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iPad alternatives?
sdh2903 - 11/9/12 at 07:24 PM

I'm looking to get a tablet for general use and also to load up with entertainment/games to keep a toddler entertained on an upcoming journey.

My step son has an iPad 2 and loves it but I'm now an android user purely because I hate iTunes and would prefer drag and drop rather that converting movies etc.

I quite like the look of the galaxy note 10.1 but it gets mixed reviews and it feels quite poorly made. Does anyone have an android tablet and what would you recommend? Or should I just accept the iPad 3 is the best to go for and put up with iTunes?

Cheers
Steve

wylliezx9r - 11/9/12 at 07:33 PM

I've had a Motorola zoom for over a year and absolutely love it. If I was in the market now though.I would get a google nexus, I believe they come in under 200 quid as well which is great value.

Hth Dan

tweek - 11/9/12 at 07:36 PM

I'm an iPad user myself and personally I love it and with iCloud you never really have to use the desktop version of iTunes. It also has a stunningly pretty screen!

Having said that the variety and value of android tablets has really exploded in the last few months. If it was me I would have a look at the google nexus 7 or amazon kindle fire - both offer a heck of a lot of hardware for very little money.

Best of luck!
John

sdh2903 - 11/9/12 at 07:38 PM

I like the nexus but I really want a 10"screen.

procomp - 11/9/12 at 08:04 PM

Hi.

Just brought a Tablo. Comes in a range of screen sizes Inc 10". Not used it myself but the 9yo says it does everything she wants it to do. £170.

Cheers Matt

snakebelly - 11/9/12 at 08:06 PM

Ive had an Asus Arconia for about 18 months now and love it, very easy to use and good performance.

austin man - 11/9/12 at 08:57 PM

I have the sony tablet decent screen Android operating system

sdh2903 - 11/9/12 at 09:09 PM

Cheers guys, more models to look at.

mads - 11/9/12 at 09:30 PM

the new Kindle Fire HD has just come out and seems to be able to do almost everything an iPad can do but at a fraction of the price. I was considering an iPad but may look at the Kindle now.

dlatch - 11/9/12 at 10:11 PM

the kindle fire HD looks great for the price

craig1410 - 11/9/12 at 11:54 PM

At the 10" size, the iPad 3 is still without any serious competition, taking account of hardware, software, app availability, iTunes ecosystem. It is in a class of its own and will be for some time to come IMHO. Android tablets come and go at a dizzying rate but rarely stick around for long before being obsoleted by the next one.

At 7" the Nexus 7 is probably the best to go for today but give it another month and Apple will kill the 7-8" market with a 7.85" iPad Mini which will retain the advantages of the iPad 2 but in a smaller size and at a similar price point to the Kindle HD. Preview here: http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/11/new-photos-show-ipad-mini-physical-mockup-in-hand/

Amazon have done a decent job in recent days with the revised kindle line-up but they still lack international reach with apps and content and they are working to a price point rather than trying to provide the best tablet experience. The kindle range in general is just a shopping device for books, media and other Amazon products. The iPad is the future of what we currently think of as the "PC".

If possible, wait until Apple announce the iPad Mini. This will give several benefits:

1. The iPad Mini may be a good option for you.
2. The iPad 3 will be revised with a new type of dock connector and possibly some other tweaks.
3. The Nexus 7 price will drop and the Kindle HD won't seem so cheap
4. You will be in a better position to make an intelligent buying decision

As someone else said, don't be put off the iPad due to iTunes. With iOS 5 you never have to use iTunes (I don't anyway) and I suspect that Apple will make radical changes to iTunes in the coming months to address your concerns anyway.

If you are under time pressure then consider the iPad 3 from the Apple refurbished store here: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad/ipad3
You will get a 10% discount and get the same warranty and quality etc. Seriously, there is zero downside of the refurb store except that you get the product in a plain box not a retail box. £359 for a 16GB WiFi model.

Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy it.
Craig.

ceebmoj - 11/9/12 at 11:58 PM

There is an apple announcement thing tomorrow so you will see what is available then.

IMHO the Nexus 7 is a nice piece of kit for the price if the expected mini iPad comes out and forces the price lower still, even better.

craig1410 - 12/9/12 at 12:07 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ceebmoj
There is an apple announcement thing tomorrow so you will see what is available then.

IMHO the Nexus 7 is a nice piece of kit for the price if the expected mini iPad comes out and forces the price lower still, even better.


Don't expect the iPad Mini to be announced tomorrow. It will most likely be announced at a separate event in October.

Tomorrow is all about the iPhone 5 (probably)...

Slimy38 - 12/9/12 at 07:43 AM

I bought an Advent Vega a while back, £130 and only requires the installation of the Honeycomb OS (or Vegacomb as they call it), for it to become a very good tablet.

However, I think it's been pretty much trounced (in capability and price) by the Nexus.

I wouldn't even consider an ipad, it's more than double the price of an 'average' Android tablet but not double the capability. Craig, you mention the ipad mini, do you honestly believe they'd price it alongside the Kindle? That's not been Apple's approach so far.

craig1410 - 12/9/12 at 08:56 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I bought an Advent Vega a while back, £130 and only requires the installation of the Honeycomb OS (or Vegacomb as they call it), for it to become a very good tablet.

However, I think it's been pretty much trounced (in capability and price) by the Nexus.

I wouldn't even consider an ipad, it's more than double the price of an 'average' Android tablet but not double the capability. Craig, you mention the ipad mini, do you honestly believe they'd price it alongside the Kindle? That's not been Apple's approach so far.


Well I follow the industry news and rumours pretty closely and the current expectation is that the iPad Mini price point will be $199 or $249 which equates to £169 or £199. This will then appear a month or two later on the refurbished store at perhaps £149 and £169 respectively with full Apple warranty etc. Apple can do this and still make a decent profit due to huge economies of scale and resulting buying power in the supply chain.

Just picking up on your point about 'average' Android tablets and their price comparison with the iPad. I think you are being unfair by looking at 'price' but not 'value. The price is certainly easier to compare but the value is what is actually important. With an 'average' Android tablet you are likely to get a device with similar hardware specs (although the iPad 3 display still blows everything else away...) but you also tend to get an older version of the Android O/S and often it is not straightforward (often impossible for the layman) to upgrade to the latest O/S. This means that you lose out on the latest software developments and improvements. While in the PC world this might not be such a big deal, on a tablet the software IS the device. Tablets by their very nature are just a piece of glass (or plastic in some cases) and software. I got an iPad 1 when it first came out in 2010 and it is still running the very latest released version of iOS today and therefore I get the benefits of all the improvements there has been since iOS 3.2 through to iOS 5.1.1. (See here for a list of improvements in that time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_version_history#iOS_5.x:_fifth_major_OS_release )
This is a large part of the reason why the iPads (and other Apple hardware) tend to retain 'value' over time - because they retain usefulness over time. This is reflected in the selling price of second hand hardware. (See here: http://www.mac2sell.net ) Using this site, my £499 iPad bought in early 2010 is still worth £150 today almost 30 months later. Show me an early Android tablet that is worth anything more than scrap value after 30 months...

Anyway, my point to the OP was to wait a little while if possible regardless of whether they want an iPad or not because the release of the iPad Mini will ripple through the entire industry in a very significant way.
C.

hughpinder - 12/9/12 at 09:09 AM

My missus has a ipad2 wifi/gsm and my daughter has a galaxy tab. I'd happily use either, but have to say the ipad is nicer to use/easier/more consistant and has a better selection of apps(generally), and the 'new ipad' screen is amazing. Obviously the tab has some apps and features that are better than the ipad ones I use (but of course I may not be using the best app in either ecosystem). Look at the ebay price too - after a couple of ipad generations you can still sell your ipad on for about half what you paid for it, to offset the cost of the next one, with an android tablet you almost certainly wont get anything significant back. I'd second the idea of using the apple refurb store if buying an ipad - I have bought from there several times - no problem.
I saw an article on tablet sales recently showing how its now something like 60% android/40% ipad for all sales, but people buying their second tablet its 70% ipad, 30% android if that tells you anything (from US sales).
Regards
Hugh

scudderfish - 12/9/12 at 09:24 AM

I bought myself an Asus Transformer and it is excellent. The keyboard means I can use it like a laptop (writing emails on a touch screen gets very tiresome), but I can pull it apart if I want to use it as a tablet. The extra battery in the keyboard charges the one in the tablet whenever it can.

ETA
This is the one I got http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-10-1-inch-Multitouch-Keyboard-Android/dp/B00862ZLIK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347447255&sr=8-1 £100 cheaper than the one in the pcpro link below. A couple of weeks ago it automatically did an over the air update to Android 4.1, which was a pleasant surprise.

[Edited on 12/9/12 by scudderfish]

40inches - 12/9/12 at 09:42 AM

I have an iPad, it's ok, but the lack of connectivity (unless to another Apple device) is a huge disappointment.
Having a Galaxy S2, I now wish I had gone for the Tab 10.1, assuming the tab is a large version of the S2.
Food for thought here. PC Pro

David Jenkins - 12/9/12 at 11:06 AM

My son and his wife have an iPad - they liked it when they first got it (novely value) but now they dislike it a lot and are looking at an Android replacement.

bj928 - 12/9/12 at 01:10 PM

i've just bought the ASUS tf700 and its great, wasn't sure if i would get on with a tablet, but its great, good battery life, easy to use, shame i had to wait so long for the ft700 to come out, but glad i waited, highly recoment if u want a high end tablet, i've put all my music on a micro sd card in the side of the machine, leaving the machines 64gb for apps and stuff

Not Anumber - 12/9/12 at 03:24 PM

Ive used an IPad and a Nexus 7 and was amazed at what the Nexus could do for the money.

My only criticism is they dont currently make a Nexus 7 which can take a SIM card and to store more than 16Gb of data requires plugging in external storage via the USB port as there isn't a micro SD slot.

Despite this it's a great device I nearly took the plunge on a Nexus but will wait until later in the year in case theythe next version of the Nexus

MRLuke - 12/9/12 at 04:25 PM

I currently have a desire HD.

At upgrade time im going for a cheapy £11-£13 ppm android phone with all you can eat data and then tethering that to a Nexus 7 when I feel I want it. After having the Desire HD I have got very used to having a big screen so the nexus seems like a logical step. The other alternative would be the Galaxy S3 but seems a bit big for everyday holding to your ear etc.

As Craig says when apple release their latest device (which clearly copies the nexus and kindle ideas) it will be interesting to see how it stacks up.

Personally I dont like apple at all. products that only integrate with other devices made by the same manufacturer sucks. If I buy a device or a piece of software I want to be able to do whatever I want with it.

steve8274 - 12/9/12 at 05:07 PM

I was thinking of getting daughter blackberry playbook. Currently on offer at pc world for 129.
Not sure how it stacks up with others but she has the phone and loves it.
Anyone think of a reason to not buy this other than preference.
Steve

austin man - 12/9/12 at 05:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by steve8274
I was thinking of getting daughter blackberry playbook. Currently on offer at pc world for 129.
Not sure how it stacks up with others but she has the phone and loves it.
Anyone think of a reason to not buy this other than preference.
Steve


Quite a small display if I recall

sdh2903 - 13/9/12 at 04:28 PM

Cheers all, Ive been scourering the next with all the suggested makes and models.

I do like the google nexus however the 7" screen is a deal breaker, i have a galaxy s3 so a 7" just isn't wothwhile it has to be a 10" screen, there are rumours of a bigger one but nothing set in stone.

Down to the specs and I keep ending up back at the Ipad which is annoying. I can get the Ipad 3 for £360 ish through work or an Ipad2 for 299. The only Android tab that I've found that really competes on specs is the Asus transformer prime, which looks good but is a bit pricey at £400.

I am tight ish on time as I would need it by early oct but I might just wait a couple of weeks and see what happens as something seems to be launching every 2 mins with these bloody things.

Agriv8 - 13/9/12 at 05:00 PM

we went through this and there is a similar post started by me on the forum.

We ended up with a Ipad2 16gb after seeing an playing with various others the wife plumped with the Ipad2. I was very anti Ipad and I supose I am slightly less now. Some things are very good but some things are really bad ( connect to anything thats not apple - EG my NAS drive with familly photo all my music vidios ect ect ).

Do I use it Yes
Could I live without it Yes
Does it live up to the Hype NO.

ATB agriv8

Krismc - 16/9/12 at 06:32 AM

No point asking me, im a little Biased!!! But if you want to know......

Ive got Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy 7 Tab, and the Samsung Tab 10.1 32GB 3G.

I love all 3 as they all easy too use, Apps, music and videos are nearly always free all 3 units are lighter and thinner than apple alternatives, screen on the S3 is amazing and camera is superb, I Stream HD videos and plug in my bose headphones to the TAB 10.1 and screen is also excellent (cant do this on IPAD with out paying a fee)

I use the S3 as my main camera for work and for reading PDF's on its ample screen.

My little one uses the 10.1 as a incar head rest TV player with the S3 as a wifi hot spot and she either streams you tube, I player or sky onto the 10.1 tab and its all free.

And my wife uses the Galaxy 7 for a e-reader which its great at.

[Edited on 16/9/12 by Krismc]

coozer - 16/9/12 at 01:44 PM

I'm looking for something that doesnt cost too much to take out with me in the truck so I can watch my Sky Go, read books, serf the net etc..

Is a Kindle Fire up to that? How do tablets go about connecting to the web?

I have a HTC Wildfire S which frankly is crap on the net, slow, never ending waiting, bombs out.. is that down to my network rather than the phone??? Oh, and the battery life is dismal considering I only really send texts with it!

Sister in law walks round with her ££££££££££ Iphone permanently on the net like a desktop.. how does that happen??

Krismc - 16/9/12 at 02:24 PM

Battery on tab 10.1 is amazing, watch 3 films and still have some left. it's got a sim card slot for internet but I prefer the wireless connection to the galaxy S3 and switch S3 to a hot spot, connection is ample for streaming.

Remember sky go doesn't work on all devices. doesn't work on tablet unless you change the software. which is simple enough!

I never used my laptop in months, I'm typing this on S3. Pc's and laptops are so old hat.

[Edited on 16/9/12 by Krismc]

stevebubs - 16/9/12 at 05:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I'm looking for something that doesnt cost too much to take out with me in the truck so I can watch my Sky Go, read books, serf the net etc..

Is a Kindle Fire up to that? How do tablets go about connecting to the web?

I have a HTC Wildfire S which frankly is crap on the net, slow, never ending waiting, bombs out.. is that down to my network rather than the phone??? Oh, and the battery life is dismal considering I only really send texts with it!

Sister in law walks round with her ££££££££££ Iphone permanently on the net like a desktop.. how does that happen??


Nexus 7 is perfect for that ... 7 inch screen is OK but I prefer 10in when watching stuff in bed...

Best Android Tablets out there at the moment are the Tegra 3 ones...

stevebubs - 16/9/12 at 05:25 PM

3 options for continous connectivity:

1) You can use your phone to connect the tablet
2) You can get one with a radio built-in; just put in a SIM card on a suitable tariff
3) Mifi device

If you've a single device then 2 may be the best option

However if you have lots of tablets or laptops you want to take with you (e.g. we normally take 4 devices to the broadband-free grandparent zone - 2 tablets and 2 laptops) then a Mifi device is the cost-effective medium.

bobinspain - 16/9/12 at 05:30 PM

I'll probably get laughed off the site here, but my daughter has a Blackberry on contract (18mths so far) and wouldn't change it for the world. I've just ordered a Blackberry Playbook. RRP is £559. I paid 'the going rate' of £150 for a new machine, which the reviewers say is a steal.
I get the impression that without the Blackberry phone, the Playbook is limited in its apps. 90% of her usage is email and documents.
We'll see.

stevebubs - 16/9/12 at 05:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by bobinspain
I'll probably get laughed off the site here, but my daughter has a Blackberry on contract (18mths so far) and wouldn't change it for the world. I've just ordered a Blackberry Playbook. RRP is £559. I paid 'the going rate' of £150 for a new machine, which the reviewers say is a steal.
I get the impression that without the Blackberry phone, the Playbook is limited in its apps. 90% of her usage is email and documents.
We'll see.


Don't wan't to alarm but 64Gb Playbook is £129 in Currys/PCWorld at the moment - 16GB is £109 ...

Technically it's a fine device (for its age), and I believe the new OS can function without the phone (although you will need Wifi connectivity).

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/blackberry-playbook-os-2-0-released-today-1065019

when they first started to drop, I was tempted myself but ended up buying a Sony Tablet S.

[Edited on 16/9/12 by stevebubs]

coozer - 16/9/12 at 06:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
3 options for continous connectivity:

1) You can use your phone to connect the tablet
2) You can get one with a radio built-in; just put in a SIM card on a suitable tariff
3) Mifi device

If you've a single device then 2 may be the best option

However if you have lots of tablets or laptops you want to take with you (e.g. we normally take 4 devices to the broadband-free grandparent zone - 2 tablets and 2 laptops) then a Mifi device is the cost-effective medium.



Err, whats a MIFI device exactly? Never heard of that. (been away from the techie scene toooo long..)

2) Get what with a radio? How does that effect having a sim in whatever it is?

Sorry but I didn't realise I had fallen so far behind the times...

bobinspain - 16/9/12 at 06:17 PM

Don't wan't to alarm but 64Gb Playbook is £129 in Currys/PCWorld at the moment - 16GB is £109 ...

Technically it's a fine device (for its age), and I believe the new OS can function without the phone (although you will need Wifi connectivity).

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/blackberry-playbook-os-2-0-released-today-1065019

when they first started to drop, I was tempted myself but ended up buying a Sony Tablet S.

Steve,
Thanks for the observation.
I never looked on Currys/Amazon, but it's academic because they won't post to Spain.
ebay had 100 plus units with folk asking up to £250 a pop. I thought 'I dun good' at £150, (p&p inc).
I suppose when you consider I was willing to fork out for a new ipad2 at 425e, I did ok.

DanP - 16/9/12 at 06:37 PM

Suprised no one has mentioned win8 yet.

October 26th will bring a deluge of new tablets, win8 is a great os (have spent time using) and believe me android will just cease to have any decent market share on 10+" devices afterwards.

The Microsoft surface is rumored to be $199

no connectivity issues, usb, WiFi and windows support for any peripheral you want.

tweek - 16/9/12 at 07:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
3 options for continous connectivity:

1) You can use your phone to connect the tablet
2) You can get one with a radio built-in; just put in a SIM card on a suitable tariff
3) Mifi device

If you've a single device then 2 may be the best option

However if you have lots of tablets or laptops you want to take with you (e.g. we normally take 4 devices to the broadband-free grandparent zone - 2 tablets and 2 laptops) then a Mifi device is the cost-effective medium.



Err, whats a MIFI device exactly? Never heard of that. (been away from the techie scene toooo long..)

2) Get what with a radio? How does that effect having a sim in whatever it is?

Sorry but I didn't realise I had fallen so far behind the times...


A Mifi is basically a 3G dongle and a wireless router in one device, allows multiple devices to share one 3G connection.

2) he means get a tablet with 3G and wifi

Hope that helps.
John

Agriv8 - 16/9/12 at 09:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DanP
Suprised no one has mentioned win8 yet.

October 26th will bring a deluge of new tablets, win8 is a great os (have spent time using) and believe me android will just cease to have any decent market share on 10+" devices afterwards.

The Microsoft surface is rumored to be $199

no connectivity issues, usb, WiFi and windows support for any peripheral you want.


I have need running win 8 on my net book for 2 months and it is excellent. My worry is if apps get developed for It if there are programs to easily port existing apps from android / apple to windows 8 they might be on for a winner.

Ab agriv8 from wife's iPad 2