There was another thread about someone choosing a table, which I unsuccessfully tried to hijack. I figured instead I’d start a new thread on the subject.
I’m going to be going to Boston for a few weeks to take a class. I’ve got a work laptop, but I’d also like to have a personal device I can use for websurfing, playing games, etc. on. For awhile I’ve been jonesing for a tablet, and I figure now is the time.
Anyway, I’ve narrowed things down to three choices: the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Samsung Galaxy 2, and the refurbished Xoom. The Kindle has the lowest price-point; the Xoom has the highest cost, but also the biggest screen. Given that I’ll probably be using it for websurfing, watching movies and tv shows, and playing simple games, does anyone have thoughts?
Also, I’d love to us a tablet as a navigational tool. My brother can use his Xoom to give directions: “Turn right at the next light,” it’ll say. He pays $20/month for a data connection in order to do this. Does anyone know of an app that enables this without a data connection, just via a GPS? If so, could this be done on a Kindle and/or a Galaxy?
It can be done. All it takes is having GPS on the device and a nav app that stores the maps on the device. Sygic is the best offline GPS app I found. This is a ~15 day trial, the actual program is $20 or so depending on what mapsets you want with it.
Unless your main goal is price and simplicity I’d skip the Kindle Fire. I’ve used one and it works pretty well, but it’s a bare minimum and has no extra features. No GPS, no card slot, no microphone, no volume buttons, etc.
If I was picking from your choices I’d get the Xoom. Dual core processor, bigger screen, higher resolution, much more storage.
Awesome–excellent advice! Out of curiosity, you say, “If I was picking from your choices…” Is there another tablet in the sub-$300 range that you’d recommend over any of these?
Google Maps, which is free, has the ability to cache routes and do offline maps.
Edit: Meant to add, when are you taking this trip? If it’s July or later, I’d hold off…Google’s big “show” this year, Google I/O, is scheduled for June 27-29th, and there’s good money that they’ll announce a Nexus Tablet. Like their line of Nexus phones, it will be “pure” Android that doesn’t have any manufacturer or carrier branding (though IIRC, the XOOM has very little in the way of extras, since it’s currently the official dev tablet.)
But the price point is slated to be pretty low, only about $200 for a 7-inch tablet, and unlike the Kindle Fire, it will have a full set of features like GPS, microphone, camera, etc… and will be ready to go “out of the box” to run all Android apps, unlike the Kindle Fire which can normally only run apps in Amazon’s App Store, and has to be rooted to get more functionality.
Not especially, but I haven’t been shopping. I have an HTC Evo View which I am very happy with for the most part. The main disadvantages of it are the so-so camera and no Android 4.0. I really don’t care about 4.0 that much except some apps like Gmail want 4.0 or 3.0 to get the latest and greatest features. I could run 3.0 but don’t like the “honey bar.”
There are a lot of Android tablets out there and you’ll just have to decide what features/price combination works for you. I’d check Amazon and NewEgg reviews if you haven’t already.
Yes Google Maps cache the route and will work fine as long as you don’t deviate from the route. Once you’re a block or so off route you’re out of luck.
Is there a way to give Google Maps a full set of offline maps, like a state or the full USA?