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Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

B!G_$W@NG@ posted:

So I see that the first gen iPad mini is actually explicitly not recommended - is it really that bad/outdated?

Basically I am looking to upgrade from my old sony e-reader, although I will likely do more than just read books (definitely need to be able to access epubs) though I don't know how heavy I will get with media/games.

As such, I don't really want to sink a ton into a tablet, I have an iPhone 5 and two computers that cover most of what I do. I don't want to waste that money either, though.

I can get a first gen iPad mini for $250 or a kindle fire for just shy of $200 (because ads are crap), but I really don't know which way to go.

Good info in the OP and good advice so far, thanks for that.

If you want it to everyone primarily for reading books get a Kindle Paper white. If you want multi functional get a tablet. I would second the recommendation of a Nexus 7, it's definitely the best tablet and best tablet for reading within that budget. iPads are Def a great idea, but you would want at least the Retina Mini for that amount of reading.

Anything will be better than your Sony e-reader.

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REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS
Oct 3, 2003

What do you think it means, bitch?

1st AD posted:

The resolution on the OG iPad mini kind of stinks. Underpowered device too. For $250 you should get a 2013 Nexus 7 (which is actually $229 but w/e)

Is this price the one on eBay? I'm a bit leery of grabbing something without a solid return policy (just in case), but I may bite the bullet anyway.

I'm terribly indecisive, so thanks for the recommendations. I have an asus laptop and have been quite happy with it, so that's encouraging

REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Dec 3, 2013

1st AD
Dec 3, 2004

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: sometimes passing just isn't an option.
It's $229 new. Less with coupons or whatever.

waffle
May 12, 2001
HEH
The Nexus 7 is a great tablet but if you really want it mostly for reading, you might want to check out the Kindle HDX too. Its UI is very much tailored for reading, but the downside is that it's not as nice as the N7 for basically anything else. The 7" is only $180 too--though again, I would really only choose it if you're really sure you'll use it for reading 90% of the time.

Edit: Oh, I see you're considering the HDX. Well, yeah, basically what I said above. 9 times out of 10 I'd recommend the N7 over the HDX, but it is nice for reading books purchased off Amazon.

waffle fucked around with this message at 05:56 on Dec 3, 2013

REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS
Oct 3, 2003

What do you think it means, bitch?
Ah, the eBay deal is for the 32gb, sorry if I misunderstood

Edit: thanks waffle, I'm really not sure how my time on it will end up breaking down, I guess really my iPhone 5 covers a decent amount of the online stuff I do, and I'm trying to figure out how big of a difference a 7" screen would even make - I definitely want to avoid hassle over ebook file types though, don't plan to lock onto amazon only
apologies for rambling on

REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Dec 3, 2013

SplitSoul
Dec 31, 2000

My sister wants the kids to stop hogging the iPad for their games and movies or whatever. Is there anything remotely worth investing in at the cheap end of the scale, like maybe Lenovo's stuff? Storage space, OS and so on doesn't really matter.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
If they are hogging an iPad, why not get an iPad? Pick up a used or refurb Mini.

MikeJF
Dec 20, 2003




Especially since there's a decent chance the games they're hogging it for won't be on the Android.

SplitSoul
Dec 31, 2000

Bung Harmer posted:

If they are hogging an iPad, why not get an iPad? Pick up a used or refurb Mini.

I've tried my best to find used ones, but here (Denmark) they're still in the $300 range even for the iPad 1. Some of the cheaper tablets are about half that brand new.

highdroid
Dec 2, 2013
out of experience I highly recommend the Google Nexus series, especially the new Nexus 7 kicks rear end!!! and not expensive + you get updates to android instantly :)

battery life is amazing, the screen is ridiculously great, its got a quadcore processor so its BLAZING fast epsecially with the new ART mode its super snappy :D
there is only really one downside which is that there is no SDcard slot so youll have to use the 16 or 32GB that it has internally.

any questions IŽd be happy to answer!

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
Is this our first Google shill?

edit: Oh wait, you're a drug addict Android app developer/shill. gently caress off.

1st AD
Dec 3, 2004

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: sometimes passing just isn't an option.
No I refuse to accept that even such a thing exists.

I do like my Nexus 7, but I don't think I would recommend one over the retina iPad mini unless money was an issue or there was something in the Android ecosystem tying them down. And if the new iPads had been released earlier I would've bought one.

Queen_Combat
Jan 15, 2011

Ahahaha you paid ten dollars to shill to people who don't care, and now you will be banned.

SplitSoul
Dec 31, 2000

I've talked it over some more with my brother-in-law, apparently a ~10" screen is pretty important and money is quite tight this year. He found a used Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 for just over $100, but I'm having him hold off until further notice, since it basically looks like an old netbook without a keyboard. I've tried to find a Nexus 10, but I can't even find one new, much less used.

My niece uses the iPad mostly for Netflix, apparently, the games are secondary.

Rent
Jul 20, 2004
Steal the warm wind tired friend
I wouldn't dismiss Microsoft so easily. I can't tell you the number of people who want a tablet, but have never used one and don't know the limitations. When they find out it's essentially a larger version of their phone, they are let down. People take for granted simple stuff, like multiple apps side by side, because they've been told tablets are these amazing devices that do everything.

Windows 8.1 tablets are really nice. The new Baytrail tablets come with Office, half of them have docks of various types, and are full computers at really good prices. Your main limitation is a small app store, but you do have x86 backwards compatibility.

While I won't say they're fit everyone's role, if you're doing the basics: banking, surfing, YouTube, social media, even some light documents for school/work, they really fit the bill and are very affordable (Surface Pro 2, withstanding).


Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft.

1st AD
Dec 3, 2004

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: sometimes passing just isn't an option.
A small App Store is a real serious limitation. Very few people need to work on documents in a tablet sized device.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

Rent posted:

. When they find out it's essentially a larger version of their phone, they are let down.

This part is just corporate cool aid. I'll certainly like agree tablets aren't as powerful as PCs in many ways, but they are certainly more than larger phones. Unless they are like the surface RT and have no optimized apps.

Anyway, I'll be updating the OP, I'm just stuck working a ton of holiday hours.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe

1st AD posted:

A small App Store is a real serious limitation. Very few people need to work on documents in a tablet sized device.

He's right about it being able to do the basics of what people need. Metro IE, mail app, social/media apps, games (granted not nearly as many as Android or iOS) are all tablet/touch friendly and having the full desktop available is extremely useful in plugging whatever gaps there are in the App store.

Most people don't need to work on documents in a tablet sized device but connect it to a tv, add a bluetooth keyboard & mouse and you get an instant desktop. In a little tablet sized device you can carry around with you all day.

butt dickus
Jul 7, 2007

top ten juiced up coaches
and the top ten juiced up players

1st AD posted:

A small App Store is a real serious limitation. Very few people need to work on documents in a tablet sized device.
Most people might not need to, but probably 80% of people in real life that have asked me about tablets because they are interested in them say that they want to use Office. I tell them that they don't really want to do that and they should just get a computer if they want to do computer stuff.

sethsez
Jul 14, 2006

He's soooo dreamy...

Rent posted:

I wouldn't dismiss Microsoft so easily. I can't tell you the number of people who want a tablet, but have never used one and don't know the limitations. When they find out it's essentially a larger version of their phone, they are let down. People take for granted simple stuff, like multiple apps side by side, because they've been told tablets are these amazing devices that do everything.

Windows 8.1 tablets are really nice. The new Baytrail tablets come with Office, half of them have docks of various types, and are full computers at really good prices. Your main limitation is a small app store, but you do have x86 backwards compatibility.

While I won't say they're fit everyone's role, if you're doing the basics: banking, surfing, YouTube, social media, even some light documents for school/work, they really fit the bill and are very affordable (Surface Pro 2, withstanding).


Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft.

The thing you're missing is that if someone only wants the basics, iOS and Android have been good at those for a while now, and if someone wants something more advanced, iOS and Android have far more options that are actually customized for a tablet-sized touch screen. I have a Transformer T100 and really like it, but it's a convertible because it needs to be. Doing all that nice advanced Windows stuff more or less requires a mouse and keyboard (and this includes Office), and the basic Metro Modern UI stuff is about on par with what Google and Apple are offering, only with a vastly more anemic app selection. I wanted a small, low-power computer with great battery life and I got it, the tablet stuff is a fantastic bonus but it's not on par with the competition outside of basic web browsing and such. There's just too many apps missing right now.

And having two separate environments for applications with completely different UIs and functionality remains a goddamn nightmare for casual consumer use. iOS and Android absolutely wipe the floor with Windows 8.1 here.

waffle
May 12, 2001
HEH

Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:

Most people might not need to, but probably 80% of people in real life that have asked me about tablets because they are interested in them say that they want to use Office. I tell them that they don't really want to do that and they should just get a computer if they want to do computer stuff.
While a lot of those people are suited for laptops, I think the Win8 tablets can be a pretty nice hybrid, as long as you're happy with a laptop that can act like a tablet, rather than the other way around.

Rent
Jul 20, 2004
Steal the warm wind tired friend

sethsez posted:

The thing you're missing is that if someone only wants the basics, iOS and Android have been good at those for a while now, and if someone wants something more advanced, iOS and Android have far more options that are actually customized for a tablet-sized touch screen. I have a Transformer T100 and really like it, but it's a convertible because it needs to be. Doing all that nice advanced Windows stuff more or less requires a mouse and keyboard (and this includes Office), and the basic Metro Modern UI stuff is about on par with what Google and Apple are offering, only with a vastly more anemic app selection. I wanted a small, low-power computer with great battery life and I got it, the tablet stuff is a fantastic bonus but it's not on par with the competition outside of basic web browsing and such. There's just too many apps missing right now.

And having two separate environments for applications with completely different UIs and functionality remains a goddamn nightmare for casual consumer use. iOS and Android absolutely wipe the floor with Windows 8.1 here.

iOS and Android are great for the basics. I just don't think people should automatically dismiss 8.1. And to the other dude; some people do want 1 device to do a majority of things. When you get an email with an attachment, why have to rush to your computer? It's an occasional thing for some, but it's nice. Talk to a lot of customers who's main point isn't office, but they feel it's a nice bonus.

Duckman2008 posted:

This part is just corporate cool aid. I'll certainly like agree tablets aren't as powerful as PCs in many ways, but they are certainly more than larger phones. Unless they are like the surface RT and have no optimized apps.

Two things wrong with this: 1) they really are bigger phones when it comes down to it. Look no further than iOS. If that's what people want, that's fine; but a lot of people don't expect that. And 2) unlike a lot of apps on Android, apps on the Surface ARE optimized. There are no phone apps on the Windows Store. Smaller app store, of course, but they're all "optimized" for it, at least.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe

Rent posted:

And 2) unlike a lot of apps on Android, apps on the Surface ARE optimized. There are no phone apps on the Windows Store. Smaller app store, of course, but they're all "optimized" for it, at least.

Although, if the current rumor is true, Microsoft's thinking about merging the phone store with the current one.

sethsez
Jul 14, 2006

He's soooo dreamy...

Rent posted:

-snip-

This is all rendered moot by the fact that Android and iOS just have far more apps tailored to touch screens and built specifically with the limitations of their hardware in mind. Windows 8.1's touch interface might theoretically be better and more powerful than iOS, but who cares when iOS is the one that has all the best apps? You can say it's "just a large phone," but that doesn't change the massive and ever-increasing number of apps designed for professionals in all kinds of fields, from medicine to music production. Calling an iPad "just a large phone" ignores just how advanced phone OSes have gotten, and it also ignores the realities of modern app development entirely. The Windows store just can't compete, at least not without going into the desktop, adding a mouse and keyboard, and essentially just using a laptop with a screen that can come off (which is mostly how I use mine).

Windows 8.1 is a great platform, but so was webOS. Until more apps come out its use for pure tablets will always be limited.

It's a hell of an OS for 2-in-1s though.

sethsez fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Dec 6, 2013

power botton
Nov 2, 2011

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

git clone trooper posted:

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?

Most people shouldn't.

Rent posted:

1) they really are bigger phones when it comes down to it.

No, you are still wrong on this.


Edit: I updated it to be a bit friendlier in the meantime. If anyone wants to write a blurb on Windows, feel free to PM it to me, otherwise I will write something more coherent when I have a moment.

Duckman2008 fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Dec 6, 2013

SplitSoul
Dec 31, 2000

I've passed on the Fujitsu, it seems to handle streaming poorly and has an inadequate battery according to reviews. What about a HP TouchPad with Android installed?

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe

git clone trooper posted:

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?

I think it really depends on the person.

If you're absolutely broke or a student or a person that travels alot, buying a Windows 8.1 (not RT) tablet would make sense.

They're not expensive. They come with free copy of Office Home & Student 2013. The new generation of Atom processors are finally strong enough for most things while keeping a good battery life. The app store is anemic but decent enough to cover the basics. Plus the ability to connect it to a TV/external monitor for the full desktop experience can't be matched by any other tablet.

That said, if you don't need that feature or need more specialized apps or you want a lot of them, you'd be much better off with a Nexus or iPad.

waffle
May 12, 2001
HEH

git clone trooper posted:

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?
To me, it's more if you're considering a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case, then you need a laptop. Android and iOS are very very bad for the sort of work you're probably doing with a keyboard dock, unless it's literally just note-taking for brief periods. Most people who want this want a thin and light laptop instead, but the Win8 tablets with a dock are a decent option (and will be even better once a T100-like tablet with a better keyboard comes out).

It's really hard for me to ever recommend a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case over a laptop, if that keyboard case is necessary for what you want to do on the tablet. On the other hand, while for many the laptop is still better, the Win8 tablets with a keyboard dock are at least a reasonable alternative.

The space the Win8 tablets occupy isn't the same as Android and iOS, I think. Android and iOS are tablets, Win8 tablets are more like "laptops that can function as tablets occasionally". But, there are a decent number of people who actually want that and not just a tablet. They are pretty decent laptops though, I am surprised at how great Bay Trail is and how serviceable Win8 is with only 2GB RAM.

waffle fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Dec 6, 2013

sethsez
Jul 14, 2006

He's soooo dreamy...

git clone trooper posted:

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?

Laptops still exist for a reason, and most Windows tablets are just laptops with removable screens.

I don't quite get the appeal of 8-inch Windows tablets though.

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

SplitSoul posted:

I've passed on the Fujitsu, it seems to handle streaming poorly and has an inadequate battery according to reviews. What about a HP TouchPad with Android installed?

The touchpad is old, slow and outdated, and I just can't see cyanogen on it being worth it. If $220 for a 2013 Nexus 7 is no good, you can find refurb 2012 Nexus 7s for $100-150 and it's still much much better hardware wise.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
Holy loving poo poo. Do some people actually think the TouchPad is a viable option?

Rent
Jul 20, 2004
Steal the warm wind tired friend

git clone trooper posted:

Why should someone buy a windows tablet over a nexus or ipad with a keyboard case?

Better multitasking. USB/HDMI. Office. x86 compatibility. Cheaper.

SplitSoul
Dec 31, 2000

Bung Harmer posted:

Holy loving poo poo. Do some people actually think the TouchPad is a viable option?

I posted here because I know nothing about tablets. Anyway, it doesn't matter, my brother-in-law found an iPad 2 at a very reasonable price. Problem solved.

randyest
Sep 1, 2004

by R. Guyovich

Rent posted:

iOS and Android are great for the basics. I just don't think people should automatically dismiss 8.1. And to the other dude; some people do want 1 device to do a majority of things. When you get an email with an attachment, why have to rush to your computer?
You seem to be laboring under the misunderstanding that android and iOS mail clients can't open attachments, or that serviceable office apps don't exist on both platforms (they do.)

Hell, CloudOn for iOS is a 100% real honest to god instance of Office, although it requires a data connection.

halokiller
Dec 28, 2008

Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves


The price increase for the iPad Mini with Retina really killed my desire to simply buy them as gifts. Especially since I can get 2 Nexus 7s for the same price which I did. :v:

And yeah, the Touchpad is a POS even with Cyanogenmod. I still keep mine around because I'm not much of a tablet user outside of web browsing at home and not in a hurry to upgrade.

BadSamaritan
May 2, 2008

crumb by crumb in this big black forest


I'm looking into getting my husband a tablet for his birthday, and am curious about which one I should buy. I'm looking to spend <$500. He would use it mostly while traveling for work- reading lots of pdfs, very light document and spreadsheet editing, viewing PowerPoints, web/Skype stuff. It wouldn't be replacing his laptop, but he'd appreciate being able to leave it behind and still be able to read and edit documents.

What would you recommend?

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
iPad Air. Hands down the best tablet you can get right now.

waffle
May 12, 2001
HEH

Bung Harmer posted:

iPad Air. Hands down the best tablet you can get right now.
Yep, that. Alternately the iPad Mini 2 is a good choice and is $100 cheaper. I prefer a <10" tablet if I'm also carrying a laptop since I like reading PDFs one-handed on an 8" tablet over a 10" one, but that's up to your husband's preference and how often he'd have both the tablet and laptop

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Straker
Nov 10, 2005
So I'm inpatient for another week for a clinical trial and my roommate really likes my Nexus 7 after borrowing it for a few minutes but is one of those people who thinks bigger screen for same money = better tablet. I briefly explained that the 7 is a really amazing deal for $200-240, but told him if he wanted a tablet I'd figure out one to recommend. He's not particularly savvy but he's a kid, not a senile old man, he figured out facebook and youtube etc. etc. easily enough. Am I right in thinking that unless he's going to read a ton of books he's probably best off with either the 7 or an ipad mini, or if he really wants a big tablet, a refurb ipad or something? He's not exactly going to want to spend like $600. What exactly is the reason to avoid a big screen on a tablet? It makes sense to me but I don't really know how to articulate it to someone who doesn't know anything about tablets. I understand that Android apps just aren't optimized for 10" and generally waste a lot of screen space but does that apply to ipads too, i.e. if you aren't old or super fatfingered you should probably get a small tablet or just go right to a laptop or a yoga or whatever?

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