Me and the missus currently share a Samsung 12" netbook. I use it for house accounts, Citrix access to work etc as well as web browsing.
Missus pretty much only uses it for web browsing, facebook and checking emails.
995 of the use is on the lap, sitting on the couch in front of the TV.
Its her birthday in a couple of weeks time and I am still in the process of trying to covert her from being a technophobe - got her the basic Kindle at Christmas and she liked it.
I think she would like a tablet if it was easy to use and did web, facebook etc well. As I said, we currently use the Samsung NC20 netbook so not the fastest browser / processor about, therefore a tablet (I would hope) would be able to give a similar performance?
I don't want to pay for an ipad, looking at something cheaper - has anyone any experience of these? Have seen some Android based ones, are they literally just like having a big phone screen with pinch and scroll etc?
Any advice / recommendations would be appreciated
Thanks
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pads are generally useless for browsing and emailing "in your lap" The ergonomics are crap. Unless you hold it with one hand (tiring and annoying) its at the wrong angle for "lap" use.
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The tablet experience is made or broken as much by the quality, accuracy and responsiveness of the touch screen as anything else, and unfortunately, these aren't cheap. The lower cost tablets are markedly inferior in this respect.
The two standout screens are those on the iPad, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab (which itself is the same price as the iPad). The screens in both devices are actually made by Samsung, and they are both leagues ahead of the competition.
Android itself has evolved into a lovely OS. Not quite as polished or stable as iOS, but much more flexible, very well supported in terms of apps, and just as pretty to look at and intuitive to use these days. But try out the cheaper ones carefully. The screen can (and often does) ruin the whole thing.
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Example of a slow-but-cheap (£180 or £145) Android 4.0 tablet, the Scroll Extreme:
www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-scroll-extreme-review
See 'the same model' link in the Verdict section near the bottom for a rebadged £145 version, takes you here:
www.futeko.com/products/TAB016.php
Otherwise a 'real' Scroll Extreme currently £180 on ebuyer:
www.ebuyer.com/344245-scroll-extreme-tablet-pc-54242
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For a tablet the quality of display will be very important and so will responsiveness and overall performance. There are two aspects to the display to consider: (1) how good it is to look at and (2) how you control the device.
There was a time the cheaper devices had resistive screens but they are going for capacitive now like the better displays. But might not support multi-touch like an iPad might.
Do you have a definite budget? I'd still consider another netbook.... keyboards are handy. Or maybe one of the Asus Transformer models - but not cheaper than an iPad.
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I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and I am delighted with it. It is very portable, very usable on the move and there are fantastic apps to go with it (including loads of great free ones).
Battery life is about 10 hours of use, though its a lot longer in standby. I charge it overnight and have not had any problems with power.
It support flash video (iPad doesn't, I believe), and you can customise it much more than the iPad, and download apps from anywhere you like.
I'm sure the iPad is a marvelous machine as well. It all comes down to taste. I'm just not an Apple person.
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Tablet recommendation - Focusless
