The One 'Do I buy this', 'What do I buy', 'I'm looking for' Thread

[xaueious]

Vendors are NOT permitted to reply in this thread

We get inquiries about what a good tablet is every day.

Instead of starting a new thread, we ask that you ask your questions in here so that it is easier to keep track of. I realized that we have had difficulty in answering all of the threads that come up every day in this past. I hope this helps with that.

Also use the search function and see if a similar question has been asked before.

How to ask a good question
Tell us:
1) what you will be using the tablet for. list any features you need, such as g-sensor, gps, bluetooth, Adobe Flash, or any specific apps
2) how much you are willing to spend
3) if you have an idea, what the size of the tablet should be
4) how much you know about Android, or just whether or not you are computer literate
5) Please list your location somewhere. (You should really include it in your profile, by the way)

I don't want to have people asking me questions over private message, especially with this type of information can benefit so many people.

I tend to miss new threads because there are so many every day. If it is in this thread, I don't have to try as hard to try to give an answer to everyone.

Thanks!

Mods, please free to merge any similar threads to this one, provided that this post stays on top. Keeping posts in a unified thread helps us prevent spam and reduce otherwise unnecessary clutter.


I don't reply to all the requests in here personally. I don't claim to know all the answers, and can only give you my recommendation according to the best of my knowledge.

If you are dropping by and happen to know the answer, feel free to contribute.
Help each other, and help yourself


And for those of you who can't see the links in my signature:
Get Started with Android Tablets with this FAQ Here!
List of Popular Android Tablet Chipsets
Android Tablets Shopping Guide (My take)

[Sponsors]

[dansamy]

Ok. I'll be the first one.

Here's what I'm looking for:

Flash, Wi-Fi, and multi-touch. 7-10 inch size should do the trick. Preferably a budget model since this is for my children. So far, the least expensive I've found is aPad A8 at $160ish, but I'm not sure that it's capable of multi-touch. I have rooted a Droid Eris, following well-laid out and simple instructions. I'm comfortable rooting a device if I need to in order to increase functionality. However, I would need a robust dev community who has clear instructions laid out and volunteer support ready to answer questions. I know some devices are more hack-friendly than others. I'm even ok with waiting until March/April to see what shakes out in the up and coming market.

Any suggestions?

[DanInSD]

Great idea to have one thread to ask "What should I buy?" questions:

I want a 10" and am willing to root the device. I want it mostly to surf the web. Watching flash is a must as that's a key part of the the internet experience. I see a couple of options:

1. Should I get a top-tier Archos 101 or Viewsonic (not mid-tier as xaueious doesn't think they are stable enough)?
2. Wait until CES in January and see what comes out then?
3. Does it really matter as long as I get a Tegra 2 and it's from a brand that has a reputation of upgrading the firmware?

Thanks!

[probbiethe1]

I want to add this hear as well. We see so many people that after they get a tablet they want to upgrade it to the latest firmware and they want to to play flash and they want it be a 500 dollar tablet for 100 dollars. Here is the reality most tablets wont be upgradable, thats it cut and dry. So my suggestion and what i do every time before i buy a android device is i 1.
google it and see if it can be rooted 2. i see if there is a dev community behind it, this means are people talking about hacking it and i dont mean " can this be hacked/ i want it hacked?" i mean " i have gotten this far with it/ here is what i know" a good identifier is if there is a working recovery for a device or if someone is working on a recovery then it has an ok size dev community behind it. One more big thing dont be afraid to spend money on a good device but if you do buy a cheap tablet then buy it for the price and not for the functions. If you follow those three simple laws of buying android then you will never be disappointed.

Ok. I'll be the first one.

Here's what I'm looking for:

Flash, Wi-Fi, and multi-touch. 7-10 inch size should do the trick. Preferably a budget model since this is for my children. So far, the least expensive I've found is aPad A8 at $160ish, but I'm not sure that it's capable of multi-touch. I have rooted a Droid Eris, following well-laid out and simple instructions. I'm comfortable rooting a device if I need to in order to increase functionality. However, I would need a robust dev community who has clear instructions laid out and volunteer support ready to answer questions. I know some devices are more hack-friendly than others. I'm even ok with waiting until March/April to see what shakes out in the up and coming market.

Any suggestions?

how old are your kids because if they are under 12 i guess i would say any tablet would work i had an eken m001 which is the cheapest tablet i have found and there is a huge difference between lower end and upper end devices but they still work and then that way you can get a new one in 4 months

Great idea to have one thread to ask "What should I buy?" questions:

I want a 10" and am willing to root the device. I want it mostly to surf the web. Watching flash is a must as that's a key part of the the internet experience. I see a couple of options:

1. Should I get a top-tier Archos 101 or Viewsonic (not mid-tier as xaueious doesn't think they are stable enough)?
2. Wait until CES in January and see what comes out then?
3. Does it really matter as long as I get a Tegra 2 and it's from a brand that has a reputation of upgrading the firmware?

Thanks!

it all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to do with it. There are a lot of tablets out there that work good. But if you want one now i would go with a cheaper and save money for better ones in the future

[DanInSD]

it all depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to do with it. There are a lot of tablets out there that work good. But if you want one now i would go with a cheaper and save money for better ones in the future

I'm ok spending up to $400.

When you say cheaper, what recommendations do you have? One of the Shanzhai ones like the Herotab?

[dansamy]

how old are your kids because if they are under 12 i guess i would say any tablet would work i had an eken m001 which is the cheapest tablet i have found and there is a huge difference between lower end and upper end devices but they still work and then that way you can get a new one in 4 months

Yup. They're all younger than 12. I picked up a white pandigital novel, which I know I'll have to tweak a little bit. And flash and multi-touch are out of course. I plan to instal some of the apps they really like from my Droid X and maybe some others. I'll either get a shanzhai tablet in a couple months or a major manufacturer once Google "officially" supports tablets with their next version of Android.

[min10-2008]

Hi All,

Am total newbie with regards to Android tabs/flashing etc., I have posted a thread -> 10.2" Android Flytouch II with wifi/GPS & 3G, my problem is I don't know whether my 3G Huawei E220 USB dongle will work on it. Secondly I've just read what you guys have listed & don't understand 1/2 of it. Australia is always last to get uptodate technology. The iPad (wash my mouth out), is going gangbusters atm, but there is hardly any info on Android tablets (surprise, surprise). The only Android of note is on the Samsung Galaxy Phone but for $1,849.00 AUD is way out of my league.

So if there is anybody out there that can assist me that would be fantastic. Thanks Guys, Min.

[xaueious]

@DanInSD
You are looking at a Tegra 2 based tablet for smooth Adobe Flash. The Archos barely gets by for Adobe Flash performance.
Tegra 2 tablets will take over regardless of what is shown at CES.
You are looking at a price drop to closer to $300 sometime early next year though if you do not need it yet. Mostly you are looing at the Viewsonic G-Tablet.
Shanzhai alternatives look good on paper, but have really poor software implementations as well as low reliability where they cut corners on crucial parts. The only shanzhai tablet I would consider for you is the G-Tablet OEM Malata.

@dansamy
Your selection depends on where you are as well.
There are more Cortex A8 tablets on the market right now other than the IMX515. There have been some really bad revisions of the 8" IMX515, so it is very difficult to recommend. My recommendation depends on who you are shopping from.
If you are looking for strong communities and don't mind hacking, your best choice is the Viewsonic G-tablet. The next one up is the Nook Color.

@min10-2008
I am not too familiar with the Flytouch II either. This is not really a good thread to ask.

[DanInSD]

@DanInSD
You are looking at a Tegra 2 based tablet for smooth Adobe Flash. The Archos barely gets by for Adobe Flash performance.
Tegra 2 tablets will take over regardless of what is shown at CES.
You are looking at a price drop to closer to $300 sometime early next year though if you do not need it yet. Mostly you are looing at the Viewsonic G-Tablet.
Shanzhai alternatives look good on paper, but have really poor software implementations as well as low reliability where they cut corners on crucial parts. The only shanzhai tablet I would consider for you is the G-Tablet OEM Malata.

@xaueious
I actually was thinking the same thing about the Archos, until Viewsonic started to be removed from the shelves. I'd like to get it in the first couple of months of 2011 and expect to see a glut of Tegra 2 tablets coming out from major names including Moto. Thanks for the advice, I think that's the direction I will go. If I don't have to mod it, I rather not (even though it's fun). The $300 price point is also a plus.

Ok, now I have a direction. I'll participate more in the forum once I make a purchase. I'm sure 2011 will be a year of more lessons learned. Thanks for the advice!

[min10-2008]

@DanInSD
You are looking at a Tegra 2 based tablet for smooth Adobe Flash. The Archos barely gets by for Adobe Flash performance.
Tegra 2 tablets will take over regardless of what is shown at CES.
You are looking at a price drop to closer to $300 sometime early next year though if you do not need it yet. Mostly you are looing at the Viewsonic G-Tablet.
Shanzhai alternatives look good on paper, but have really poor software implementations as well as low reliability where they cut corners on crucial parts. The only shanzhai tablet I would consider for you is the G-Tablet OEM Malata.

@dansamy
Your selection depends on where you are as well.
There are more Cortex A8 tablets on the market right now other than the IMX515. There have been some really bad revisions of the 8" IMX515, so it is very difficult to recommend. My recommendation depends on who you are shopping from.
If you are looking for strong communities and don't mind hacking, your best choice is the Viewsonic G-tablet. The next one up is the Nook Color.

@min10-2008
I am not too familiar with the Flytouch II either. This is not really a good thread to ask.

Xaueious, I have put it in the Gome Section of Flytouch II as well so hopefully some-one has an answer. Thanks for the heads up Min.