Thinking of buying a tablet

wprager wrote:

Number Twenty Nine wrote:
Move to Pennsylvania.  My kids get a free 32gb Ipad mini each to use for the duration of their time in school.  PA has done away with hard cover textbooks and have put everything on the ipads.  (They're not locked down either.)  They get a new one every 2 years and we are allowed to buy the end of cycle units at a large discount.

You can get the original Kindle fire on sale here for $99.  Crack that sucker!

Funny, I recall when our boys were young, thinking how by the time they get to highschool they would probably do away with physical books and just have laptops and the text books would be in some kind of electronic format.  Yet here is my oldest, just finished grade 11, and he's still lugging a backpack that must weight over 20 lbs.

It's a shame they still haven't gone paperless in schools.  

Probably another reason I pay $5000 a year in school taxes too....

Is 7 inches too small? Really considering getting the Nexus 7 but might hold out for the new iPad mini. I already have a Nexus 4 phone, so it's basically the same thing expect 2.3 inches longer.

Ev wrote:Is 7 inches too small? Really considering getting the Nexus 7 but might hold out for the new iPad mini. I already have a Nexus 4 phone, so it's basically the same thing expect 2.3 inches longer.

I find the girls' tablets (7.9" screen) a bit bulky, frankly. Mind you the Acer has quite a wide bezel/frame around the screen which doesn't help. For watching video holding the thing inches away from your face, 7" is plenty. For browsing it can be iffy but that could also be the browser -- using chrome and entering form data was challenging as the form competed with the other info on the web page and the keyboard for screen real-estate. Not sure if that was chrome's fault or the web page or what. 10" would most likely be better; same for editing docs.

wprager wrote:

Ev wrote:Is 7 inches too small? Really considering getting the Nexus 7 but might hold out for the new iPad mini. I already have a Nexus 4 phone, so it's basically the same thing expect 2.3 inches longer.

I find the girls' tablets (7.9" screen) a bit bulky, frankly.  Mind you the Acer has quite a wide bezel/frame around the screen which doesn't help.  For watching video holding the thing inches away from your face, 7" is plenty.  For browsing it can be iffy but that could also be the browser -- using chrome and entering form data was challenging as the form competed with the other info on the web page and the keyboard for screen real-estate.  Not sure if that was chrome's fault or the web page or what.  10" would most likely be better; same for editing docs.  

Yeah that's what the Nexus 7 has, at the top and bottom



compared to iPad mini:



I prefer Android, but prefer the design of the mini.

But the Nexus 7 is still smaller: 120mm x 198.5mm versus 134.7mm x 200mm for the iPad mini.

By comparison the girls' Acers are 145.7mm x 208.7mm. Monsters.

Yes but you get a large screen in only a slightly larger package, which makes a world of difference.

When you have a 4.7 inch phone a 7.2 inch tablet doesn't seem very large. Just my take.

Good deal on an Asus 10" tablet on eBay.ca -- it's a manufacturer refurbished unit with the keyboard docker. On shopbot.ca best price was $500 for the tab and $150 for the keyboard, but these ones are roughly $303 ($250 USD plus $41 shipping). They come with a 90-day manufacturer warranty.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/706-53473-19255-0/1?type=4&campid=5335823041&toolid=10001&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.ca%2Fitm%2FASUS-VivoTab-RT-TF600T-B1-Bundle-10-1-32GB-Wi-Fi-Win-8-w-Keyboard-Dock%2F300961312924%3Fpt%3DUS_Tablets%26hash%3Ditem4612b1309c%23shId

However be advised that these tablets run Windows RT. A new Asus T100 is coming out in October which will run the full Windows 8 and it comes bundled with MS Office. The suggested price is $350 for the 32GB version and $400 for the 64GB one, *including* the keyboard docking unit. However those are the prices in the US, so expect it to be higher in Canada. They go on sale October 18 (again, in the US). Wonder what they'll go for on Black Monday.

Here's the link for a preview of the T100:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6951&News=ASUS+Transformer+T100+Windows+8+Tablet+Hands+On+Preview

Windows tablet is the new BB Playbook

wprager wrote:Here's the link for a preview of the T100:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6951&News=ASUS+Transformer+T100+Windows+8+Tablet+Hands+On+Preview

You can get almost a half dozen of the SVP 9" tablet for the same cost.

Here is a link to the SVP on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/SVP-Capacitive-Multiple-G-sensor-Allwinner/dp/B00E8CE2W8/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379253208&sr=1-13&keywords=10-inch+tablet

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:Here's the link for a preview of the T100:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6951&News=ASUS+Transformer+T100+Windows+8+Tablet+Hands+On+Preview

You can get almost a half dozen of the SVP 9" tablet for the same cost.

If you arranged 4 of them 2x2 you'd get better resolution (1600 x 960) and the same RAM (2GB) and storage (32GB) for about $70 less. Of course they wouldn't have a keyboard, and they'd use up a heck of a lot more power.

Well, it's that time of year again and I'm getting myself a tablet. I've settled on the Nexus 7 HFD (the really, *really* nice screen) with 32 GB -- on sale at FS/BB for $260. Can't find a store that has one in stock (except maybe Orleans) but Staples across from Carlingwood has it and they'll price match; or the BB on Merivale has one open-box (that's another $26 off, right?)

The T100 is really - REALLY - nice, but I haven't seen it in any Canadian retailers/e-tailers and the price (in the US) is $400 and above. If I was getting this for work then the Windows 8.1 and pre-loaded MS Office 2013 would definitely tilt the playing field. That keyboard docker is nice but I can get a case with keyboard for the Nexus, too (Staples has one for around $80, or this one for $55). And the screen res is quite a bit higher on the Nexus 7 (and that's a 7" screen vs. 10", so pixel density difference is huge).

Got it.  Can't open it until next Saturday :(as my b-day has been postponed.

I did play with a 16 GB version while waiting for the guy to find the last 32GB one (open box) and the screen is something else. Wow.

new ipads come out today. iPad Air and iPad Mini with retina most likely

Ev wrote:new ipads come out today. iPad Air and iPad Mini with retina most likely

The iPad Mini with the retina display is 7.9", which is the same size as my girls' Acers. I find those a little bulky (mind you, the mini will have a much smaller bezel/frame). But here's the interesting part -- the pixel *density* on the retina display is 324 ppi (pixels per inch), and on the Nexus 7 FHD it is 323 ppi. I don't think anyone could tell the difference (except in price).

I just ordered a leather case/stand with detachable bluetooth keyboard. $27 US. Sure, it'll take 3 weeks to get here from China, but I'm just going to wrap it up for myself for Christmas. Started buying my own presents a few years ago, best thing ever. I don't need surprises.

Nexus 7's bezels are too big IMO

Ev wrote:Nexus 7's bezels are too big IMO

There's a reason for that --- apparently the stereo speakers are pretty decent.