What tablet should I buy?

H

Homer

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I'm looking for advice on what tablet to buy. I'm not too concerned about budget, but don't want to spend a lot of extra money on features I will never use.

From talking to people, my sense is that I would be better off getting an Android tablet rather than an iPad. I guess that acolytes of Apple will disagree strongly with that and I'm prepared to listen to (in fact, I would welcome) any reasoned arguments about why an iPad is better than an Android tablet.

I don't have any existing Apple products except for an iPod. My phone is a Blackberry provided by my employer, but I will probably buy a smartphone when I retire in a few years time.

I primarily want the tablet for browsing the internet while I'm on holidays. I have an apartment in Portugal and spend a few weeks over there each year and I'm hoping to spend more time there after I retire. There is wifi in the reception area of the resort, but not in my apartment.

I would like the tablet to have 3g connectivity as well as wifi, but I'm conscious that roaming costs can be extremely high, so would intend using the 3g option sparingly (unless someone can advise on how this can be done cost effectively).

I would prefer a 10 inch screen to a mini tablet and it seems to me that the best option is the Samsung Galaxy. Is this correct? I know it's a matter of opinion, but I guess that's what I'm looking for, from those who are more tech savvy than me.

If I do go for the Samsung Galaxy is it worth paying an extra €160 to get the Note instead of the GT-P5110. As far as I can tell, the main differences are that the Note has a quad core processor (instead of dual core in the GT-P5110) and a stylus. Are there other significant differences?

Finally, the best price I've seen is €319 for the GT-P5110 and €479 for the Note at both Curry's and PC World. Should I shop around a bit more or buy it online?

Thanks in advance.

Homer
 
Hi Folks

I know I asked a lot of questions in the above posting, but don't feel you have to answer all of them. Any advice or answers to any of the questions would be very welcome.

Thanks
Homer
 
I'm glad you asked the above Homer as I'm very interested in any replies. You did all the homework for me, thanks :)

The only thing I did investigate was buying a cheaper brand than Samsung. When I was in Power City trying them out another customer told me not to buy cheaper option as she had just returned her 3rd one since Christmas, and this was of two different brands.

P.S. It is usually very quiet on AAM at week-ends and most replies are posted Monday to Friday, and we all know why that is ;)
 
Ive recently bought an ipad mini.

Here is my experience:

I specifically wanted something to use as a study aid (I have an enormous amount of academic books, journal articles, papers etc as pdf files). The laptop is ok, but not great for reading long chapters of things.

I also wanted to be able to browse the internet, play the odd game, check social media and be able to travel with an internet device.

My OH has an ipad (normal size) and I wanted something smaller.

I did some exhaustive research, and because my main reason was as a study aid, the ipad mini kept coming back as the best option - mainly due to complaints about it not being easy to get your own files onto other devices, not as many file formats recognised, e-readers are basically gone with small tablets, cheaper small tablets had review issues with things breaking etc...
There were also a lot of reviews complaining that there wasnt as much available in terms of apps outside of Apple - or as much in terms of books.

I didnt need a lot of memory as I use my laptop as my main storage area.

So I got the ipad mini 32Gb (the middle one). I bought it in Argos - specifically because I have found them far better to deal with than other electronics retailers in terms of after sales service.

So what do I think:
Its an expensive gimmick. My laptop only cost around 60 quid more but it does a LOT more. However, it doesnt have the same portability or battery life.

I love it for study or reading. I have transferred a couple of hundred pdf files onto it and its perfect for the purpose. However - file transfer is appallingly slow. I have been using dropbox and you have to individually open each file you transfer to get it saved offline and its slow, it can take 5-10 minutes for a large pdf (40Mb). However, I did a mostly one off transfer and now I just add in the odd book or paper so its ok.

Internet - its ok. Im now on my laptop, its just not suitable for typing anything more than a couple of lines.

Apps - I have a few (free) apps installed, news sites, accu weather etc.. I do use them, but its stuff I would have used on my laptop in a browser. I have installed some free educational apps to do with my various academic interests and they are useful.

Games - Im not much of a gamer but have idled the odd hour here and there.

I have not been able to set up my email on it in the standard way but can still use it through the internet browser, however, typing is much easier on the laptop.

I havent travelled anywhere so havent taken advantage of the portability.

Battery life is far superior to my laptop - 8 hours (compared to about 2 for the laptop).

The biggest advantage is being able to read in bed without having the light on! Plus its light in the hand so more comfortable than a lot of books.

Overall - its fits its purpose for me as a study aid, but Im kind of at a loss as to what else to do with it. Im sure I will find it useful if I go away somewhere.
 
truthseeker said:
Ive recently bought an ipad mini.

Here is my experience:

I love it for study or reading. I have transferred a couple of hundred pdf files onto it and its perfect for the purpose. However - file transfer is appallingly slow. I have been using dropbox and you have to individually open each file you transfer to get it saved offline and its slow, it can take 5-10 minutes for a large pdf (40Mb). However, I did a mostly one off transfer and now I just add in the odd book or paper so its ok.
Click to expand...

Why did you transfer transfer a couple of hundred files, ONE AT A TIME!!, using Dropbox??!!

A FAR easier method would have been to connect your iPad to your computer via iTunes and simply copy over all the pdf's you wanted in one fell swoop?
 
tallpaul said:
Why did you transfer transfer a couple of hundred files, ONE AT A TIME!!, using Dropbox??!!

A FAR easier method would have been to connect your iPad to your computer via iTunes and simply copy over all the pdf's you wanted in one fell swoop?
Click to expand...

It wouldnt have mattered, you have to open them individually to save them onto the device itself so that they can be used offline. Obviously I dumped lots into dropbox at any one time.
 
The choice of table depends very much on personal choice and what you want to use it for. There are many who swear by Apple iPads and others who wont have anything but Android. For sure the mainstream all support iPad and a middle range model is fine for most people. With free wi-fi in most places the SIM model is only necessary if you intend roaming alot. Android are usually cheaper but not much when it comes to top range Samsung. You will find that certain apps are only supported on Apple and selected iPads (i.e. SkyGo) and others are implemented better on one platform above another e.g. in my opinion Audible is better on Android. If you want iTunes then the choice is Apple.
So it's a personal choice. Reading the OP post you suggest you want to use mainly for browsing and roaming with SIM. If you are in Portugal you might be better with a wifi connection or a local sim. But on the basis of what you are looking for I would suggest that you could go with either. Why not pot into a store and play with one or two for a while and see which you like best and then take the plunge. I'd suggest not going for the cheapest but also not the most expensive either.
BTW I have both Android and iPad and love both in equal measure for various reasons. I love the flexibility of Android and like the range of apps for Apple.
I did not mention Windows 8 RT because personally I prefer to see the second version rather than the first before spending my money.
 
I have a tablet mainly as a study aid, but also for internet and mail abroad. I went for an iPad. I don't know much about Android so I can't compare. Main thing is I wouldn't consider anything other than the full size iPad for reading PDFs. I have a Kindle but stopped using it because it's useless for PDFs, and to be honest I'd go for an even bigger screen format if one was available. Transferring files en masse to the iPad was no problem, contrary to the above. I did it both in iTunes from the computer for the built-in iBooks reader, and from Google Drive to the GoodReader app.
 
dub_nerd said:
Transferring files en masse to the iPad was no problem, contrary to the above. I did it both in iTunes from the computer for the built-in iBooks reader
Click to expand...

Could you expand a bit on this please?

I have been unable to find a better way to transfer files so that they are available offline.

I understand that its possible to put lots of files into iTunes and have them appear on the iPad while connected to the internet, but if you have no internet access the only way to view your files is to have them saved to the device itself and I am curious to know how people are managing this as I havent been able to figure it out other than one file at a time (I searched through the apple support forums extensively and didnt find an answer).

As far as I can tell, there is no file handling system - everything works through apps, so Id love to know how to copy a bunch of files over at once so that they are available offline.
 
This is what I was alluding to earlier.

You need to connect your iPad to a computer and run iTunes on the computer. Once iTunes recognises and syncs with the iPad you can copy them across. All of your pdf's can be read by the iBooks app. This app does not come pre-installed but can be downloaded free from the app store. Once the pdf's are in iBooks, they can be accessed, internet or not!!

A very easy guide here: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-transfer-pdfs-to-an-ipad.html

Transferring pdf's one-by-one is madness. :confused:
 
^^

I just tried the above method. While it definitely transfers the files (no faster than Dropbox) and actually I do like how they look in iBooks, iBooks isnt suitable for what Ive been doing. The annotation tools you use for highlighting and making notes with e-books are not available for pdfs. Most of my files are not actually ebooks, they are scanned pdfs, class notes, word documents converted to pdfs, etc.

Nor can you make separate folders for different subjects the way you can in Acrobat Reader (which is what Ive been using). Its not enough for me to organise by cover view or list view only, I have folders per module that I use to organise in Acrobat.

This method would work purely for ebooks that I read for pleasure, where I dont need to organise or annotate the files.

I just realised that this wont work for wireless transfer - which is how Ive been using Dropbox. I had to go off and find the wire and copy things from my laptop to iTunes then plug in the wire and spend ages waiting for the sync etc...

So thanks for the suggestion, but it doesnt meet my needs unfortunately. Back to one at a time from Dropbox!
 
I wasn't aware that you needed additional functionality regarding the pdf's.

What you need is an app called 'Goodreader'. It will definitely do all that you have outlined and more. It has its own file system also for categorisation. It is probably one of the best apps for the iPad.
 
tallpaul said:
I wasn't aware that you needed additional functionality regarding the pdf's.

What you need is an app called 'Goodreader'. It will definitely do all that you have outlined and more. It has its own file system also for categorisation. It is probably one of the best apps for the iPad.
Click to expand...

Tbh tallpaul, the having to find "the wire" for iTunes transfer is the most off putting part for me. My husband teases me that my ipod has had the same music on it for years because I cant be bothered with the hassle of "the wire".

Thats why Dropbox appealed to me as a file transfer mechanism in the first place - other student also share essays and notes with me through shared Dropbox folders so it would make more work to copy from Dropbox to iTunes, find the wire, do the sync, etc.... Im not always at home to transfer files from Dropbox to iTunes on the laptop, but using Dropbox I can use it anywhere I have internet access.

But I think for books for holidays the iTunes method will work (if I can get over looking for the wire!).
 
Hi truthseeker, I haven't used Acrobat Reader on the iPad, but do use GoodReader. It is generally considered one of the best PDF readers for iPad, based on reviews. It supports annotations and does lots more besides. Transferring files over WiFi is easy. I have many dozens of college books in it, organised in folders by course. I get them by synching with Google Drive folders, but it supports Dropbox and several other mechanisms too.
 
I had an iPad for about a year, and just picked up an iPad Mini, I have to say it's the perfect size, weight and the performance is excellent.
 
dub_nerd said:
Hi truthseeker, I haven't used Acrobat Reader on the iPad, but do use GoodReader. It is generally considered one of the best PDF readers for iPad, based on reviews. It supports annotations and does lots more besides. Transferring files over WiFi is easy. I have many dozens of college books in it, organised in folders by course. I get them by synching with Google Drive folders, but it supports Dropbox and several other mechanisms too.
Click to expand...

Hi dub_nerd,
I had a look in the app store there, its not a free app I take it?

I find Acrobat Reader great tbh, if I could only get lots of files into it at once itd be perfect.
 
truthseeker said:
Hi dub_nerd,
I had a look in the app store there, its not a free app I take it?

I find Acrobat Reader great tbh, if I could only get lots of files into it at once itd be perfect.
Click to expand...

Yeah, GoodReader costs a massive $5. ;)

Have you looked at Acrobat updates recently? They have a version XI and a new cloud service of their own -- files.acrobat.com -- which supports folders and, I infer from what I read, synching with the mobile version.
 
Thanks for the replies folks. As I suspected, it's a bit of a jungle out there and it's very much a matter of personal choice and what you intend using the tablet for. I think I'll follow Woodie's suggestion and pop into a store and try out a couple of tablets and try to filter what the salesmen are telling me.
 
dub_nerd said:
Yeah, GoodReader costs a massive $5. ;)
Click to expand...

I know its a small amount, but its the principal of it isnt it? You spend all this money on a device, you dont want to have to spend more money on things to use on it - especially when there are free alternatives. There are lots of apps I might like to buy but I just cant be handing over money all the time.

dub_nerd said:
Have you looked at Acrobat updates recently? They have a version XI and a new cloud service of their own -- files.acrobat.com -- which supports folders and, I infer from what I read, synching with the mobile version.
Click to expand...

I must check that out, thanks for the heads up.
 
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