iPad envy - my android tablet feels useless these days

[slackerinabox]

I've got a touchpad that dual boots android and webos, an android phone, and an iPad 2. I honestly don't think android is even as good as webos, much less iOS.

God, I loved webos but hated my palm pre (1st gen, many phones ago). I kinda think the whole palm/web os mess was a tech tragedy that's under appreciated in it's scope. WebOS had such phenomenal potential

 

[lothar]

And...it still can't be classified as an Ultrabook.

No, its not as light as an iPad2 (1.33lbs vs 3.1lbs)
No, its not as thin (.34" vs ~1")
No, it doesn't cost the same ($500 vs ~$900 at release)

The closest thing to an iPad2 when it comes to portability is an Ultrabook and your laptop can't even be considered an ultrabook.

You're comparing apples to oranges, nice try though.

Not sure where you're getting $900 from, but I bought it on Amazon for $600. There was no "special" discount or sale on it or anything. I ordered 2 by mistake for someone who needed one the next day before traveling and rather than returning the 2nd one back to Amazon, I decided to keep it. It can be had for $550 now.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ace....,cf.osb&fp=7c78db9b9cd0660e&biw=1680&bih=926

It does much more than any tablet or atom netbook can ever dream of doing for the same price.
As long as apples and oranges can be had for the same price, I think comparisons between them are valid.
16GB iPad2: $499
This 250-500GB laptop and other models in the series: $550
32GB iPad2: $599

 

[ponyo]

I didnt say nothing works. I said too many things don't, compared to the alternative.

Let me know when your iPad can give you voice navigation GPS and make and receive phone calls at your number like my 7" Galaxy Tab. And do this anywhere in the world.

 

[Pliablemoose]

My iPad does turn by turn voice navigation and it's pretty good, it also has lane select, does your Android tablet tell you what lane to be in? My Flyer doesn't, none of them do.

Christ these threads get old fast.

Chevy, Ford, Spork, Bruce Lee, Diet Coke, can't we all just get along?

 

[Ravynmagi]

For me it was the Kindle that got me interested in tablets. Back in 2010 I really was skeptical about the iPad and tablets in general. But I got a Kindle and it was kinda my gateway drug into tablets. I really enjoyed reading on the Kindle and thought it'd be nice if I could actually do more with a device in a form factor like this.

But I decided I needed a larger screen too. So I got into the market for a 10 inch tablet. I really wanted an Android, because like most tech people I wasn't an Apple fan. I liked the freedom that Android OS and hardware offered. Problem is in 2010 there were very few 10 inch Android tablets available. Think when I was ready to buy my choices were the Viewsonic G-Tablet and upcoming Archos. And both had pretty crappy displays on them.

So I really had no choice but to give the iPad a try. And I absolutely f'ing hated iTunes for the longest time. I still kinda hate it and barely use it. And there was some growing pains learning what Apple would not permit me to do with my iPad. It was rather restrictive with no file system, copying files a PITA, no SD, etc.

But once I settled into what I can and can't do and found the right apps for the things I wanted to do. I found that I could pretty much do everything I really need to do on this tablet. I surf the web, I read books, I read mangas, I watch streaming videos, listen to streaming music. I don't have my own music or video on the iPad, because that requires syncing with iTunes which is a major PITA. iTunes to me seems to make simple tasks needlessly complicated to me, so I just don't use it when I can.

So when Android announced Honeycomb, I got extremely excited. I figured I'd finally be able to ditch my iPad and get an Android tablet. I could say "SCREW YOU ITUNES!".

I bought a Xoom for $800, even though I had no intention of ever using the 3G. I was just going to tether it to my rooted Galaxy S phone. But damn Google, the Honeycomb 3.0 and the Xoom both sucked so freaking bad. It made my cry. The browser crashed, YouTube crashed, Market crashed. Half the time Market wouldn't even install apps I asked it too until I tried two or three times. And the hardware was no picnic either, heavy, bulky, and no working microSD (which I was aware of going in).

I had to return the Xoom. A few months later I gave the new Xoom wifi a try. Google apps were much improved. But I remember how much I hated the hardware. And while Google's apps crashed less often, I was still disappointed with the stability of the OS and other apps. The tablet would sometimes run pretty hot and drain battery even though I had nothing running, seemed like background tasks were hanging or something opened earlier didn't close/idle properly. I had to reboot the stupid thing once or twice everyday. So it got returned.

Then comes the ASUS Transformer. I loved and hated the hardware. It was kinda ugly with it's brown color and odd looking bezel. But felt a lot more comfortable, had working microSD and a mini HDMI port. No micro USB though was a little disappointing. Oh and an beautiful IPS display that put the Xoom to shame. But there were a lot of quality control issues with ASUS. I had hardware defects and had to exchange my Transformer 3 times before I gave up. If I ever got a defect free tablet, I think the hardware would have been pretty nice.

But I didn't give up on the Transformer purely because of the defective hardware though. I still had problems liking Android. It had Android 3.0 at first, then Android 3.1 came out. I updated to 3.1 and it seemed like the keyboard got really laggy with this update. And for the most part the stability and smoothness of the OS was not improved. Video playback was marginally better, but I don't think it was ever going to be good with a Tegra 2.

Then the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes along. I think this could be it. This could be what I'm waiting for. Then Samsung stabs me in the face by not including a micro SD slot. SOB! But I bought it anyway. This was the most comfortable Android tablet I've ever held. And something that feels nice enough to replace my iPad. No micro SD stings, but I'm an iPad owner, so I'm kinda used to this already.

But try as hard as I might, I just couldn't like Android 3.1. Honeycomb just feels like the half-ass rush job it is.

So 2 Xoom's, 3 Transformer, and 1 Galaxy Tab 10.1 later, I'm still using my old iPad. Oddly my second favorite tablet right now is my $150 32GB Touchpad. After installing all the webOS tweaks, this thing actually flies. Shame I can't do much other than surf the web on it, but it's still kinda nice.

I'm just hoping ICS improves the stability. I don't care too much if it isn't faster or smoother than Honeycomb. I just want the keyboard lag to be gone. I want application crashes to be virtually non existent. And I don't want to have to reboot everyday because some background task has gone ape-sh** on my CPU resources.

I had a Transformer Prime pre-ordered. Amazon cancelled my pre-order and I decided to just wait. It appears the Transformer Prime is plauged with a lot of the quality issues the original Transformer had when it was first released too. I'm sure ASUS will get those worked out in a month or so. But being an early Transformer adopter seems to be like playing Russian roulette. I figure by the time ASUS gets their quality and supply issues resolved CES will have come and gone and I should have an idea of what else may be on the horizon.

Right now I'm completely open to either an iPad 3 or Android 4.0 tablet. My heart wants an Android 4.0, but my brain is telling me I may end up with an iPad 3 instead.

 

[ponyo]

Pliablemoose, I agree with you. But we all have our bias and preference. Mine is towards Android because I like to tinker. But despite my preference I've probably bought more iOS gadgets for family and friends than even hardcore Apple fan. Heck, I just ordered another iPod Touch today as gift to my 6yr old nephew. I think that makes it 5 iPod Touches I bought for others. He wanted his own after seeing the one I bought for my 10 yr old niece for Christmas. I bought him Nintendo DS to replace his broken one because I thought he was too young for iPod Touch and he already has his own iPad. I should've known better.

The point is I didn't buy him Android equivalent of iPod Touch like the 4" Samsung Galaxy Player because I know his need and what will work best for him. Just like my wife and 8 yr old daughter uses iPad1 & 2 and iPod Touch instead of Android equivalent. I try to buy the best product to match the need at the price point I'm comfortable with regardless of brand or ecosystem. I skipped all Tegra2 phones and tablets because of its terrible multimedia performance. People need to do the research and know their need and just get the best product within their budget. Whether that is an iPad or an Android tablet like the Transformer Prime. My personal tablets are 7" Galaxy Tab and HP Touchpads because I'm a sucker for bargains and I love to tinker. I'm totally happy with both.

 

[MrX8503]

Not sure where you're getting $900 from, but I bought it on Amazon for $600. There was no "special" discount or sale on it or anything. I ordered 2 by mistake for someone who needed one the next day before traveling and rather than returning the 2nd one back to Amazon, I decided to keep it. It can be had for $550 now.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ace....,cf.osb&fp=7c78db9b9cd0660e&biw=1680&bih=926

It does much more than any tablet or atom netbook can ever dream of doing for the same price.
As long as apples and oranges can be had for the same price, I think comparisons between them are valid.
16GB iPad2: $499
This 250-500GB laptop and other models in the series: $550
32GB iPad2: $599

The laptop you're listing was released in 2010, its now late 2011. In other words its discounted.

If apples and oranges can be had for the same price, no one is gonna buy oranges to make an apple pie. I'm not sure why you're insistent on shoe horning two comparisons that don't fit. Just as people buy tablets for certain reasons, there are reasons why people buy laptops. They aren't the same.

Two of your comparisons is off by a mile and one barely makes it. The Acer is a nice machine, but its irrelevant to tablet buyers.

 

[lothar]

The laptop you're listing was released in 2010, its now late 2011. In other words its discounted.

If apples and oranges can be had for the same price, no one is gonna buy oranges to make an apple pie. I'm not sure why you're insistent on shoe horning two comparisons that don't fit. Just as people buy tablets for certain reasons, there are reasons why people buy laptops. They aren't the same.

Two of your comparisons is off by a mile and one barely makes it. The Acer is a nice machine, but its irrelevant to tablet buyers.

When I bought it in 2010 for $600, it wasn't discounted, nor was it on sale. $50 discount? big whoop.

Patranus claims that "99.9% of the population doesn't' need anything more than a computer that can go browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video. Tablets can do all of that."
If that's all people buy a tablet for, then the comparisons are valid because there are laptops that can do all those things and many more for the same price.
No one will buy a laptop to browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video? That's quite a stretch there even for you. Your "buying oranges to make an apple pie" analogy doesn't work here because the outcome is already the same like Patranus mentioned earlier.
Buying a laptop to browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video? Check.
Buying a tablet to browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video? Check.
If you have a problem with my comparisons, blame Patranus.

 

[Bateluer]

My iPad does turn by turn voice navigation and it's pretty good, it also has lane select, does your Android tablet tell you what lane to be in?

Should be noted that Android has Navigation built in, iOS does not. 😛 There's a number good apps though, with various costs.

 

[soccerballtux]

Laughable. If anything computers have become the novelty.

TONS of people who had computers and bought/were bought tablets. They no longer use their desktops/laptops (for the most part) and do all of their web/email on their tablets.

This is a tech forum and many here like to use benchmarks as a measuring stick for their penis. In the real world they are largely irrelevant when the user experience is persevere. 99.9% of the population doesn't' need anything more than a computer that can go browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video. Tablets can do all of that.

yeah whatever. Definitely not easy to type on an ipad. Holding it is awkward for scrolling up/down. It's simply not comfortable. It looks shiny so people buy it.

 

[Blueychan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

everyone knows build quality /= drop test. most android is made out of plastic ffs.

 

[Patranus]

yeah whatever. Definitely not easy to type on an ipad. Holding it is awkward for scrolling up/down. It's simply not comfortable. It looks shiny so people buy it.

Thats why PC sales are way down and tablet sales are way up.

Because they are shiny and don't work.

Keep dreaming.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Hey, look! A fire! *pulls out gas can* Hrm...better not.

Joking aside, I haven't tried any dedicated tablets aside from the iPad/2, and a bunch of tablet-convertible laptops. Still have a nice one, actually, with an integrated active wacom digitizer. Pokey and hot beast, but the most accurate screen you can find for stylus use 😛

Anyway, I decided to go with the iPad (and later the 4S) since Android and I don't get along. Out of three Android phones over the years (MyTouch 3G, Optimus, Evo) none worked well -- if at all -- without a lot of man hours in custom ROMs and tweaking. I'm not saying that's representative of Android as a whole in the least, just my very isolated anecdotal experience. For my personal purposes, I don't want to mess around or heavily customize a phone or dedicated tablet -- I have umpteen physical and virtual servers, workstations, and laptops to do that. I just want very little between me and the apps, as well as a robust enough software ecosystem to accomidate my desires and needs, all while being delivered speedily. Android didn't do that for me, so I tried iOS. Works for me, but might not work for the next guy. Your mileage may vary. Take this with a grain of salt. Buyer assumes all responsibility. Free plush genuine fake leather keychain fetish whip not included. Anecdotal moral may or may not include the phrase "different strokes for different folks." All rights reserved, except where signed over to Satan/Corporate Overlords under the contract(s) labeled "Terms of Service."

As another anecdote, I left my iPad 2 unused for over 3 weeks due to travel and working a LOT of overtime (can't bring electronics to work). It sat there getting 20-30 emails a day, binging politely in the corner, and still had 46% battery left after three weeks of standby when I pulled it out tonight. Beat the hell outta my old Dell XPS laptop with SLI'ed GPUs. The 12 cell battery in that was nothing but a glorified UPS.

 

[soccerballtux]

Thats why PC sales are way down and tablet sales are way up.

Because they are shiny and don't work.

Keep dreaming.

pc sales are down because PCs made 5 years ago are still 100% sufficient for webbrowsing. Few people have replaced their PC with a tablet.

 

[MagickMan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

That's durability, not build quality. If you aren't a clumsy oaf, you won't be dribbling your phone like that anyway.

 

[Dulanic]

everyone knows build quality /= drop test. most android is made out of plastic ffs.

And metal /= build quality... what's your point? People need to STFU about something being made of plastic. This topic has been rehashed 100 damn times now.

 

[MrX8503]

Buying a laptop to browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video? Check.
Buying a tablet to browse the web, check email, and watch the occasional web video? Check.
If you have a problem with my comparisons, blame Patranus.

lol, those are the common things both devices share. What I'm talking about are the things they DON'T share. People buy a laptop because they can use desktop applications to get work done, people use a tablet to consume media.

People buy either a tablet or a laptop because of their differences. Apples and oranges share a common use of making desserts, but if I want to make an apple pie, I'm going to use apples.

I've already debunked all of your claims on how your laptop isn't like a tablet, but whatever.

And metal /= build quality... what's your point? People need to STFU about something being made of plastic. This topic has been rehashed 100 damn times now.

Plastic is better for drops and falls, but I still prefer metal.

 

[Chiropteran]

Until last week, I'd have mostly agreed with the OP. Then I got a Kindle Fire. My problem with previous android devices is lack of polish, no total package. The Fire fixes that- it's designed with a very consistent interface, runs great, and well supported. The price is incredible, and I've found the form factor more convenient- I'd rather just use a 11" netbook than a full sized tablet, but the Fire is big enough to offer more than a phone while remaining more portable than any laptop.

I like netflix videos, but amazon prime has a few things you can't watch on netflix (Breaking Bad season 4 anyone?), which is just another reason why I love the Fire. Amazon's mp3 cloud-player is another killer app. I refuse to buy DRM laden music from itunes, but amazon's setup is so nice I find myself tempted to buy music I already own on CD just because of the convenience of not having to rip it and upload it. I have no real experience with the ipad's appstore equivalent, but I am a big sucker for the "free app of the day" on amazon's store. I don't think I'd ever buy fruit ninja, where's my water, cut the rope, or angry birds but it's nice to have the "paid" versions just because of grabbing them while they were free.

Again, the price is the best part, but I'd still use the fire over any other android tablet disregarding price. The real nice thing is that the price makes the fire more portable- I'm willing to take it places I wouldn't want to risk a $500 tablet.

Eh, I probably sound like a huge fanboy but I guess I am, I've only had the Kindle Fire since Christmas Eve but I love it.

 

[alent1234]

Not sure where you're getting $900 from, but I bought it on Amazon for $600. There was no "special" discount or sale on it or anything. I ordered 2 by mistake for someone who needed one the next day before traveling and rather than returning the 2nd one back to Amazon, I decided to keep it. It can be had for $550 now.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ace....,cf.osb&fp=7c78db9b9cd0660e&biw=1680&bih=926

It does much more than any tablet or atom netbook can ever dream of doing for the same price.
As long as apples and oranges can be had for the same price, I think comparisons between them are valid.
16GB iPad2: $499
This 250-500GB laptop and other models in the series: $550
32GB iPad2: $599

tecnically it does do more than a tablet but sometimes my older son wants to fall asleep next to me and i want to read a book before bed. solution is my ipad 2 with the ibooks night theme. i can read next to him and he can fall asleep.

how are you supposed to read a book on a laptop while lying down? and the app store has apps that are not available for laptops

 

[Red Storm]

how are you supposed to read a book on a laptop while lying down?

I used to do it all the time with my MBP. If anything it's actually better than a tablet at this, because the screen can support itself at any angle without needing me to hold it.

The app store has apps that are not available for laptops.

There is no competition between a full fledged computer OS and a mobile OS in this regard. Those apps aren't available on a laptop because laptops have been able to do that stuff for years without needing a dedicated app, and the dedicated applications that are on laptops are much more robust than any mobile app.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

how are you supposed to read a book on a laptop while lying down? and the app store has apps that are not available for laptops

And Windows has millions of apps you can't get on the app store. Even the best games on the app store are crap compared to 8+ year old PC games. You are correct to some extent though, I haven't seen any fart apps for Windows.

 

[alent1234]

most of the people that play angry birds, cut the rope and others don't plan on playing Mass Effect or Call of Duty and don't care the graphics are better for PC games. the games are time killers while commuting to work or lunch time. i'm playing dragon age and it's an almost exact copy of ME.

i haven't played my kinect games for a while but will probably start again since they are a breath of fresh air compared to the usual hard core walk around, talk, kill repeat games

must be some mass hysteria going on that tens of millions of people are buying tablets, ereaders and whatever. someone should go educate them on specs

 

[Puddle Jumper]

most of the people that play angry birds, cut the rope and others don't plan on playing Mass Effect or Call of Duty and don't care the graphics are better for PC games. the games are time killers while commuting to work or lunch time. i'm playing dragon age and it's an almost exact copy of ME.

Nice try but I wasn't talking about graphics, although mobile games are certainly deficient in that area as well. Where all mobile games really fail is gameplay, compared to a game like Half Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, or any of the classic console hits they are like a bad joke. I suspect many of the people who actually get exited over mobile games must have never played any of the truly great games from the past and therefore have no idea what they are missing.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Nice try but I wasn't talking about graphics, although mobile games are certainly deficient in that area as well. Where all mobile games really fail is gameplay, compared to a game like Half Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, or any of the classic console hits they are like a bad joke. I suspect many of the people who actually get exited over mobile games must have never played any of the truly great games from the past and therefore have no idea what they are missing.

You must have not been playing the same games I have.

As far as graphics, Shadowrun on my phone looks better than any console game I played prior to the Xbox 360 launch. Good enough for me.

As far as gameplay, titles like Samurai II: Vengeance or AirAttack HD provide excellent and engaging hours of gameplay.

Sure many games are crap, but so are most console games.

Sure many of these games lack the depth or length of major console titles, but you pay less and that can be a benefit.

Personally as I have grown up I no longer have time to sit in front of my TV and pretend I am a soldier for hours on end. The only console games that have gotten any play in my household (and I have the big three consoles) is Kinect games because my wife can easily play and the games are light, quick and fun.

Mobile games are perfect for me because now I can squeeze them in any time life makes me pause for a minute.

 

[alent1234]

Nice try but I wasn't talking about graphics, although mobile games are certainly deficient in that area as well. Where all mobile games really fail is gameplay, compared to a game like Half Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, or any of the classic console hits they are like a bad joke. I suspect many of the people who actually get exited over mobile games must have never played any of the truly great games from the past and therefore have no idea what they are missing.

is there any good gameplay game that doesn't deal with shooting, killing or violence? a lot of the popular mobile games don't have anything to do with violence.

i've been playing video games since 1982 or so and don't really get excited by the latest game where all you do is shoot someone or something