A decent tablet for international travel?

breebauer

Member
Dec 6, 2010
32
0
Hi everyone!
Long time lurker, first time poster here...

I'm looking for a basic tablet for traveling- and mainly for the following:
checking email, internet, blogging, photo management, reading ebooks, etc.

I would need/like something with:
GPS
wifi (would prefer wifi AND 3G capability)
anywhere between 7 - 10"
would prefer multitouch screen

I'm not a gamer, not interested in flash, a current iPhone user, and open to learning more about android hacking if it will get me the features that I want.

Hopefully for $250 or less?
Thanks for any input!
 

Nowsupplier

Member
Oct 7, 2010
77
0
As the specs you listed above, you can check the two samples.
Android 2.1 tablet PC

Android 2.2 tabet

So, if you are tech savvy, Android hacking is not a big deal.
 

breebauer

Member
Dec 6, 2010
32
0
For the Android 2.2 tablet:
Can you tell me about the GPS and 3G function?
The description says they're both built in and optional. I'm not sure what that means...
Thanks
 

mgr52

Member
Nov 11, 2010
231
2
for traveling, X5A hands down. almost every review of it mentions how well built and sturdy it is.
 

breebauer

Member
Dec 6, 2010
32
0
R TOUCh got GPS and 3G ..find out the newer version
round about 280$ i guess .


I looked on their website- it looks like they're only offering one model on there- but didn't see any info on 3G or gps.
Emailed their customer support yesterday, waiting to hear back from them...
 

breebauer

Member
Dec 6, 2010
32
0
for traveling, X5A hands down. almost every review of it mentions how well built and sturdy it is.

Mgr52-
Thanks for the info!
Could you post a link for the X5A that you're talking about?
I'd really appreciate it!
It seems like they are a few different ones...
 

gurgle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Aug 6, 2010
1,463
131
The X5A is a HeroPad. There are many vendors who sell it or variants. The main issue right now is the glass screen causes a slight offset and lack of sensitivity on the resistive screen. Think hardness of glass for pressure to be registered vs plastic. But the glass cleans up better.

I would suggest looking for X5A,X5A+ X6, G10, G11. The primary difference is the missing G-Sensor on the X5A. Euogo, Merimobiles, JK and numerous others sell it. The one danger is price variance. It is who you choose and the vendor trust. I would suggest looking at Google Shopping for potential sources.
 

breebauer

Member
Dec 6, 2010
32
0
So after a few days of reading almost this entire forum... I think I've changed my mind on a few things:

* I guess I really don't need something with GPS and 3G built in- I have an iPhone for that.

* Its more important to buy something that's sturdy and made well- I'll be backpacking around Indonesia for a month.

So now I'm thinking about:

Nook Color- assuming I can tether it to my iPhone, or

Coby MID7015- seems like it's in the same family of those mentioned above

Does anyone see any advantage to getting the Coby over the Nook?

I'm leaning more toward the Nook because of battery life and it just seems like it's going to hold up better while traveling.

But the Coby is $70 cheaper...

Any thoughts?
 

poncespr

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2010
101
11
So after a few days of reading almost this entire forum... I think I've changed my mind on a few things:

* I guess I really don't need something with GPS and 3G built in- I have an iPhone for that.

* Its more important to buy something that's sturdy and made well- I'll be backpacking around Indonesia for a month.

So now I'm thinking about:

Nook Color- assuming I can tether it to my iPhone, or

Coby MID7015- seems like it's in the same family of those mentioned above

Does anyone see any advantage to getting the Coby over the Nook?

I'm leaning more toward the Nook because of battery life and it just seems like it's going to hold up better while traveling.

But the Coby is $70 cheaper...

Any thoughts?

I have the Coby 7015 and must say it is a very good tablet. Good battery life (4hrs WiFi on, 5hrs WiFi off more or less). Processor is on par with my Motorola XT701 Droid. It also includes a case, which may cost you anywhere from $10 to $50 for other tablets, so that is nice, and the cover is not bad at all. Doubles as a stand. And the tablet itself is very sturdy. I actually think the Nook feels more fragile, and would feel it would break easier than the 7015. You can use some old Samsung cellphone chargers. Can't tell you which specific phone charger since the one I am using is from a Phillips universal usb car charger with multiple tips. I do know that the one that fits the Coby is labeled Samsung.
It does not have multitouch like the Nook and the screen is resistive but it is very, very responsive. Also the Nook requires a bit more work to get it usable as a tablet whereas the Coby, after the posted firmware update on their site, which is very easy to do, is very stable. And the android market is a breeze to install. I think on the Nook Color there is not yet an easy stable solution for the market. I could be wrong since I do not have one, and just every now and the follow the Nooks progress.
Also, I made a clockwork recovery backup with all the mods and apps I need and saved it to my PC, so in case I lose my Coby or it breaks, I can just go to Kmart, get another and install the recovery without having to go thru all the work again
I had a Huawei S7 and found myself on your very same position where I realized I did not need GPS or 3G. I have Droid phone and a dedicated GPS so I decided to return it and save $150 which I probably will use for the next cheap tablet that comes already with 2.3 or 3.0 probably around this time next year. In the meantime, My Kyros 7015 will satisfy my technolust just fine :)
 
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