What Tablet do I want/need?

[ThePlEWhoLovedMe]

Any thoughts welcome...

I want to buy a tablet but am pretty clueless. Do I want an ipad, Kindle fire or one of the other android tablets available?

I would like to be able to do is watch Sky Go, email, FB, watch films/TV and general surfing. I would also like to be able to take notes while at uni.

Thanks in advance

[ouryve]

Just about any tablet would do all that - i have an iPad mini, which is alright, but DH has a Nexus 7 which is great.

For taking notes, you'd want something with a decent keyboard, though. They're a PITA to type on and I don't think the add on keyboards you can get are all that great.

[wonderstuff]

I love my iPad

[chicaguapa]

The best tablet at the moment for price vs spec is the Galaxy Tab 2. It comes in 7" (Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 7 and iPad mini size) or 10" (iPad and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 size).

If you get a pen you can make notes on it and you can get an adapter for the charging socket to make it a USB port. It's on the android OS so check if you can watch Sky Go on it.

[chicaguapa]

That said, I have the Microsoft Surface tablet which does absolutely everything I want a tablet to do, on a Windows 8 OS. It syncs brilliantly with my laptop, so it would be good for studying.

I would still suggest getting a good Bluetooth keyboard though as I couldn't use the touch keyboard for lots of typing. And it's not cheap.

They are on display in Currys now.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I recommend the GoTab from Hive.

I've got the 7" one (which I got mainly as a recommendation tool for my customers)
It's cheap and cheerful - really cheap.

It doesn't have a memory card, but it has a USB port and it has a micro SD slot.
It has a webcam and is 4GB memory thingy.
It's perfectly capable of internet and it will take all the same apps as my phone will (from google play stores)

and it costs £89.10 from //www.hive.co.uk
this is the range
mine's just the bog standard 7"

it does fit in your hand. and you can get loads of apps onto the internal memory.

if you're using internet, the battery lasts about 3 hours. but if you're using other apps that take less memory (like books) then it lasts a lot longer.

I also downloaded the Thumb keyboard from google play - it cost about 90p, i think, but it's bloody genius.

and you can turn the gotab around - if you're lefthanded, it's better completely upside down because of the direction of the LCD crystals. (you'll see what I mean - it's all to do with the angle you hold it at)
and it resizes web pages to the tablet, and I downloaded the Aurora internet.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

you can watch youtube, too, and other movies, it does all that.
we've got it to print to the wireless printer too (it's got wireless internet)

and you can download something called kingfisher, which is basically an android version of Word.

It has got a speaker in the back though (which I think most tablets do), but there's a port for putting speakers into.

[greenteawithlemon]

I love my iPad mini. Lovely to use.

[ThePlEWhoLovedMe]

Thank you all for your suggestions and words of wisdom ... not sure I am any further in deciding ...although the Samsung is looking good ...can you type easily on it ??

Any further suggestions ?

[MTSgroupie]

If it's for university a laptop would be better. Why not buy one and get a cheap no frills tablet for the times when you just want to lie in bed checking email and FB?

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

We've got an iPad and a Nexus 7. I did have a Kindle Fire but I didn't like it.
In terms of value for money the Nexus is the better buy, but I have to admit I prefer the iPad.
If you want to use it to take notes you could use something like Evernote which would work on either.

[ThePlEWhoLovedMe]

I have a lap top ... the tablet will be a 'well done for getting through the 2nd year' gift to myself ! Something i dont really 'need' but want !!

[flatpackhamster]

Mmm, I'm not convinced a tablet will be any good for taking notes either because you can't get up the typing speed that you need.

Depends on your budget too. What about a tablet with a clip-on keyboard like a MS Surface or the Asus Transformer?

[ThePlEWhoLovedMe]

Thanks I will have a look at them.

[lurkingfromhome]

I have the Samsung Galaxy tab with 10.1 inch screen and I love it (bought it rather than the bigger Kindle Fire after I asked advice on here about which one to choose). Already I can't imagine how I ever coped without it.

It was fairly reasonably priced (£249, which compared to the ipad is a real bargain). My advice (and this is only my personal opinion, mind) that if you are going to use it mostly in the house or at uni, get one with a big screen like this. If portability is a big factor (ie you want to slip it into your pocket) then the smaller screen would be fine. I think, though, that this one is especially good in terms of value for money - there don't seem to be many others with a big screen that are so competitively priced.

[PedroYoniLikesCrisps]

For note taking, 2 options. Either one of the ASUS transformer range of tablets with detachable keyboards. Or the Galaxy Note 10.1 with the SPen for handwritten notes.

I recently tried an iPad but compared to my Transformer it seemed awfully restrictive and a PITA to work anything out. How that's supposed to be an intuitive UI I don't know!