Tablet recs??

[kathyp]

i am about to make the leap and buy a tablet.  i won't pay the extra and put up with the nonsense of the iwhatever.  that leaves all things Android.  anyone have an android tablet that they love....or hate?  looking at 10 inch and at least 32 gig.  thinking about the motorola xoom, in part because it can be tethered to my smart phone and use phone data time, and it has removable memory slot.

thoughts??

[jmblakeney]

thoughts??

I don't know much about the other machines out there, but I got my wife a kindle fire and she absolutely loves it.  I do know it doesn't have all the bling of the top of the line models but is sufficient for surfing, reading, and games.  Not sure if that's what you would use it for. 

$199.  Great deal for the $.

James

[AllenF]

I don't have any thoughts on it.   But my wife loves her I pad.   It runs her power point, hooks to the over head projector.   Plays her music.   Facetime. U-verse at church.   And has replaced her laptop which it now shoved in a closet.   She carries it everywhere now.

[buzzbee]

I am interested also,but do not want to be tied to cell service. I want to be able to access through any wi-fi hot spot. I saw a couple that are exclusive to ATT hot spots.

Kathy,
I put a redirect to here from Computer help section. Hope thats ok.

[kathyp]

it's good. thanks.  wasn't sure where to put it 

most have wifi and some have both wifi and 3g/4g.  i have unlimited data on my phone so i wanted to be able to use that, and not pay for data package that i may or may not use.  got caught in NC last year with no wifi anywhere, so the ability to tether to the phone is a big + for Andriod.

my  son got an ipad through verizon and they have a month to month data plan.  that's a last resort if i have to go that way.  verizon tablets are more expensive than some place like tiger, Newegg, or even costco.

[jmblakeney]

Kathy,
 
I don't know if you know or not, but it does cost an extra monthly fee to tether from your phone.  You probably all ready knew it but thought i'd add it just in case.

James

[kathyp]

jmblakeney, it can be done without cost    you do use your data time from your phone to do it, but since i have unlimited data, that's not an issue.  i have a nook reader and it's great.  we were thinking about the tablet for other more computer like things that we do.  we don't always want to haul a laptop around. 
this last local red cross thing i did would have been a good time to use one....

AllenF, the ipad is the standard but you pay xtra for the i.  + i am a fan of the Android system.  it's more tweakable.

[AllenF]

My wife won't talk money with me anymore.   She still won't tell me what she is paying for organic grass fed beef at the butcher.

[annette]

I have the nook tablet and love it. It has everything I need, emails, web surfing, reading books. Now I don't take my laptop with me anymore.

[kathyp]

annette i love my nook also.  between that and the phone, there's not much else i need if i can't take my laptop.....but, sometimes hubby needs more without dragging his laptop around and sometimes i'd like more.....like watching movies in bed   

for me, it's more of a want.  for him, it's becoming more of a need.  that's why i'd like to get something that won't break the bank but will work for both of us.

+ i can see it coming in really handy for some of my adventures where i don't have room to pack a laptop, but could make room for a tablet.

[annette]

annette i love my nook also.  between that and the phone, there's not much else i need if i can't take my laptop.....but, sometimes hubby needs more without dragging his laptop around and sometimes i'd like more.....like watching movies in bed   

for me, it's more of a want.  for him, it's becoming more of a need.  that's why i'd like to get something that won't break the bank but will work for both of us.

+ i can see it coming in really handy for some of my adventures where i don't have room to pack a laptop, but could make room for a tablet.

We have netflix streaming and I can watch all the movies I want on my nook We have wireless at home. I thought you had netflix also?

Aron and I were out having coffee one day a few weeks ago, and were in a wireless place. I always carry around 2 sets of ear buds so that we can watch something if we want. It was a lot of fun, sitting there watching this movie while eating dessert and drinking coffee. By the way, you must rent this movie "Mary and Max". So wonderful and funny.

[kathyp]

annette, i hacked my nook and it has lots of fun stuff on it now....but it won't take the nook app that B&N came out with.  now that they have upgraded the color nook so much, i may take it back to stock and then netflix should work fine.

i think i have made a choice.  samsung galaxy tab 10.1.  it's Android.  it tethers though bluetooth.  it's pretty intuitive to use.  went over to BB and played with all the tabs they had out and that one...along with the ipad, were my favorites.  given how proprietary apple is, there's really no contest and a 50 dollar price difference.

don't know when i'll get around to actually buying the thing.... 

[sterling]

Will the one you picked do everything the Ipad does. I'm also looking at them also, and do not know enough about the different ones to make a choice.

[kathyp]

as far as i know, it will.  it will be minus all the apple apps, but you'll have access to all the android apps....which, in my opinion is a more than fair trade.  + i am pretty sure that you can sync itunes with android.  

everything available in the android market can be put on the tablet + easy access to internet.  you can run in as a mobile device or use full internet access.  

it's kind of like a little, flat, laptop.  with that in mind, you can get a really nice laptop for the same price and have a little more capability like easy hook up to printer, keyboard, etc.  the big advantage to the tablet for us is the amount of travel we do and trying to keep packing and security crap to a minimum.

also think about removable memory.  some have it, some don't.  for some people it's important.  also, do you want to have only wireless or do you need 4g and a data package?

go someplace and play with them and spend some time doing your homework.  there are tons of tablets out there and some of the less expensive ones are very nice if you are going to be a casual user.  ARCHOS  makes some that are less cost and have pretty good ratings.

[sterling]

as far as i know, it will.  it will be minus all the apple apps, but you'll have access to all the android apps....which, in my opinion is a more than fair trade.  + i am pretty sure that you can sync itunes with android.  

everything available in the android market can be put on the tablet + easy access to internet.  you can run in as a mobile device or use full internet access.  

it's kind of like a little, flat, laptop.  with that in mind, you can get a really nice laptop for the same price and have a little more capability like easy hook up to printer, keyboard, etc.  the big advantage to the tablet for us is the amount of travel we do and trying to keep packing and security crap to a minimum.

also think about removable memory.  some have it, some don't.  for some people it's important.  also, do you want to have only wireless or do you need 4g and a data package?

go someplace and play with them and spend some time doing your homework.  there are tons of tablets out there and some of the less expensive ones are very nice if you are going to be a casual user.  ARCHOS  makes some that are less cost and have pretty good ratings.

THANKS

[kathyp]

meant to come back and update this and forgot.

ended up getting an ASUS Eee transformer.  it had everything i wanted including expandable memory, and it was less that either the samsung or the ipad.  no 3g and that's ok.  don't want to pay for a data package for the tablet.   there is a newer ASUS out, but it's really spendy.

[sterling]

I ended up getting an I pad, no 3G just bought a router so I can go wireless with my computer or wherever they have the wireless thing. But after I brought it home my wife took it over and I have not been allowed to use it. It ended up a Valentine gift.