What to look for in tablet computers?

[hobbsyoyo]

So we did our taxes and we'll be getting a fat check from the government. I'm definately going to be getting a tablet now and money isn't an issue.

So I have just one general question:
What kinds of things should I be looking for in a tablet?

Any specific or general advice is welcome. I'm computer literate but not an expert and I have never owned or paid much attention to tablets before. I do have an Android smartphone, so I guess I'm not totally clueless about tablets. Still, any general discussion would be appreciated.

 

[Zelig]

You're kind of going in reverse, decide what you need in a tablet first, then I can recommend one for you.

A list of tablets I'd recommend, depending on needs: iPad Mini, iPad 4th gen, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, Surface RT, Surface Pro,

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Well yes, but the few reasons I actually need one, I'm pretty sure they can all do. I'd like to be able to take notes on it with a stylus and I know some have palm rejection.

Other than that, I don't care, I want one. I guess I'd like it for note taking and light office/school work. For instance, I have a crappy old laptop I keep so that I can boot it up and use it in front of the TV to do homework. But if I have a lot of homework to do, I go to my desktop.

So I pretty much need something with a decent docking keyboard, a good stylus and decent battery life. I'm not interested in getting a 4G connection, wifi is fine.

 

[LamaGT]

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 provides a stylus, but it's also quite old and frankly not worth to get. Anyway, pretty much every tablet can have a keyboard attached to it, though the Asus Transformer Prime comes with it in one package, and it also has a pretty great hardware.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

That is definately a contender. My friend has one and he raves about it but I have never read a review on it or any other tablet so I don't know their individual strengths and draw backs.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Oh and something else, I would like it to be capable of running Microsoft Office Student Edition. The student edition comes with 2 tablet downloads and I'd like to be able to run it on the tablet I get. Can Android tablets do that?

Now that I think of it, I had wanted an Android tablet, but I really don't see a big reason to choose Android over Windows 8, particularly since I'll be using it much like I use my laptop at times. Is there anyting Android tablets have that Windows tablets don't? How about iPads?

 

[Zack]

If mediocre battery life is acceptable and price really isn't a concern, get the 128gb (OS takes up a lot of space) Surface Pro + type keyboard. It'll cost you over a thousand dollars, though.

 

[Zelig]

The Surface Pro is really the only tablet I'd consider if you really want good stylus input. The size, weight and battery life aren't very tablety though, and the processor makes using anything you have that's slower than a dual-core i5 rather pointless.

Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 are the only Android tablets I'd consider due to getting updates straight from Google.

Ipad mini and 10 are the tablet gold standards.

Office is currently only available on Windows RT and Windows 8. When iOS and/or Android versions eventually are released, they will only be usable with a subscription to Office 365.

I feel tablet choice kind of depends on what other device you already own. If you already have a <13" laptop, getting a 10" tablet is kind of redundant, similarly, if you have a 7" ereader, a 7" tablet is also kind of redundant. My setup is a 7" ereader (Kobo Touch), a 10.6" tablet (Surface RT) and a 15" laptop (rMBP), which I feel covers the available form factors nicely. If I didn't require a quad-core laptop processor, I'd probably get either a smaller laptop and no 10" tablet, or the Surface Pro.

If you're heavily invested in the Apple/Google/MS ecosystem, any of their respective operating systems will integrate best with their services.

 

[LamaGT]

Don't forget that Android tablets still cost less. Anyway, the Surface isn't bad but to be honest, the Windows marketplace is simply tiny in comparison to Android/Apple, and even though there isn't Office, there are perfectly decent replacements.

 

[Zelig]

The alternatives to Office aren't very good.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The alternatives to Office aren't very good.

Having used Open Office for the last 2 years, I have to say I really really want MS Office on my tablet. Currently, only my laptop has Office (2007) and it's a bottleneck in my work flow because it's hard to do a lot of heavy use of the laptop, but my desktop only has Open Office, which means the formatting is screwed anytime I use it and I will eventually have to revert to using my laptop.

If I had a tablet with MS Office, I could make minor changes to .doc and .xls without worrying about whether or not the format will be screwed when I switch to the desktop (which I am buying MS Office for).

It's almost a necessity that the tablet be able to run Office, but that locks me into a limited number of tablets (AFAIK) with a small number of apps.

The Surface Pro is really the only tablet I'd consider if you really want good stylus input. The size, weight and battery life aren't very tablety though, and the processor makes using anything you have that's slower than a dual-core i5 rather pointless.

That combination is hard for me to justify. Any one of those things would be overlookable, but all three makes me think twice about it.

Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 are the only Android tablets I'd consider due to getting updates straight from Google.

I really like the size of the iPad, is the Nexus 10 similar in size?

Ipad mini and 10 are the tablet gold standards.

Yeah it's a top contender, I just have an irrational dislike of Apple and I have no other Apple products while I currently have Android phones and Windows PC/laptops. I worry about compatability, but then again I don't really do much cross-computer work except to edit Office files.

One question, how much does the flash incompatability of the Apple browser in the iPad hinder web surfing? I can't think off the top of my head websites that have lots of flash vidoes, but I do come across them a lot in random places.

I want a tablet with a full browser that won't give me the issues my phone's browser does as far as inability to run certain videos and formatting errors.

Office is currently only available on Windows RT and Windows 8. When iOS and/or Android versions eventually are released, they will only be usable with a subscription to Office 365.

Crap.

If you're heavily invested in the Apple/Google/MS ecosystem, any of their respective operating systems will integrate best with their services.

Not really heavily invested in any of them. As I said, I don't ever hook them up to each other and the only files that ever cross between systems are Office files, pictures (from phone -> PC) and music (pc -> phone).

So I guess my revised list of wants/need is:

Needs:
Decent stylus and note-taking, voice recording apps
Full Browser for web surfing
iPad size range

Wants:
MS Office (almost a need - I will get a windows tablet if it satisfies all of the needs and most of the wants)
Decent selection of apps
Decent battery life
(the last two are very negotiable depending on how well the tablet meets the other criteria)

 

[illram]

If you want Office and a stylus I think Surface tablets are the only answer. Not familiar enough with RT/Pro to advise on either so I'd defer to Zelig on that one.

 

[Zelig]

That combination is hard for me to justify. Any one of those things would be overlookable, but all three makes me think twice about it.

Maybe wait a bit, Nokia is rumored to be launching at least one tablet soon. Dunno about stylus support though. Wanting a stylus really narrows your options.

I really like the size of the iPad, is the Nexus 10 similar in size?

Yes, basically same size, form factor is the biggest difference, iPad is 4:3, Nexus 10 is 16:10. In terms of form factor, iPads are best for portrait mode, Windows tablets are best for movies.

One question, how much does the flash incompatability of the Apple browser in the iPad hinder web surfing? I can't think off the top of my head websites that have lots of flash vidoes, but I do come across them a lot in random places.

Depends what you do. I don't find it affects me too much. Flash is essentially dead on Android, if you rely on Flash for anything important, Windows is the best option.

I want a tablet with a full browser that won't give me the issues my phone's browser does as far as inability to run certain videos and formatting errors.

Most modern phone/tablet browsers are all pretty good... what are you using on your phone?

Crap.

Just get Office 365 for University, it's $80 for four years and covers 2 PCs/Macs and 2 mobile devices, along with the bonus skydrive space and skype minutes.

FYI, Windows RT and Windows 8 are somewhat different:
Windows RT - runs on ARM processors, includes Office at no additional cost, can't run desktop apps. (Other than Office, and the other stuff included with it.) (Surface RT and some other ARM tablets come with this, they all get good battery life and are relatively thin/light.)
Windows 8 - Full desktop Windows 8, doesn't include Office. (This runs on both Ivy Bridge processors, like the Surface Pro, which are much faster than ARM, and have poor battery life and weight/size, and Clover Trail processors, which are on par with ARM for performance/battery life/weight/size.)

 

[Zack]

Maybe the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 or Asus VivoTab?

 

[Zelig]

DPI on the VivoTab is too low for me, I hadn't looked at the Thinkpad Tablet 2 before, but skimming a few reviews it might be the best Clovertrail Windows 8 tablet available.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

DPI on the VivoTab is too low for me, I hadn't looked at the Thinkpad Tablet 2 before, but skimming a few reviews it might be the best Clovertrail Windows 8 tablet available.

What is DPI?

Maybe wait a bit, Nokia is rumored to be launching at least one tablet soon. Dunno about stylus support though. Wanting a stylus really narrows your options.

Damn it. I thought stylus input was a given. Do websites list stylus input as a feature? (really glad I put down stylus input as a must-have, I thought this was a given and nearly ommited it - things like this are why I started this thread)

Yes, basically same size, form factor is the biggest difference, iPad is 4:3, Nexus 10 is 16:10. In terms of form factor, iPads are best for portrait mode, Windows tablets are best for movies.

Ok, I think the split between web browsing for fun/watching movies or TV online/work will be roughly 30/10/60. For my wife it will be 20/50/30. We don't have to get the same tablets and we probably won't as we have very different needs (she doesn't need a stylus, for instance). Basef on this, what screen ratios do you recommend?

I defined web browsing for fun as things like CFC, reading online magazines, wikipedia browsing and all non-work, non-video browsing.

Watching TV and movies is just that and it will be on Netflix, websites that use flash or Youtube.

I define work as taking notes in class doing homework on it with digital paper with a stylus, surfing school websites and using Office and Office-like products for light editing. While my wife won't take notes, she will use websites for her job and will need Office.

Depends what you do. I don't find it affects me too much. Flash is essentially dead on Android, if you rely on Flash for anything important, Windows is the best option.

Well I don't think I have much need for flash but I would prefer this capability as I said I want a fully capable browser. Essentially, I want to not notice a giant difference between the internet my PC gets and what I get on my tablet. I also despise most mobile sites.

My wife watches a lot of TV shows on network websites and they use flash. So that kind of rules out iPad unless networks like MTV or CBS have good iPad apps. I am leary of this though as my experience with this has been that the apps they offer only allow you to watch clips instead of full shows or offer a tiny sliver of the offerings available in their flash-based websites. Though I must disclose that my experiences in this arena are based on Android.

Most modern phone/tablet browsers are all pretty good... what are you using on your phone?

The default browser on my Galaxy S I. I haven't factory reset it yet so due to a glitch I can't download new browser apps. Also, I find that due to it running Android 2.1, I only can get a fraction of the total newest apps anyways. So I am probably stuck with subpar web browsing due to that.

ust get Office 365 for University, it's $80 for four years and covers 2 PCs/Macs and 2 mobile devices, along with the bonus skydrive space and skype minutes.

Yeah I looked at that but you said Office isn't on Androids so I am locked into a Windows tablet.

FYI, Windows RT and Windows 8 are somewhat different:
Windows RT - runs on ARM processors, includes Office at no additional cost, can't run desktop apps. (Other than Office, and the other stuff included with it.) (Surface RT and some other ARM tablets come with this, they all get good battery life and are relatively thin/light.)
Windows 8 - Full desktop Windows 8, doesn't include Office. (This runs on both Ivy Bridge processors, like the Surface Pro, which are much faster than ARM, and have poor battery life and weight/size, and Clover Trail processors, which are on par with ARM for performance/battery life/weight/size.)

Ok so if I got a Windows RT tablet, I would get Office for free as a bonus, but I would be restricted in my app selection. Are there many 'must-have' desktop Win 8 apps that I would miss? I mean, most of the apps I use on my phone are stupid games I could care less about, some productivity apps (convertpad - a unit converter) and thats about it. Otherwise I just browse the web, listen to music, do quick google searches, navigate with gps and answer brief emails.

So given this and my preference for stylus input, a full browser and Office, is there a downside to going with RT?


Thanks for all your help.

 

[Zack]

Damn it. I thought stylus input was a given. Do websites list stylus input as a feature? (really glad I put down stylus input as a must-have, I thought this was a given and nearly ommited it - things like this are why I started this thread)

Technically, you can use a "stylus" with any old tablet (like an iPad), but it would be akin to writing on the wall with a crayon (it's basically like holding your finger in your hand, if that makes sense, and you can't rest your palm on the screen).

 

[Zelig]

What is DPI?

Dots per inch, so basically resolution per screen size. Windows RT tablets are all 1366x768, 10.6" is really the biggest tablet I'd get with this resolution.

Damn it. I thought stylus input was a given. Do websites list stylus input as a feature? (really glad I put down stylus input as a must-have, I thought this was a given and nearly ommited it - things like this are why I started this thread)

Depends a bit on what you want for stylus - any tablet will support a simple capacitive stylus, but one of those isn't going to work much better than your finger anyway. Other tablets have various levels of gimmickery (Samsung Note supports stylus, but not a Nexus device, so I wouldn't recommend, you can hack up bluetooth stylus things with ipads).

Here's a list of stylus-compatible Windows tablets: http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/hardware/52592-list-windows-8-rt-tablets-convertibles-stylus.html

Stylus support isn't really an area where I know a lot...

Ok, I think the split between web browsing for fun/watching movies or TV online/work will be roughly 30/10/60. For my wife it will be 20/50/30. We don't have to get the same tablets and we probably won't as we have very different needs (she doesn't need a stylus, for instance). Basef on this, what screen ratios do you recommend?

Depends on personal preference - they're pretty much all fine for web browsing, for heavy reading I mostly stick to my 7" ereader with e-ink in portrait mode anyway, tv/movies is going to be best on 16:9.

Well I don't think I have much need for flash but I would prefer this capability as I said I want a fully capable browser. Essentially, I want to not notice a giant difference between the internet my PC gets and what I get on my tablet. I also despise most mobile sites.

A properly designed modern site uses a single responsive design between mobile and desktop, generally based on resolution, you get the same site as you would on a phone if you make your window narrow on a desktop.

FYI youtube is going to work fine on any tablet, it's got apps and html5 video so doesn't even need flash.

The default browser on my Galaxy S I. I haven't factory reset it yet so due to a glitch I can't download new browser apps. Also, I find that due to it running Android 2.1, I only can get a fraction of the total newest apps anyways. So I am probably stuck with subpar web browsing due to that.

Yeah, that browser is ancient.

Yeah I looked at that but you said Office isn't on Androids so I am locked into a Windows tablet.

Not available yet, Android and iOS versions are coming probably sometime in the next year.

Ok so if I got a Windows RT tablet, I would get Office for free as a bonus, but I would be restricted in my app selection. Are there many 'must-have' desktop Win 8 apps that I would miss? I mean, most of the apps I use on my phone are stupid games I could care less about, some productivity apps (convertpad - a unit converter) and thats about it. Otherwise I just browse the web, listen to music, do quick google searches, navigate with gps and answer brief emails.

So given this and my preference for stylus input, a full browser and Office, is there a downside to going with RT?

Windows RT doesn't give you stylus input.

I don't think any Windows tablets will give you offline GPS capabilities, I'd suspect Nokia will do this whenever their tablet comes out.

 

[LamaGT]

IIRC there are styli that use some sort of carbon to work with capacitive touch screens, but they also have a round tip which is indeed not better than a finger.

As for the rest, Android has dropped out flash support from 4.1 onwards, yet installing it on my 4.2 Nexus 7 consisted of searching on google for it and downloading it from xda-developers. Google Maps doesn't work offline but there are plenty of opensource offline navigators (also that joke named Tom-Tom, they put up a version for 70&#8364; and people even dare to buy it!).

 

[Zelig]

Last time I tried various offline GPS navigators for Android, the free ones were all terrible.