I'm getting one for my other half this christmas. Now then, which one to go for???? I'm not going to buy an iPad as it is bloody expensive IMO. I'm not after something fancy. As long as she can browse online, watch movies and Facebook etc etc

Amazon kindle fire looks good. Any one have one? Any good? What do you guys think?

Cheers.

 

Motorola xoom, Asus transformer , Samsung tab (iPad knockoff)

 

Advent vega has done me for the last six months and having now had Honeycomb installed on it can honestly say for under £200 it is excellent that is up until I bought my son an Ipad2 this week for xmas.. Dont even try one as you will walk out the shop with one the quality is superb from the short play around I as a father had to do to make sure it had everything installed on it ready for him xmas day !!

 

Thinking of buying either a Ipad2 or a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab for my mum to replace her old lap top.

The Ipad is so locked down plus no Flash support that i think she will give up with it as stuff will just not work with the Android system i should be able to set it up for her that she can surf the net, facebook, utube, look at pictures, get a Kindle App and do emails with little knowledge................well that is what i hope

 

What does your mum use that will not work without flash? As I suspect that 99% of users would not notice.

Anyway back on topic to the op, to buy a decent tablet you are looking at around the £400 mark be that apple, samsung or the asus transformer they are all around the same mark give or take.

 

I have a XOOM. Its great, but sometimes crashes - about once a week.
But i do use it for 15-20 hrs a week. Overall well happy, last time I looked they were down to about £370 ish, not bad considering I paid £480.

 

Jamescsti she would just use it for the basic stuff but i understand you have to have an itunes account etc to load photo's on where with an android i believe she gets and app and then she can just click and drag from her lap top to the Tablet.

I was going to get the Ipad2 but i just want a simple unit for her, not something where everything takes loads of effort

 

Video on the BBC site for starters! You know, that little used websiite that just happens to be one of the most visited websites in the world!

 

What the one that has a app that will play video?

 

I have the Tab 10.1 and will do everything the OP stipulates, the home page is has widgets so that you can view instantly all incoming emails into your inbox, facebook updates and other social networking sites without having to go into any apps. You can also browse the BBC website as if it was from your desktop/laptop without having to load a separate app to view video content and the same goes with lots of other news websites, like the guardian, telegraph, the times, daily fail, etc. and of course youtube. Plus it will connect up to your PC as a mass storage device via usb so you can copy across any pictures and films to the Tab very easily.

But it is £399, same as the iPad2. There are of course cheaper Android honeycomb devices that will do the same as the Tab.

 

 

It actually only plays a small percentage of the video that is available on the news website. A handy app, but not really a replacement for the full site (the Android version of the app is just as bad btw).

 

I know. Just making the point that the bbc app is naff on both platforms. Doesn't bother me on my Galaxy S2 though

 

Had a play with an Archos 10.1 the other day (someone elses christmas present ). Nice bit of kit. Not sure how well it stacks up against other android tabs, but its worth a look at.

I also won't hide the fact I'm a bit of a Archos fanboy though...still using a 20gig Jukebox that has outlasted many othe mp3 players/storage devices.

 

Looked at the Archos for my daughter, but got put off by the poor catchuptv playback. Struggled BADLY.

Granted, this was the 7. Circa £100. Well-built bit of kit though

DAn

edited to add, her Laptop (pc) has died, so this was a bit of an alternative.

 

Yeah when going from latops to Tablets there is an issue where they just aren't up to the job. Especially if an app is made for a higher spec CPU. Something that wouldn't fluster the average PC, would struggle on a netbook of tablet.

Having said that Archos's are primarily designed for video playback, so I guess it must be a memory capacity or network throughput/caching issue.

FWIW its alot more money, but we're looking at an Dell Insipron Duo for work (convertible laptop/tablet) that runs a dual core N570 CPU which is a fair bit more powerful than the average netbook/tablet, and proper win7 home (not the cut down starter edition) so it will run all our diagnostic/scope software (not compatible with apple/android/linux etc). Not got one yet though as I've managed to kick start our old laptop back into life for teh time being (corroded CPU socket pins due to the damp workshop ).

 

If you don't go for an iPad you'll be forever wishing that you did, or having that constant feeling that you could have bought something that works/looks/feels better.

As for Adrian F's "I was going to get the Ipad2 but i just want a simple unit for her, not something where everything takes loads of effort" - the iPad and iPhone have the most intuitive interfaces going! Everything with iOS is simple and nothing takes any real effort.

Buy cheap, buy twice...

DN

 

If I get a tablet I'll be getting a Asus transformer 2.

On BBC flash, I recon they'll be changing that next year and asking F1 to do it

 

Just got an Asus Transformer. Brilliant bit of kit!

 

I would hope they would get someone who knows what they are doing instead of someone being found lacking in ability and spending their time on a forum bitching about it

 

 

So..................the OP asked which tablet, discounted the Ipad and you are still talking about it. Get to the fight club for any more.
He knows he doesnt want the ipad so stop telling him how regrettable the whole episode will be, because it wont.

 

Back on topic now but how has will taught his missus to use a tablet? must be a clever sheep.

 

Excuse me whilst I do some cleaning:


http://pluperfecter.blogspot.com/201...trolls-on.html

 

How big and clever of you!

 

about time ,brilliant job ali

 

To the op, it would appear that the tablet you should be looking at should be the galaxy tab 10.1 but that will cost you £400, same cost as the iPad which you have already stated you are not happy with the price.
You can get the older 7 inch galaxy tablet for £250 refurbished on amazon which may fit your needs at a lower price point?
As for the kindle fire, well they are not available in the uk yet so the jury is still out really.

 

What about a Blackberry Playbook which can be picked up for under £200 - ok it's discontinued and has a 7" screen but it's good value for money.

I'd considered one at around £350 before buying my iPad 2 so at less than £200 they are a bargain.

 

playbook is useless unless you have a blackberry phone though , which has probably is to blame for poor sales

 

The Motorola Xoom or the Asus Transformer can be had for £300 now. They're the first generation honeycomb tabs, but still very capable devices.