I want an Android ICS tablet, the wife wants an Ipad 3 - help!

[fuddam]

FWIW, all my machines at home are PC.

Truth be told, it's just for the wife, but I'm the person who's going to have to maintain the device, back it up, transfer files etc, thus my reluctance. I hate the lack of built-in I/O, too.

ALSO, she doesn't just want it for consumption - she wants to sketch on it (she's an artist), manipulate images (although not full blown Photoshopping), record audio (just basic voice), and use Chinese input on occasion. Must admit, was pretty impressed with the Chinese key-in methods, which were snazzy and didn't require changing the whole OS to Chinese. Couldn't find a similar input method on the Asus / Galaxy devices I was looking at.

Doesn't the ipad require everything to go through itunes, and not function just like a USB device? I need to research more, obviously, but hexus is part of that process.



So, any advice you might have?

thanks

[Biscuit]

If you wanna hook it up to the PC (without hacking - even then im not sure) then you need itunes im afraid!

[dangel]

If it's jailbroken then you can avoid iTunes and get at the filesystem. It's still harder than android land though as the filesystem is pretty complex and full of obscure paths when you dig into it (for example if you want to 'get at' a file from drop box you end up googling for the stupid path to find the darn thing). Even jailbroken I find the iPad restrictive but it does have a better range of apps (but it's certainly not more stable than my gnex).

[cookie365]

I think the Asus Infinity is coming out in August. By all accounts it blows the latest ipad out of the water and will probably be cheaper too.

[Tartanpimpernel]

The Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD might be worth a look ( depending on release date/cost )

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile...killer-1089872

Here's it stacked up against the Asus Infinity spec wise

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/com...ones/6982,6970

[Saracen]

I'm kinda going through it too. I'm wavering between a netpad, tablet and just getting a new laptop. The trouble is, my needs are a bit of each. But, as I don't really need a full-blown laptop, won't be playing (big) games on it or needing high end apps or suites , either a tablet, or netbook, or both, seems the better bet.

Then I spotted the new(-ish) Asus Transformer, the TF300. That might just do it for me, being powerful enough (quad Tegra), 32GB (storage, that is, it's 1GB RAM), MicroSD slot and USB. And, best of all, with the KB attached, kinda doubles up as a netbook.

That is, until someone better informed than me (that's a hint, Hexen) tells me why it'd be a stupid move.

[Biscuit]

I'm kinda going through it too. I'm wavering between a netpad, tablet and just getting a new laptop. The trouble is, my needs are a bit of each. But, as I don't really need a full-blown laptop, won't be playing (big) games on it or needing high end apps or suites , either a tablet, or netbook, or both, seems the better bet.

Then I spotted the new(-ish) Asus Transformer, the TF300. That might just do it for me, being powerful enough (quad Tegra), 32GB (storage, that is, it's 1GB RAM), MicroSD slot and USB. And, best of all, with the KB attached, kinda doubles up as a netbook.

That is, until someone better informed than me (that's a hint, Hexen) tells me why it'd be a stupid move.

Aside from the usual disdain i seem to recall you suggesting towards Google products and their collection of private data, i think you would need to specify more specifically what the usage would be to appropriately judge if the TF300 was appropriate.

Essentially, the transformers can *almost* replace a windows laptop, however there are short comings with certain functions, for example editing Microsoft office documents

[Saracen]

Aside from the usual disdain i seem to recall you suggesting towards Google products and their collection of private data, i think you would need to specify more specifically what the usage would be to appropriately judge if the TF300 was appropriate.

Essentially, the transformers can *almost* replace a windows laptop, however there are short comings with certain functions, for example editing Microsoft office documents

Good point about my views on much of Google's services .... so I don't see me using the Cloud storage options.

As for usage, web browsing from the lounge, bedroom, etc, rather than be tethered to a desktop, or carting a conventional luggable around. Also, email. HEXUS, of course. And probably basic WP. That is, pretty basic uses ... with portability high on the agenda.

I've still got a usable laptop, but the battery life is about 30 seconds, the KB could do with replacing, the memory is only 756MB, and ideally, a DVD burner rather than CD burner. By the time I've sorted that lot, I might as well buy a new laptop. This idea is a kind-of hybrid step, and I can still use that laptop .... from mains .... when I go away.

On the latter, text entry should be enough, and yes, I'd need to get such material into Word at some point, but am not likely to want to go the other way, i.e. Word to TF300. That is, I might generate the text on the Asus, but would do any final formatting, etc, in Word on the desktop. I might write an article on it, but that's about it.

I;m also not likely to use it as much of a media device, and I certainly don't see me watching movies on it. The occasional YouTube clip, maybe, but I won't use it for a full movie. I'd rather wait and watch that on the big TV.

Sorry for the mini-thread-hijack, Fuddam. I was going to ask separately in another thread, but it snuck out in my comment in here.

[Biscuit]

Good point about my views on much of Google's services .... so I don't see me using the Cloud storage options.

As for usage, web browsing from the lounge, bedroom, etc, rather than be tethered to a desktop, or carting a conventional luggable around. Also, email. HEXUS, of course. And probably basic WP. That is, pretty basic uses ... with portability high on the agenda.

I've still got a usable laptop, but the battery life is about 30 seconds, the KB could do with replacing, the memory is only 756MB, and ideally, a DVD burner rather than CD burner. By the time I've sorted that lot, I might as well buy a new laptop. This idea is a kind-of hybrid step, and I can still use that laptop .... from mains .... when I go away.

On the latter, text entry should be enough, and yes, I'd need to get such material into Word at some point, but am not likely to want to go the other way, i.e. Word to TF300. That is, I might generate the text on the Asus, but would do any final formatting, etc, in Word on the desktop. I might write an article on it, but that's about it.

I;m also not likely to use it as much of a media device, and I certainly don't see me watching movies on it. The occasional YouTube clip, maybe, but I won't use it for a full movie. I'd rather wait and watch that on the big TV.

Sorry for the mini-thread-hijack, Fuddam. I was going to ask separately in another thread, but it snuck out in my comment in here.

Android does try and rope you into various cloud services along the way, not sure how you will fare with trying to avoid them as i have never had to myself, i just try and make the most of the ones i have a use for such as the calender and contacts.

Thats pretty much how i have been handling word processing (after the first disaster!). I have found Evernote's cloud based note taking app to be infinately useful for this purpose, but im not sure if your cloud based hatred is company agnostic

Essentially i think its worth a pop, a lot of people use it for that exact purpose. As an example, my bro bought his for messing about with but ended up using it as a primary teaching aid (hes a teacher) which is pretty advanced stuff. He has had to adapt slightly but still!
I even manage to use my phone for note taking and browsing (big 4.7" screen) so i suspect with a touch of adapting you should be ok.

[fuddam]

After all that, the wife bought an ipad. Ho hum. Not my favourite.

She likes the drawing apps so far, and the ease of Chinese input. I simply like having a tablet device for my zinio subs, but otherwise a bit of a pain getting data to / from it.

c'est la vie.

[Saracen]

....

Thats pretty much how i have been handling word processing (after the first disaster!). I have found Evernote's cloud based note taking app to be infinately useful for this purpose, but im not sure if your cloud based hatred is company agnostic

....

"Hatred" isn't quite it. It's more a large dollop of scepticism, with a significant portion of pragmatism mixed-in.

I have nothing against the cloud, per se. It's just that I am NOT putting any personally sensitive data into cloud storage, and that goes for letting Google (or a few others) get hold of it, with bells on.

Also, I have some data on my machines that is client data, and commercially sensitive. Guess who's neck, and other sensitive bits, is on the block is that were to leak out because I'd let it get onto machines I don't control.

From my office, I don't let that data go near a machine with a net connection on it. It stays physically isolated. By I also do restrict what my net-facing machines can do, as much as I can, bearing in mind I'm not a comms or security guru.

Anyway, partly because of personal data and partly because of that client data, cloud storage and especially cloud backup is not for me.

But that doesn't mean I can't see the benefits, or why it might well appeal to a lot of users, particularly those that aren't quite so paranoid about personal data and don't have client data.

But for me, while there would be benefits, the downside far outweighs them. Hence, scepticism dominated by pragmatism.

[c12038]

have a look at this Prestigio PMP5080B http://www.prestigio.com/products/pe...tiPad_PMP5080B fairly good spec android tablet (I have one its very good) and it can be upgraded to ICS very easy no messing about...