There maybe a possibility of me maybe getting a tablet and i just want to ask what advice people have on them. I've tried to stay away from Apples products before partly due to the lack of connectivity and the extra cables needed for hdmi/usb/card read. When I have looked at reviews the one that always caught my eye is the Asus Transformer range. If i got one it would be used for net access, storing photos on the go from my dslr, playing films and maybe playing games (id have to get any recommendations for games, don't really know whats out there). Its not certain yet but does anyone own a Asus Transformer/Prime and are they worth it?
My friend has the Prime and he loves it. You need to like the Android OS though to get the most out of it.
Apple have the premium tablet market sewn up pretty tight. So do seriously look at all your options before ruling them out so quickly. It's not so much that they have a lead... it's that they completely own the sector, the competition sell a pitiful number in comparison (But they still sell a lot!) Yes, you need an adaptor for HDMI but they have AirPlay so as long as you have an AirPlay target (Apple TV, XBMC etc) you can get away without one... plus they're dirt cheap from ebay anyway and not everyone would want one anyway. The iPad has the best display, the best GPU (Arguably), the widest choice of apps, the widest choice of games, the best protection from malware (because their eco system is tightly regulated), the best cost-to-resale value, the best app compatibility and the best customer satisfaction ratings. Apple has the worst choice, you either buy an iPad or you buy... last years iPad tweaked to give it better battery life. You get once choice of size, if you want a smaller screen you're stuck (But at least you'll know that all iPad apps are designed for one screen size, resolution and ratio) Apple is worst if you want to tweak. If you're type of person who's running a different build of Linux every month and likes tweaking the UI so your experience is not standard a 'out of the box' then Apple isn't the one for you. Yes you can jailbreak and make all your desired tweaks but then you take away some of the benefits going Apple gives you. Subjectively I'd also say an Apple device works at it's best if you're happy to sign up and play Apple's way. If you use iTunes for your music then it's wonderful. If you're running a PC then yes iTunes is not quite as nice an experience as it on a Mac, and you can't natively just plug-and-play an iPad and use it as a flash drive. Work out what you want to do with a tablet. If it's just as a portable internet terminal and media player with a bit of other stuff as well then pretty much any budget android with a good screen will do the job. If you want the widest choice of 'premium' apps (Premium could be games or productivity apps) then the iPad is the one to beat... ...As long as you can live with being an Apple owner. Sometimes I feel people would rather lose a hand than be seen to be using anything Apple.
Guinevere has hit nail on the head! I have an iPhone 4 and love it and got an Android tablet which I aslo love but half the apps I use on the phone don't have compareable ones on the Andoid sometimes However I feel alot of freedom on my tablet over the iphone As above it whether you want an out the box expereince and can play by Apple's rules and they'll look after you
Thanks Guinevere. It was suggested i get a tablet to use instead of my laptop on holiday to save space and be a lot more portable. it would be a part of my birthday present too. I've used Itunes before but only once to download an album. I don't know whether Itunes would help or hinder, maybe i could get used to itunes but being a pc user im used to 'drag and drop'. As premium apps and games go yes i would get some games but apps i don't know. Apple does have the market for this sort of thing but for what i would need it may not be necessary. I have an Archos 4.8 Internet tablet which has android 1.6 but i don't have many apps on it, manly a dictionary, an office suite and youtube presently. I have a few games installed, one of which is the scumm app with the likes of The 7th Guest and Full Throttle on it. I've used an Ipad 1 a little and the experience isn't displeasing but weather on a day to day basis i could, like to say play by Apples rules, that i don't know. If i were to get one an Android device would be the way to go for me for now. It would be more of a media device, net browsing and some reading, with the likes of Kindle software and a few other documents. Plus with android i can just 'plug n play' media if needed.
Just FYI: The Transformer Pad 300 - out now in some regions - replaces the original TF, but now it has a slightly slower clocked quad core than the Prime. The TF Infinity (700) will be available soon as the Prime's 'replacement' with a Full HD display.
Try before you buy. I bought the original TF101 and the OS was always a little buggy (mostly battery issues). Ever since it was updated to ICS it's almost unusable. Random shutdowns. Will only restart when plugged in to the charger despite a full charge. Constantly get a popup saying "Unfortunately, DMClient has stopped", which negates FOTA updates. It may not be one of the models suggested, but my experience so far has made me very wary the whole Asus range. I, for one, won't be upgrading to a newer model.
I've played with a few, but i seriously think there just a toy. I had fun with a Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet, for a two week trial. Very nice build, great for watching stuff but the keyboard case had a very slow response, and the general size of the whole tablet with case is the same size as my friends thinkpad X60 which is far more capable device and boots just as quick with a SSD. I went the route of a X61 Tablet and SSD combo for half the price of a ipad, yes its not thin and sleek but its essentially an Ultrabook which intel is now pushing. I would seriously consider thinking about exactly what you intend on using a tablet for, if you commute on public transport I could justify one for watching podcast video's.
Depends why your buying a tablet Media / game consumption apple iPad all the way Anything else prime They are the only 2 tablets worth consideration at this point the rest are awful
I gto a seconf hand HP Touchpad 32gb off Ebay for £150 and for the price I can't complain. It does it's job of being my dedicated comicbook reader very well.
Isn't the point of buying a tablet How easy it is to just use and For the user friendly experience not sure how many normal people even know where these dev OS are let alone how to install them, ( the 60-70% of the world that buys apple )
I've got the Transformer Prime. While it's an incredible bit of kit, i've been having a few issues with mine, such as massive amount of Lag after resuming from Stand by, Picking the unit up by the keyboard dock, with the Tablet attached, causes the keyboard to split slightly along the top edges. Sam
I haven't. I could...it isn't like it intimidates me, but I don't see why I should... Asus simply need to get their act together on the transformer series, and ensure their OS works with their hardware. "Good enough" just isn't...good enough.
It should do properly :S Rollo - I'm not advising it as part of the buying decision, but clearly he's having issues with the stock OS so maybe it's worth going further. ASUS and every manuf. gets CONSIDERABLE pressure to open up and less people tinker - there's a lot of user support behind it, so why not take advantage of it? (Plus, since when has bit-tech been full of normal people )
It doesn't, and I'm not alone I will tinker someday, but right now I just don't have the time to spare...Before Asus release an update perhaps they should first liaise and beta test with the XDA-Developers community - It's not my job to do so.
Half the fun with Android is tinkering, partly why I got a Touchpad. If you want something that "Just Works" Go buy Apple.
Cant recommend a Blackberry playbook enough. I currently own an ipad2 (from work), a playbook and did own a xoom...I've also tried a variety of cheaper android tablets and a kindle fire. The playbook, ipad and kindle are in there own league when it comes to responsiveness, build quality and 'feel'. the playbook also has a much higher screen resolution than most tablets. The ipad is the nicest to look at and the most user friendly - but I can't get over how it feels like a truley excellent toy....where as the playbook feels like a laptop. The latest OS2.2 and side-loading means nearly all android apps already work (or soon will work) on the blackberry. The fact that BB had problems means the price tumbled to the current £169 which is a snip for a top tablet. BlackBerry are currently making the playbook 2 and have promised continued support (indeed the updated and apps are coming thick and fast). For me it's either an ipad or a playbook. If you want a truly great gadget and love games, love apps and apple games - get an ipad. If you want a computer and want it for more serious use - get a playbook. If cost is a factor then a playbook beats every sub £300 tablet no problem. Transformer and Ipad are great, but cost 3 times as much. Typical reviews were done before OS 2.2 and all read like this: http://www.wired.co.uk/reviews/tablets/2012-03/blackberry-playbook-os2 In short, hardware is second to non / software knocks the score down. I think that problems been solves, certainly that review highlights not having BBM, which it now has. Not having Skype, which is now has. Not having many apps, it now has 90% of android apps (as long as your willing to side-load). Problems solved.
First of all thanks for the input guys, I've decided to get the Asus Transformer Prime. I had pros and cons using both Ipad and TP but taking in your advice i thought the TP might offer me a little more flexibility and my Archos has android too so i already have some software and knowledge. The main reason it was out of these two devices was the reviews i had seen said theses were the best two the choose from. Again thanks, i always get sound advice here.
