These tablets have the old resistive touch screens. I would stay away from those. The capacitive touch screens are much better. Pay a little more and go with the Archos 70 or 101.
Bought a Cruz at Radio Shack for $149special price and loved it 'cept it was just 7" and I need to use MLS and it just couldn't be viewed easily. Otherwise, I love the Cruz and wish they'd make a 10" and I'd buy it in an instant. Waiting to see if they do make a 10".The support desk at Cruz was soooo helpful and really curtious.
I have the 70. Funny how no journalists seem to know about these well made android tablets that have been out for more than a year in the $250 - $350 price range. Journalists are making this huge deal about the Fire... it's got nothing new and is less capable than your 10.1 or the 70 from Archos (and a lot of other good tablets out there). Time to put out that Fire....
Got mine with a two year extended warranty for $379.00, never had any problems with it. Great to take on trips.
why are tablets necessary? Can anyone tell me that? To me its clearly a non-essential luxury item.
it comes down to convienence and portability. Desktops PC are obviouly not portable, laptops cane be bulky at times or not last long on batteries (regardless of settings).
Tablets offer great portablility (like a smartphone) but still provide for multitasking and performance (similar to laptops).
Tablets are the big tech-gadget for those people who are seemingly always on the go and don't want to worry about needing or be tied down with a laptop's powercord.
Hi Dude you are right , or else need to be a Windows 7 tablet, then you can work like a netbook :)
with USB, SD, & Flash :) etc.... here i see the purpose to buy a tablet :)
www.viewtronicx.com
Yep. Just like PCs (or Macs), televisions, soda, sports, name-brand jeans, fast-food, and time to ask silly rhetorical questions. Next...
Free internet is not a luxury. I do not choose to pay each month to get internet on a little telephone. I would much rather use a kindle or something to get internet so I can read my emails and surf a little for free.
I like it just for the fact that it's a lot easier to carry around than my laptop when I am traveling.
well, a tablet will replace a laptop due to it's functionality of where the web is going. As cloud eventually takes over everything will be stored online which will make it faster, more secure (in due time), along with blanked wifi & hotspots everywhere to stay connected always...it's like a laptop was a beta/vhs and now it's cd's... actually there's another format over cd's, dvd's and bluerays, but that's another topic..lol
I was a laptop user for years. It was time to get a new laptop and I decided to try a tablet this time instead (acer iconia a500).
My tablet does everything I needed my laptop to do (entertainment, social connections, video and tv, word and excel for work) and connects to my flat screen if need be.
When you have a choice to use a heavy laptop and be confined to a table or desk or pick up a feather light tablet and use it anywhere...the tablet wins everytime.
Even when you go to the restroom. As easy as it is to carry in a magazine, it's even easier to carry in a tablet.
This same question was asked not long ago about cell phones. Look at us now.
If you have a child with any sort of learning disability, they are a lifesaver. They have so many apps that do so many things.
I'm a petite female in pharma sales, and I carry a TON of samples, marketing products, brochures, etc. everywhere I go. Carrying a typical laptop adds more pounds than my shoulders can bear. The iPad has been a GREAT tool for me. It's easy to pull in and out of my bag (SOOOO much easier than a 5 lb. laptop)... it's easier on my back... and much faster to connect to the Internet (had to use a HotSpot with a laptop). For me and for many of my colleagues, the iPad has been a much appreciated solution rather than a luxury item.
For what most people do with a laptop, Tablets are actually good enough. FREX, most of what I do on my work laptop - email, simple word processing and Instant Messaging - can easily be done on most tablets. If it weren't for the fact that I have one flipping industrial program that absolutely requires Windows, I could dump my aging laptop for a tablet and spend a lot less money.
Likewise, everything my wife does on her laptop - which is simply websurfing and email - can be done on a tablet.
Well, I plan on buying a simple tablet just so I don't have to carry so many textbooks around with me. Having just a laptop and tablet in my backpack would make a huge weight difference. Hooray for convenience.
If you get the right tablet that has the necessary ports it should be no problem. I have the acer icinia a500. It has more ports than most any tablet out there and because of this it was actually a computer replacement for me.
@Marty had to work real hard to come up with these justifications. He, like many journalists are carrying a lot of water for Amazon these days. He also forgot to mention the Archos 70 and 101 which have been out for over a year and have more features than the Amazon product and are in that $200 sweet spot (for the 7" and $349 for the 10"). Speaking of the Fire, Marty forgot to tell you that it has tiny on board storage and no camera and if you are just into reading books, the old B/W kindle display has the Fire beat by a mile. Unless Amazon comes up with some really cool Fire-only services, the Fire is an undifferentiated tablet in the Android world and really isn't close to an iPad competitor - at least for people who actually use a tablet.
I love the Kindle Fire!! Better than the Kindle 3, the iPad, and the nook!! For all the avid readers/music listeners/internet users, this is the best tablet you could buy!! Super cheap (for a tablet), easy-to-use, and fast shipping from Amazon!! Great!!
another great tablet is the vizio VTAB1008, they arent pricey and i own one and i love it
I'm ready to buy another tablet for my daughter. I'm seriously looking at the vizio, looks very impressive for the price. Have you used the more expensive tablets like ipad, acer iconia, samsung galaxy, asus transformer and so on? If so, can you tell me how the performance compares to these?
all tablets are good but the best i found its
12 inch tablet wit Windows 7
m3touch from Viewtronicx
this guys got all ready Windows 8 running....
The transformer prime will be the newest version of the Asus transformer, but the Transformer has been on the market all year long. The Asus Transformer is an excellent tablet device. Why was this not included in the article? Very poor research by the author of this article. The transformer is a worthy competitor to the iPad, and in many respects a superior choice. The latest version of Android, with its multitasking ability and support for flash makes it a great device. Not mentioning this is in list of worthy competitors to the iPad is very odd. I own both the iPad and Asus Transformer, and find the Transformer a superior device overall.
There are no references to Motorola Playbook either...ya all are oblivious to the simple fact that Adam & Eve got us ALL into so much trouble because of a friggin 'APPLE'!
Ipad is great for those that are fine with being confined to apple's lock down and paying for everything you could do for free on a computer. I'd rather own than rent.
One of my biggest issues with Android is the pending security problems its about to have. I agree that Apples system is a little overdone (my iPad and iPhone are jailbroken) but for most people who have no idea about security the tied in system might be best for them. Googles "lets be open" system lets anybody and everybody in regardless of intention for the application. A review of the app before being allowed into the ecosystem should be a must just to cut down on the issues. Ask Microsoft what happens when you don't take control of virus/malware issues early.
Me too. I'm finding more and more things I can do with it everyday. I'm playing with an app now that turns my tablet into a remote control for my TV and other things! It's like having and endless puzzle.
Kumite and myself are of the same logic regarding Acer Tab500..... It Rocks. I shelved my Vaio laptop.
Tablets are devices that should be A) portable, b) come with plenty of functionality and C) be inexpensive so that worry about damage to the device can be mitigated to the point where a person feels comfortable using it where-ever they go. (or it should have one heck of an accidental damage/repair warranty)
Beyond that, what you use the tablet for is the key to what system you want to get. The iPad makes up for a lot of sins by having a very well tested and customized application base. The OS is highly customized and is dedicated to giving a balance between performance, battery life and usability. The interfaces are intuitive and have priority so that the interaction is smooth. Translation its fine tuned to give you a good interface experience first and foremost. Now, how this translates into the overall device - well if you can live within Apple's highly restrictive world, great. Otherwise, your choices are pretty dismal. From the choices offered above, the Eee Pad Transformer is probably the one I'd go with. But you have to remember, this is an Android site. I chose them because of Nvidia. They are a great company. I prefer AMD, but they don't design chips for ultraportables. They don't have the ability to get temperature and voltage down to where it needs to be. But that's ok, for their devices are great and inexpensive for the systems they are in. As for Nvidia, they've been trying to squeeze more for less ever since they started in the integrated chipset business.
So I am a fan of Android and purchased an Acer Iconia for under $200. Best investment I made was in protective shield for the screen and body from Covert Shield. www.covertshield.com. The day I bought it I was walking to my car tablet in hand and clumsily tripped over my own feet causing the tablet to go skidding down the parking lot. I picked up the tablet dusted it off and not a scratch!!! It was awesome! Went back and got one for my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. I highly suggest it!
There is also the Acer Iconia W500 tablet which I have got. It is amazing as it has 2gb of memory as well as the 32gb flash memory. Additionally it has a USB connection so that it can either be connected to a PC or have a flash memory stick connected keeping the main flash drive just for the operating system and programs. Now that Adobe have released versions of their Creative Suite software for the iPad and other tablet computers I can now use it conjunction with my PC and Nikon DSLR to preview and use the pictures I take in documents with greater ease and flexibility than ever or that is what I am hoping will be the case.
I am looking to buy a tablet.I have been looking at the Ipad or kindle fire.Someone told me yesterday that you cannot search the web with these.I was told you can.I want it for the web,reading,Apps,etc. My laptop is dying.Any suggestions?
Whoever told you that has no idea what they're talking about. Even with the cheapest tablets you can surf the web. I just bought a tablet to replace my dying laptop. If you're getting a tablet to replace a computer make sure it has plenty of ports. The thinnest models like the ipad and samsung galaxy are nice but no ports. I have the acer iconia a500. This is the closest thing out there that's a tablet and replaces a laptop. That's what I've been using for 3 months now as my main computer and absolutely love it.
Wow! You guys are very knowledgable about these tablets. I'm getting some really good info and advice. I just looked up the Viewtronix and it looks really cool and the price isn't bad. I'm looking at others that you all are suggesting as well. What is the average battery life on tablets? I use my laptop which should give me up to six hours and I might get 2 1/2- 3.
what about charging these devices overseas,just those plug in voltage regulators/convertors or need specials devices just for tablets !
You missed two critical devices that I've had the chance to test drive. The ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and the Huawei Ideos S7. Each can be obtained for around $200 now. Sure they are thicker and do not have any ways to customize the device, like a skin or case, but are very reliable Android devices. There are three things that puts these tablets an edge above the rest: 3G connectivity, the ability to make phone calls using the AT&T network (without Skype), and the ability to tether wirelessly to a laptop. It also has a great speakerphone. On both devices they need to figure out a way to use the "front" camera as the main camera for video messaging. It seems a little ridiculous that you can't switch cameras.
I've test driven both for about 6 months a piece and have to say I like the Huawei device slightly better. Why? Because it has a little joystick control and the fact that it is slightly thinner than the Viewsonic device.
I've also own and have tested out the other devices in this article. The Galaxy is nice, but I can't get it to work on the AT&T Network successfully. In other words, I can't get incoming calls or receive SMS messages.
Also, the companies that were the forerunners of Tablet technology, Motion Computing and OQO have gone to the waistside and are now unrecognizable brands. What happened to them?
Okay, never owned a tablet, but I'm thinking of shopping for one. Can anyone answer a stupid question for me? What about connectivity to the internet/browsing....Do you need to sign up for a service plan with these devices. I'm an online business owner but have never strayed from my PC, other than to check my email on my cell phone once in a while. I'd love to be able to check my email in a more user friendly way (my cell phone sucks), play games or watch movies, or surf the web if needed. But I want to know if I'll need to sign up for a $60/mo. service plan or something. Prefer not to. Am I asking too much?
Hi kGiggles,
You don't need to sign up for a service plan with most Tablet devices. What you'll need is wifi connection. To simply check your email, web browsing, play games or watch movies, most cheap tablets ($199.00 to $350.00) in the market will suffice.
However, if you are looking for easy set up, web and email access/browsing, I totally recommend the IPad2.
I can't think of a tablet that doesn't have WiFi access.
Having said that, if you pay extra for one with 3G access you will have to get a data plan to have internet access on the go.
For an economic tablet, yes, the Nook, Kindle, Samsung Galaxy Tabs and others are definitely good options. However, I have tested most tablets on the market to date and none of them compare to the IPad2. The overall performance of the IPad2 is by far, the best investment you can make for a tablet. In addition, the Ipad2 can easily perform like a desktop or laptop if you know how to use it.
I have to admit that the Ipad2 still has its flaws, such as low graphic resolution, minimum sound quality and the camera picture quality it's not the best. But again, it is the best investment compare to all competitors.
The Asus Transformer Prime, and even the first EEE Transformer that was released early this year have better specs than the iPad2.
Better rez, memory size, battery life, size of screen, processor speed, weight, everything.
Google ipad vs eee transformer and you'll find a pcworld link with the specs and see that there is nothing better hardware wise about the ipad2.
So at that point it's about the OS and the user interface experience.
TOo many choices and not enough information. All I want to know is which one is best for field photography use - i.e., I can put photoshop/Lightroom on it and connect it to direct download from my camera. Can someone address this please???
You just need to make sure you have a tablet with a good variety of ports to connect to your camerea and other things. There are plenty of customized photo apps you can download to the tablet to do whatever you want with photography or anything else. The acer iconia a500 is the closest tablet out there that can be a laptop replacement because of all the ports it has and everything it's capable of doing.
Open (Android) or Closed (iOS)
Android Devices Seeing 'Malware Epidemic'
Mobile devices running on Google's Android operating system are experiencing a "malware epidemic," with the amount of malicious software having risen nearly fivefold since July, according to a post by the security research division of Juniper Networks. - http://tinyurl.com/7nrfofh
Android Trojan Turns Up - Oct 13, 2011
You know that your personal computer is vulnerable to Trojans, worms, and other nasty malware. Trend Micro researchers have found a data-harvesting Trojan lurking in Android Market. http://tinyurl.com/3bg8le6
AUGUST 2011 Android attacks now outpace all other mobile platforms, says McAfee - http://tinyurl.com/42ry2p6
4 years an no malware on iPhone/iPad... a closed system has it's advantages. I prefer security.
For my business needs the 12" windows 7 based tablet by viewtronicx's allows me to utilize ms office suite--word,excel and power-point. I'm talking FULL VERSION and not docs to go..I also have full access to windows media center. I like this tablet.
Check out the M3 Touch. It is awesome! The only 12" windows based tablet on the market. You can find it at www.mycompanydirec.com See youtube of windows 8 preview on M3 Touch on facebook mycompanydirect.com
advertisement
BaldEagle
Marty,
You missed a great tablet in your review. The Freedom 10 from Androidworldusa.com. Theirs is 10", has 2 USB I/O ports, a HDMI port, full browser, Android apps, Mini-SDcard slot and half the cost ($249) of the iPad2 and Galaxy. Check it out.