I do not intend to have many if any movies on my tablet. I can see myself getting over the smaller screen and slightly smaller battery life if the power cord was not bulky and easy to carry. My issue is the a lack of microphone will not allow me to utilize skype, in which I will generally use for calls more than I would a camera call. Although, it is hard to say that 300 dollars more is worth a marginally larger screen and a mic/camera combo.
Cite: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/tech/gaming-gadgets/kindle-fire-vs-ipad/index.html

I think I will research the other tablets mentioned and make a simple comparison. I do need input on people who have used the iPad as well as other tablets in how they feel it loads and runs .pdf files as that is not something I can gain from basic features or even reviews in most cases.

 

[zinfamous]

I was hoping to find textbooks of some variety in digital format despite the unlikely nature of this. I'm not intending to find the exact material required for any future classes but know I will be able to find instructional manuals and guides on educational topics that would interest and aid me.

I could also potentially utilize a portable scanner and the university library to secure material I would need.

In the case of customization, it is a nice feature but I do not think I have the time or effort to spare to really put it as a major selling point.

How does the Toshiba Thrive, Galaxy Tab, and Transformer 1 and 2 handle .pdf compared to the iPad 1 and 2? I really am looking for something that loads .pdf as quickly and efficiently as the iPad appears to manage.

The Kindle Fire from what I'm understanding has these key points:
(in comparison to an iPad2)
300 dollars cheaper.
7in. display(9.7in for iPad2)
50% lighter.
-2hours battery life
1/2 storage space with allowance of a large cloud based storage
Wi-Fi only.
No mic.
No Camera.

From what I see I would be fine with the lack of storage as I do not intend to have many if any movies on my tablet. I can see myself getting over the smaller screen and slightly smaller battery life if the power cord was not bulky and easy to carry. My issue is the a lack of microphone will not allow me to utilize skype, in which I will generally use for calls more than I would a camera call. Although, it is hard to say that 300 dollars more is worth a marginally larger screen and a mic/camera combo.
Cite: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/tech/gaming-gadgets/kindle-fire-vs-ipad/index.html

I think I will research the other tablets mentioned and make a simple comparison. I do need input on people who have used the iPad as well as other tablets in how they feel it loads and runs .pdf files as that is not something I can gain from basic features or even reviews in most cases.

this is a weird statement...

:hmm:

 

[BUTCH1]

OP, are you comfortable with a "7 screen? fi your going to be using it for hours on end reading pdf you might want to limit your choices to a "10 screen. Processors for tablets are evolving rapidly, most are Soc with built in GPU's or dual cores. Plenty of decent Android tabs available prices will start around $300. Ipad runs great out of the box and has more apps available but cost the most, if your going to spend serious time with it getting work done it might be worth the price premium.

 

[jpeyton]

My primary use will be viewing journal articles, books, and textbooks.

If that's your primary use, you shouldn't be looking at 10" tablets at all. Your ideal tablet should be something around 7".

The best tablet in that space is currently the unreleased Galaxy Tab 7.7, but it's a high-end product that will likely carry a high-end price:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/samsung-galaxy-tab-7-7-official-super-amoled-plus-display-dual/

Your best bang-for-the-buck is an Amazon Kindle Fire; also unreleased, but it's shipping in a few weeks for $199 and has a dual-core SoC:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/amazon-fire-tablet-unveiled-7-inch-display-199-price-tag/

10" tablets like the iPad1/2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 are built with multimedia as their primary use; heavy reading is a chore with that form-factor.

 

[PlatinumGold]

I have the first generation galaxy tab 7 inch. Best purchase ever. If I were buying one now i would seriously look at the Galaxy 7plus. To me no Brainer 7 inch is the sweet spot for tablet size. Much more portable that a 10 inches and if I need something the size of a 10 inches i'd rather use my laptop.

 

[Red Storm]

The Transformer 2 should be out in less than 2 weeks AFAIK, might be worth checking out (it'll be the first Tegra 3 / quad core tablet).

 

[Bateluer]

OP should definitely hold off on making a purchase until late November, let the Kindle Fire hit the market, the updated Transformer hit the market, and observe any price cuts or sales on older models.

I'm curious though, can you not test how well a tablet loads a PDF with a floor model? So long as there's WiFi in the store, it should be simple to download a PDF from the web.

 

[gorcorps]

The Transformer 2 should be out in less than 2 weeks AFAIK, might be worth checking out (it'll be the first Tegra 3 / quad core tablet).

The OP stated that price was a large concern, otherwise he'd just get an ipad. Transformer 2 is going to be at least as expensive as the "low-end" ipad, plus a lot more once you get a dock.

 

[Munky]

I read pdf files on my CM7 Nook Color without problems. However, if that's your primary goal, I'd get something with a bigger screen. My top two picks would be either the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Asus Transformer.

 

[Red Storm]

The OP stated that price was a large concern, otherwise he'd just get an ipad. Transformer 2 is going to be at least as expensive as the "low-end" ipad, plus a lot more once you get a dock.

You don't have to get the dock with the Transformer, and if he's got the money to consider an iPad, he's got the money to consider a Transformer...

 

[Super56K]

I would also lean toward something with a 10" screen, and, in my opinion, the 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad would give you the best portrait mode experience for reading journals and textbooks.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I would also lean toward something with a 10" screen, and, in my opinion, the 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad would give you the best portrait mode experience for reading journals and textbooks.

In my experience the aidional vertical pixels you get with an Android tablet are very useful for reading.

Honestly if I was buying now I would have to get the Galaxy Tab 8.9. It's cheaper than the 10" version and more portable while retaining the same resolution so the pixel density is much higher than the iPads so text will be crisper.

 

[Oyeve]

Nook and root? nice screen, sd card.

 

[PuppettMaster001]

I would also lean toward something with a 10" screen, and, in my opinion, the 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad would give you the best portrait mode experience for reading journals and textbooks.

I agree about the 4:3 ratio and reading. I have owned the Viewsonic Gtablet, Asus Transformer, B&N Nook Color, and now the Archos G9 80 but the G9 is definitely my favorite for reading PDFs. I think they are selling on Amazon right now for about $270. Engadget did a review on it recently. http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/archos-80-g9-review/

 

[bassoprofundo]

If price is your primary concern, you can't get any better than one of the sub-$200 HP Touchpads (check eBay, CL, etc). It will do everything you're asking for easily. It's also a great way to test the waters of the tablet form factor with a quality piece of hardware and very little entry cost. I've had an o.g. iPad for a long time @ home and the second version @ work, but I find myself using the Touchpad as my daily driver despite the uncertain future of WebOS.

I use my tablets primary to consume content, be it in written form (news, books, papers) or audio/video (Spotify, Amazon Prime video streaming, YouTube). It sounds like you want to do the same thing. I can't recommend the Touchpad enough at it's price point. If you have $500 to blow, by all means grab an iPad and gain the assurance of a continuing infrastructure. You won't be disappointed there either.

My only caveat here is that I haven't carried an Android tablet in a daily use scenario. I'm sure I'd be able to get by on one for what I do as well, but at current prices, I can't find a reason to stray from the iPad/Touchpad setup.

 

[RedCOMET]

I'm currently testing out a Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. Its snappy when it comes to reading PDFs.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I have experience with my iPad 2 and my mom's hp touchpad. Both would do what you're asking, but the iPad 2 offer the overall more fluid and pleasurable experience. The kindle fire looks like it will be quite snappy too. If price is a concern and things like 3d gaming are not, then the fire seems like a no-brainier to me. It's going to be the best deal available when it arrives.

 

[boomhower]

If you want cheap go for the Fire. If you want something more full featured get the Tab 10.1 for Transformer 2. You don't like Apple so your not going to be completely happy with an iPad 2 so don't go that route. An Android tablet will read PDF's just as well as an iPad.

 

[WildHorse]

dup, keyboard too touchy