Oneline College Student Seeking Advice

[adcastillo]

Hello,

I am a online college student and I am seeking advice on purchasing a tablet for school. I have a very limited income, so I can't afford something very expensive. Mainly looking for:

wifi - to access online classroom and email (3g - would also be great)
text to speech (I have a learning disability)
read school e-textbooks

Thought about just getting an e-reader, like Kindle or Nook. However though I would check out the tablets. I have a laptop that works great, but hate taking it everywhere. Any info can help. Thanks!

 

[beastman]

7" or 10"? How much? GTablet is $300 or less.

Sent from my GTablet using Android Tablet Forum

 

[morrighu]

I'm in much the same situation. My laptop is a workhorse but it weighs nearly 8 pounds. I've been using my smart phone (Samsung Epic) but I have trouble reading documents, books, etc. on a screen that small. If you're planning on using e-books for textbooks, you might want to opt for the larger screen. I've done some tinkering with tablets owned by co-workers and I have to say that the 10" ones are much nicer to read on.

You might want to consider purchasing the FlexT9 app which will handle dictation - meaning you can speak your documents. I haven't used it personally but a couple of the peeps here in the office like it a lot.

Keep in mind that if you get a 3G one, that in order for the 3G to work, you will need a service contract. Unlike WiFi, your university isn't very likely to provide 3G for you. And that means a monthly recurring fee. For example, Sprint in Dallas charges $30/month for 2GB of data with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. 2GB isn't very much. T-Mobile charges $39.99/month for 2GB. Verizon doesn't have a 2GB plan. It's 1 GB for $20/month or 3GB for $35/month. AT&T is $25 for 2GB per month. Most carriers require a contract unless you purchase the device at full price. And they have some HEFTY charges if you go over - as much as $15 for every 250MB you go over. It varies depending on the carrier. If you do go this route, I would advise you to monitor your 3G data usage very carefully. I use more than that on my Samsung Epic (smart phone) now. I just checked my bill and I'm at 11GB and counting for this month's billing cycle. Most of that is email. On a 2GB plan, I'd be $540 in the hole already :/ One person that I work with currently has a very hefty bill because his plan charges double for overages that occur on roam. He forgot and left Pandora streaming music while driving to Austin.

If you're going to take it to class with you, you might want to consider one of the cover/stand/keyboard thingys to make it a bit more laptop like. First, it will help protect it when you carry it around. Secondly, it provides a nearly full size keyboard. I personally find it difficult to do very much typing with the on-screen keyboards. I touch type and the on screen keyboards don't provide the tactile feedback that I need in order to be accurate. If you plan to use it to take notes that might be a very good investment for you. I apologize for the logo but it was the only photo I could find which shows the tripod-leg in the back. That prop to hold the screen is, IMHO, a feature you definitely want to look for in one of these. Lots of people make them, but having the rear prop seems to keep the screen at nice angle when you're trying to type. I've seen a lot of ones that fold, roll up, act like origami and do all sorts of odd things, but they either don't keep the screen at a convenient angle or they don't last.


I hope that all this is helpful to you.