I have a laptop that’s always with me at home and at work, and a Kindle for when I’m in a waiting room or something. So I don’t think I need a tablet for anything really. I don’t think I’d have much reason to watch TV or listen to music or anything on it because I can just do that on my laptop. But I kind of want one for Android games that they apparently don’t have for the computer, and I don’t have a smartphone.
But that seems like a lot of money to spend just to play some stupid games. I’d share it with my kid too but she has her own laptop so it’s not like she really needs one either. Are there other things we would do with it that I’m not thinking of?
If I do get one, I don’t want to spend a lot, and would any Android tablet be fine for the simple games I want to play? ARE there even a lot of games you can only play on Android devices? The one I’m thinking of is 4 pics 1 word but I think there are others.
Walmart has cheap android tablets right now if you don’t want to spend much. My sister just got one brand new for $56 on their website.
Before I got my nook tablet, I didn’t think I would use one much. A year later the only time I use my laptop or desktop is when I have a lot of typing to do. Rest of the time I use my tablet.
I’m thinking about the Galaxy Tab 2 since it has GPS and the Kindle Fire doesn’t, and it seems like those are the two most popular $200 ones? But I can’t decide if I should just get a super cheap one instead, or not one at all.
Google Nexus 7 all the way. Love mine and use it mostly for games XD There’s loads of free games out there that’ll keep you satisfied if you’re too cheap (like me) to pay even 99 cents for one.
That’s another option, but I want to share it with my kid. I don’t suppose these things let you have multiple user accounts?
Hmm, I’m trying to see what’s better between the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 2. Just seems so frivolous though because obviously there are a ton of similar games I can just play on my laptop. But I want one!
Well I can’t say I looked into the Galaxy Tab 2 when researching. I mostly just compared the Kindle and Nook against the Nexus. I can say, it’s very easy to use and when I’m not watching videos and using the Nexus’ speakers, the battery life is very good. My only complaint is the lack of an SD card slot. Though, since the one I have is the 32GB version, it’s not too big of a deal. I also had read complaints about the lack of a dual camera (front and back). At first I didn’t think I’d mind it, but it really limits a lot of the apps you can get that require ‘scanning’ items, such as barcodes.
The SD slot was one of the big drivers for me, that steered me towards the Galaxy Tab. Honestly, for the prices (under $200) I don’t think the differences are all that great. You’ll be happy with any of them for most of the uses people have for a tablet.
I got mine as a gift and it’s a nice update from my Kindle (keyboard). I haven’t figured out how to use the Google Play store without jailbreaking it however. I have been able to sideload old apps that I had on my (now destroyed) android phone. Settlers of Catan looks great on it but is not available in the Amazon store for some reason (probably because one of the buttons is in exactly the wrong spot).
Yeah, the SD card slot is definitely a plus, but if I’m not planning to put much in the way of music or movies or anything on it, would I want to use more than 16GB? The other thing I like on the Galaxy Tab is the rear camera, but I probably wouldn’t end up using it much. The Nexus seems to have slightly better reviews and maybe mostly better specs? They’re both adequate for right now but one of the things I read said the Nexus is better prepared for future apps. I don’t know how true that is.
I had no thoughts on getting a tablet at all until like a couple days ago so I’m pretty lost.
I just got a great deal on an Asus Transformer and the optional keyboard for it [there is an SD slot on the optional keyboard/cover thingy as well as a USB port] though I normally use it as a tablet, I haven’t had any problem with the touchscreen keyboard. I use the same earpiece/mic that I use for my smartphone, and it has the ability to slot in a sim chip in it so theoretically I could use it as a phone [if Verizon used the system that used sim chips, that is. I could use it thusly in Europe if I popped out the sim chip in the phone I have for Europe.]
The advantage to any nexus branded device by google is that you’ll get updates first and be updated to much higher versions than you will with non-google devices. Matters the most with phones, but the same thing happens with tablets. Plus the developer community usually supports nexus devices as well so you can always root and get the latest custom ROMs as well if you ever want to get into that type of thing.
I’ve owned many different tablets, and the Nexus-10 is hands down the best. It’s fast (much faster than the ASUS TF700) and has a better screen than the latest iPad. And it’s very comfortable to hold - mainly because the back surface is rubberized. However, it’s not as expandable as the ASUS Transformer series (no available keyboard dock, not SD card slot).
But if you don’t want something that big or want to spend that much, Nexus-7 is probably the best choice now.
The Kindle Fire series is also nice if you get a lot of content (esp. TV shows and movies) from Amazon, and the Fire HD 8.9" is currently on sale for $269. But the selection of available apps is more limited (you can only get apps from the Amazon app store, not Google’s).
You may find it a viable replacement for a Kindle with more capabilities.
There is a fair amount of color/graphical content that’s much more enjoyable to read on a tablet than an e-Ink Kindle. Amazon sells a lot of magazines and graphic novels now, and there are other paid services that do the same (e.g. Google Play, Zinio). Admittedly, it’s difficult to read a magazine on a 7-inch tablet - it involves a lot of zooming and scrolling. For this purpose, you’d be happier with a larger tablet with 1920x1200 or better resolution.
There are some things that are easier to do on a tablet than on a laptop. For example, taking photos and movie clips for sharing online is quite easy - the tablet can upload the file directly to Picasa, Youtube, etc.
Services that take advantage of your location (Google Maps, Yelp, etc) are also well suited for tablets. (Though you really want 4G to take full advantage of this.)
Skype is another great use for a tablet - you can switch to the rear camera and walk around with the tablet to show stuff. Or during family gatherings, pass around the tablet so everyone can take turns talking to someone who couldn’t attend in person.
I have an iPad in addition to a couple Kindles and a few laptops. The iPad is really, really nice. Mostly what I do with it is read things on the web. I mean, focusing on one particular site for a while, not “surfing” in a scattered way. Sitting with my coffee, or before I nod off in bed, or perhaps spread out somewhere with a snack or in front of something warm in the winter, it’s perfect. Laptops are generally so much more awkward it’s less pleasing.
I don’t need it. “Need” is too affirmative here. But, I really really enjoy it. It is also good enough for typing that I don’t mind posting a few paragraphs here, and light enough I can hold it one handed.
I have a laptop, an iphone, and a Nexus 7 tablet. The laptop gets used for work, intensive web surfing, or anything where I am going to be needing a lot of inputing and keyboarding. The iphone gets used for quick reference internet surfing, quick emails, navigation, calender, and games and videos for the kids when away from the house.
Since the Nexus is wifi, we don’t take it away from the home/yard that much. My kids use it for books, internet, movies and cartoons, and most importantly games of all types. There are so many free games and books on Google and Amazon it is crazy. The size is easy to hold and see. It is fun to snuggle on the couch, bed, hammock or wherever and read or play with the kids using just one device. We got this bracket thing to hold it on our seat back so that the kids can watch the tablet while in the car, but the glare is hard to deal with and the sound is kinda lousy.
After the kids are asleep, my wife reads her books and magazines on it. When she is finished with it, I take it outside and point it at the sky and use one of my astronomy apps. All in all, we get a lot of use out of it.