I'm tempted to get an Android tablet (or similar) and I know a few on here have tablets. I saw the Amazon Kindle HD 7" in Tesco (with the Amazon UI instead of stock Android of course) but it hadn't been setup properly so no/little content. I'll take another look.
But before I'd taken a look at that I'm wondering if I'd regret getting a 7" tablet bearing in mind my phone is 4.7" Android, I already have a 6" Kindle...
One option might be a bigger 10" Android tablet with a default UI so it's closer to what I use on the phone. An option for that might be the Fujitsu M532 Android tablet. Many might not think of that as a tablet of choice but the reviews seem good and it has a 1280x800 10.1" IPS screen, 32GB storage, microSD slot and 3G. But would I regret getting a 10.1" tablet. This particular one I could get for around £300. A fair bit more than a Kindle HD 7" but it has 3G, extendable storage etc.
One thing that might attract me to a Kindle HD (possibly the larger one) is the expansion of Amazon Prime to include video like the US. But reading technical PDFs for work might be nice on a 10" tablet. Better than the laptop for sure.
Anyway what thought processes did those on here go through? And I'm probably not getting an iPad.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 26 Oct 12 at 22:28
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And the 32GB one is out soon. One app I'll use a lot on it (despite having a Kindle) is Kindle... so wondering if I'll benefit from the Android Kindle HD. Prime gives you the loan of a book for free each month but I might not find ones I like and I often buy books for less than £4... I buy from authors in advance when on offer.
I saw the Nexus 7 in Tesco a few months back and it seemed very slick. The UI on the Kindle Fire HD I saw today was not as intuitive... or rather I'm not used to it. Missed the back/home buttons too. And the ASUS Nexus 7 is higher spec.
I suppose I ought to wait to see how much the Nexus 10 is too. Perhaps why I can get the Fujitsu one for £300?
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I got the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.2 in February and it's been great!
I've not had to pay for a single app, and it gets used frequently.
It has a mobile broadband contract, so I don't have to rely on wifi being available.
Examples of use:
- Catching up with email (without needing to drag a bulky laptop around). Fits in beautifully with the web browser to it is simple to send web pages to people.
- Keeping abreast of vital news while on the move, e.g. how Spurs are doing
- Weather forecasts
- Seeing if there is an "Acme"[*] store nearby, and if so getting directions to it
- Emergency satnav
- Games to while away the time while waiting for Mrs L to come out of the Garden Centre
(Mah Jongg, Solitaire, Angry Birds)
- Camera to take snaps of objects, copies of docs (quicker than taking notes)
- Polaris Office application to read Word & Excel docs on the move (you can edit them as well, but more clumsy than on a real PC)
- PDF reader (yes, 10" is very good for reading PDFs)
- Nice big easy to use calculator
- Calendar with "to do" list and reminders.
- Google maps, including a free OS application that you can download so you can go rambling if you wish. (Tip, save screen captures of the maps beforehand so you don't need to worry about getting connected while out in the wilds)
- Music player
- Internet Radio Application
- Compass
- Carr Matey (Pirate-themed app the tells you where you parked)
- Alarm Clock
- Cuddly toy (oops! No, getting mixed up there)
. . . and much more.
Mrs L was sceptical at first, regarding the tablet as a Boy's Toy. However she is fully won over now. (This has the added benefit of doing some of the groundwork for when I bring out the man-maths to argue in favour of replacing the current car...)
[*] insert name of favourite store
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>> I got the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.2 in February and it's been great!
>> I've not had to pay for a single app
Emma Chissett?
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>> >> I got the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.2 in February and it's been great!
>> >> I've not had to pay for a single app
>>
>> Emma Chissett?
>>
A bullseye short of a monkey is what I paid for it - but it's selling for a ton less at PC world at the mo.
www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-galaxy-tab-2-gt-p5110-10-1-3g-tablet-16-gb-14643384-pdt.html
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John Lewis also have them for the same price. And of course there's £50 cashback.
I'd have thought a tablet of this size would be full HD but they're not. The same resolution as the 7" tablets. So both show the same amount of details but obviously over different sized screens.
I'm still wondering if the 7" tablet will be found to be too small to be much better than the combination of Kindle eReader + Android phone. Indeed the Android phone has nearly as high a resolution as these 10.1" tablets... mine does 1280x720 on a 4.7" screen.
But for lugging around places... maybe the 10.1" tablets are too big? Now wondering if the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is a good compromise. And there's always the Nexus 10 to look at next week.
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>> But for lugging around places... maybe the 10.1" tablets are too big?
Very good point - they will seem too big for some folks. I'm already used to taking a "man bag" with me (soft southerner that I am) which is just big enough to fit the tablet into - protected by it's small cover.
The weight isn't a problem.
I'm taking the bag with me anyway, so adding a tablet isn't an extra burden. I carry so much around with me that I need the bag - wallet, glasses, phone, keys, pen, swiss army knife, mints, charger for phone, usb stick etc etc.)
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>> I'm taking the bag with me anyway, so adding a tablet isn't an extra burden.
>> I carry so much around with me that I need the bag - wallet, glasses,
>> phone, keys, pen, swiss army knife, mints, charger for phone, usb stick etc etc.)
Men have pockets. The Iphone takes up the space where 20 Marlboro resided in same. Mints? you iron!
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>> Men have pockets. The Iphone takes up the space where 20 Marlboro resided in same.
>> Mints? you iron!
>>
We can't all be *real* men like you, Zero! Working long hours at the Olympics, and out in all weathers to get the best shots of classic locomotives.
I reckon you must have some tough Northern blood in you, maybe Scottish.
'Ere, you might even be related to Humph! :-)
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When work moved to a BYO policy and took away the laptop, I wanted something with a proper keyboard option, so I went for an Asus T301F ( I think) transformer. although I could have "solutioned" the keyboard a different way.
Had it a few months now, and haven't used it much for work after all. So it's turning out to be a pretty much an online poker machine...
It's really pretty good though, Tegra 3 graphics and 32Gb etc but I probably could have lived without it. Poker is better than on the HTC but whether it's £400 better is another matter... :-). Legitimate business expense though ;-)
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My HTC phone has Tegra3 and 32GB storage. But not used for poker.
I'm wondering if I'll not use it as much as I think. But a lot of iPad owners obviously use theirs a fair bit.
The Fujitsu one at £300 seems cheap... or is it because of the upcoming price of the Nexus 10 which has higher resolution display than the iPad3/4. And has dual core ARM A15 apparently... better than having quad core ARM A9's for sure. Although the Exynos 5 processor won't be aimed at phones yet.
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I have an archos 80 g9 tablet that I brought from amazon for £200.
not a bad tablet but a bit deaf on a wifi signal.
however I also own a Samsung galaxy sii and I use both together.
I use the archos on its own to play games or browse the web but it has a mini HDMI socket and I connect it to the TV.
it has full HD output so when connected to the TV I stream films from my server.
I then use an app called Archos remote on my sii and remotely control the tablet when connected to the TV.
its mad but works really well.
I suspect I use the tablet and phone in a different way to most users
so my TV is now a smart TV.
however it depends what you want to use the tablet for as to a recommendation.
if you want a device just for yourself to use then the nexus 7 inch tablet is a winner.
Last edited by: diddy1234 on Sat 27 Oct 12 at 10:33
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I have a Nexus 7. It's great for casual surfing but hits issues with some sites and the onscreen keyboard isn't brilliant. Nexus 10 due soon, probably iPad beating.
I also have an iPad 3 from work, and it's never used at home due to the pile of poo that is iTunes. I do use it abroad since work picks up the data roaming bill, and can report that it's competent, but not brilliant. Like me, I suppose.
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Sat 27 Oct 12 at 19:11
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>> Nexus 10 due soon, probably iPad beating.
It's meant to have a higher resolution display than the iPad3/4. We'll see next week probably.
Now having that resolution and a 10" tablet makes more sense. Having a 10" tablet with the same resolution as a 7" one... not so sure.
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Android Tablet Thoughts and Opinions - Kevin
