Looking for buying advice

cmhdiamond

Member
Oct 19, 2010
35
1
Hi all.
I joined the forum so I could learn more about Android tablets. I have friends that have iPads, and I rather like them, but I don't like the price, or the fact that they don't support flash. So I am looking at purchasing an Android tablet sometime in the not-too-distant future. Maybe around Christmas time. I figure there may be some good deals out there around the holidays.
Now let me just say that I'm not a novice user. I've been in IT for 20 years now, having spent 2 years as a service tech, 3 years as a programmer/network admin, and the last 15 as primarily a programmer, with the occasional database admin thrown in when needed for my system design.
So anyway, I have a few questions about the tablets for those of you who are more intimately familiar with them.
First, since I want the ability to run flash, I'm assuming that I will need a tablet that at least will support 2.2, if not already installed. Any thoughts on that front?
Next, I want to know the opinions (and yes, I know I'm really opening it up here) about whether I should go ahead and buy this year, or wait until 3.0 (gingerbread) is available early next year?
Also, what are your thoughts on resistive vs capacitive touch screens. I know the capacitive ones are the only ones that support multi-touch, which I think would be cool, but do I really need that? Can you list some specific models that I may consider?
What about the Google app market? I know many mfrs. models don't meet Google's standards, so they aren't allowed to put the market on their tablets. So is that a big deal? Can I still get the apps and side-load from my laptop? Are there hacks available to install the market on a non-authorized app? Is that dangerous? i.e. Would it void the warranty?
Related to the market thing, what are your thoughts on running apps that are designed for a small screen on a larger screen device? I'm thinking I might want something in the 7-inch size, but maybe as big as 10. Any thoughts on screen size?

Okay, so I have more than just a few questions. But hey, isn't that what this forum is for? (That was a rhetorical question.)

Thanks in advance for all your assistance.

By the way, if you know of some threads where these questions are already answered, feel free to just reply with a link. I'm happy to read something that's already been written.

- Charlie
 

beejaycee

Member
Jul 25, 2010
2
0
Charlie, I'm looking forward to hearing the responses you get because I'm in a similar situation, except I have an i*ad but would prefer an Android. Heck, a 7 to 10 in version of my Droid with a higher resolution screen and is upgradeable to whatever would be ideal right now.

I'm actually posting to let you know that Gingerbread may not be the 3.0 version of Android. Stuff has started to circulate supposedly showing Gingerbread as being a 2.3 or 2.5 version; it might not be the leap forward we hoped, more like a small step. Also, hacks have been surfacing out there that allow some devices to add in the Market, even though it does not have Google's blessing. They seem to be pretty device-specific.

Bryan
 
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