Ipad alternative, which Android tab?

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tvdang7

Platinum Member
Jun 4, 2005
2,242
5
81
i didnt think i would say this but the windows 8 tablets will probably make a good splash .
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
i didnt think i would say this but the windows 8 tablets will probably make a good splash .

Yep, in the same way this girl does:

2527844474.jpg
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Yep, in the same way this girl does:

2527844474.jpg

Pretty much. Rumor has it that x86 W8 tablets are going to start at 600 and go up from there. On the ARM side, they're going to be starting 3 years behind Apple and 2 behind Android. Thats a lot of ground to make up. WP7 basically cratered, ~1% market share. Though, I did see they just passed the 100K app mark.
 

bononos

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2011
3,938
190
106
He'll be using it primary for couch surfing and reading. I searched for top Ipad and android apps and I didn't see anything that would be a must-buy sort of thing. I'll advise him to get to a few stores to try out Apple and Android tablets to see if the screen sizes and legibility are ok.

You have to bring most Android tablets on the market back to the store for a battery replacement just the same way.

That's why iPad is currently the most practical choice unless you want to explore options and don't mind "beta testing".
Yes but I don't think you'll have to spend $100 or get a refurbished unit in the process.
 

runawayprisoner

Platinum Member
Apr 2, 2008
2,496
0
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Yes but I don't think you'll have to spend $100 or get a refurbished unit in the process.

Well, I'm sure you'll be sorely disappointed to find out that it's actually worse than that. Some Android manufacturers have very poor warranty and customer support. Motorola being the prime example. I've been burned before.

And the battery doesn't crap out until many years later, anyway, so worrying about a replacement at this point is kind of moot.
 

Bman123

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2008
3,221
1
81
Buy a ipad, the ease of use justifies the price. Its so damn simple and it runs great. Android really is for people who like to tinker with stuff. I haven't owned a single android device that ran great stock. Everything has been rooted and a different rom put on it.
 

Rottie

Diamond Member
Feb 10, 2002
4,795
2
81
I fear that this sort of question may have been beaten around alot on AT before but I need some recommendations to help my dad get a tablet and I'm relatively clueless about tablets myself.

He's not tech savvy but know how to use a PC. The market for tablets has gotten pretty wide with plenty of brands, is there a good Android tablet which has distinguished itself from the field or is the Ipad still the thing to get for a tablet?

if he knows how to use a PC, do't bother buying an Android tablet..he will be fine with Windows 8 tablet with little or no help from you. Windows 8 tablet is not out just yet.
 

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
32,229
2,539
126
www.theshoppinqueen.com
I'm 55, close to your father's age. You say he will be using this device primarily for home based media consumption & you haven't told us how tech savvy he is or if he likes to tinker.

My recommdation? Spend the money & get him an iPad 3.

1. The retina screen = crisp, sharp text quality that is kinder to older eyes. Not having eye strain after a long viewing session is a HUGE consideration.

2. The 9.7 inch screen size is great. I've had 7 inch devices & grew tired of them because while they are bigger than a phone they are just a tad too small to do any serious work on.

3. Voice dictation - For sending short emails & making replies in online forums, the voice dictation feature that's built right into the keyboard is really useful,

4. The App store - with over 200,000 free & paid apps there literally is an app for just about everything. Many of my favorite apps such as the PBS viewer were free.

5.Apple provides pretty amazing customer service, your Dad can sign up for free workshops at an Apple store near him to learn how to get the most from his device. You can also buy an AppleCare + policy, that will let dad replace his iPad x2 for $49 should he drop it or spill something on it. Knowing that he can easily & cheaply replace the device if he has an accident means he'll most likely take the device out with him more & get more use out of it.

I have and enjoy android devices but I love to tinker, side loading apps, rooting, installing custom roms is enjoyable to me. Trust me though when I tell you that providing tech support for a family member or friend to help them with these tasks quickly becomes a nightmare. Most " normal" people fall into two camps, the 1st group will not even attempt to educate themselves no matter how many links & resources you point them to. They will basically expect you to spoon feed them over the lifetime of their device. The 2nd group of folks will look at the resources you provide & read just enough to become dangerous. You'll be fielding phone calls at inconvient times to fix rom flashes that went bad or similar.

Think carefully about what kind of user your Dad is, buy him the device that fits his needs, he'll be really happy & you won't be spending your time serving as unpaid tech support.
 
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Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
24,143
1,793
126
Is Google expected to make its hardware product announcements at its June conference?

I've been waiting to see what that Nexus 7" tablet is supposed to be but it's not out yet. I'd like to get a 7" tablet with 4.0 or 4.1 (Jelly Bean?) but only if it has a decent screen, microSD support, and NTFS or exFAT support. Tegra 3 sounds nice for a low end tablet.

SDXC support would be better than SDHC but a 32 GB limit wouldn't be a complete dealbreaker.