OT: Looking for a tablet that is not an iPad

[UConnChapette]

I am looking to purchase a tablet, nothing big or flashy, just something I can take with me when I travel or when our laptop is in use by my husband and I have to get in my Boneyard fix.

My kids would never forgive me if I bought an iPad, and to be honest, I don't want to spend that much for something that will not be used daily.

I am considering the Nexus 7. My oldest son says he thinks it is one of the best for a reasonable $200. He believes it is far superior to the Kindle Fire HD which is what I was originally considering.

Any one have any thoughts, experiences about the Nexus 7? Is there another brand I should consider?

 

[Waquoit]

I bought a Nexus 7 for the same reasons you are in the market. The best use for me so far is watching movies on Netflix. It worked so well when I was in the waiting room at the hospital that when I was told my friend was in the recovery room I found myself was kinda hoping that they could have waited until the movie was over.

The screen is nice if a bit small for great internet interface, but I guess that would be the case for all tablets at that size. I don't think you can too far wrong if you pull the trigger. I sprung for the protective cover as well. It costs too much but I'm glad I have it. One tip: sometimes when you power it up after it being off for a while, it takes a long time to get going. Like 1 minute of pressing the button long. At first I thought it was broken, I found out later that it's not uncommon.

 

[TDiNozzo]

I have an Android one, the first gen and retina Ipad and the Kindle Fire HD. I use the Kindle the most. I signed up for Amazon prime, so I get their free movies and tv shows.
"Most" of your recent things that you have done are on a home like icon list. If you stop a movie, it's right there waiting to resume. If you used tapatalk recently it may be next. a game next...
Most apps are available or can be side loaded if wanted.. Cablevision news 12 and NBC aren't available like on an android device. All my apps from my Android phones that will work, are listed as purchased and ready for download. I use the Amazon cloud for music, and pogoplug for movies too. There is no need for Itunes to fuss with and the icon list is much easier than looking in pages of icons on the Android, but you have them if you want to use something you haven't used for a while.I go to the Amazon app store every morning and see what the free app of the day is, some are pretty good.
I also bought a 15 ft HDMI to mini or micro (I forgot) cable and play the movies on a 47 inch ... no problem. ... Also the battery life is much better than the Android tablet I have... a few days compared to 1.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

FWIW, my wife swears by her Galaxy Tab and just got the 7.1 at the Verizon Store yesterday (nothing wrong with hers, just dated before they got thin and light). The big thing she likes is the size, as it fits in her purse, etc. Uses it to keep up with e-mail, appointments, and instant answers to any questions that arise outside the home.

They advertised, but we did not get, the HDMI, as we don't generally watch movies at all.

 

[nan linds]

The most recent Consumer Reports (Feb) has two pages with a title Best New Tablets. I believe you can go online to your Library and on of their options is to search magazines. CR probably won't let you have online access except through the Library, There were 5 that were consider "Best Buys". In a 9 to 10 inch display the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 ($400), the AsusTransformer Pad 300T ($350), Lenova Idea Tab 52110 ($350); 7 to 8 inch Google Nexus 7 ($250) NS Kindle Fire HD ($210.. but has Amazon limits).
Another good place for ratings is CNET.com.
I am sure you can get a better price that what CR says but that is a base.

 

[Enigma64]

Nexus 10 and Galaxy tab 2 are made by Samsung.... Nexus 10 is a better bang for the buck. Honestly I would get whatever one has the lower price. The 7 inch machines are the Fire and Nexus, for the price. You can get updates sooner with the Google tabs. Good luck.

 

[FairView]

What's wrong with the iPad?

 

[UConnChapette]

What's wrong with the iPad?

My kids are anti-Apple anything. Plus, they cost more than I want to spend. If it was my primary device, I might opt for it. But it is a backup for traveling, or when the primary laptop is in use by another member of the family.

 

[tomcat]

I have a Nook tablet and I really like it a lot. I can read on it (duh!) and go online. I'm told it plays movies well, also, though I've never used it for that purpose.

 

[ctbbfn]

Groupon deal right now $149 for the Galaxy Tab 2. Tempted myself.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-sam...0&date=20130209&s=body&c=deal_img&d=deal-page

 

[UConnChapette]

Groupon deal right now $149 for the Galaxy Tab 2. Tempted myself.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-sam...0&date=20130209&s=body&c=deal_img&d=deal-page

Dang! Too late. I did some research and read some reviews and ordered the Nexus 7 last night.

But thanks to all for the feedback. It has been only recently that my husband has started needing the laptop, but I have business trip coming up in March (my first!) and have to take my work laptop and taking my home laptop for the "fun" stuff I can't do on the work equipment would be a pain. Though I have a smart phone....that is really too small to do much internet browsing with any degree of comfort.

From all the reviews, I think I will be very happy with the Nexus.

 

[Harry Mangurian]

What's wrong with the iPad?

She didn't drink the kool-aid.

 

[Harry Mangurian]

My kids are anti-Apple anything. Plus, they cost more than I want to spend. If it was my primary device, I might opt for it. But it is a backup for traveling, or when the primary laptop is in use by another member of the family.

You raised them well. It's not that Apple products are not good. It's just that:

• I don't join cults.
• Stock items are way over-priced and upgrades via Apple are out of sight.
• superior ergonomics/inferior performance (dollar for dollar)
• smaller reservoir of free software.
• Apple doesn't give a rat's patootie about backward compatibility.

 

[Uconnrick]

My Macbook has outlasted both my kids Windows based laptops. It took me long time to make the move to Mac but for me, I'd rather spend the extra money for the reliabilty.
Too each his/her own.

 

[Icebear]

My Macbook has outlasted both my kids Windows based laptops. It took me long time to make the move to Mac but for me, I'd rather spend the extra money for the reliabilty.
Too each his/her own.

Bingo. I left the windows world 4 years ago and have never been happier. Easier, more reliable and more efficient.

 

[CTGirl15]

My Macbook has outlasted both my kids Windows based laptops. It took me long time to make the move to Mac but for me, I'd rather spend the extra money for the reliabilty.
Too each his/her own.

Agreed. I've had my Macbook for 5 years and it's still going strong. All of my friends who have had windows laptops in the same span are on their second or third laptop. Apple may be expensive, but it is a quality product and very, very reliable. I have had few problems with my laptop and when I do need a new one, I'm sticking with Apple from now on.

 

[FairView]

I understand that after years in the Microsoft world many people are uncomfortable with intuitive, uncluttered computing that simply works. I've been in both worlds -- in fact I worked for IBM in the late '90s and had a company-provided and maintained Windows-based Thinkpad. It gave me nothing but problems. I worked for insurance companies and used PCs. I worked for a software company that sold PC applications. Sure, Macs cost more, but they are worth it. In fact, if you factor in the longevity and reliability of Macs, I bet their true cost of ownership is actually lower. Most of my clients work in a PC world, and there is always something going wrong with their hardware or software. The only problem I've had in 20 years on Macs loaded with software was caused by the stupid way Office builds its email database. Although I do give credit to corporate IT departments that spread anti-apple messages. After all, when computers just work, what's the value of high-priced IT people.

• I don't join cults -- If choosing a superior product with outstanding reliability and available, accountable service is a cult, sign me up.
• Stock items are way over-priced and upgrades via Apple are out of sight -- So overpriced that they have gained US market share for 26 consecutive quarters. There is a difference between price and value. Apple is the best value and smart people eventually figure it out.
• superior ergonomics/inferior performance (dollar for dollar) -- the exact opposite is true. You may not like them. but review after review touts mac as the superior performer. In fact, windows works better on a Mac than a PC. And all Apple products automatically work together and share information. It's hard to respond when you are making stuff up.
• smaller reservoir of free software -- What would you like to do with free software on a Mac that you can't? There is an awful lot of Apple freeware out there.
• Apple doesn't give a rat's patootie about backward compatibility -- connections are available through adaptors, software is backwards compatible, when Apple changed chips years ago, they provided free rosetta stone software to run old applications on the new chip and they maintained it for several major releases OS X. So I don't know what you are talking about.

 

[cardfan]

My kids are anti-Apple anything. Plus, they cost more than I want to spend. If it was my primary device, I might opt for it. But it is a backup for traveling, or when the primary laptop is in use by another member of the family.

1) what's wrong with your kids?
2) Kindle Fire is next best tablet to iPad.

 

[cardfan]

Agreed. I've had my Macbook for 5 years and it's still going strong. All of my friends who have had windows laptops in the same span are on their second or third laptop. Apple may be expensive, but it is a quality product and very, very reliable. I have had few problems with my laptop and when I do need a new one, I'm sticking with Apple from now on.

agree. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

 

[cardfan]

In October 2008, long before the iPad made its debut, then Apple CEO Steve Jobs said this:

"There are some customers which we chose not to serve. We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that. But we can continue to deliver greater and greater value to those customers that we choose to serve. And there’s a lot of them. We’ve seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody. So I think you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy and continue to try to add more and more value to those products in those customer bases we choose to serve."​

 

[UConnChapette]

Okay, woah! I didn't mean to start a Windows/Apple war. It was mostly a cost factor...less so a brand factor despite my flippant "kids would never forgive me" comment.

I fully know the quality of Apple products. My kids, though having staunch anti-Apple bias for reasons I do not fully understand, do not rule my decisions. I am a grown woman, and I can deal with the taunts of my grown kids. An and if they want me to continue to help fund their educations and contribute money post graduation to help them get settled, they would be wise to bite their tongues if I had gone the Apple route. I still have SOME power over them

As I said, if I were looking at something as a PRIMARY device, I might be looking at things differently. But I am looking at something purely for a secondary device. Therefore, I don't want to spend the extra money for an iPad when I am really looking for something that will be used only once or twice per week and sometimes not for weeks on end.

My decision and purchase has been made. For now, my Windows laptop is my primary device. The Nexus 7 will be my backup and travel companion. When my Windows laptop dies, I will quite possibly cough up the dough for a Macbook.

 

[Harry Mangurian]

woo hoo !!! I knew I could make the woodwork explode.

Are you guys at home or standing in line at an Apple store waiting to buy whatever new product comes next. Not important what it is but you GOTTA' have it.

p.s. a 5 year old laptop is 35 years in dog years and 100 years tech years.

 

[cardfan]

woo hoo !!! I knew I could make the woodwork explode.

Are you guys at home or standing in line at an Apple store waiting to buy whatever new product comes next. Not important what it is but you GOTTA' have it.

p.s. a 5 year old laptop is 35 years in dog years and 100 years tech years.

I actually do a great a research before any Apple product and buy online vs. standing in line. However, when the iPad2 was released in Spring of 2011, I was heading to see family in St. Louis before going to the Indy F4. I wanted to get an iPad2 for my mom and set it up for her, but had little time, so I paid a guy from Task Rabbit to stand in line for me. Worked great! https://www.taskrabbit.com

 

[Plumber Luigi]

It depends how much you want to be tied to Amazon instead of Apple. Or Google. That said I do like the $249 32MB Nexus 7.

 

[Icebear]

What other electronics company has literally created three market areas in the last decade. Apple has created the iPod and look alikes, iPhone and copycat smart phones and the iPad and the tablet market. In each case pioneered defining characteristics of a market.