Tablets

[alison43331]

Hi

I am considering treating myself to a Tablet, but I am overwhelmed with all the different options & offers on at the moment

I would really appreciate some advice on which 1 to get

Thanks

[hc4361]

What size do you want - 7 or 10 inch?
How much do you want to spend?

The best buy in the 7" is the Google Nexus 32GB at just under £200.

The best buy in the 10" is the Samsung Galaxy.

Then of course there is the iPad and the iPad Mini but in my opinion they are both overpriced.

[Oneeyedvic]

As above, figure out what size you want first - 7" or 10"

Next thing (and this is the tricky bit) is to work out which operating system.
The mains ones are Android and iOS but you should probably also consider Windows 8.

Advantages of iOS are that it is a very secure system - since all Apps have to be installed via the App Store (and Apple control this) it is pretty much guaranteed to be virus free. Another advantage (going down all the time) is the range of Apps available (there are quite a number of apps available only for iOS). The problem with iPads though are their price (though it is worth keeping an eye on the Apple Refurb store (http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad) as you can save a few quid and you still get a full 12 month guarantee.

Android is a less secure system, but if you are sensible (only install from App Store) then you *should* be ok. Big issue with Android is that there are a number of manufacturers (from cheap to expensive) and there is a massive range of different versions. Hardware wise you have Resistive or Capacitive screens as well as different processors and memory and then you have different versions of operating sytems. I would agree with HC's view of the current best system ( I have a Nexus 7")

Finally the new Windows tablets are just coming available. At the moment, they are mainly RT versions - this means that they run a basic operating system and the only Apps they will run are from the Windows App store (and this is not great). HOWEVER, in January the Surface Pro is released. This will act as both a tablet as well as a proper laptop. It will be expensive (around £7-800) but will be ideal for some people (including me).

Well, that is my two pence worth

[excelsior-1]

this one i'm using is a 7" blackberry playbook
From pcworld for £129, knocked down from £249

[whiskeryron]

Whatever you do don't have the tablets I'm on every morning, I'm peeing on & off for 3 hours.

WR.

[murraymints]

Whiskey...lol....xxx

[mikey4444]

I have bought a Samsung Galaxy TAB 2 recently, and its rather neat. I have the 7 inch version, which is big enough for what I want to use it for. However, the full size 10 inch is just as good but a bit more expensive.

Its important to know what you will be using it for. If it is going to be the only, or main PC that you own, then a 10 inch is the one to go for. Using a tablet is not the same as using a proper PC however, and you will need to get used to it. Typing on a on-screen keyboard isn't the most satisfying experience for instance, but if you do find yourself typing away with gay abandon, then a 10 inch would be preferable to a 7 inch.

Also bear in mind that the majority of tablets don't have many ports like USB to use, unlike a proper PC. So if you use a memory stick on a regular basis, a tablet won't be as easy . And if you intend to connect to a larger screen or your TV...again not as simple as a PC.

But if you want something that is easy, very quick start-up time and very portable, and you intend to use it for surfing, or playing games, or keeping up with emails, then a tablet would make sense. I spent 3 hours in Terminal Three at Heathrow last Friday, waiting for my nephew to get in from Australia, and the Samsung was a god send. No Guardian available at 05.00 AM !

The Samsung 7 inch is being sold at Tesco for £158, with £30 cashback from Samsung. Now this has to be good value for money by anybodies standard.

You will notice I haven't mentioned Apple. They make some very good tablets but, just like their regular computers, they are twice the price of any other on the market. I can't see that the new mini ipad is any better than my Samsung, and its over twice the cost.

I wouldn't get bogged down with operating systems by the way. The Android seems just as good as Windows, and a lot more stable if my experience these last few weeks are anything to go by.