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Ask Slashdot: Best Android Tablet For Travel?
PerlJedi writes "I am planing a long trip (to Ireland), and want to buy an Android tablet to take along for the trip. I am a software engineer (I actually work for Slashdot), a Linux geek, and an Android fan. I would like to get a tablet primarily to use for entertainment (when I'm not working or building robots in my workshop, I'm usually playing with my phone), but something I could get some work done from in a pinch would be a major plus (all I need to be able to work is a Web browser, and an ssh terminal, preferably with a keyboard). My current cell phone is the Samsung Charge, rooted and running GummyCharge 2.1, and it is a good bet I'll want to root whatever tablet I get, if not right away, soon after getting it. From an entertainment standpoint I want something that is large enough to watch high definition videos on, with a battery life that will make it practical for use on a long flight. Having a decent camera would be a nice plus, but is not an absolute necessity. Having a forward facing camera for video chat would also be good, but is also not a necessity." PerlJedi's got a few options in mind; read on for the details of his reasoning and help him fulfill his quest.
"My brief initial search has yielded the following initial contenders:
- Asus Transformer Prime: This is currently my favorite, for a few reasons: Tegra 3 quad core processor (that's just plain cool); it's designed with a docking station in mind, making it perfect for using for work; sleek, thin design; light weight; available with up to 64 GB. It is on the pricey side, though.
- Toshiba Thrive: I must admit, I know very little about this one. Unlike the others, I have not heard much hype around it. From what I've read thus far, pros include: full-size SD slot; full USB support; full HDMI support. Cons: Bulkier and heavier than its opponents.
- Motorola XOOM: This one has been available for some time, which can be both good and bad. Its problems should be known and understood by now, but it's lost some of the sex appeal of the new product.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab: The Galaxy tab line has also been on the market for a while. It does have some added appeal to me because my phone is also from Samsung, so the rooting processes, and available ROMs, will be more familiar to me.
- Sony Tablet S: Like the Toshiba, I have heard little hype about this tablet. Its feature set also seems similar to the Toshiba. I must admit here, I may be a bit biased against Sony over some of their recent treatment of the hacker/maker community."
I have a Transformer, a Novo 7 (China) and an iPad. I paid for the Transformer, the others are company owned test units. I like them all. I haven't tried the Transformer with a keyboard, should have bought it. But that might be the one you want.
Check out lenovo
If you can get your hands on one, I'd highly recommend it. Got one for Christmas from my awesome GF and it took me longer to download all the SDKs and files than it actually took to root and ROM it.
I'd use the prime (given the options available to it) or the Xoom mainly because it's built like a brick sh1thouse and unlikely to break accidentally. I have a xoom myself, and was quite suprised by the standby time of the tablet (ie: a week with keeping over 90% charge). The samsung is sexy and light in comparison, I can't compare the others as I havent tried them.
At the end of the day it's down to what you actually *need* not what's *nice*, sure 64GB is nice, but do you actually need it to write emails? If you like music, then that's a maybe (but most of my collection fits in under 16GB of my frequently listened to stuff, and are you really going to need that rarely listened to piece?)
Ian Hawkins
ian@prowl.org ('cause I can't login!)
Even without the keyboard, I've barely put mine down in the months since I bought it. You might be better off trying to pick up the original on the cheap now that its successor is on the way - it's a good, solid piece of hardware and it can be rooted easily too.
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
I bought one on sale locally. I'm a geocacher and wanted the full USB port for loading caches on my GPS (Delorme 60) when I'm traveling. It is a bit bulkier than some of the others but it's fast and responsive. I've not been disappointed at all.
The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum. - O'Toole's Corollary
I was going to say B&N Nook Color. Install Cyanogen 7.1 (very easy to do), connectBot, hacker's keyboard, and Opera. The battery life is great, nice screen, dirt cheap. Tether it to your phone for non-wifi connectivity.
..but then I clicked your link for the Transformer Prime. Very nice. Yeah, get that one.
sig: sauer
That's what I read the title as. I thought of Marvin and Data. Of the two, only Data is an android, and while Marvin might be many ages-of-the-universe old, Data's head is three hundred years older than his body.
Based upon my Christmas mistake (he's 8, he doesn't care)- here's what I would look for:
1. Capacative screen. Resistive touch screens suck, and I forgot how much until I realized this el-cheap sub $90 tablet came with a resistive screen but no stylus.
2. On-board USB ports, not on a dongle. His contains a proprietary connector with USB / wired ethernet ports on it, and I'm afraid he'll lose it. He might have already and I don't know.
3. SDHC or microSDHC slot and plenty of on-board memory
4. Good built-in Wifi- his seems to disconnect at the drop of a hat.
Go with the same brand as your phone otherwise, that way you can be sure your favorite aps will work.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
I have a friend who sounds almost identical in his needs ... he was traveling (3 months in Japan) and wanted something he could throw in his backpack and work from (web, ssh) if needed, without having to lug around a laptop. He got the ASUS Transformer with keyboard, and loves it -- he still uses it every day, and this is almost a year after buying it. Plus the doubled battery life the keyboard provides is really nice.
I own a Xoom and a Transformer. I love both.
The Xoom feels less plastic and more sturdy than the Transformer, and since the 3.2 update, the Xoom is just as great as the Transformer as used as a tablet-only. I actually prefer it to the Transformer. Now, the Transformer with the keyboard is just another piece of awesome for daily stuff.
So for your usage pattern I will definitely recommend the Transformer with the keyboard.
I like, "Hackers Keyboard," for a decent SW keyboard. Works decent even on my Galaxy S II 4.5" screen...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
With all the, uh, street-cred up there, you mean to tell us you don't ALREADY have a Kindle Fire rooted and running the pre-alpha Ice Cream Sandwich????
I'd suggest that purely for size, a 7" tablet might be better for travelling. The Transformer is apparently a hell of a tablet though.
Now I'll share my personal experience from a 2-week trip to Ireland a few years ago. Sure tablets didn't exist way back in 2006 but here's my advice anyway.
SCREW THE TABLET. Get a REALLY NICE camera.
I did take my laptop (at the time a 12" Powerbook G4). It was used at night to download the hundreds of photos off the camera so I have space for photos the next day, and to do minor trip blogging. I did not find the time, opportunity, need or DESIRE to touch a computer during the day.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
What tablets are to recommend for running some more ordinary operating system, like Debian or Ubuntu?
Swedish plasma phys. PhD student; MSc EE; knows maths, programming, electronics; finance interest; seeks opportunities
I have a Xoom that I travel with constantly and I can put multiple movies on the removable SD card quite easily. I've also purchased Asus Transformers for the kids and we've taken all of them on long trips internationally without any problems.
The only negative I have on all of the tablets is the lack of a standard charge interface, like a micro USB for example. The ASUS has one standard, the Motorola has a 12V plug that's different etc. It's just like cell phones. SO if you're expecting to travel light just plan on bringing another charger along as well.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
This past summer, we bought a Galaxy Tab 10.1 specifically for the purpose of communicating across the Atlantic from Ireland/England. The wife took it, it was nice, light, and reliable, and she was able to GTalk with the kids and me (Skype video wasn't available at the time) . The only issue (not tablet specific) was finding wifi spots in certain semi-rural areas of Ireland.
I have the first gen Transformer and I like it ALOT. The screen is fantastic and the ability to slap a real keyboard (and multi-hour extra battery) on it is just icing on the cake. I upgraded from a 7" Galaxy Tab and while I miss the built-in cellular access at times, that's nothing that can't be overcome by the hotspot in my Galaxy S II ;)
Why asking here? All info you need is on the web, why get confused by advice of users that probably at most have really used 2 tablets.
Bought a Sony myself, based on the info on the web and after holding it in my hands. I am happy with the form factor. Dont care about the otner specs as I bought the device for what it can, not for what it might do in the future (Hope for an ICS upgrade, but wont complain ifit doesnt happen. Didnt pay for it)
Enjoy your trip, try to enjoy it without any digital toys. They are overrated.
If you want a keyboard and you want to root it then is a tablet really the best device to serve your needs? Why not just get a netbook? I suppose you can still install Android x86 if you really want to.
I have an 32G Transformer+Keyboard and love it. The battery life is great and I love the fact that I can convert it when i don't need a keyboard. But if the battery gets low just snap it into the keyboard base. I hardly use my big laptop anymore. It really is the best of both worlds. When I am on the road I just fire up my wifi hotspot on my Droid3 and I am ready to go in seconds.
Brandon Gardner brandon.gardner@gmail.com
I develop software for tablets (iPad, Playbook, Android) so I have quite a few. I tested them myself and I can compare them first hand.
The best Android tablets right now are Asus Transformer and Samsung Galaxy Tab. I would say that the Tabs have better build quality than Transformers, personally I like TouchWiz and I the Tab 8.9 tablet is just right - small and light enough to be easy to carry yet more comfortable than a 7".
you have linux then I assume that you also have a windows partition since linux also has few "commercial" apps available for it.
You are incorrect in that assumption. I do not have any hardware in my possession running windows. The only thing that I cannot do with linux that I might want to is playing video games, and I have a cell phone, and a wii (and soon an android tablet) for playing games on.
Frankly I am disappointed that so many people recomend I get and iPad when the OP specified that I want an ANDROID tablet. Just because the iPad is popular, doesn't mean that it is right for everyone. I also have an iPhone that my company bought me, but I don't use it because I like my android phone much much better. I also have a Macbook pro that my company provided, but I am typing this from my personal laptop running Fedora 15 because I like it more than the Mac.
Bottom Line: Apple makes some good products, and I recomend them to everyone that is content using the product in exactly the way the manufacturer intended, and do not need to customize things. But for me, a hacker/maker/tinkerer, I will much rather use android because it gives me the freedom to do all of the things I want to do with my hardware.
This will get modded Troll, but seriously? If you're planning extended travel, why on Earth would you think about buying a gadget to play with before you go? Get a grip!
I'm being serious, and I speak from experience. Now me, I like books. I always figure that when I have a lot of travel time ahead of me, I should sock a bunch of reading matter into my bag for those long stretches, so I don't run out. And you know what? Almost always, that stuff ends up sitting in my bag unread.
Do you know why you travel? To travel. To experience new things, new people, new places. Not to fuck around with a gadget, or spend your time sitting in a chair by yourself, reading a book.
Count your trip as a blessing, expect it to be one of the experiences of your life that you will always look back on fondly, and please, for the love of God, put the fucking phone DOWN.
Breakfast served all day!
Really?!?! Why would I buy a car that would ONLY drive to Walmart. I would prefer a tool that I own to be used as I choose, and not give the choice to somebody else. I personally have looked at many, and have fallen in love with the idea of the Archos G9 101 250gb. It is a 10 inch tablet with hdmi output, has an app you can install on your android phone and use as a remote control when it is being used with hdmi on your big screen. It also has a full size USB host on the back that in Europe currently can hold an optional $49 3G dongle that is unlocked. Also their media player will handle damn near anything you throw at it. Plus it has a 250 gig spinning hard drive. I don't think the 250 gig has been released yet, but other size ones are out there, I have an iPad currently, and it feels like I am slamming my head into a wall at times. I am going to get the g9 and either sell or give away this thing. Good luck, and that is my .02
I would not suggest iPad 2. It suffers from horrible lags when web browsing that are frustrating to the point of unusability. Obviously, it doesn't handle flash sites. It has much less available in the way of quality free apps. The user interface is dumbed down or broken in many little ways that make the experience one long chain of annoyances.
Android tablets are much closer to being true laptop replacements on the road. On my last road trip I brought a netbook and a Xoom. I never used the netbook. I did all the browsing I needed with the Xoom and I edited text files using a bluetooth keyboard. I have QuickOffice on it, but I didn't use it this time. I look forward to the Android version of LibreOffice,I found I didn't really need a mouse, but I will get the Apple trackpad to use with the Xoom, apparently it works fine. Otherwise, I regard Apple's product as mainly for games and spending money. Not the best choice for a serious computer user.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Are you kidding? The iPad 2 barley runs Android.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Nook color, cyanogen. Refurb can be found for 120$. You can do all you state from it, and can buy 4 of them for the price of other shiny devices.
The OP mentioned "video chat" in his wish list, so presumably he wants to use something like Skype for voice over IP.
The Nook Color has no microphone capability (but the new Nook Tablet has a built-in Mic).
I have a Transformer, a Novo 7 (China) and an iPad. I paid for the Transformer, the others are company owned test units.
I like them all. I haven't tried the Transformer with a keyboard, should have bought it. But that might be the one you want.
I haven't read the article, nor the summary, but I'm going to post anyway in fine slashdot tradition.
I would say vallium, as it has a better reputation than prozac. Once you're stoned out of your tree all the computing devices will look the same anyway.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
Your question will garner far more posts like the one above but I will add my 0.02.
I like the original Transformer (TF101-A1) very much and would suggest you take a look at it if the Prime is too pricey for what you want. The Prime is currently the only shipping Tegra 3 system I know of so to lump it in with the rest of your list isn't quit fair. While it's still yet to be field proven all indicators point to the Tegra 3 being quite a capable chip which will run for a very long time on a single charge.
Toshiba's Thrive is an interesting tablet. I have only tested it in store but I like it for the most part. The full size ports are a definite plus and the rubbery backing make for a slip free experience.
I don't have any experience with the Xoom or the Galaxy but you mentioned rooting and I was curious if you had posed this question over at XDA? I choose my android devices on price and rootability so the Nook Color has been my recommendation to all my non-technical friends looking for a cheap tablet.
Sony likes to cut off its nose to spite its face. Given their treatment of Geohot I would steer clear if you are looking for rooting. I'm sure you can root them just not sure what Sony's response will be to it.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
I have an iPad2 and am not at all impressed with the browser. I had to pay for iCab just to be able to upload image files in a simple web form! And if I ever want to upload non-image files... Guess I have to use my Android phone instead.
Stick with Android if you want a good browser. Install Flash. Go into the browser settings and set Flash to only run when asked for. Now wherever a page has embedded Flash you just get a little Flash icon. If the Flash is an important part of the content just click it. Otherwise it doesn't run and doesn't slow down your device. Steve Jobs was right about Flash on mobile devices. It does suck. But sometimes you still just need it. This way you get the best of both worlds.
Android definitely has SSH and VNC apps. I don't know about X. I'm not sure about some of those others. If not those specifically then Android does have other services like them but I doubt he wants them. Those services are good for when you don't control your network (can't forward ports) or when you just aren't technically inclined enough to do so. (And how many people want to access their PCs remotely that aren't technically inclined?). Compared to using SSH/VNC/RDP they are slow because your connection is going through their server instead of direct. If you can forward a port then why pay somebody a monthly fee for a slower less direct connection when you can just uses ssh/vnc/rdp yourself?
Oh, btw... Yes, I have Windows at work (and that is where the iPad is from). But.. my home computer has Linux with no Windows partition. I can't remember the last time I needed a commercial app for anything. It's not that I would be opposed to paying a reasonable price for one but there just aren't any I need. The only ones I have had in several years have been games and they run just fine in Wine. For everything else free and mostly open source software has filled every need and done so well.
The most obvious issue is the lack of availability, but even if you have time to wait there is a serious problem that is likely to sour your interest in the Transformer Prime: Locked boot-loader. Until someone breaks it or the key gets leaked, it's uncertain whether you would be able to install your own OS on it. It looks like a great tablet/netbook, and I was real hot to buy one, with the idea of possibly being able to install a full Linux on it and use it as more of a lightweight netbook with 18 hours of battery.
I own a Samsung Galaxy Note (purchased unlocked from handtec), and I am very happy with it. It is your phone, too, and unlike most tablets, you can have it with you at all times without needing a backpack or briefcase. My brief review:
Size: The 5.3" screen is big enough for me to comfortably read non-mobile websites in landscape without any trouble, and it's great for reading ebooks and gaming. I have also used it in a pinch for Remote Desktop or Telnet. It fits in my (not skinny) jeans easily, and is actually much less noticeable when there than the dumbphone that it was replacing, which was much smaller but thicker. Depending on how I am standing, I sometimes have to check to make sure that it is there. I have average-sized hands and I can operate it with one hand, but if my hands were much smaller, I couldn't. (Personally, I never use smartphones with one hand, anyway, but some people seem to care.)
Display quality: 1280 x 800 resolution. Good colors, very dark blacks, excellent clarity (the PPI is high enough that the fact that it is SAMOLED doesn't hurt if it isn't a few inches from your face), excellent outdoor visibility. On the downside, it has some issues with banding in 16-bit images with slow gradients. That issue should be fixable in a future update (or custom ROM), but that doesn't mean that it will happen.
Speed: Dual-core 1.4GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9, one of the fastest out there right now. Everything is very responsive.
Cellular: Uses the GSM1800MHz band, which is pretty standard Internationally so would be good considering that you plan on traveling abroad. In the US, I am using it with AT&T (GoPhone plan, $25.00/month for 500MB of data, $0.10 per talk minute), and it works with their HSPA+ network.
Battery life: With light use, many days. For continuous gaming, about 6 hours. On a day in which I make a few calls and spend a few hours browsing the web, reading, and/or play games for a few hours, it usually has 30-60% battery remaining at the end of the day.
Stylus: I find it easy to use and accurate, good for taking quick notes or sketches. The one problem that I have had is it doesn't really work well if you are lying down and holding the phone upside-down; in that position, it doesn't track the position of the stylus properly.
Camera: 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera. Good quality and color accuracy on both most of the time, but doesn't always handle very high contrast pictures well.
Sound quality: Middling. Max speakerphone volume is not terribly loud.
GPS: Excellent, one of the best out there.
OS: Samsung reports that it will be getting ICS in the next couple months.
(no sig)
This will get modded Troll, but seriously? If you're planning extended travel, why on Earth would you think about buying a gadget to play with before you go? Get a grip!
Do you know why you travel? To travel. To experience new things, new people, new places. Not to fuck around with a gadget, or spend your time sitting in a chair by yourself, reading a book.
Count your trip as a blessing, expect it to be one of the experiences of your life that you will always look back on fondly, and please, for the love of God, put the fucking phone DOWN.
I would mod you as insightful if I had not already posted in this story. If you don't already have a tablet and you are planning on travelling then don't worry about it but make sure that you have a decent camera to capture memories and be sure to enjoy yourself with the people you meet.
A tablet can be a good thing to have along with you to use in your hotel room for watching videos, checking out Facebook and other social media and checking your email but that is something that you should only do when you are bored resting after a long day spent outside interacting with "people" in the "real world". If you are travelling for "fun" then you really don't need a full fledged laptop and a tablet with Wifi should be "good enough" to check in with family and friends back home during some down time.
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
What if he doesn't want an iPad (which seems rather obvious from the question)?
I just bought a 16GB Transformer from B&H (cheap!), and I didn't even consider Apple since their philosophy doesn't really do it for me. The iPad might be the most awesome tablet in existence for some people, but this doesn't make it a universal. I WANTED an Android Tablet, and I find them superior to iOS devices. This isn't an attack on Apple or their customers, it is merely a matter of taste.
When someone states they want an Android tablet, why even bother stating "Get an iPad"? There are people in this world who don't like Apple for various reasons (just like there are people who can't stand Google or Microsoft), and this is fine. Their opinion is just as valid as yours. Some people don't want an iPad. Live with it. Telling people to buy something they already expressed no interest in considering isn't helpful, it is just obnoxious.
"I'm looking for a decent compact car, any suggestions?"
"Buy an SUV!"
I don't want an iPad because I can't stand Apple's direction and marketing strategy. The fact they like to force $500 upgrades yearly in order to have support. They fact that they decided that they can patent basic shapes. The fact that their founder had a God complex, and is on the record stating he wants to Balmerize the competition. I don't like the closed App store idea, nor the fact that I'm not supposed to own my own hardware. I don't like having a designers tastes shoved down my throat since they "know better". I don't particularly like iOS, or its interface (Yes, it does some things better than Android, but it does some things worse). I don't really like the hardware lock in. I've also had some fairly nasty experiences with their PCs before switching back to Windows and Linux. I like open source software (Android frustrates me too, but it is the closest of all the mobile OSs that are common, or don't suck). I don't want to be locked into iTunes. i don't want to be associated with the "bad type" of Apple fans, who feel the need to constantly show people their devices and try to get them to buy Apple products instead (being loyal to an impersonal mega corporation is annoying in itself) and rant about how Apple is the greatest thing in the world without ever once trying or experiencing non-Apple alternatives. (for my choice: I want to be able to make my tablet a Netbook at whim. I like the the size better, as well.) All of these are valid reasons for not liking the iPad. Or at least these are the ones I'll drag out when my Apple fanboi friends start ranting about their iPads and how much better than must be (a priori) than anything else in existence (even when one of them returned his because he couldn't actually find any use for it to justify its insane price tag, with data).
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
You Android zealots are just as douchy douchy douchebags as iOS zealots only CHEAPER.
Cheaper? He's considering a Transformer Prime. Starting price for that is the same as an iPad 2. Not sure how that qualifies as cheaper.
Resale value of what? CY next year..
The iPad 2 has a high resale value. When the iPad 2 came out, I sold my iPad 1 for several hundred dollars. Try reselling any android tablet a year later. Seriously good luck with that.
Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
Why is nobody mentioning the Acer Iconia A500 ?
This 10" tablet has been giving me a real world 12-15 hour battery life, out of the box un-modded, under heavy use.
With its 299$ price wag the 16GB models are fairly powerful, and have all the best features including a full size USB port for your flash drives.
Recently, I've even managed to get external soundcards and a barcode scanner to work on it with very little effort.
I have heard that With CM mods, people have extended the battery life to nearly 20 operational hours before needing a charge.
With the Tegra 2 power, decent build quality, long battery life, full USB 2.0 support, and the MicroSD slot, this was an easy choice.
Just a thought.
I just a job where I'll be traveling around 150 days per year, and have been thinking about this for a while. As of now the Transformer Prime looks hard to beat. Tegra 3, keyboard for real work, 18 hours of usage time! My only complain is lack of development tools made to run on Android, although not entirely nonexistent. Apparently you can get a simple C/C++ IDE, GCC, and BusyBox already.
If only I could get a straight port of QtCreator and CodeSourcery G++ Lite for it as well (no touch input changes necessary, as I'd never use it without a keyboard).
Why not just put it this way:
That's about equally as solid as your logic.
He placed the condition of an Android tablet. Apple iZealots refuse to acknowledge that people might have already looked at and rejected iProducts for a number of reasons, but your inability to acknowledge that some people might see the crippled nature of the devices as a flaw is pathetic.
Apparently he wants Android, and has already made decisions along that path.
Sorry, pure bullshit. You're left waiting for a jailbreak to come along, and always at risk of Apple stuffing you back into the walled garden. Never mind that the platform is wholly closed.
If you are a person who values GPS, or simply having all of the features you paid for function in your new $500 purchase then you should head over to the XDA forums. Forum users are reporting that GPS locking is impossible to unreliable at best and it could have something to do with Asus' choice of using an aluminum back-plate.
I've been holding off on buying a tablet. Two issues for me are screen related. The last couple of netbooks I bought were HP/Compaq for one reason only - non-glare matte screens. I really cannot stand the shiny screens that you almost have to be in the dark to use (or maybe dress all in black). Are any of the tablets providing that?
The other issue was resolution and size - I don't want a 10" tablet - it's too big, if I wanted something that big I'd take a netbook - although in part the Transformer addresses that nicely. 7" is grab-able without needing cases or worrying too much about bashing it - but I also want 700+ by 1024+ resolution (and on netbooks too fer gawd's sake!!!). On the latter issue alone I'm thinking of skipping a tablet altogether and just going for a Galaxy Nexus once the bugs have been shaken out.
So along with all the other normally desirable features of a tablet (camera, sensors, interfaces, storage etc.) a 7", non-glare matte screen with 700+ x 1024+ resolution... anything like that out there yet?
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny - Aesop
I would argue against the iPad 2 because he's already bought in to the Android ecosystem. When people ask me about tablets, I recommend sticking to one technology. If you have an iPhone, get an iPad -- you've already invested in iTunes (apps, movies, music, books) and everything will transfer back and forth easily. If you have an Android phone, get an Android tablet......again, you've spent money/time/effort in getting your phone to work the way you want.....do you really want to do that again with your tablet?
They are all good, but keep it simple by staying in one playground.
iDiot's venture.
Here is the Acer Iconia A500 tab (just tab, power supply, and microUSB cable) for 199.
http://www.pcpartsohio.com/BookDetail.aspx?item_id=1333
It has a USB OTG host so you can plug in your USB stick to add storage / transfer data.
HoneyComb 3.1 already rooted, I suggest you root using this post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205204
Then install the ROM from tegraowners.com
Thor there has a great HC 3.2 ROM and also a very good and promising ICS ROM.
Also Ubuntu is being ported to it as well
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1158260
-Joseph
... for Tegra 3.
Then, make sure your traveling tablet has Wifi AND an LTE modem, USB ports for storage AND accessories, bluetooth just for kicks, and an SD card slot for easy copying of photos from your camera card.
A bonus is if it can charge itself via the USB device port (the Acer Iconia, for example, can't do this).
I have a "great job".
I still don't treat money like something I can burn.
That's not an uncommon attitude among those that are self made and/or actually work for a living.
If you're trying to look like you can burn money, then you're just pretending in some sad attempt to impress the rest of us.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
You say that like none of us have never seen, used, or owned an iPad. Of course that's not true and your bullshit doesn't impress anyone.
If he's considering Android, he's probably doing so because he does value his time or wants to do something that Apple Corp doesn't approve of (like Flash).
Sometimes, there's no substitute for a device that's in the control of the user.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
I would not suggest iPad 2. It suffers from horrible lags when web browsing that are frustrating to the point of unusability. Obviously, it doesn't handle flash sites. It has much less available in the way of quality free apps. The user interface is dumbed down or broken in many little ways that make the experience one long chain of annoyances.
Why do people make this stuff up? It's OK to hate something and not use it without the FUD. You can find legitimate weak spots on any platform but at least have the guts to specifically call them out so we can discuss or debunk.
My favorite comment by far is the one accusing the article originator of being a "platform snob" for trying to decide between multiple Android tablets rather than just, you know, buying an iPad. Because, of course, if all your devices are from Apple, you are not a platform snob.
This is second only to the poster in a previous topic, who seriously believed that buying an Android tablet contributes to e-waste, but could not for the life of him understand that buying a new iPhone *once a year* (in his own words), was contributing to e-waste to a degree a purchase of a single device couldn't possibly approach.
You just can't make this stuff up.
But back to the original topic. Daughter's first laptop was the original Eee PC, which she used for years and finally gave away to a friend when she upgraded. She now carries the previous Asus touch netbook, the Asus T101MT, and really likes the hardware. (She uses it for artwork.) The only issue is that it runs Windows 7, which doesn't do touch at all well, so it works very well as a netbook, but not so well as a tablet. However, based on the hardware alone, and on our general experience with Asus products, the Transformer Prime is on my list, (waiting for an app to be released before purchasing) seeming to be the best of all worlds.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
So you're saying, instead of taking a chance of maybe having a brick fall on your head, why not poke yourself in the eye repeatedly?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
They were conservative on the transformer. Ive gotten more than 18 hours of use out of mine with dock or 11 with just the tablet and the prime should be longer still.
AJ Henderson
I have an iPad and a Xoom with ice cream sandwich. The Xoom is the superior experience. As a matter of fact, the iPad is less than two feet away from me right now yet I'm typing this on the android tablet.
The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
My mother got an iPad 2. I use it from time to time when I visit her. I am not making anything up. The iPad gets used for almost exclusively one thing: playing Bookworm, the free game that came installed. Browsing on the iPad is way too frustrating, she does that on her Windows desktop. She plays Solitaire, reads her email and browses on the Desktop, even though she has to get up and go to another room to do it. In practice, the iPad is a sad waste of several hundred dollars.
Meanwhile the Xoom tablet gets constant use because it actually works well for browsing, unlike the iPad, which is intensely frustrating with its frequent lags of up to tens of seconds. Whereas the Xoom running right beside it has no appreciable lag at all, so it's definitely the iPad.
Sorry, didn't make anything up. As far as you Apple cultists are concerned, you would be better served by sticking to the facts yourself as opposed to the usual ad hominem attacks on people who are actually willing to sign their name to their posts.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Yet I own several ipads and android tablets and have NEVER experienced what you have.
Lucky you. However the net is full of complaints about slow iPad browsing and I did not imagine it when I experienced it myself, or saw multiple other people experience it. So you are special.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
I would not suggest iPad 2. It suffers from horrible lags when web browsing that are frustrating to the point of unusability. Obviously, it doesn't handle flash sites. It has much less available in the way of quality free apps. The user interface is dumbed down or broken in many little ways that make the experience one long chain of annoyances.
Android tablets are much closer to being true laptop replacements on the road. On my last road trip I brought a netbook and a Xoom. I never used the netbook. I did all the browsing I needed with the Xoom and I edited text files using a bluetooth keyboard. I have QuickOffice on it, but I didn't use it this time. I look forward to the Android version of LibreOffice,I found I didn't really need a mouse, but I will get the Apple trackpad to use with the Xoom, apparently it works fine. Otherwise, I regard Apple's product as mainly for games and spending money. Not the best choice for a serious computer user.
Hmm, Apple cultists seem to have mod points tonight. Scary.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
I'm guessing your mom's wifi sucks.
You guess wrong. No such lag occurs with the Xoom or my G2, or several laptops and notebooks, only the iPad.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?