Andriod tablet purchase?

[master7045]

I'm looking at purchasing a tablet for home/travel use. My main requirements are the ability to surf the web easily (anandatch articles, gmail, engadget, etc), skype video calls, & e-book reader (must replace my kindle).
Above all, it must be affordable. I would prefer a wifi only as I don't care about always being connected to the web as I frequently find myself within a wifi network 90% of the time.

From what I can tell, my options are:
1) Samsung Galaxy tab - $199 @ verizon w/ $20 month contract (24 mo)
2) Rooted Nook Color - $249 no contract, but no skype
or wait for the release of...
3) Samsung Galaxy tab 8.9~ $469 no contract (I think)
4) HTC Flyer 7" - No idea on price yet.

Ipad (1 or 2) are either too expensive or don't have skype ability so that is why I've left them off the list.

I've played around w/ the galaxy tab at the Verizon store and I do like the size and how it feels, but I can't get a good feel just by surfing the web for 5 minutes on it. Also, the youtube videos on it were horrendous. Very pixelated and slow to load HD content, so that makes me nervous about the Skype calls. Granted, I don't know if it was on a slow 3g speed, or on WiFi.

Anyway, what is everyone's thoughts? Hopefully some of you out there have used one or multiple versions of the devices I have listed. Thanks!

 

[SockHaser]

I love my rooted Nook Color. With Opera web browsing is very fast and I never have problem with even massive picture forum threads. I believe the newest builds of CM7 are even betting bluetooth worked out but I haven't tried that yet. No skype though, so it depends how important that feature is to you.

 

[master7045]

Thanks for the response Sock, I'm starting to come to the ugly conclusion that I need to decide whether or not I need skype. ahh decisions, decisions.

 

[Buttzilla]

Thanks for the response Sock, I'm starting to come to the ugly conclusion that I need to decide whether or not I need skype. ahh decisions, decisions.

what kind of smartphone do you have? can't you skype with your phone? i'm planning on rooting my NC and using my rooted droid incredible for mifi. from what i've seen, it's more than sufficient to do what you need (aside from skype) as well as being 200-300 cheaper than the next competitor.

 

[Kabob]

Another vote for a rooted NC, really is the best bang for the buck deal out there by far nowadays. You never know when they'll be on sale, last month they were $200 brand new.

 

[Buttzilla]

Another vote for a rooted NC, really is the best bang for the buck deal out there by far nowadays. You never know when they'll be on sale, last month they were $200 brand new.

that's the thing. i don't mind parting with 200 for something that is essentially an oversized smartphone w/o the calling capabilities. when you hit the 5-600 dollar mark things get a bit dicey, especially with all the supposedly new devices coming out soon.

lets say next year BN comes out with a duel core NC with better battery life, spending another 200 isn't so bad, that doesn't hurt my wallet as much as forking out 500-800 for the next great thing.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Why are you removing the iPad because of its lack of Skype? Skype is on iOS...

I'm just wondering. I would vote for the rooted NC.

 

[master7045]

what kind of smartphone do you have? can't you skype with your phone?

Yes, but it's an iphone 3GS, so it's not ideal. I was looking for a forward & rear facing camera so I can see who I'm calling and they can see me. I mainly use this with my parents as I'm a new father and my parents live about 4 hours away. They love being able to see our 1 yr old in between monthly visits.

Why are you removing the iPad because of its lack of Skype?

Mostly b/c the refurb iPad1 is $300 w/ no skype. iPad2 is $600 w/ skype. Either way no fun for me when I can get a $250 NC and root it for a tablet w/ no skype. Or I can buy a $200 Galaxy tab w/ a monthly contract and get skype.

I'm starting to lean more toward the Nook Color and if in 6 months the next great tab comes out at an affordable price, I can re-gift/sell it to my dad, brother, or some other relative and use the proceeds for a new tab.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Are you saying Skype so you can use it for video? Because Skype is mainly used for telephony.

 

[master7045]

Are you saying Skype so you can use it for video?

Yes, for the video aspect of it. If there is a different/better video app for android that has a compatible windows desktop app (for my parents), then I would go with that. I'm not "loyal" to any particular hardware or software vendor. I buy what suites my needs.

 

[s44]

You could also get a Tab secondhand and never activate the cell part...

 

[master7045]

Does anyone have any pricing info for the HTC Flyer? It looks like it's going to have all the right specs, but depending on the price, it could die very quickly.

Also, any thoughts on the Viewsonic gTablet? It's cheap, wifi only (a plus for me) and seems to have gotten better reviews once updated to the latest software.

Too many choices!!!

 

[vshah]

gtablet is heavy, unpleasant to hold, and the screen is pretty bad compared to even the nook. it has solid hardware other than that though, and a good community around it.

 

[Kanalua]

I am a big fan of the Nook color. But video skype will be a problem.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Acer Iconia A100 is coming in April... you might want to wait for that one:

http://dailygadgetreview.net/2011/03/29/acer-iconia-tab-a100-tablet.html

 

[master7045]

You could also get a Tab secondhand and never activate the cell part...

I'm actively scouring the FT thread, craigslist, & ebay to see if there are any deals to be had. Who knows what may come up.

Acer Iconia A100 is coming in April... you might want to wait for that one

That looks like a decent tab as well. I'm torn between waiting for the next best thing (and subsequently, never buying anything) and just biting the bullet now. I have a terrible fear of buyers remorse that I need to get over...

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

gtablet is heavy, unpleasant to hold, and the screen is pretty bad compared to even the nook. it has solid hardware other than that though, and a good community around it.

Gtablet is 1.5 pounds, Ipad 1 was also 1.5 pounds. Ipad 2 is 1.33 pounds.

All weigh substantially less than a Tom Clancy book.

I have a Gtablet coming today from the Woot deal last week. I think it is still available on Ebay for about $299, there was a thread at Slickdeals on it. Hard to beat for the money.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I'm actively scouring the FT thread, craigslist, & ebay to see if there are any deals to be had. Who knows what may come up.


That looks like a decent tab as well. I'm torn between waiting for the next best thing (and subsequently, never buying anything) and just biting the bullet now. I have a terrible fear of buyers remorse that I need to get over...

I hear you!

I've got my eyes set on a Nook Color, as well, and I intend to get one the week after Easter... Can't beat the price and versatility - UNLESS the A100 comes out at a similar price...

 

[you2]

I was horribly disappointed by the xoom (not to mention outrageous price). I'm waiting to see what the 10 or 8.9 inch galaxy tab look like. There was a tablet that looked interesting from india (screen did not fade under sunlight) but can't remember the name but as far as I can tell it never came to usa. Hum. I wonder if I will be able to tether from smart phone to samsung tab. I noticed the xoom had a usb port but vaguely i don't think the samsung will.

 

[smartpatrol]

The one tablet I really want is the HP TouchPad with WebOS. WebOS is an amazing operating system and it's perfectly suited for tablets.

If I were sticking strictly to Android, I'd probably go with the Galaxy Tab 8.9.

 

[vshah]

I was horribly disappointed by the xoom (not to mention outrageous price). I'm waiting to see what the 10 or 8.9 inch galaxy tab look like. There was a tablet that looked interesting from india (screen did not fade under sunlight) but can't remember the name but as far as I can tell it never came to usa. Hum. I wonder if I will be able to tether from smart phone to samsung tab. I noticed the xoom had a usb port but vaguely i don't think the samsung will.

you're thinking about the notion ink adam. it is indeed shipping, but their production capacity seems very limited so ordering is open only for a short time before they sell out.

 

[master7045]

So I found a few Galaxy tabs on the local scene for 300 & 325. Going to see if I grab one of those. Hopefully I like it!

 

[Anneka]

Although seen some movies about Galaxy Tab didn't manage to toy with one.... But the 1st impression is that its just awesome. Much better than the Xoom and even the iPad 2 if you ask me

 

[master7045]

So both people who had Galaxy Tab's for sale locally didn't respond to any calls/e-mails today. This is after they said they were willing to sell! So back to square one. I've been reading a lot about the viewsonic G-Tablet and I'm drawn to the larger screen and the seemingly easy ability to root it. I can't find any reviews about skype though, so I'm a bit nervous. The one good thing though, is that I think these come without a restocking fee so I might try it out tomorrow. Will try to update again if I buy one.

 

[funks]

Asus Transformer - supposed to be released soon an will be 399$..

1280x800 IPS screen, Dual Core Tegra, USB Ports, SD Card Slot, 1 Gig of RAM, Front and Rear Cameras, Optional Keyboard Dock.