Which tablet to get?

I know I always say this, but on a tablet I think having no widgets would suck. The big screen makes really good use of complex interactive widgets.

Only if you’re trying to replicate the metaphor of the desktop which many people are not.

You forgot to add, “and if money is no object”. iPads are expensive.

No not really they aren’t. All tablets at this point are “expensive”.

Last time I went looking for tablets, iPads were more expensive than anything else I looked at. Maybe things have changed. I’m too lazy to go look now so apologies ahead of time to whoever is going to post the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-10-1-Inch-16GB-Wi-Fi/dp/B00519RW1U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310662016&sr=8-1

499.99 which is the same price as the iPad.

All the tablets at this point are pretty close in price range which is kinda whack when you think about it. If these Android tablets really wanted to win the game they need beat Apple in price. At this point unless you hate Apple or love Android there isn’t a reason to get anything other then the iPad.

My view is skewed because I got my Galaxy Tab on Woot for $250. Sorry for the de-rail, carry on!

The 7" galaxy tab running android 2.x really isn’t comparable to an ipad. Those early android tablets were more like giant smartphones than tablets. The 10" galaxy tab running honeycomb is very comparable-- it’s also the only android tablet that approaches the ipad’s svelte physical dimensions. It is, of course, the exact same price as the ipad.

Another point is that these are gaming forums, and the ipad has a lot more games.

Hmmm.

Can I hook up a DVD or Bluray player to an iPad and burn an edited movie to it?

Also, can you hook up an external HD of some type?

No and no.

Why the fuck would you want to? Buy a laptop.

I love disagreement, but since my statement was so specific, can you list a tablet that has a similar combination of hardware, software library, and battery life?

That’s a trick question, btw, since there is no tablet with a comparable software library yet :). I’m a huge gadget fan, but tablet-specific software is the main thing holding back the iPad’s competition right now.

My transformer has 16.5 hours of battery life, albeit 7 of them with the keyboard plugged in. But if I’m going to use it that long without charging it, chances are I’m travelling and watching movie on a flight or typing something, and the keyboard will be useful in both cases (to hold it upright in the former).

As for software library, you are right for now. But with 500,000 Android units activated a day, don’t expect software to lag far behind. I’d be hard pressed to think of software I need and can’t find on Android. There is the Marvel(?) Comics reader which is iOS only and erm… Can’t say I want to use iMovie. Maybe some better picture editing software than Picsay Pro or the very limited Photoshop. The iPad might have better, I guess? But that’s about it. Everything else my wife uses on her iPad or I need, I’ve found on Android. As I said, YMMV.

EDIT: To be clear, I don’t disagree fundamentally with what you said. I think iPads are fantastic and the best built. But they don’t have to be the be all end all anymore. The OP’s set of criteria might mean another option makes more sense. That’s all.

Wendelius

What do you guys think are the odds that MS’s forthcoming Windows 8 might give rise to a tablet with access to older Windows programs? Or is that capacity completely out of the question given the interface issues?

I don’t want to own a smart phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop all at the same time with each having its strengths and weaknesses, so some device convergence would be nice.

It’s unlikely. UI issues are a thing (running classic Windows apps by touch is unfun), and also hardware is another thing. The true tablets all use ARM processors for power reasons, and while Win8 will work on ARM, old-school Windows apps won’t. So if they make an Intel tablet, it’ll be hot ‘n’ heavy, with terrible battery life.

I have a laptop. Two in fact, one is a netbook. I was just trying to determine the limits of the tablet.

The battery life of my xoom has impressed me. I use it every day, but only plug out in for charging maybe once a week? Once every other week?

Another thing about it, which I suspect is due to the decision to use the stupid proprietary power plug, is that the thing goes to a full charge really really fast. Not sure how it works, but it’s nice.

I own an iPad 2 and a Transformer.

You cannot make a bad choice between them (or frankly waiting till the next gen of tablets).

Anyways pros of both.

iPad:
Variety of Apps+
Build Quality+

Transformer:
Screen+
Open OS+

I love em both. I tend to use my Transformer for reading (particularly PDF’s and comics) and my iPad for gaming (just so many great games).

Anyways, no bad choice. Or just wait, tablets are only going to get better over the next 12 months.

The bad choice is if you get a cheap Android 2.2 Chinese tablet.