The One 'Do I Buy This', 'What Do I Buy', 'I'm Looking For' Thread

[RavenZwei]

Have been coming to this website for a while, but only recently decided to make the plunge into getting an Android tablet. I've been trying to read up on what's available, but with some many different sources and different devices out there, it's been a headache for me to figure out which one I should get, so I figured I would register and see if I can't get some good answers here. What I am look for:

Ability to run Android 2.2 (Either out of the box of being rooted)
Camera
Access to Android Market
7 - 10 inch screen
Price range: Around the $300 range. Would possibly pay a bit more if it was worth it.
WiFi
Would definitely prefer a capacitive screen, but would "settle" for a resistive if necessary.
Ram: Preferably 512 or greater
Flash memory: The bigger the better, but if it has a SD slot, it's not really an issue.
GPS would be nice, as would blue tooth, but they aren't necessary.

What I will be using it for:

Reader - Currently have a Original Nook, and would like something to take around with me when it's not possible to use it.
Light gaming - Things like Angry Birds, Wordfeud, etc.
Flash
Youtube
Web browsing - I've come to HATE sitting at the PC at home, since I do it so much at work, so will definitely doing the majority of my web browsing from whatever device I decide to get.
Email

That's about all I can think about for now. Hoping I can get some suggestions on where to narrow down my search. I was thinking of a Nook Color and just rooting it, or possibly a Tab (found it on Sprint, I think, for 299 w/ a contract, which I don't mind paying). But after reading through this thread, I was just wanting some new ideas.

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[xaueious]

@faceman
Capacitive requires almost to no downward force to use, while resisitive screens rely on pressure. This means capacitive screens preferred, because you can just touch the screen lightly to operate it. Resistive screens are more accurate, and allow the use of styluses for more accuracy. Capacitive screens are less accurate, but tend to also support multitouch gestures more widely such as pinch-to-zoom. Multitouch greatly improves user experience, specifically with webpage applications or for specific games.

@dcsipe
It isn't just a matter of 'handling' newer versions of Android, but whether or not it will be developed by the manufacturer. Even for established tablets, nothing on the market has a promised update to Android 2.3 and beyond other than the Galaxy Tab. In almost all cases with Chinese tablets, the answer is 'no'.
The Nook Color is likely the most future-proof 7" tablet on the market with its hardware specifications and its large community following, then the eLocity A7. The eLocity's touchscreen drives away many, but it's Tegra 2 platform is the best on the market. I don't see the Archos 70 being upgraded past Android 2.2. Archos has not been very good historically with this.

@rogand
I am going to assume that you don't want to spend too much time tweaking or upgrading. In that case, you should go for the Archos 70, which is a relatively hassle free device that just works.
Anything unbranded is going to cause you headaches (or they would have been branded already, in fact), and I generally do not recommend buying those unless you consider it fun to tinker with these things.

@JohnSpeer Pick up the Coby MID7015. It's around $150, built great, and is doesn't need three weeks for delivery. You can also return it if you don't like it: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...re-can-coby-kyros-purchased-price-trends.html

@Shino I am not really familar with your area.

Assuming you are talking about the Viewsonic gTablet, if it isn't avaiable via your local Viewsonic dealers (ViewSonic - Where to Buy). You can also try preordering the Notion Ink tablet. It wont ship any time soon though. You might be able to get the Malata Zpad faster, but the price range on the market for that unit is generally too high, and I can't recommend any particular seller to get it from right now.

@icreepin Sounds great. Hope you like it.

@jmyers Android 2.1 has somewhat limited Microsoft Exchange support. You should try picking the Coby up and seeing how well that works. If you don't like it or if it doesn't work, you can return it.
The Pandigital Novel is popular because it's been around for a long time and cheap, but is worth no more than $100 because of it's poor Android implementation and hardware.

@RavenZwei Nook Color at 7" is a great buy because it is a nice device with good promise that there will be a nice 2.2 running on it.
The Viewsonic gTablet is worth the extra money and is a ton of fun because of it's raw hardware potential.
You also have the Huawei S7 if you happen to want 3G access (on sale this week for $250 at BestBuy) without a contract.
If you don't mind paying the extra money for the Galaxy Tab and plan to associate yourself with a contract, it's a good choice.

 

[xheroxkefx]

Hello all,

Tablets got my interest so i might buy one, since it is getting a must-have item!
I don't know if its possible what i want, so i'll list what my desires are.

Atleast 800mhz CPU
Screen size, doesn't really matter as long its not below 7"
I'd like android 2.1 or 2.2 as long as it has a market
i do know alot about android, since i'm a computer technician ^^
it MUST have a capative screen with multi touch and wifi! i HATE resistive..
I'm located at the netherlands, so they shipping will be expencive i think?
my budget lays around 100-150$ because im not a rich guy, have to save every month for it =D

thanks in advance

 

[dcsipe]

@dcsipe
It isn't just a matter of 'handling' newer versions of Android, but whether or not it will be developed by the manufacturer. Even for established tablets, nothing on the market has a promised update to Android 2.3 and beyond other than the Galaxy Tab. In almost all cases with Chinese tablets, the answer is 'no'.
The Nook Color is likely the most future-proof 7" tablet on the market with its hardware specifications and its large community following, then the eLocity A7. The eLocity's touchscreen drives away many, but it's Tegra 2 platform is the best on the market. I don't see the Archos 70 being upgraded past Android 2.2. Archos has not been very good historically with this.

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice. After seeing a couple videos of the end result of rooting the Nook Color, I think that's the route I'm going to go. Any recommendations on good Nook rooting community sites?

 

[Doc D]

I jumped in and bought an Archos 101 in January after the 2.2 Andriod update. It runs smoothly and is very multi-funtional, i believe it is also very hack friendly. The Adobe Flash update was easy to install. Nice big display for H.D stuff and photos as long as you seek advice about the best apps for the purpose. I got the bigger memory and bought an SD card just in case, but I could have settled for the 8gb model as it'll be more than enough for my purposes. Still testing out the battery life, but it appears to be fairly good as long as you keep an eye on the apps that run concurrently (just means stopping some or most of the them regularily with the onboard system tool). I have noticed that it does take a while to re-charge and the charger heats up some.

 

[boneless]

I need some help looking for 2-3 tablets for my office. I need a very high quality resistive or capacitive 10" screen with great wifi. Nothing else really matters since it's only for customers entering online forms within my office so the touch response needs to be very good. The wifi should be stable and have reasonable range of maybe 30'. I only need average processor and memory since it's not for any other use. I also need it as cheap as possible. If I'm handing this to customers, I don't want to have to worry about them dropping it. TIA

I also need to know where to buy these tablets from.

 

[jmyers]

Thanks xayeious!


One last either/or...

Velocity Micro Cruz or the Coby? (price being equal)



http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/members/xaueious.html

 

[ministeve2003]

@ministeve2003 There's nothing for you right now in that price range. You sound like you should try the Archos 70, but don't expect to run Divx on it.

ok, let me change a little of my expectations,

7"-8" Decent Looking screen (doesn't matter type)
Movies (mp4) I'll convert anything I want to play...
wifi
adobe 10.1, java
$250 and under

I was looking at the archos 70, but I'm wondering if any of the unbranded tablets would work

SK

 

[xaueious]

@xheroxkefx
The least expensive capacitive tablet on the market is the $200 Rockchip RK2818 Wopad W70001, so you need to change your expectations.

@dscipe
XDA community is where a lot of the good stuff will come from, but since that route is not really for everyone, check us out first.

@boneless
I can't think of a single tablet I would be comfortable with dropping . Maybe the Galaxy Tab because it has gorilla glass.

@jmyers
Coby MID7015 for sure

@ministeve2003
Oh they work alright. But they are a handful. Not everyone wants to deal with that sort of thing.

 

[Shino]

Motorola Droid XOOM tablet
Specification

• 10.1 inch capacitive screen with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and 160 dpi pixel density
• 1GHz Tegra 2 dual core CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 32 GB internal storage
• supports microSDHC cards up to 32 GB
• WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR
• HDMI 1.4 output, USB 2.0
• Accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor
• 2MP front facing camera, 5MP back camera with dual LED flash

It is currently running on Android 3.0 Honeycomb. It supports Android Market, Adobe Flash Player and specifically design for Google Software.

Is it worth it to buy if the price is $500-$800?

 

[boneless]

@boneless
I can't think of a single tablet I would be comfortable with dropping . Maybe the Galaxy Tab because it has gorilla glass.

Ok, let's say for $250 and under but cheaper the better. I'm comfortable putting that much money into a tablet for my uses. How about using this as a starting point.

http://www.androidtime.com/shop/13-android-21-10inch-1g-cpu-apad-zenithink-zt180-tablet.html

 

[Tweener]

Hello, I'm looking for an Android tablet to give to my little sister (15 years old) for her 16th birthday... The primary functions of it would be: - eBook reader - Skype/MSN/Chat (so there should also be the possibility of using an external keyboard) - Web surfing I'd like to spend no more than 100€, if possible...no need for GPS, maybe a webcam... I'm also open to buy 2nd hand... Any suggestions, please? I live in Germany, but my sister lives in Italy. Thanks

 

[lclifton618]

Hello, I'm looking to purchase a tablet and I have done a great deal of research. I am torn between the eLocity, the 101, Huawei s7, and the Vega.

I will be using the tablet to do school assignments(I am a online student), web browsing, and I would like for the android market to be available out of the box since I don't understand what rooting a device means. I want the best value for the money and one that offers stability. I am looking to spend about $300 to $350.

If any of the above aren't good for what I need I'm willing to get what is. I also need help on finding where to purchase such a device. Help please. Thank you.

Other activities I enjoy are Facebook, ereading, Skype, and gaming. So I would be using the device for these activities also.​

 

[tmitchell]

Who is the quickest, and most reliable China vendor to buy from?

I know what I want, I just need to know the best place to buy what I want. My wife's birthday is Feb. 21st and she want a 7" tab. We have a big party planned, and I want her to be able to open her gift in front of all of her girlfriends.

So, which one will get it to South Carolina before Feb. 21st?

Thanks
Tom
​

 

[jmac999]

I wouldn't buy from Chinese vendors. I tried and got ripped off. They are some local sellers. I bought my first 7 inch mine off craigslist. Last I bought a 10.2 inch Superpad from electronic dealz. They are local US based so there is no risk. To many Chinese rip off stories. Plus shipping and handling from there is a *****. One vendor quoted me $50 for DHL !