Non iPad Tablet Advice

[ori-STUDFARM]

I know from years of listening to tech podcasts that if you are going to get a Tablet device, there really is no comparison to the iPad itself.

The problem I have is that there is no way on this Earth that I can justify paying out the price of an iPad which is basically going to be a toy for me to tinker with and play on. It's main use would be as a device to watch TV shows on whilst I do dishes or whilst Amanda is watching the soaps etc..and this is a job my iPod does fairly well already. Albeit on a smaller scale.

However, I met a bloke on holiday recently that was using a Motorola Xoom. And I have to say, it seemed to be every bit as awesome as I imagined an iPad to be. And up until now, with all tablet devices being priced close to the cost of an iPad, it was still too expensive for me to even think about.

Until now.... The Xoom is now available for less than £250....and I am really tempted. It would be a birthday gift from the family, but is still; a lot to fork out. It isn't the latest model Xoom, but it looks pretty darn nice. And is also the same model I saw the chap on holiday playing with...

What I want to know is whether the Android Tablets have actually improved enough to justify paying for one at a significantly lower price than the iPad. Is it justifiable to buy a Motorola Xoom?

btw The reviews all seem to say that it is a good device for the most part. But there are enough negative ones to make me wary and ask my iFriends first. Also,  I'm assuming that Xoom users probably don't have an iPad to compare it to...

[Bryancd]

If wi-fi isn't a must have what about the Fire?

[Rico]

If wi-fi isn't a must have what about the Fire?

I think you meant 3G Bryan - the Kindle Fire has Wi-Fi.  But it comes down to what you want to use the device for.  If it's just to get on the web, watch some video, etc. then the Kindle Fire is worth a look.  I have heard pretty good things about the Xoom too and there are a TON of Android based tablets to pick from.

[Ktrek]

I've not seen a xoom so I can't comment about it but I have owned a Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet since the day they were released and have really enjoyed it. However I jail broke mine so I could customize it the way I want. I'm not sure I would be as happy with it as stock and being locked into B&N. I think the same about the Kindle Fire. I would have to jailbreak it if I owned one so I wouldn't be locked into Amazon.

The advantage the Nook has over the Kindle is it has a micro-SD card slot and allows you to add an extra 32 gigs to what you have internal. B&N makes two versions (one 8 gigs and the other 16). At work we sell the Kindle Fire, the Ipad and the Galaxy. The Kindle Fire does not perform as well as my Nook and constantly has to be rebooted. The Ipad of course is our top seller and is a very nice decvice although as you said "pricey". The 10 inch Galaxy is a real nice tablet but seems heavy to me and at the $399 price point you could own an Ipad 2 for only $398. But if you really want an android based tablet the Galaxy is really nice and performs really well. They make a 7.2 inch version for around $250 price point you mention. With all the trouble we have with the Fire at work I would not own one. Of course they go through more abuse on a sales floor than you would give it at home but we have replaced it three times and our Galaxy tabs and Ipads are still original units.

My Nook on the other hand I have used daily since the day I bought it until I got my HTC One X phone last month. It went everywhere with me and I have not had a bit of trouble with it and I mean none. It performs almost as good as an Ipad with a smaller screen. I stream Netflix with it and the picture quality is as good as an Ipad only smaller. It plays music and games very well. So far I've never had it lock up on me. I might see if I can take a video of it with my phone so you can see how I customized it.

Kevin

[ori-STUDFARM]

I'm not sure the Barnes & Noble devices are available in the UK. I'm expecting a big drop in all the tablet prices shortly as the Motorla Xoom is 32gig and way way cheaper than the closest rival which seems to be the Samsung devices.

3G isn't required at all. Just the wi-fi. I have a feeling we are going to go ahead with the Motorola. My birthdays  not until July so I'll let you know then....unless somebody comes in here in the mean time and changes my mind :)

[Dangelus]

Neither the Nook or the Kindke Fire are available in the UK officially.

We have a 7" Android tablet called the Anypad Pro and it's pretty good for watching movies and browsing etc. It just got the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade too. Brand new they are £189 I think. They also do a cheaper version with lower specs for £129 I think.

16Gb storage expandable by micro SD card on the pro. I have really used any other Android devices so I can't really compare it but as I said it works really well for what you want to do (although speakers can be quiet and you may want to plug it into speakers) and the kids love it for games.

http://www.andypad.co.uk