Best Android Tablet for $400 - $500?

JPW1

Member
Oct 16, 2012
14
0
So only about a month ago I bought a Lenovo A2109 Android Tablet. My wife wanted to get me something for my Birthday and I'm not terribly easy to buy for so I figured it would be something to just tinker around with it. Well, I'm completely hooked and now I know I'll be using this device a lot more than just to tinker with. I've been trying to do some research, but I'm still pretty ignorant when it comes to what the consensus is on what products are the best out there. So far my research has pointed me toward the ASUS Transformer TF700. Can anyone recommend one that they think might be better?
 

JPW1

Member
Oct 16, 2012
14
0
Please don't blast me. I just noticed the sticky for "what to buy." I'll try to read through it to see if I can find a consensus, but in the meantime, if anyone can comment on their own recommendation I would appreciate it.
 

JPW1

Member
Oct 16, 2012
14
0
Thanks for that. From what I've researched it does seem to be one of the best out there.

One thing I'm really surprised that I don't see more of are docks or charging stations for these tablets. For me I would love to just have a dock that I could drop the tablet in to be charged and then when I need it simply grab it and go. I know you can get the docking station / keyboard for this tablet. Since you own one could you tell me whether it charges the tablet when it is docked in the keyboard / docking station?
 

Angus66

Senior Member
Oct 17, 2011
151
11
I suggest you give a serious look at the Acer A700 tablet - I have one and I love it. Only downside I experienced was excessive heat from the Tegra3 processor, but that was fixed with the update to Jelly Bean it recently received.
The A700 has a 1920 x 1200 screen, 32GB of storage, microSD slot for expansion, microHDMI and microUSB ports. It's a little heavier than the TF700 and doesn't have the SuperIPS screen, but the soft-touch back of the A700 is really nice to hold.
The battery of the A700 lasts a LONG time in my usage. Best of all, the A700 was available for only $350 on many web stores until just recently (many places have it for around $400 now). IMHO the A700 was a STEAL at $350 and that made it a no-brainer for me to pick one up.

As far as the TF700 goes, I would recommend browsing as many forums as you can for information on that tablet. The quality of the TF700 seems to vary from perfect to very poor, and there have been numerous reports of cracked/broken screens, especially when the TF700 is used with the dock Asus makes for it. Keep in mind that if your TF700 screen cracks, Asus will not fix it 99.999% of the time unless you pay for it - even if the tablet is still under warranty. I personally was unwilling to take the chance of getting a bad $500 tablet and then having to pay even more for repairs when it breaks.

On the positive side, there is a large, active owner community for the TF700. You might want to go to the XDA developers or the Transformer forums to see what's being discussed. You should get a fair idea what problems - and solutions - TF700 owners might expect.

I hope the above helps!
 
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MachineFixer

Member
Aug 17, 2012
6
0
Not Sure If it charges while its connected. I think it uses the docks Battery first while its connected and when its out of juice it then starts using the Tablet Battery Last. The Tablet has about 6 to 8 Hrs. of life and so does the Dock. Sorry not real sure how that works. haven't done any testing.

Regards
 

Tom T

Senior Member
Feb 18, 2011
1,632
191
My original TF101, charged the tablet when docked and used the dock battery to power the unit as well.

......
 

Nibiru2012

Member
Oct 6, 2012
33
3
I have the ASUS TF700 W/64 Gigs and a Docking Port and I Love It. I would Highly Recommend It.

A big DITTO for me also! Excellent tablet and a joy to use.

I decided not to purchase the keyboard dock as I've read about too many issues with it regarding possible glass cracking, etc.
I went with a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard with carrying case. The case acts as a stand for the tablet also. This keyboard gets
rave reviews and has that famous Logitech quality.
 

JPW1

Member
Oct 16, 2012
14
0
I'll try to read through it to see if I can find a consensus
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A consensus is a general agreement. When searching for a product in a specific price range it helps to know what others would generally agree on as the best choice. I hope that helps.
 

Aadamgibson

Member
May 16, 2012
23
0
I currently have the Nexus 7 as my top choice, though i wish it had an HD screen, more storage, and initially was looking for a larger screen.
 
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