Hi all, I use a tablet for work most of the day just for conferencing (via Zoom) or to have as a slack ticker running constantly. Frequently I’ll also use the web browser to monitor an active session on our platform.
And then I also use it when I’m having to plow through gajillions of spreadsheets to separate and score data. Which is a time-consuming but mindless process, and it really helps to have some tv show playing on the tablet as well, either from a service our from my Plex server. “Oh, I’ve been scoring sports stuff for 7 Simpsons episodes now. Time to take a break for a few.”
But my 3rd-gen iPad has been not so up to snuff for that lately. I’m noticing it dropping streaming more and more when it shouldn’t, occasional lockups becoming more frequent, etc.
So. New tablet. I’m not opposed to staying in the Apple Universe. I’m not opposed to checking out the Android universe. I am opposed to Amazon’s weird little walled garden of Android. And I’d like it to be a regular size tablet, not a mini.
I’d really like to not spend more than $400 or so if possible. Less than $300 would be awesome.
If you’re prepared to remain in the Apple eco system, there aren’t many scenarios where an Android tablet would be a better buy than an iPad I think. You can get better displays on some higher end Android tablets if screen was a major consideration. Under $400 though, latest gen iPad is ~$350 for the 128gb version (next model up is the Air but that starts at $500). Even though its the low end iPad it will still offer a fairly good performance upgrade over the iPad 3 though.
Until this post I hadn’t realized that I could get a fully-functional standard 7th-gen (newest)128gb iPad for $320. That pretty much seals the deal, I think.
I’m pretty much happy with my iPad pro 2nd gen. But looking ahead, I really wish I could do more “laptoppy” stuff with files and programs tablet-style without constantly going to my PC. Has anyone used Surface, and is it a viable option?
It looks like the new base iPad is the 10.2" though. Like they sliiiiiiightly enlarged it, maybe not enough to tell. But yeah, I was surprised at how inexpensive they are compared to what I think I paid for my Gen 1, 2, and 3 pads back in the day.
The Air has a slightly larger screen, the screen is laminated so it looks much better, the display supports True Tone so it adapts to the color temperature of your room, and it’s dramatically faster. But it’s 51% more expensive, so YMMV. Personally i got the 11" which is just unjustifiably expensive because YOLO.
Why do you say that? Personally, I avoid Apple products like the Plague, and I’ve got a two-year-old Android tablet which still performs beautifully as a media player and light gaming device.
Interesting. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t gone to the Microsoft store in the mall near here to play around with them in the last week. :) My only problem with them is that the really expensive models always draw my eyes…
All the standard reasons, no real tablet apps on Android. Same reasons everybody says not to buy an Android tablet. If you just use it to watch videos it’s fine of course.
Phone screens are so spacious and so hi-rez now, my tablet mostly gathers dust. I guess if I needed one for work, but I’ve probably bought my last tablet.
I keep my phone at my desk when at home, so I have a tablet next to the couch for idle browsing and whatnot. Also of course I have my famous PooPad Pro mounted in the bathroom.
If you stick with Apple you can answer phonecalls and text messages on the iPads also. And facetime, but I wouldn’t recommend that while defecating, people find it offputting for some reason.
If you are looking for a less pricy option that competes fairly well with high priced tablets, the samsung galaxy tab A is a nice option for about $200. You can go up from there with tab S models.
Re: iPad Air True Tone. It is shit. It makes image having the wrong colour constantly, especially white becomes slight yellow. And it is a common complaint that they still haven’t fixed.
Vanilla iPad sounds like it is what you need. Windows tablet tends to be a lot heavier, and battery a lot worse. I imagine it would be a good choice if people use it as a main device, but overkill as a second screen. Android tablet is dead to me.
I love my iPad Pro 2nd Gen, but, yeah, I’ve given up trying to do any kind of serious photo editing on it. The workflow is nightmarish to the point that Steve Jobs would be firing everyone involved if he were alive today. But it’s an amazing and gorgeous piece of technology otherwise.