Suggest a tablet *Update*

[slackerinabox]

Looking to get a tablet to organize myself a bit - what do you guys recommend?

Needs:
1. Organizing / note taking - 60%
2. Reading - 40%

The options that jump out are:
1. Ipad Mini
2. iPad Air - too big for reading? Reviews seem to think it's pretty one-handable
3. Galaxy Tablets

Now the Galaxy tab a 8 with s pen seems like a fantastic option for it's $200 refurb price, but will this be laggy / limited?

*Update*. Decision made, thanks guys for making me spend way more than my budget! Pre-order is in for a 11 in 2021 iPad Pro! Figured the $250 different between the Air and the pro would be worth it vs buyers remorse whenever Pro reviews hit the web... Thanks whomever made the point that cheaping out will lead to regret - my Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, Lenovo tab, and that stupid chrome convertible agree.. Could have saved money going with the right choice first!

 

[Captante]

Was gonna suggest Adderall actually.

 

[sdifox]

Hell FireHD is good enough for those duties

 

[slackerinabox]

Was gonna suggest Adderall actually.

Focalin 5mg x2 a day, I'm already set

 

[slackerinabox]

Hell FireHD is good enough for those duties

I have a fire HD10 and it's really pretty awful for productivity .
Pen support Is a big necessity

 

[Svnla]

I want a tablet too. The laptop is getting heavier and heavier. Hard to walk around with a laptop in one hand.

I think I like the Ipad and Galaxy Tab. Per Amazon, they are two of the best sellers. I would take Fire but I don't like the OS at all. If Amazon gets a version of Fire with Android with the same specs and same price, I would take it.

 

[ponyo]

Easy. The new iPad Pro. Available for order starting today. Ships in about 2-3 weeks. I just ordered one to replace my old iPad.

 

[sdifox]

I have a fire HD10 and it's really pretty awful for productivity .
Pen support Is a big necessity

[WINDOWS/LINUX][TOOL]Fire Toolbox V41.1

╓─────────────────────────────────────────────────╖ Fire Toolbox V41.1 All-In-One Toolbox for Fire Tablets! ╙──────────────────────────────────────────────────╜...

forum.xda-developers.com

But if you need a pen to doodle then yeah it's not for you. You will have to get your own pen.

 

[ponyo]

I want a tablet too. The laptop is getting heavier and heavier. Hard to walk around with a laptop in one hand.

I think I like the Ipad and Galaxy Tab. Per Amazon, they are two of the best sellers. I would take Fire but I don't like the OS at all. If Amazon get a version of Fire with Android with the same specs and same price, I would take it.

Galaxy Tablet is nice. You just have to get the high end one that's equivalent to the iPad Pro model. My wife has both Galaxy tablet and the iPad Pro and she uses the Galaxy tablet most of the time. But she utilizes the SD card and SSD storage like crazy. I don't even know how many TB portable SSD drives she has just for the Galaxy tablet.

 

[IronWing]

Easy. The new iPad Pro. Available for order starting today. Ships in about 2-3 weeks. I just ordered one to replace my old iPad.

I just looked at the new iPad Pro. It looks really good. My wife got the last generation pimped out Pro and it blows every other tablet out of the water. It costs a pretty penny though.

 

[slackerinabox]

Easy. The new iPad Pro. Available for order starting today. Ships in about 2-3 weeks. I just ordered one to replace my old iPad.

It's a bit more than I need and can spend (let's cap it to $600?). I also have a 12 inch Mac that's pretty similar dimension wise, if I didn't the pro+ keyboard would be a no brainer as a laptop replacement.

 

[ponyo]

I just looked at the new iPad Pro. It looks really good. My wife got the last generation pimped out Pro and it blows every other tablet out of the water. It costs a pretty penny though.

Yeah, my wife has the older 11" iPad Pro and my daughter has the bigger 12.9. Both decked out with the pencil and the Apple keyboard case. It's really nice. Meanwhile, I have the lowest model iPad that's like 5 years old. I would still use it if pages didn't keep reloading and refreshing because of lack of RAM memory. Drives me nuts. I've been holding out for this new iPad Pro refresh with the M1 chip. I use my iPad all the time now around the house so it's time I splurge on nice one for myself.

It's a bit more than I need and can spend (let's cap it to $600?). I also have a 12 inch Mac that's pretty similar dimension wise, if I didn't the pro+ keyboard would be a no brainer as a laptop replacement.

Just buy what you really want from the start. You buy the cheaper crap and you're always going to wish and wonder if you should've gone with the iPad Pro. Buy once, cry once.

 

[LikeLinus]

I'd suggest a Microsoft Surface Pro 7. Cost is in line with the iPad Pro line, but it can do so much more. I got one originally and then gave my wife one. It's replaced both of our iPads and they are terrific. The fact that I can use any PC software is very convenient. It weighs a little more, but the convenience is worth it. The kick stand works perfectly.

 

[slackerinabox]

I'd suggest a Microsoft Surface Pro 7. Cost is in line with the iPad Pro line, but it can do so much more. I got one originally and then gave my wife one. It's replaced both of our iPads and they are terrific. The fact that I can use any PC software is very convenient. It weighs a little more, but the convenience is worth it. The kick stand works perfectly.

My wife has one for work (1 year old model) and I couldn’t imagine reading or note taking on - at least to me it feels significantly heavier than my kids iPad

 

[Kaido]

Looking to get a tablet to organize myself a bit - what do you guys recommend?

Needs:
1. Organizing / note taking - 60%
2. Reading - 40%

The options that jump out are:
1. Ipad Mini
2. iPad Air - too big for reading? Reviews seem to think it's pretty one-handable
3. Galaxy Tablets

Now the Galaxy tab a 8 with s pen seems like a fantastic option for it's $200 refurb price, but will this be laggy / limited?

When you say organized & note-taking, what does that mean? Are you taking a class & need to take notes?

 

[slackerinabox]

When you say organized & note-taking, what does that mean? Are you taking a class & need to take notes?

Im taking some online courses and am a bit of a writer, I’d like to pick up and go jot down ideas

also a real estate agent writing notes on listings (screen grabs) or PDFs can be helpful.

 

[Kaido]

Im taking some online courses and am a bit of a writer, I’d like to pick up and go jot down ideas

also a real estate agent writing notes on listings (screen grabs) or PDFs can be helpful.

I picked up a 12.9" iPad Pro with the Pencil 2.0 last year. It's really fantastic. I thought the larger screen would be too big, but it's a really great size for working on! I use Notability a lot:

Notability

Unleash your ideas, your way

www.gingerlabs.com

It basically gives you a scrolling notepad where you can sketch, draw, write, and type. Apple also has excellent dictation, so you can speak & have it type for you with a high degree of accuracy. I still prefer a simple 6x9" Steno notepad with a fine-tipped pen for most of my capture, but when I'm working on creative projects, being able to draw little flowcharts & sketch pictures of ideas & use color & whatnot and have it store an infinite amount of stuff is really nice!

The tablet is very large & was a hefty investment. However, as I've transitioned from IT to BEC for work, I've gotten more free time to be creative, and the iPad has been really useful for creative endeavors (Cricut, CNC, Laser, 3D printing, etc.) using various apps as tools (the Illustrator-esqe Affinity Designer, Sharpr3D CAD, ProCreate, and so on), it's been my daily BFF! For creativity & note-taking, it's proven to be a pretty solid tool. This is what I wanted the iPad to be when it was originally released...it's definitely matured in both the technology if offers & the app-driven ecosystem for giving you mobile power tools, whether you're away from home, on the couch, etc.

If you like to write, Final Draft (industry standard) for iPad is only ten bucks:

‎Final Draft Mobile

‎The makers of Final Draft – the #1-selling screenwriting software in the world – now bring you the Final Draft™ Mobile app for iPad and iPhone. Final Draft™ Mobile lets you write, edit and read Final Draft scripts on your iPad or iPhone. Create new scripts or edit existing ones with...

apps.apple.com

PDF Expert is pretty neat if you do a lot of PDF files & need to do markup:

Again, an iPad Pro with the new-gen Pencil isn't a cheap investment, but if you plan on using it daily for the next five years, then it's worth picking up. I still do a lot of my notes on paper & a lot of my work on a Windows computer, but the iPad is with me pretty much 24/7 as kind of my central hub for creativity!

 

[ponyo]

lol. I told my wife about the new iPad Pro and she wanted one. So I ended up canceling my order and ordered her the new 12.9" 512gb model with the new Apple keyboard case and pencil. I'm going to take her old one and she will have the new iPad Pro with the works. Never marry.

 

[sdifox]

lol. I told my wife about the new iPad Pro and she wanted one. So I ended up canceling my order and ordered her the new 12.9" 512gb model with the new Apple keyboard case and pencil. I'm going to take her old one and she will have the new iPad Pro with the works. Never marry.

Should have waited for the Hermes version

 

[brianmanahan]

my grandma's old samsung tab a has been a pain

it's an older version but the nonstandard samsung skin of android is annoying. plus they switched the back button from the left to right side, so it's different than all other android devices.

it has all kinds of lock up problems that have required me to reset it, and uninstall/reinstall stuff (could just be her messing stuff up though)

it is also limited to android OS 7 or 8... samsung not allowing it to upgrade any higher than that

 

[zinfamous]

Maybe some sort of cheapass Chrome tablet, if it exists, should do everything you want it to do?

Otherwise, I'd suggest the smallest Surface Pro--forget what it's called, Lite or something? Not sure if that gets everything like the other Surfaces, but an actual full OS is better than what any other tablet can offer.

Great screens, too. I'd take Surface anything over any crappy, neutered Apple device. I mean, you have to deal with Microsoft shenanigans, but outside of Win10 that has it's issues everywhere, the Surface stuff is clean and quite brilliant, imo. I call them the "overachieving tablet" because it can very well be used as an actual laptop if you want, just not as comfy in your lap, and still not the best for real, serious work (size limitation of any tablet, really)

 

[slackerinabox]

I picked up a 12.9" iPad Pro with the Pencil 2.0 last year. It's really fantastic. I thought the larger screen would be too big, but it's a really great size for working on! I use Notability a lot:

Notability

Unleash your ideas, your way

www.gingerlabs.com

It basically gives you a scrolling notepad where you can sketch, draw, write, and type. Apple also has excellent dictation, so you can speak & have it type for you with a high degree of accuracy. I still prefer a simple 6x9" Steno notepad with a fine-tipped pen for most of my capture, but when I'm working on creative projects, being able to draw little flowcharts & sketch pictures of ideas & use color & whatnot and have it store an infinite amount of stuff is really nice!

The tablet is very large & was a hefty investment. However, as I've transitioned from IT to BEC for work, I've gotten more free time to be creative, and the iPad has been really useful for creative endeavors (Cricut, CNC, Laser, 3D printing, etc.) using various apps as tools (the Illustrator-esqe Affinity Designer, Sharpr3D CAD, ProCreate, and so on), it's been my daily BFF! For creativity & note-taking, it's proven to be a pretty solid tool. This is what I wanted the iPad to be when it was originally released...it's definitely matured in both the technology if offers & the app-driven ecosystem for giving you mobile power tools, whether you're away from home, on the couch, etc.

If you like to write, Final Draft (industry standard) for iPad is only ten bucks:

‎Final Draft Mobile

‎The makers of Final Draft – the #1-selling screenwriting software in the world – now bring you the Final Draft™ Mobile app for iPad and iPhone. Final Draft™ Mobile lets you write, edit and read Final Draft scripts on your iPad or iPhone. Create new scripts or edit existing ones with...

apps.apple.com

PDF Expert is pretty neat if you do a lot of PDF files & need to do markup:

Again, an iPad Pro with the new-gen Pencil isn't a cheap investment, but if you plan on using it daily for the next five years, then it's worth picking up. I still do a lot of my notes on paper & a lot of my work on a Windows computer, but the iPad is with me pretty much 24/7 as kind of my central hub for creativity!

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I’m tethering between an pro 11 and air at this point. How heavy is it? Not that often but is it a decent weight for laying on the couch and magazine/book reading?

 

[JimKiler]

my grandma's old samsung tab a has been a pain

it's an older version but the nonstandard samsung skin of android is annoying. plus they switched the back button from the left to right side, so it's different than all other android devices.

it has all kinds of lock up problems that have required me to reset it, and uninstall/reinstall stuff (could just be her messing stuff up though)

it is also limited to android OS 7 or 8... samsung not allowing it to upgrade any higher than that

I switch the button on my Samsung phone after having stock android, agreed i hate that they moved the buttons. I don't understand why all these companies waste money reinventing the OS skin instead of using stock.

 

[manly]

It's a bit more than I need and can spend (let's cap it to $600?). I also have a 12 inch Mac that's pretty similar dimension wise, if I didn't the pro+ keyboard would be a no brainer as a laptop replacement.

iPad mini is a little bigger than today's largest smartphones; I wouldn't even bother considering a mini.

The decision is fairly simple, iPad Air if you're willing to spend $600 or a plain iPad if you want the best value.

An $800 iPad Pro seems like overkill for your use cases (note taking and reading).

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I’m tethering between an pro 11 and air at this point. How heavy is it? Not that often but is it a decent weight for laying on the couch and magazine/book reading?

I have the larger 12.9" iPad Pro, which is around 1.5 pounds. Similar to a Surface Pro in weight if you've ever held one of those. Both the Pro 11 & the Air are about a pound. Here's a good comparison article:

iPad Air vs iPad Pro: Which should you buy? - 9to5Mac

This detailed guide looks at the iPad Air vs iPad Pro when it comes to all the features and performance to help you decide which to buy.

9to5mac.com

If you're going with the 11" size, the iPad Air is $200 less, has most of the features of the Pro, and can use the Pencil 2.0 now, so if you're not going hardcore with it & don't need LIDAR, 2TB of storage, the new M1 chip, etc. then it's a pretty great tablet. Although I would recommend considering the 12.9" size, as it's not really as big it sounds & I REALLY appreciate the extra screen space on mine! I have mine in a faux Composition Book case, and it's just about exactly the same size as an actual black & white Composition notebook. That extra screen size makes a big difference for even simple stuff like scrolling on Pinterest. So it's basically notebook/notepad size: