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Need a new tablet - Suggestions?

Pat H

Pat H

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I want something to use when I travel. Had a Blackberry Playbook that only lasted 18 mos. IPad is out of my budget. Interested in the Surface and Dell XPS 10 or anything else the Tugger pros might suggest. Just use it for email, browsing and games.
 
My fiancé loves her Surface (and no its not because I work for MS :))

She uses it for her school work and browsing the web. She insisted on having her own after playing with mine.

She's had it since last November.

We've used it on many trips (Germany, Florida, Hawaii, California) for watching movies on flights as well.

The iPad3/4 are used mostly by daughter, since a lot of the Disney apps she loves aren't on Surface.
 
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We have both the Type and the Touch keyboard.

Personally, I hate the Touch keyboard. I don't like NOT having the tactile feedback when typing. My fiancé is the same way.

I have friends who do like the Touch over the Type, but they are few. I would recommend the Type over the Touch.
 
These are great tablets, less than $350.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 16GB $325
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7" Dual Core 8GB $199
Google Nexus 7 7" 16GB $229

There are more. They have a huge app market and are the best selling tablets overall. Best value in tablets by far.
 
I'd get one of these for $129:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hisense-S...re-Processor-with-8GB-Memory-M470BSA/25427874

Basically the same hardware as last year's Nexus 7, which is as good as any tablet on the market. Yeah, the Walmart tablet is a relatively unknown brand, but if that's a concern you can get an extended warranty. I'm pretty sure you can return to Walmart for a full refund within 30 days if you don't like it.

FWIW, the Sero Pro has received rave reviews from most major tech sites.
 
Amazon Kindle Fire HD is now $159. Comes with a month of Prime and along with all the 'tablet' functions, you get all your Kindle books and subscriptions included and installed when you turn it on the first time. Cool. Instant 'on'. Battery lasts 11+ hours. What's not to like.

Jim
 
Passepartout said:
Amazon Kindle Fire HD is now $159. Comes with a month of Prime and along with all the 'tablet' functions, you get all your Kindle books and subscriptions included and installed when you turn it on the first time. Cool. Instant 'on'. Battery lasts 11+ hours. What's not to like.

Jim
Click to expand...

Another rec I'd agree with. My kids love their Kindle Fire HD's.

The bottom line is that one doesn't need to spend much to get a top performing tablet these days. The market evolved very quickly.
 
If anyone is interested in a Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 32GB w/case. Let me know.

I got one last year when it first came out (November) and I've used maybe 5x (too many toys. :)).

PM me if interested.
 
Hokie presentation (video of a "prize fight"), but here is a CNET comparison of the Kindle Fire v Nook HD's. (Note, both are now lower in price than what is mentioned in the video.)

The downside for the Nook - being taken off the market. But the way I figure it is that both the Kindle and the Nook will break down eventually. At that time, since the Nook is currently a generic Android using Chrome as its browser, I can just transfer anything that I need to its replacement (except perhaps to a Kindle - not sure). When the Kindle breaks down, since they use proprietary Android apps, am I locked in to a new Kindle? (Not sure.) (Further note - apparently you can turn Kindle into something that can use all Android apps if you "side load" them. Good for techies.)

In any case, as is, the Nook has more pixels per screen, slightly faster processor, and a slot for micro SD cards.

One advantage often cited for Kindle is that it works well with Amazon Prime. That is $79 a year. I wouldn't want to actually use it as my credit card in that I currently get 1%-3% cash mack on my purchases using my existing credit cards. (Am I missing something. I don't see anything on the Amazon promo page for Amazon Prime promising cash back.) Free shipping is $25 with B&N. Free movies? Maybe. But for the $54 dollars a year, I can get 18 movies off of Google Play.

Per usual, analysis will vary depending upon individual circumstances.
 
After doing research, I just bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1" (previous generation as the current one is the Tab 3) for less than $200 Refurbished. Basically, it is as good - if not better - than the iPad based on comparisons. Unlike the iPad, the Galaxy Tab 2 has a micro-SD slot. Camera is smaller, but since Android ICS is more efficient with space, it's better.

All I know is I get it this Saturday!

TS
 
"Roger" said:
One advantage often cited for Kindle is that it works well with Amazon Prime. That is $79 a year. I wouldn't want to actually use it as my credit card in that I currently get 1%-3% cash mack on my purchases using my existing credit cards. (Am I missing something. I don't see anything on the Amazon promo page for Amazon Prime promising cash back.) Free shipping is $25 with B&N. Free movies? Maybe. But for the $54 dollars a year, I can get 18 movies off of Google Play.
Click to expand...

Are you saying you want to spend more so you get 1%-3% refund? If you use your reward card as your Amazon pay vehicle, you'll get the rewards on the $79 annual fee + on anything you buy on Amazon AND get free 2 day shipping. Amazon Prime has over 41,000 movies and TV shows included free, AND free book lending. Oh, and Fire HD sounds much better than Nook. If one waits a little while, the new Kindle Fire will have a quad core processor and far more, and denser pixels than an iPad's Retina display. My current one is still far sharper than my laptop. It has no difficulty loading whatever main-stream Android apps I've attempted.

It may not be the be-all end-all of tablets, but for the current price of $159, Kindle Fire HD makes a dandy travel tablet, and reading, and movie streaming, and game playing, and internet surfing and email reading/writing device.

ETA The only travel related thing I haven't been able to find a way to accomplish with the Kindle Fire HD is print. I suspect Amazon doesn't want folks printing books, but it might be handy to print a boarding pass.

Jim
 
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Passepartout said:
It may not be the be-all end-all of tablets, but for the current price of $159, Kindle Fire HD makes a dandy travel tablet, and reading, and movie streaming, and game playing, and internet surfing and email reading/writing device.

Jim
Click to expand...

That's the key point. The newer sub $200 tablets do 95+ % of everything most users want to do just as well as the $400+ units.
 
One advantage often cited for Kindle is that it works well with Amazon Prime. That is $79 a year. I wouldn't want to actually use it as my credit card in that I currently get 1%-3% cash mack on my purchases using my existing credit cards. (Am I missing something. I don't see anything on the Amazon promo page for Amazon Prime promising cash back.) Free shipping is $25 with B&N. Free movies? Maybe. But for the $54 dollars a year, I can get 18 movies off of Google Play.

Per usual, analysis will vary depending upon individual circumstances.
Click to expand...

Amazon Prime is not a credit card.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Thank you everyone for you suggestions/comments. However, I did what I should have done before posting my question. Googled the problem with my Blackberry, tried the recommended fix and voila, it's working. I'll hold off on getting a new one for now.
 
I bought a refurbished Samsung Tab 2 10.1 last April online at Walmart with free shipping to our local store. I love it and would purchase another if lost. I paid $259, it's now $229.

It didn't look like it was ever used. It was never setup and the operating system was the older version that I easily updated online.

Roger
 
I have the Samsung S3 7 inch tablet with the upgraded 4G capability and I love it. Small enough to fit in my purse, large enough to use as an ereader. Email, Internet, camera, everything I need in one place. I just need lessons to use more of the apps.
 
In addition, you can find cases for less than $10. It's funny, looking on Amazon, where there are cases for $5 and others for $20, with NOTHING different (just the name). Buy the cheapest 4-star-rated case available. That way, if it fails, you only spent $5. You can buy an Otterbox Defender for $80, which guarantees your tablet will never break or scratch.

TS
 
persia said:
The iPad still delivers the best all around tablet experience, But you pay a premium for it.
Click to expand...

Please explain this 'tablet experience'. I have an iPad and a 7" Kindle Fire - which, incidentally, you can get 3 of for the price of one iPad- and I discern virtually no difference in the 'experience'.

Jim
 
"Roger" said:
One advantage often cited for Kindle is that it works well with Amazon Prime. That is $79 a year.
Click to expand...
That $79/year gets you free 2 day shipping on anything sold directly from Amazon. We save so much money on gas because when we need something, we go to Amazon and order it instead of driving to the store. DW saves on books because many from Amazon Prime are free on her Kindle Fire HD. We save on movies because the many from Amazon Prime are free and the Kindle Fire HD has an HDMI port that you can plug into the TV.
 
artringwald said:
That $79/year gets you free 2 day shipping on anything sold directly from Amazon. We save so much money on gas because when we need something, we go to Amazon and order it instead of driving to the store. DW saves on books because many from Amazon Prime are free on her Kindle Fire HD. We save on movies because the many from Amazon Prime are free and the Kindle Fire HD has an HDMI port that you can plug into the TV.
Click to expand...

And if you have Roku Amazon Prime is distributed on there.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
 
I have to put in another plug for my Nook HD+ that I recently got for $149 - it is a dream machine!
 
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