Tablets that aren't iPads

I'm thinking about getting a tablet.

Want to be able to do the following:

- watch videos

- manage emails (Google)

- manage a calendar (Google)

- browse the web and post on forums (like WATMM )

- read books

- read and manage PDFs (annotate them if possible) and read and manage Word docs (and do tracked changes).

Basically I'll use it for work and I want to be able to track changes to documents and make minor edits and read reports.

What should I go for?

Lots of people at work use iPads and they're very nice but for me they're too expensive. I have an iPhone already.

Been eyeing up the new Kindle fire. The Missus has a Kindle and I love the eInk technology. I want to be happy taking the tablet to the beach/on holiday as well, so being light and portable and not so expensive that you're worried about taking it out is important.

yeah, that's what i've heard, it seems most people use them for watching videos and playing games. great if you commute a lot, fairly useless if you don't.

can't see getting much work done on one without a keyboard, and it seems like once you start carrying a keyboard and tablet around, you might as well carry a netbook.

jhonny, if you reckon you'd use one, the consensus is that the nexus 7 is far and away the best choice right now. like any good tech consumer, i kinda want one, which is why i asked what people use em for. but i'm afraid it would mostly just collect dust...

The nice thing about a tablet (at least an iPad, I can't speak for any of the other tablets mentioned) is unlike a computer, it's "instantly on" (no having to wait for it to wake from sleep, boot up, etc.), and very handy having it lying on the coffee table - you can quickly check your bank balance, look up who that actor is on IMDB when you're watching a show, check email, etc. - the convenience of having it just sitting there really relegates the computer to a machine suited for "real" work tasks.

  On 9/27/2012 at 4:39 PM, Joyrex said:

The nice thing about a tablet (at least an iPad, I can't speak for any of the other tablets mentioned) is unlike a computer, it's "instantly on" (no having to wait for it to wake from sleep, boot up, etc.), and very handy having it lying on the coffee table - you can quickly check your bank balance, look up who that actor is on IMDB when you're watching a show, check email, etc. - the convenience of having it just sitting there really relegates the computer to a machine suited for "real" work tasks.

But a smartphone is better suited to those tasks, really. Because it's right there in your pocket. The larger size of a tablet is only really an advantage if you're reading something lengthier, or watching a lot of video.

  On 9/26/2012 at 11:30 PM, Kanakori said:

Why would you want a tablet that isnt the Ipad?

Lol my thoughts too. Forget music making on the other platforms.

  On 9/27/2012 at 10:10 AM, Al Hounos said:

But what do people DO with tablets? I mean, if you have a smartphone and a computer, where does the tablet come in?

 

enlighten me, watmm.

Making music - that's what I use mine for and then you find its very good for doing other things like er browsing, facetime, skype, games, porn etc etc. So many awesome apps too for IOS. Okay I will say games on IOS is a bit hit and miss but the rest is a world of delight.

  On 9/27/2012 at 10:53 AM, chenGOD said:

  On 9/27/2012 at 10:10 AM, Al Hounos said:

But what do people DO with tablets? I mean, if you have a smartphone and a computer, where does the tablet come in?

 

enlighten me, watmm.

As a student, I would love one. reading and annotating/highlighting PDFs on the bus, great for taking notes (with keyboard), decent size screen for watching trailer park boys episodes whilst eating lunch, playing "casual games". And before you say laptop - my 13" macbook weighs a fuck of a lot more than a tablet, is way more inconvenient for reading on the bus. Netbooks tend to be underpowered and make fan sounds like a balding german man in an anorak listening to the latest autechre.

So yeah - tablet.

yeah all of this + this is all you need to have in college /uni classes. So light, so portable, so handy. And fuck, that pleasure of having internet in bed.

i just carry both. can't go wrong with a laptop in class, can't go wrong with a tablet on the bus.

also my 13" macbook air doesn't weigh a whole hell of a lot more than my tablet, under a pound more... and no bald german autechre noises unless im doing other things that are cpu intensive, at which point it sounds like a tiny jet engine

point and click adventure games

yes

  On 9/27/2012 at 2:30 PM, Al Hounos said:

yeah, that's what i've heard, it seems most people use them for watching videos and playing games. great if you commute a lot, fairly useless if you don't.

 

can't see getting much work done on one without a keyboard, and it seems like once you start carrying a keyboard and tablet around, you might as well carry a netbook.

 

jhonny, if you reckon you'd use one, the consensus is that the nexus 7 is far and away the best choice right now. like any good tech consumer, i kinda want one, which is why i asked what people use em for. but i'm afraid it would mostly just collect dust...

I have:

a Galaxy Nexus phone

a Nexus 7

and an EeePC 1000HE

I use all of them, all for different things.

The netbook is clearly better suited for typing, the Nexus 7 for doing things I can do on my phone but would rather do on a larger screen, and my phone for...well, being a phone.

gotta say....my Nexus 7 beats the shit out of my netbook for speed, power, and abilities. Except in the keyboard department. Even then, typing on the touchscreen in landscape isn't too bad, and I can get almost as fast as I can type on physical keys.

  On 9/27/2012 at 5:23 PM, disparaissant said:

i just carry both. can't go wrong with a laptop in class, can't go wrong with a tablet on the bus.

 

also my 13" macbook air doesn't weigh a whole hell of a lot more than my tablet, under a pound more... and no bald german autechre noises unless im doing other things that are cpu intensive, at which point it sounds like a tiny jet engine

yeah well, not all of us are in the bourgeois class who can afford to pick up MacBook Airs at the drop of a hat. And the fan noise was more in reference to netbooks, i find the macbook, even when being tasked, is not nearly as loud as some of those HP leaf blowers.

(i joke i joke, but seriously, I can barely afford ramyun right now).

haha i used student grants to buy my macbook. THE MASTERS TOOLS TO DISMANTLE HIS HOUSE.

  On 9/27/2012 at 4:05 AM, roasty said:

Asus Tranformer cant handle my browsing habits, crashes like a mofo. For instance, on pages with lots of embedded flash (forget about youtube threads). Often hangs on pages for no apparent reason. Requires soundcloud to be it's own app..

My dad's got a 300. How did you get around the in-browser Flash. The apps gone from the Play Store. Installing directly from Adobe looks like it works, but it's flaky in any other browser than the default-thing.

He only really wants to use the tablet for random browsing and watching sports, so Flash is a big kicker for him.

Has he tried Dolphin browser? I've heard good things, but Chrome does everything I need it to do so...

BTW, Flash is still on the market, just "incompatible" with Jelly Bean. As you said, you can still find it from various sources including Adobe's site and side load it though.

Flash needs to go away. HTML 5 can do just about everything Flash could do when it comes to what Flash is mostly used for online.

  On 9/28/2012 at 5:53 PM, Joyrex said:

Flash needs to go away. HTML 5 can do just about everything Flash could do when it comes to what Flash is mostly used for online.

Agreed, plus it's not like Adobe doesn't see it that way as well

Developers need better development tools though, which Flash has

  On 9/28/2012 at 1:12 AM, Gary C said:

  On 9/27/2012 at 4:05 AM, roasty said:

Asus Tranformer cant handle my browsing habits, crashes like a mofo. For instance, on pages with lots of embedded flash (forget about youtube threads). Often hangs on pages for no apparent reason. Requires soundcloud to be it's own app..

My dad's got a 300. How did you get around the in-browser Flash. The apps gone from the Play Store. Installing directly from Adobe looks like it works, but it's flaky in any other browser than the default-thing.

 

He only really wants to use the tablet for random browsing and watching sports, so Flash is a big kicker for him.

When you click on embedded youtube vids, there's an option that pops up to open it via the standalone youtube app. Can't really complain about that since it's pretty straightforward and painless..but guessing that your dad's sport sites use their own embedded video player, this isn't much help

Soundcloud is a bit of a bummer...having to rely on a standalone app, that is. It's the equivalent of navigating straight to youtube.com and browsing for new videos, who does that? (Other than looking for a specific vid). It's always been the mashable aspect that makes it a valuable resource

  On 9/28/2012 at 5:53 PM, Joyrex said:

Flash needs to go away. HTML 5 can do just about everything Flash could do when it comes to what Flash is mostly used for online.

agreed. but it isn't going to happen for a while, not until developers are forced to ditch it. hopefully that time has come

  On 9/26/2012 at 11:20 PM, oscillik said:

Nexus 7

 

I love it.

 

Yeah I'm also a Nexus 7 fan. Reasons:

- To my suprise, 7 inch form factor is better than 10 inch:

- You can hold it in one hand for a long time without getting tired (e.g reading)

- You can hold it with both hands and two-thumb type in portrait mode and type pretty fast.

- Its easy to sling into whatever bag you're carrying.

- Its a great size for gaming.

- Its a great size for reading.

- Android Jellybean is nice

- Its cheap and well specced and well made

Rumour is that Apple will launch an iPad mini with 7 inch screen at some point; I can see why; 7 inch screens are the way forwards, for reasons outlined above. But at the moment, Nexus 7 is the best value for money on the market, and even if it was more expensive, I'd still prefer it over an iPad because of its size.

Ipads are fucking huge, you might as well be holding a netbook.

What do you guys think of the galaxy note 2 "phablet"?

so.. nexus 7 doesn't have a SIM slot? bummer :/

  On 10/4/2012 at 12:45 PM, vincentvc said:

so.. nexus 7 doesn't have a SIM slot? bummer :/

yeah nexus 7 is wi-fi only. I route it through my android phone's wireless hotspot when I need to.

  On 10/4/2012 at 1:21 PM, zazen said:

  On 10/4/2012 at 12:45 PM, vincentvc said:

so.. nexus 7 doesn't have a SIM slot? bummer :/

 

yeah nexus 7 is wi-fi only. I route it through my android phone's wireless hotspot when I need to.

This is something that appeals to me and one of the things I would consider getting a smartphone for. What phone do you use for this, what sort of contract are you on? (in terms of price and data).