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Buying a tablet - HELP!

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by HC, May 3, 2014.

  1. HC

    HC Well-Known Member

    I've decided to spend some of my tax refund on a tablet as a birthday gift to myself. The impetus is a 6 week gig in France this summer and I don't want to haul my laptop around but still want to stay in touch via email and Skype with JR.

    I like the idea of an iPad since I can transfer all my iTunes purchases but not sure if it's worth the extra money. I can save money by not buying an Air but this comes only w/16G. Is that enough or will I regret it later?

    I don't think I would spend the extra for cellular connection so that's not a consideration. I'd really appreciate some input from those knowledgeable on the subject.
     
  2. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    Get the iPad Mini. Lower cost than the full size and great for travel. I also find that the integration across Apple platforms is worth it. It makes so many functions easier.

    If you had an Android phone, I'd say get an Android tablet. The "ecosystems" developed by these tech companies is the smartest thing they've ever done. If you get one device, it's worth it to stick with the same platform across your other devices.
     
  3. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

    I have one of each (or more) -- Android, iPad, Windows, Blackberry, Kindle -- and not one of them stands out as a be-all, end-all product. They all have their strong points. If you want to do actual work on the road I would recommend a larger Android tablet. If you care more about entertainment, go with the iPad or Kindle. If your work requires a Windows environment, I have had great luck with a Dell Venue 8 Pro except for the small form factor. The Blackberry Playbook had great promise but has been largely ignored by the company of late.

    E-mail and Skype? You can do that with all of them.
     
  4. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    I have had an IPad 5 for a little more than a year now, and I have seen only two drawbacks.

    One is the inability to utilize Flash. If you watch a lot of online video, that can be a problem (read: Project Free TV).

    And an issue has arisen with the ability to use Facebook apps with the IPad. I thought it was just mine, but it's apparently pretty widespread. It won't let you log in on Settings with your FB password.

    Outside of that, I love it. Good speed, good camera, easy apps through ITunes.
     
  5. Wenders

    Wenders Well-Known Member

    I have a Google Nexus 7. Love it thus far and it's a 16GB tablet. I've never come close to running out of space.

    One negative about it (and I don't know if it has changed with more recent models. This one is about 2 years old) is it does not have a rear-facing camera. If you are looking to take gobs of pictures with it, you might want to check to make sure that the one you're looking at has a rear camera. I carry around my cell with me constantly and take most of my pictures with that, so it's not a big deal for me, but it might be for someone else.
     
  6. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    I have a iPad Mini but haven't used it much since I got a Note 3.
     
  7. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

    I have an iPad and I find that the lack of Flash, while not huge, is enough of an annoyance that if I had it to do over, I'd buy an Android or Windows tablet.
     
  8. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    I tried the tablet route but a lot of them couldn't do flash and therefore cant do live scoring for fantasy (or at least fantasy football). So I bought a Chromebook for $200 and love it. It weighs 3 pounds and is incredibly small. It also does pretty much anything a computer or tablet could (no touchscreen). I can use it for a bit each day and not have to charge it for a while. Battery lasts 8-10 hours with normal use. (kindle, email, games, etc.)
     
  9. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    I still have my gen1 iPad.
    I'll look to upgrade in the next year.

    16gb. I use mine for recording and wish I had more memory.

    Cellular a must, but live out in the boonies.
     
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