What tablet to buy?

[asutke781]

I have been researching tablets recently and am trying to decide which tablet to buy my wife. She is probably not going to be gaming on it but will be using skype to video chat with people back home. I am military and we are in Okinawa. It seems that there is no perfect tablet out there but I have been looking at the TF300 for her. Its at about the price point I want for her and I think it will handle just fine. Is there anything better out there at about the same price or any other reason that tablet would be a bad buy? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Samsung galaxy tab 2 7inch which is 250usd here in the states

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Samsung galaxy tab 2 7inch which is 250usd here in the states

Yup, the Tab 2 7" is a great value at $250.

 

[alent1234]

for the wife almost always means ipad

 

[Bateluer]

Yup, the Tab 2 7" is a great value at $250.

I'd second the Tab 2 7in, its a nice tablet for the money. But, does she want a 7in tablet or a 10in tablet? The TF300 will easily outperform the Tab 2 7in outside of gaming applications.

 

[Phokus]

If 7 inch suits you and you don't need GPS/bluetooth, i like my kindle fire with ICS ROM (Gedemis ROM). Only cost me $140 (amazon sells them as refurbs from time to time)

 

[jhansman]

If I had the cash and really wanted one, I'd spring for the Galaxy 8.9". My mother-in-law has a Kindle Fire, and at 7" it's just a tad small for what I'd want to use it for. If you only want a reader, then 7" (or less) is fine.

 

[Bateluer]

If 7 inch suits you and you don't need GPS/bluetooth, i like my kindle fire with ICS ROM (Gedemis ROM). Only cost me $140 (amazon sells them as refurbs from time to time)

Should note you'd give up expandable storage with that route. The Tab 2s have an sd card slot. This is an essential feature in any modern tablet, IMO.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

for the wife almost always means ipad

+1
I can't imagine buying my wife an android tablet. Be like putting linux on her computer. Not a great idea unless you do tech support for recreation..

 

[vi edit]

If 7 inch suits you and you don't need GPS/bluetooth, i like my kindle fire with ICS ROM (Gedemis ROM). Only cost me $140 (amazon sells them as refurbs from time to time)

Can't video chat with a Fire. No camera on it.

For cheap and easy look at the $319 iPad 2 refurbs on Apple's website.

 

[Ravynmagi]

For a non-geek person, the iPad seems like the best choice by far. It just works and it's performs very well.

If you or she wants Android, I think the TF300 is a really good choice.

 

[wirednuts]

i would go 7" too. buy the 10" if you plan on watching a lot of video, ie using it as a 2nd tv for the bedroom or something where it sits stationary most of the time. otherwise, if you plan on holding it a lot, get something 7" in size. im a big guy too, its just weird how 10" screens are not that comfortable to hold.

 

[Bateluer]

Should be noted that Android tablets 'just work'. You think it'd be the #1 smartphone platform in the world if it didn't 'just work'?

 

[Ravynmagi]

Should be noted that Android tablets 'just work'. You think it'd be the #1 smartphone platform in the world if it didn't 'just work'?

They are number one, because pretty much anyone can make an Android phone on any hardware, covering every price point in the spectrum.

I love Android. But I wouldn't buy an Android phone for my mother or someone that isn't geeky enough to appreciate the cool things Android does, because I don't think Android "just works" as well as iPads do.

Fragmentation is a big issue why things really don't "just work". There are plenty of apps that aren't compatible with certain tablets and devices. Others that don't work like they should. There are times when widgets and background services go apps**t and drain a battery before you realize it.

Any tablet will have problems. But it seems like you will likely run into them more often with Android. I have to reboot my Android devices regularly, I never reboot my iPad, except to do an update.

 

[wirednuts]

i think the core software of android 'just works' as well as apple's does, but of course apples apps are more seamless due to much higher regulation. apples are for girls and aliens are for boys, its true

 

[Bateluer]

Fragmentation is a big issue why things really don't "just work". There are plenty of apps that aren't compatible with certain tablets and devices. Others that don't work like they should. There are times when widgets and background services go apps**t and drain a battery before you realize it.

Fragmentation. The myth that just refuses to die.

AFAIK, the only apps that don't work with certain devices are Tegra Zone apps, because they've been filtered out of any non-Tegra device. And in cases, notably for EA games, where they've only 'approved' a specific set of devices. Anything not on their list will still showing Play Store, download, and install, but you'll get a nice little error informing you that your paid app isn't compatible with your device. Not the fault of Android, rather, EA's shitty business ethics. Outside of those, I've found no apps that have issues on the Tab 8.9.

Any tablet will have problems. But it seems like you will likely run into them more often with Android. I have to reboot my Android devices regularly, I never reboot my iPad, except to do an update.

I'll grant this. I do have to reboot my Tab 8.9 every other week or so. Samsung's TouchWiz UX isn't good. But its far from even a mild annoyance.

If the OP and his wife want a smaller device, or already have vested into the Android platform, or don't want to fork over 100+ more for an iPad, than the Tab 2 is a great choice.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Fragmentation. The myth that just refuses to die.

AFAIK, the only apps that don't work with certain devices are Tegra Zone apps, because they've been filtered out of any non-Tegra device. And in cases, notably for EA games, where they've only 'approved' a specific set of devices. Anything not on their list will still showing Play Store, download, and install, but you'll get a nice little error informing you that your paid app isn't compatible with your device. Not the fault of Android, rather, EA's shitty business ethics. Outside of those, I've found no apps that have issues on the Tab 8.9.

I don't think fragmentation is just a bad thing. Manufactures are allowed to customize Android as they wish and put in on just about every imaginable hardware configuration. But because manufactures aren't so good with updating all these devices, we have lots of different versions of Android floating around. And sometimes apps don't work so well on older versions, if they work at all.

I'm certainly sad that I can't use Chrome or Nova Launcher on some of my older Android devices. And speaking of EA Games. I bought a bunch last year for my Galaxy S Vibrant. For some reason non of them will install on my Galaxy Nexus, they all say "device not compatible" in Google Play, can't even download it on my Galaxy Nexus phone.

 

[Bateluer]

I don't think fragmentation is just a bad thing. Manufactures are allowed to customize Android as they wish and put in on just about every imaginable hardware configuration. But because manufactures aren't so good with updating all these devices, we have lots of different versions of Android floating around. And sometimes apps don't work so well on older versions, if they work at all.

I'm certainly sad that I can't use Chrome or Nova Launcher on some of my older Android devices. And speaking of EA Games. I bought a bunch last year for my Galaxy S Vibrant. For some reason non of them will install on my Galaxy Nexus, they all say "device not compatible" in Google Play, can't even download it on my Galaxy Nexus phone.

This isn't because the app won't work on the Nexus, they'll work just fine. Its been filtered to only work/allow specific devices.

 

[Ravynmagi]

This isn't because the app won't work on the Nexus, they'll work just fine. Its been filtered to only work/allow specific devices.

Yeah, I'm sure some of those games would probably work better on my Galaxy Nexus. But EA is being weird and lazy or something. I'm sure it's EA issue. But to me this is a side effect of fragmentation.

 

[smartpatrol]

Unless your wife is a geek, just het her the iPad. It has the best selection of apps and games by far.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

The OP mentioned games are not a priority.

 

[Bateluer]

My question for the OP has remained unanswered.


Have you invested much into the Android platform? Do you both own Android phones, use Google services, have purchased Android apps, etc?

 

[asutke781]

Well that is a lot in a day. We both own Android phones. I have an EVO rooted with a custom rom, she has a stock Japanese phone. As far as the Ipad suggestions go. I will not put an Apple device in my home. I build my own computers and have gotten good advice off of this site before. I have just never been interested in a tablet until my wife said she wanted one. I haven't had a whole lot of time to go through the research process and wasn't sure where to begin.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Well that is a lot in a day. We both own Android phones. I have an EVO rooted with a custom rom, she has a stock Japanese phone. As far as the Ipad suggestions go. I will not put an Apple device in my home. I build my own computers and have gotten good advice off of this site before. I have just never been interested in a tablet until my wife said she wanted one. I haven't had a whole lot of time to go through the research process and wasn't sure where to begin.

Woot! Anti apple like me.

Well like I said before. The galaxy 2 7 inch

 

[xSauronx]

ive been looking at the galaxy models....does anyone make a decent tablet that uses the same micro usb port my phone uses?
/hates custom connectors