[Closed] Android Tablets

Personally, I'd wait.

I'm an Android user (HTC Desire), but I've not yet seen a tablet that I wanted to run out and buy. They're not -quite- there yet. That said, I don't remember whether I've seen the Vega first-hand or not (I've played with a few but couldn't tell you which).

TBH, I'm still looking for a modern replacement for my beloved Psion 5. I thought the Dell Streak might have been The One, but they can't be arsed to update it and I'm buggered if I'm playing that game again after being burned by Samsung.

shame Dixons airport don't do them

Uh, I thought they were a DSGI exclusive??

I doubt you'd have played with one as they are effectively online only - hence not at airports.

I have a Desire too and an ipod touch, which gets used less and less (albeit that is a nicer experience), I really like the idea of a big screen, not getting dry-bummed by Steve Jobs though.

I was hoping that there'd be more choice by now but the manufacturers seem to be taking ages to release their stuff after they announce it. It looks like its going to be August/September before choice improves 😐

Sorry, I misread that as "shame Dixons don't do them" - as you were. (-:

I'm with Cougar.

Whilst it's very tempting I'm not convinced they are ready yet. I've had a play with a Vega and it is pretty good for what it is. I'm sure you've seen [url= http://www.reghardware.com/2011/03/08/review_tablet_android_vega/ ]this review[/url]

The new galaxy tab is due out soon as is the HTC Flyer.

The one I'm quite interested in is the Notion Ink Adam if it ever makes it to the uk.

I would take a punt if I were you. I have a zt-180 with the same spec it cost £130 off ebay and screen sensitivity apart it is great and the Advent sounds like the screen will be an improvement. I bought it primarily as a reading device and it is great for Singletrack magazine, the Guardian, BBC News, Kindle & Youtube. Angry Birds & Air Control are lovely on the big screen. It can be slow going on the Internet but that is where the laptop steps in.

Well, you can buy a tablet running Android 2, which is not designed for tablets, or one with Android 3, for which there are essentially no dedicated apps. Hmmmm...

First generation Ipad's are still £329 on the Apple website if that is of interest. Pretty good price for a well made product.

I put about 1Gb of singletrack magazines on the sd card for my Android tablet in a couple of minutes. Not sure how you do that on an Ipad.

Not sure how you do that on an Ipad.

assuming it's the same as the iphone, you'd just sync them from itunes to the book reader or another app like goodreader.

I'll not be having a look until Gingerbread is available.

assuming it's the same as the iphone, you'd just sync them from itunes to the book reader or another app like goodreader.

yep - exactly that. Goodreader is great !!

Well, you can buy a tablet running Android 2, which is not designed for tablets, or one with Android 3, for which there are essentially no dedicated apps. Hmmmm...

...but presumably all the android 2 apps will work as well as they do on android 2?

jp-t853 - Member
First generation Ipad's are still £329 on the Apple website if that is of interest. Pretty good price for a well made product.

Former - oh noes, I can feel my credit card twitching at the thought of dry-bumming Steve Jobs! Can you get quidco etc off that? *looks*

Al - £319 for an ipad here: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/246851

Get out the grinding paste 🙂

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

www.justgiving.com/alanscole

To erase the logo?

TBH part of the attraction of android is much cheapness...thanks for the link though.

I haven't read any of the posts in the thread, but why would andriods need tablets? They can't get ill surely?

EDIT: oh.

Cynic-al I am glad to see someone taking the moral high ground here (I hope you don't subscribe to Sky).

Android 2 is perfectly fine on a tablet, you have the market you put your icons on the front screens, you press them and they work.

Isn't android 2 limited as to screen size though? 8"?

Is there a tablet around with an e-ink display btw that would allow you to write on it as well as read?

Isn't android 2 limited as to screen size though? 8"?

Resolution, perhaps. I can't see how an OS could limit physical size.

...but presumably all the android 2 apps will work as well as they do on android 2?

I think the issue is that they are not designed for a bigger screen.

cynic-al - Member
To erase the logo?

No, to add to the enjoyment of your s3xy time with Steve Jobbie...

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

www.justgiving.com/alanscole

Don't get the moral high-ground/sky comment?

I can feel my credit card twitching at the thought of dry-bumming Steve Jobs!

Yeah - right!! You getting a second-rate tablet is really going to sock it to iSteve!!

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5518825255_5156c9c712_t.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

www.justgiving.com/alanscole

I was meaning buying a cheap ipod, but your point is equally relevant, and misses my humour.

Aaah - OK ... my mistake.

2000 press ups please.

Persoanlly, I'm wondering how Mark Cavendish is going to instruct us to buy htc tablets:

[img] [/img]

Holy thread ressurection...

anyone seen/tried any of these:

http://www.wowstore.it/-CAPACITIVE_Tablet_PC/cat503134_532503.aspx

Waiting for a Galaxy Tab 10.1 I think. My gf has an iPad but it annoys me too much. I've had Android phones for a few years now (currently have a Nexus S which is awesome) and I'm not an Apple hater in any way, I just prefer the lack of restrictions you have on Android compared to Apple.

Can anyone commnent of ease-of battery replacement on these?

I've just done my ipod, it was pretty tricky.

i have a samsung tab and have been pretty pleased with it. it does all i would be wanting a tab to do. AND MORE!

Isn't it worth considering the Motorola Xoom yet? Seemed pretty good to me, although it is expensive.

Indeed, enev the ipad is cheap in comparison.

OK kids, I test ran the advents and ipad (2), my findings follow:

Amico (£99, resistive 7" screen) - screen is rubbish (think Nokia 5230) but if you are on a budget, it does work.

Vega (£250, 10" capacative screen) - screen a lot better, but just slow/delayed enough to be a somplete PITA cf ipad/ipod - as with older capacitive screen andriod phones? (My desire is fine)

Galaxy (7", £300) better but only £40 less than a refurb ipad.

Ipad *s both the above up the * then ****s all over them laughing.

*bends over and calls Steve Jobs*

Has anyone bought from http://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/tablet-pc-notebooks/c160611.html#nhpa-lc-7-7 ?

You know something.

I don't get tablets. Tablet PCs have been around in a niche-market for years. Jobs comes along on his hype-o-matic and goes "hey kids, here's a laptop... without a keyboard!" and before you know it you're ankle-deep in spunk and everyone's wondering why this country has credit card debts.

Then everyone else gets in on the act and we've got (largely crap but getting better) Android tablets all over the place, and proprietary ones springing up running Symbian or PhlegmOS or something, people are selling kidneys to buy the things and most of those people [i]don't actually have any use for it[/i] other than "ooh, shiny."

Me, I've a passing interest in a tablet of some form, but every time I look at one I can't help but think that if someone invented one with a keyboard, it'd be perfect.

And you know, they now sell keyboard docks for the iPad. Say what you like about Apple but they're f'king good at selling you things you already own. In a recession.

Me, I've a passing interest in a tablet of some form, but every time I look at one I can't help but think that if someone invented one with a keyboard, it'd be perfect.

I virtually never use the keyboard on my ipad.
I mostly use it lounging on the sofa or lying in bed, surfing the web, playing games or reading books or magazines. A physical keyboard would a) be wasted, and b) stop me using it in the ways that make it great.

p.s. I would wait for Honeycomb (android 3.0) tablets rather than buying a 2.x one. 3.0 is actually designed for tablets, looks great and you won't have to wait long - various honeycomb tablets are shipping with in the next month.

What I want, in an ideal world, is a replacement for my old Psion 5. If you took the Dell Streak, clamshelled a proper keyboard on it, and actually updated it ever, I'd be all over it like a rash. Something that I can a) type on rather than click buttons and b) fits in a pocket would be perfect for me.

Tablets are perfect for having on the sofa, picking up, browsing forums, looking something up on wikipedia/google, sending a quick email etc. etc. They don't have a fan, don't get hot, aren't heavy...

Tablets are perfect for having on the sofa, picking up, browsing forums, looking something up on wikipedia/google, sending a quick email etc. etc. They don't have a fan, don't get hot, aren't heavy...

Given the choice between that and a Netbook for that application, I'd take the netbook. But then, I type a lot when spodding.

What I want, in an ideal world, is a replacement for my old Psion 5. If you took the Dell Streak, clamshelled a proper keyboard on it, and actually updated it ever, I'd be all over it like a rash. Something that I can a) type on rather than click buttons and b) fits in a pocket would be perfect for me.

Here's what I have for that:
[img] [/img]

most of those people don't actually have any use for it other than "ooh, shiny."

Rubbish!

Other people are allowed to disagree with you!

Here's what I have for that:

That's almost there - however, I want a [i]proper [/i]keyboard that I can type on.

Rubbish!

Other people are allowed to disagree with you!

I didn't say they weren't, that's the very definition of "opinion," n'est-ce pas?

As for "rubbish," well, unless we ask 'most people' and find out for sure then we're both speculating equally, aren't we.

[img] [/img]

That's what I'm talking about. Imagine a modern version of the Psion; instant-on, Internet connection, colour screen, full keyboard, fits a jacket pocket.

-Keyboard - for creation
-No keyboard - for consumption

Most people don't need a keyboard.

I'm tempted by one of these for my Grandad - I gave him my old desktop pc a while ago and he's got quite into surfing the net (read BBC, Guardian, Salford Reds etc), but thats all he does, plus he managed to install google chrome last time I went round....by accident!

I like the idea of him having something to surf the net on thats simple, and wont get him all confused. iPads are bloody expensive tho!

Something that I can a) type on rather than click buttons and b) fits in a pocket would be perfect for me

[img] [/img]

spodding

Now that's a word I've not heard in a long time...

I have often thought you seem oddly familiar, but if I really did know you then you'd have recognised my username.

bought mrs xiphon an android tablet - Eken M001 - off the classifieds here.

With the default Android OS ROM - it was absolutely shockingly bad.

Works much better with custom ROM flashed onto it.

No way would I have paid full whack for it - they have similar low-end devices in Currys.

Now that's a word I've not heard in a long time...

Can you do that in an Alec Guinness voice? (-:

It's not a word I use by accident, certainly. I'd have picked up on someone else using it.

I have often thought you seem oddly familiar, but if I really did know you then you'd have recognised my username.

*intrigued*

My memory isn't what it used to be. Where are you going with this?

Al Tesco has a £10 off offer at the mo and I have another 10% discount if You want a new iPad 2 (£399-£40-£10) almost for the price of the original iPad.

I used my mates iPad couple of times and it is nice, works great, simple to use and intuitive. However I don't earn well enough (yet ;-)) to spend over £300 for a gadget.

Motorola Xoom gets good reviews but it's even more expensive than the iPad. I'll have to stick to my Android mobile and a 13.3" laptop + a 19" LCD screen for now. I can see the iPad fitting well between the mobile and laptop however I'm not getting one yet (might think about getting one if my OH's laptop packs up) until they will be closer to the netbook price range.

Cougar does the word 'ewtoo' mean anything to you?

Hah.

I think perhaps we're at angry dolphins but sharing a common etymology. Did you know a nice lass from Warwick?

(in answer to your question, no, but the definition I found on Wikipedia does).

The verb 'to spod' was widely used by people using such 'talkers' based on ewtoo, with results not dissimilar to this forum in many ways...

However the word itself is older so yes perhaps you are right.

No I did not know a nice girl from Warwick, although I know one who currently lives nearby 🙂

I didn't say a girl, I said a LASS.

I thought you were coming from [url= http://www.cheeseplant.org/~daniel/pages/cph.html ]here[/url] you see.

I think we win the "randomest forum tangent ever" award; do you use any sort of IM that we could continue this conversation on without boring the crap out of the rest of the forum?

Hi,

Have had a Vega for four months. Can't fault it too much for the price. You need to get the Modaco update to get Market.

Comparing it to my Desire in terms of day to day use it is very good . The screen viewing angles are not great when compared to the Ipad or Desire. It is obviously where they saved money.

It runs most of the apps the Desire runs with only a couple that don't scale to the right size. It does not have any lag, as good as the ipads I have played with.

Only had a desk top pc so do use it alot around the house. Handy to use with Jamie Oliver's 20 minute meal app. There is a great TV show streaming app which gives you pretty much every show you can think of on it. Big bonus of having flash.

Pays your money makes your choice!

Regards

Am I the only person who wants a medium (7" ish) tablet with handwriting recognition?

I can't be, can I?

It seems apple hatred is trendier than apple fanboyism now. And more irrational.

Why would you choose a patently inferior product, with 20 or so apps designed for it (vs 70,000), for similar -some cases more- money... Just because you don't like the company's CEO?

The iPhone certainly has some decent competition - the iPad does not.

And as for consumption only, the next gorillaz album has been CREATED entirely on the iPad.

The Vega I played with 3 days ago had awful screen lag compared to the iPad...I ordered the latter pretty much on that alone..

Am I the only person who wants a medium (7" ish) tablet with handwriting recognition?

I can't be, can I?

Samsung Q1.
http://www.samsung.com/uk/business/b2b/products/notebooks/ultra_mobile/q1.htm

Mines running TabletXP with 2gb of memory. Dirt cheap off Ebay a year or so ago. Use it for Nav software in my Landrover and watching Iplayer etc in bed.

the next gorillaz album has been CREATED entirely on the iPad

plus, like all other gorrilaz albums, it'll have 2 or 3 decent tunes and a load of poor filler .... 😈

Edhornby, that doesn't mean anything! The most powerful computer it the world would still need an external audio / midi interface!

The korg software is a good example of how powerful the ipad is. Really cheap too - 10 quid instead of a few hundred for the hardware version.

Am I the only person who wants a medium (7" ish) tablet with handwriting recognition?
I can't be, can I?

Am I the only person who wants a medium (7" ish) tablet with handwriting recognition?
I can't be, can I?

HTC Flyer could be exactly what you want then...

I never found handwriting recognition to be worth it, but then - I can type 🙂

Am I the only person who wants a medium (7" ish) tablet with handwriting recognition?

I can't be, can I?

Apple Newton ??

Ha, Apple newton. Ace. And Mr Jobs has said no HWR on any Apple product now.

I can type too, but if I have a tablet in one hand then I'd prefer to write (I'm assuming you can do that molgrips ;-)) instead of using a keyboard layout that's designed for 2 hands...

HTC Flyer does look good, yes but it doesn't have HWR specifically. Never heard of the Q1.

Asus Memo looks pretty good, but tbh most tablets seem to be overpriced compared to the iPad at the moment.

FWIW I was in Dixons airport Edinburgh and they were listing Vegas for £177 and Amicos for £75.

Staff member tried to turn former on with volume control ❓

And they had no stock 🙄

This one could be good:
[img] [/img]

Sony though, so it depends on which bit of the company make it...

More about the two new Sony's here:-
[url= http://www.coolsmartphone.com/2011/04/26/sony-announce-s1-s2-tablets/ ]http://www.coolsmartphone.com/2011/04/26/sony-announce-s1-s2-tablets/[/url]

The Sony clamshell looks interesting, but I'm guessing that there's a fair number of Android games that won't work with a "broken" screen - Angry Birds for example. Can't see it being much good for reading the newspaper, either - that black space in the middle would get irritating pretty fast.

Think that you can choose between using both screens for one app, or separate screens for separate apps (you could have Angry Birds on one screen, and Singletrack forum on the other!). Also, for papers / books, you should be able to turn it to portrait and make it more "book like".

That Sony clamshell looks awful. The first non-Tablet tablet?

(Unless they get the screens going right to the hinge of course, so it is effectively one big screen that goes small enough to put in a pocket - that might be useful)

Think that you can choose between using both screens for one app, or separate screens for separate apps (you could have Angry Birds on one screen, and Singletrack forum on the other!). Also, for papers / books, you should be able to turn it to portrait and make it more "book like".

Be crap for reading papers / books, with that dividing line in the middle. A proper tablet would be far superior. Likewise I can't see games developed for tablet screen shapes would work very well on a thin, long screen. I'm guessing 95% of the time the bottom screen will be used as a keyboard.

Which Magazine rated the Galaxy tab as th best of the Non-iPad machines, followed by the Dell Streak, if that's any use. thought the Dell uses Android 1.6 rather than 2.2

Be crap for reading papers / books, with that dividing line in the middle.

I think it's a feature:

[img] [/img]

Otherwise known as the "spine" of a "book". Have you used one?
[img] [/img]

😉

That's not the same screen aspect ratio though, is it?

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/samsung-galaxy-tablet?replies=3#post-2508270 ]cough[/url]

mogrim - Member
That's not the same screen aspect ratio though, is it?

Well, no, but then again you get books in lots of different "aspect ratios". You wouldn't want to read a coffee table style Encyclopaedia Britannica on it, but would be fine for books and newspapers.

Anyway I don't even like Sony, I'd probably just buy an ipad...

*Backs away from being labelled some sort of fanboy fanatic*

Why you selling, iDave?