What do I look for in Tablet?

**tuiruru** · 18-01-2013, 10:59 AM

Hi all

I've been "ummm-ing" and "ahhhh-ing" about buying a Tablet but don't really know where to start. Android v Win 8 v iWotsit v????. Is 3G necessary (I'm not even sure what 3G is and what it does - I'm that far behind

)etc. What about availability/quality of (free?) apps?

Taking this as a benchmark where do people thing I should go to from here (speaking from your personal experience would be goof?

Any links to recent reviews/comparisons would also be appreciated

Thanks in advance, and "Happy New Year"

**dugimodo** · 18-01-2013, 11:14 AM

I have a transformer TF300 myself and I really like it. There are plenty free apps for android, apple and windows not so much but apps do tend to be cheap.
The transformer range is really nice for the keyboard and it's extra battery capacity - feels like a netbook to use when docked and a regular tablet when not.
If you get one without a keyboard then it's much like any other name brand quad core android.

The Nexus line is a very good place to look, Nexus 7 and 10 specifically, very well regarded tablets that are the benchmark others are judged by. As for your other questions, it mostly depends on you - will you be carrying the tablet around and using it or mainly at home where you have wi-fi? To be truly portable 3G is great but also incurs cellular data charges so it's a personal call. Mine is Wi-Fi only and hardly leaves the house, when it does I can use my smartphone as a wi-fi hotspot for it.

I ended up buying a gtalaxy S3 a few months after my tablet, if I was going to do it again I'd seriously consider the Asus padfone family - a quad core smartphone with a 10" tablet sized screen it can dock to and an available keyboard dock as well. Basically my phone and tablet combined into a single device. I'd find you a link but web access is limited here.

Questions to ask yourself;
Do I need to be mobile and how often (3G)
Is expandable memory important
Do I need Bluetooth and GPS
What connectivity do I want (USB, HDMI, micro SD, etc)
What size suits me - the 7" options are very nice and cost effective - nexus 7 is a great tablet. 10" is great too but less portable.
Is a keyboard dock a desirable feature (I say yes but you can get blutooth wireless keybords that work with most tablets)

**Nick G** · 18-01-2013, 01:01 PM

3G refers to mobile data - accessing the internet through a SIM card. In New Zealand, its pretty expensive, and I wouldn't really recommend spending the extra $ on a 3G tablet. If, however, you see yourself using mobile internet (not wifi) a lot, a 3G tablet might be a worthwhile investment.

As far as OS's go, android would be my recommendation - IOS really starts to show its limitations on a tablet, and to me Windows 8RT just isn't as usable, feature filled, fast, or well designed as Android currently is.

As to what tablet is best for you, that really depends on what do you want to do with it?

**jonovw** · 18-01-2013, 01:28 PM

If you have pretty much any recent smartphone, you can make a wifi hotspot and use your phone's data connection and not have to pay more for a 3g tablet as well as a second mobile data plan.

**tuiruru** · 24-01-2013, 12:43 PM

Hi Guys

Thanks for the replies and apologies for not getting back sooner but I've been away.

I had a look at the TF 300 in DSE Hamilton - was it my imagination or was the display on the Samsungs a bit more vibrant?

I see the TF 700 is on the way (but goodness knows when it will get here) see here, so do I wait for that (I've entered the competition)? The Dick Smith site says that the TF 300 is "stock clearance" although Harvey Norman are pushing it at a slightly more expensive price.

Now I'm being lazy - anybody got some quick links to apps for it?

Thanks

**Chilling_Silence** · 24-01-2013, 01:03 PM

It's possible the display on one was at max brightness and the other was on Auto ?

All apps are on the Play Store. I think we had a thread here recently about "recommended" ones, does anybody know where that went?