Features - HEXUS Christmas Gift Guide 2010: Smartphones and Tablets

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There has never been so much choice, but which mobile computing device should you really consider buying?

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Read more.

Sorry but half that lsit would make a terrible present and some just arent good value for money namely the ipad. Which is, without a doubt, a waste.

I suppose we'll have to tell the 8m-plus iPad owners to re-evaluate their purchase. :)

Yes! Its over priced like all of Apples products and its a fashion accessory. I myself always find something better for less. But then again most people don't agree with me :P Apple is the best for everything in my friends eyes.

Mention HTC and they have never heard of them. People think the only mp3 player available is an Ipod. The only phone available is an iphone. They think the only tablet available is an ipod. However ask them what a tablet actually is and they stare blanky.

Using the HTC Desire HD. Astonishingly good, love browsing my fav sites with flash enabled.

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Originally Posted by Tarinder

I suppose we'll have to tell the 8m-plus iPad owners to re-evaluate their purchase. :)

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At times like this, I always think of the poster:
http://springfieldfiles.com/albums/signs/0950.JPG
Back when the simpsons was funny.

The Simpsons.... God, that takes me back. Is it still going? I thought it finished about the same time as M*A*S*H.

I'd struggle to name a GOOD Mp3 player other than an Ipod.

I have a mac book pro (long story, got it for my dad as we thought it would be easy for him to use, he hated it, I got him a dell, I kept the mac) and I bloody love it. Perfect for amateur webdesign, FTP, email, the office suite is good, Iphoto I'm coming to terms with, battery life is many multiples of any PC I've ever had, etc, etc.

And so the IT people at work were surprised when they saw I had an HTC Desire. They thought I was a full disciple of Jobs.

I quite fancy an iPad, to be honest. Mainly for reading CBR files, which seems a bit excessive.

And I'm typing this on my self made PC.

THere's no point to this story. I'm half drunk, and thought I'd share.

I have a Sony X series MP3 player. wouldnt change it for the world!

My xmas wishlist:
1) Galaxy Tab - but really I want a dual core, amoled tab with gingerbread/honeycomb
2) 30" IPS monitor - happy to wait for LED + 3D to become standard

So will probably postpone gifting myself until next year :)

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Originally Posted by Shooty*

I'd struggle to name a GOOD Mp3 player other than an Ipod.

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Thats VERY easy.

The iPod is the worst mp3 player for the money I'd say, its very bad quality on my flat mates 2G, and on the iPhone 4G wow, just shocking, constant interference no matter how I put the lead. Not to mention the gap between tracks.

Then there is the software, iTunes. How anyone can use that software is beyond me.

The X series from sony blows it out of the water for audio quality, the Zune for software, ease of use, and of course zune pass.

But there is one thing that the iPod wins over on, games and fart apps etc. Not mp3 playing.

I'm sorry, but why have you even mentioned the ZTE racer?

It is catalytically the worst android phone I have ever had the displeasure of using. My girlfriend came from from the three store a few months ago triumphant over her good new deal and getting one of those free..sounded good on paper, but in use? Shocking.

The camera is terrible, it's the equivalent of camera phones from the early 2000s..nokia 6230 quality, if that. Seriously it is that bad.

Then there is the screen, you really don't want to try and use it. It's resistive of course so that means finger input is very difficult,you really have to push incredibly hard to get it to pick up your touches, and even then its terribly inaccurate (texting on it is a nightmare!) It shows you why resistive screen phones have always included a stylus - its critical to getting any sort of accuracy and response out of it. Then there is the picture quality from the screen - very poor colours, very poor viewing angles, very low resolution..really, its terrible (if you have not picked that up yet!).

Call quality? Think again, very poor microphone that reminds you just how good modern smartphones have gotten - I liken it again to the nokias of the late 90's early 2000's - great for that era but terrible compared to now.

Wifi? sure it has it but can it maintain a signal? Only on unprotected or wep networks, it doesn't play nice with WPA/2 networks.

need I go on..the san francisco from orange is a different beast - for the same money you actually get a decent phone, it's shocking that a quality tech site like hexus can recommend a gadget that has been universally slammed as being terrible. Rest of the article is great, but I urge you to correct that first bit..please, so that more people don't end up buying that tosh :(

HTC Wildfire here, and more than happy. Sure games are a touch slow, but who cares? It\'s a great phone and personal organiser, and it has a couple of cool music apps too.

And I have more money left over in my pocket... >.<

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Originally Posted by Tarinder

I suppose we'll have to tell the 8m-plus iPad owners to re-evaluate their purchase. :)

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Don't mind people buying inferior equipment, but recommending it is just bad.

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

Thats VERY easy.

The iPod is the worst mp3 player for the money I'd say, its very bad quality on my flat mates 2G, and on the iPhone 4G wow, just shocking, constant interference no matter how I put the lead. Not to mention the gap between tracks.

Then there is the software, iTunes. How anyone can use that software is beyond me.

The X series from sony blows it out of the water for audio quality, the Zune for software, ease of use, and of course zune pass.

But there is one thing that the iPod wins over on, games and fart apps etc. Not mp3 playing.

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Agreed.

I got a Cowon iAudio D2, released months before Apple's first touch screen and it manages to output decent video quality to a TV. Battery life of 52hours, manage to get 50 in use myself which is amazing. The sound quality is also very good, I had to use my Sennheiser headphones to really appreciate the quality. Loads of settings for audiophiles as well.

Also the best part about the D2, it supports SDHC cards so you can have multiple cards for loads of different content to view or listen to. Much cheaper and makes the iPod seem rubbish.

http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_w...D2_feature.php

It's really sad that people actually think iPods are even decent. So many products that are better.

Its even worse that a tech site is recommending people buy them seeing as they dont even review the stuff and are just following the hype or so it seems.

Maybe hexus should review the products they recommend as well as pit them against there other rivals? To recommend then without doing so is just misleading as well is recommending them without talking about the other rivals and how they are actually better. If I wanted to hear tosh I'd buy 'What Hi-Fi'.

Every thread about Apple and usual bunch of geeks moaning at Apple - this is clearly getting boring people!

You just gotta accept you are in minority as opposed to majority of users with your BBs, HTCs, Sony Xs etc. People out there buy Apple stuff and don't give a damn about anything else. Number are measured in millions, kinda hard doing your crusade on your own?

You not gonna convince average Joe what to get because he already knows what's gonna be.

If you know better you probably don't own any Apple product - simple.

Don't need to repeat this in every single thread...

[and yes, I fully expect so see TheAnimus replying to this lol]

Thats not the point im trying to make. I think that as a Technology Review site, Hexus has the responsibility to actually look at things before they recommend them for people to buy.

And if they have looked at an Ipod then they should look at other Mp3 players then recommend people the BEST MP3 player to buy. Because people will undoubtably trust what Hexus says and buy the things it recommends.

I just believe that they should be looking at a number of different products before telling people what they should buy. So its not that im anti-apple - I just expect better from Hexus when putting together a list of products for people to buy.

Lol ive never been called a geek before, thanks :P

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Originally Posted by spoon_

Every thread about Apple and usual bunch of geeks moaning at Apple - this is clearly getting boring people!
Agreed. But I think the point is that Apple don't really deserve this much coverage on HEXUS. HEXUS is a geek/tech site, not a apple fan site. Naturally techy people dislike Apple because they assume that their consumers are [insert word here]

You just gotta accept you are in minority as opposed to majority of users with your BBs, HTCs, Sony Xs etc. People out there buy Apple stuff and don't give a damn about anything else. Number are measured in millions, kinda hard doing your crusade on your own?
Err... no. Android is now the majority

You not gonna convince average Joe what to get because he already knows what's gonna be.
More average joes are buying android than iOS. Look at the sales stats.

If you know better you probably don't own any Apple product - simple.
I own an ipod video. Rockbox is great
Don't need to repeat this in every single thread...

No need for there to be so much mention of Apple on this site. I preferred the days when all was posted about Apple was how to make a toilet roll dispenser from a mac mini :)

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I think you come across as too much of an anti-anti-apple fanboy :)

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Originally Posted by neonplanet40

Its even worse that a tech site is recommending people buy them seeing as they dont even review the stuff and are just following the hype or so it seems.

Maybe hexus should review the products they recommend as well as pit them against there other rivals? To recommend then without doing so is just misleading as well is recommending them without talking about the other rivals and how they are actually better. If I wanted to hear tosh I'd buy 'What Hi-Fi'.

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HEXUS' David Ross had an iPad a few days after the U.S. launch and he still does. I have one and so do other members.

Our Pete Mason has had a Samsung Omnia for six weeks and has written about it.

Other members have an iPhone 4; I've used the San Francisco, etc.

Having an exhaustive review helps, for sure, but please take into account that these aren't just plucked-out-of-the-air recommendations.

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Originally Posted by Tarinder

Having an exhaustive review helps, for sure, but please take into account that these aren't just plucked-out-of-the-air recommendations.

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Apart from recommending the ZTE Racer - not recommended by well..anyone.

Here's an impartial review of the device..http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/zte-racer-review/

I appreciate that you are recommending what people want to buy and that is part of it - it's not about what is technically the best..but there are limits.

Interesting, Nokia's demise continues. A couple of years ago it would have been unthinkable to leave Nokia out from a Smart Phone shoot out, but now it seems the norm. Roll on MeeGo!