Tablets

[Red Storm]

Am I weird for preferring the itunes method? Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but I find it much faster and easier to get exactly the music I want onto something through itunes. I can make do with android in that regard, but in practice I just end up not using my android devices for music.

I still would recommend the Nexus 7 for the OP though. I have the ipad air too. While it's definitely the better device, the Nexus 7 is plenty quick enough for the op's needs. I think the ecosystem debate is largely a non-issue now too. When bringing up ecosystems we're not talking small vs. large. It's more huge vs. gigantic. So far I haven't had an app need that I couldn't find some solution for in the google play store. Well, except for Amazon instant video. Amazon's decision to not bring that to android still mystifies me.

Music is doable, but video can be a mess with Apple.

 

[vi edit]

Music is doable, but video can be a mess with Apple.

Yes. It's video that infuriates me with iTunes. You can't just add a movie. It wants to delete and try and resync the whole damn video library every freaking time. With and android it's a matter of plug in, browse to a folder, copy, paste, done.

Windows phone is that easy too.

 

[Bateluer]

Plenty of tablets matching those 2 requirements:
http://geizhals.at/?cat=nbtabl&xf=2185_microSDHC~2171_1920x1080~2185_SDHC#xf_top

I don't read German, but those look like mostly generic junk Chinese tablets. Some of these tablets aren't total losses, but unless you enjoy tinkering and random oddities, stay away from them.

Google play edition Gpad

I have one of these and can attest that its an excellent tablet. Mine doesn't have the yellowish tint to the screen, but it doesn't get nearly as bright as my Note 8. The lower brightness isn't an issue for me though, super bright screens just burn my eyes.

I know you said iPads were out of your budget but honestly, if I were you, I'd increase my budget. I have an iPad 4 and a Google Nexus 7 (2013) and there is no contest -- the iPad wins by a mile. My wife has the iPad Air and loves it as well. The Apple ecosystem is far superior to any other ecosystem IMO.

I would certainly hope the 500 dollar tablet is better than the 200 dollar tablet, but as far as ecosystems go, at this point, Android and iOS are equal, with an edge going to whether you like options or whether you like to let others make decisions for you.

 

[cronos]

I didn't see this post then, but when you posted this at 2/17 Newegg had the LG G Pad 8.3 for $250, which would be a really great buy. The sale is over now so it's currently priced at $300 (which is still a pretty good buy because how good a tablet it is).

Well Newegg does it again. The LG G Pad 8.3 is now $225 (apply code EMCPHHC28 at checkout).

 

[Red Storm]

Well Newegg does it again. The LG G Pad 8.3 is now $225 (apply code EMCPHHC28 at checkout).

Tempting except LG's software is an even more buggy copy of Touchwiz. But that is a good price.

 

[cronos]

Tempting except LG's software is an even more buggy copy of Touchwiz. But that is a good price.

There's a GPE version of this tablet, so with a little bit of effort* you should be able to convert it to GPE and get pure Android and direct update from Google.


*This is an assumption based on how easy it is to convert the HTC One to its GPE version.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I would certainly hope the 500 dollar tablet is better than the 200 dollar tablet, but as far as ecosystems go, at this point, Android and iOS are equal, with an edge going to whether you like options or whether you like to let others make decisions for you.

I don't consider them equal. The iOS apps seem higher quality to me. The signal to noise ratio in the Google Play store is much lower.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't consider them equal. The iOS apps seem higher quality to me. The signal to noise ratio in the Google Play store is much lower.

I guess it depends on your needs, but to me the app comparison is way in favor of Android because of things like trying to use any video format other than mp4 on an iPad. You have to jump through hoops just to set it up and even then it only works half the time for me. I can plug in a USB drive to my Android tablet and easily copy media over. I can plug the tablet into a PC and just copy music and/or files over with ease. I can set default apps, I can add gesture shortcuts to make navigation even faster. I can play any media format without extra fiddling with secondary apps or having to use a PC. For me, iOS is not even close to being comparable to Android, factoring in apps and basic functionality, but I know that others have different needs and so for them it might swing the other way.

 

[s44]

You're assuming SD-card-crippling AOSP is better than skinned for tablets... which it isn't.

 

[Rottie]

Blackberry Playbook is one of them. eBay has plenty of them.

 

[Joe1987]

and iOS are equal, with an edge going to whether you like options or whether you like to let others make decisions for you.

Dude, repeating that just flat doesn't make it true, Apple has nearly a half million tablet specific apps, Google Play has no where near that many.

Again, what alternate universe do you live in?

 

[mplural]

Android apps not being tablet specific isn't nearly as crippling as it is in iOS.

 

[Joe1987]

Android apps not being tablet specific isn't nearly as crippling as it is in iOS.

That makes no sense, and it's not a valid point.

 

[It's Not Lupus]

I would get a tablet with an actual 10 hours of screen time, which I think is only the ipad air and ipad mini retina.

I did have the nexus 7 2013 which has an advertised battery life of 'up to 9 hours', but I only got about 6 hours which was slightly more than what I got with my old nexus 4.

 

[Commodus]

Android apps not being tablet specific isn't nearly as crippling as it is in iOS.

That's not really a valid argument, because it has little bearing on real-world use.

To abuse car analogies: would you rather have an extremely reliable car where any breakdown is expensive, or an unreliable car where the repairs are very cheap? I'm pretty sure you'd choose the former. App scaling on the iPad is virtually a non-issue, because you can generally assume that the apps you'd want to use on an iPad have tablet-native versions. Android does scale (most) non-native apps more elegantly, but you'll also run into a lot more of those non-native apps. You don't want that; it means that many of your apps aren't making good use of the available space.

 

[Brian Stirling]

The Sammy 8.4 Pro is really tempting as it's just about the perfect size for me and the 2560x1600 resolution should be sweet. I also appreciate that you can add a uSD card and now that 128GB uSD cards are beginning to appear there's a good amount of storage available. I suspect it will only be available in the 16GB version but would love to be able to get a model with 64GB but it looks like they will only offer 16GB and 32GB versions and, I suspect the USA will only see the 16GB version.

I don't see any reference to NFC -- does anyone know if it has NFC?


Brian

 

[mplural]

That's not really a valid argument, because it has little bearing on real-world use.

To abuse car analogies: would you rather have an extremely reliable car where any breakdown is expensive, or an unreliable car where the repairs are very cheap? I'm pretty sure you'd choose the former. App scaling on the iPad is virtually a non-issue, because you can generally assume that the apps you'd want to use on an iPad have tablet-native versions. Android does scale (most) non-native apps more elegantly, but you'll also run into a lot more of those non-native apps. You don't want that; it means that many of your apps aren't making good use of the available space.

Analogies...wut? It has a lot of bearing on real world use because of what you stated. If there is not an iPad/tablet version of an app in iOS, which happens to me constantly, I'm forced into an awful scaling. In my use case I'd rather deal with wasted space than that.

 

[pontifex]

ended up getting a 32 gb Kindle Fire HDX 7" for $209 plus shipping from Staples. 9 off, 20 off, then a code for 30 off tablets.

what sucks is that it comes on Monday and I'll be in MA.

I figured since it was that cheap, I would just get that instead.

 

[openwheel]

Still.... Nexus 7

 

[SlitheryDee]

Yes. It's video that infuriates me with iTunes. You can't just add a movie. It wants to delete and try and resync the whole damn video library every freaking time. With and android it's a matter of plug in, browse to a folder, copy, paste, done.

Windows phone is that easy too.

I'm trying to figure out what would cause this. All I do to add videos is check the box next to to the movie I want and click sync. Nothing else gets touched on any of my devices except the videos I select or deselect. One thing I made sure to do was tell iTunes to only sync the movies I select by unchecking the box on that page next to "automatically include all movies". In any case, I find it quicker and more painless than navigating folders on my nexus 7 to add movies.

Of course there are additional steps required just to get movies onto iTunes in the first place. I have to use handbrake to re-encode almost everything before iTunes will let me add it to my library. I consider that to be a significant drawback that android doesn't have.

 

[zerocool84]

I'm waiting for an update to the Nexus 10. I love my 7 but would really love more screen real estate. I'd really love an 8" Nexus but that won't happen so I'll have both a 7 and 10.

 

[spacejamz]

I'm waiting for an update to the Nexus 10. I love my 7 but would really love more screen real estate. I'd really love an 8" Nexus but that won't happen so I'll have both a 7 and 10.

Nexus 10 for $299 right now...tax for some states...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281294030170


Goes without saying that this is the current version...not sure if there is anything solid about an updated version...