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Murph

By Murph
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Murph Crew

Murph

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Great item, and the new software update really makes it worthwhile.

 

 

Barnes and Noble have now allowed the NOOK HD/HD+ access to Google Play! This is major, so the oldest will be getting a Nook HD+ for Christmas with a 64 gb MicroSD card, since they allow Google Play, and other Google apps. This makes the Nook a VERY viable tablet system. Still learning on my Nexus 10, if I had only known, I might have gotten me a Nook HD+. I was looking at the Galaxy Note 8, but now the NOOK works.

Nook HD just had a price drop. It's down to around $150 for the 7".

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m1a1mg Crew

m1a1mg

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Go to a store and test the Nook before you buy. Slow browser. Much slower than the Nexus. Also, having pure Android like the Nexus is really good. None of the crap all the vendors add.

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TTK Ciar Crew

TTK Ciar

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A friend of mine is happy with the Nexus7 his employer gave him. It seems featureful and stable, and the display is comfortably large.

 

My wife has a Nook for reading books and playing flash games, but she complains that it doesn't handle PDF well enough to make it useful for her vast library of crochet patterns. Her phone is an iPhone 3GS, which works well as a phone and for texting, but not much else. When she wants a browser, she uses her laptop or borrows my phone.

 

I have a Kobo Touch for an eReader, because its battery lasts a couple of months (eInk display, plus slow processor), it can read media from an SDHC card, can be mounted as a generic USB storage device, handles a plethora of media formats, and maintains its internal catalog in an sqlite database (which means I can modify my book metadata via SQL commands). However, like my wife and her Nook, I am not happy with its handling of PDF files. I have to transcode scientific journals from PDF to HTML before I'm happy with them.

 

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note II, which is almost big enough to be a tablet in its own right (which is important for me -- I have large hands, with fingers like sausages, and on a normal phone it's impossible to press one button without pressing two or three others). I love it -- the camera, web browser, media player, tethering, wifi routing, note-taking app, texting, and email integration are all fantastic. The calculator and soft-keyboard that came with it were annoyingly limited, but after installing RealCalc and Hacker's Keyboard (both free apps), I have no complaints. Its battery lasts a week or two, depending on usage.

 

When RealCalc proves insufficient, I can SSH from the phone to my workstation and fire up Octave (an open-source MATLAB clone) or perlcalc (which has all of my custom formulae programmed into it; I've never gotten around to porting them to Octave).

 

At the office, they put an iPad in each conference room, jacked in sideways to a keyboard/docking bay device. The best I can say about them is that it makes giving presentations easier, because I no longer have to futz with my laptop trying to get it to display on the conference room's big screen. They integrate nicely with "Apple TV", so all I have to do is point the iPad's browser at my presentation (http-exported from my workstation) and it's ready to go. Every time I've tried using it for anything else, it's frustrated and bewildered me. They've retooled every application to be better-suited to the mobile medium, and the user interface is different from anything else I've experienced. My advice: Stay far away.

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Ivanhoe Hierophant Lord

Ivanhoe

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I really like the TF700 with keyboard. Makes it easier to have "travelling office lite". While I don't use it that often as tablet itself, it is "nice to have", as is the additional battery.

 

That's a tempting concept for me; tablet convenience with laptop I/O. Another plus is that Ubuntu runs on the Tegra, apparently, so there's at least some possibility to replace Android with Linux. I'm very pleased that the Ubuntu and Linux Mint projects continue to offer lightweight desktops, and I'd love it if I could have Linux as the host OS and run Android as a VM.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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You guys have convinced me to get Victoria a Nexus 7 instead of the Nook for Christmas. I will add many books to it for her, along with some apps. It looks like the Nexus 7 2.0 is rumored to be coming out later in the year possibly with Android 4.3. The only thing I do not like is that it only has 32 gb of memory, and no expansion slot. BTW, I am really coming to dislike Chrome as a browser.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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Updated review.

 

My equipment:
iPad 1st Generation 64 gb
Nexus 10 32 gb
B&N Nook HD 8 gb (actually my 12 year olds, bought at the suggestion of her dyslexia teacher)

e-Reader: Nook kicks both of the others to the sidewalk. But iBooks is a great application which is better than the Google Play Reader. Nook, Nexus 10, and iPad can read ePUB open source files, unlike the Kindles which are locked into an Amazon proprietary format. This allows downloads from great places like Baen Books, and Project Guttenburg. I find myself reaching for either the Nexus or iPad these days when I go somewhere to take books with me. My 12 year old tells me that it is easier reading on the Nook than on paper, which her teacher said seems to be the case with kids who are dyslexic.

Screen: Nexus 10 blows them away, and even kicks Retina displays butts with 2560x1600 display, just stunning.

Sound: Not much to choose from here, slight edge to the Nexus 10 with front mounted top and bottom speakers.

Storage: They all suck, but the Nook can take a 64 gb MicroSD card. Movies are space hogs. REMINDER insert the SD card BEFORE you d/l movies on the Nook, so they go to the SD card rather than the limited internal memory.

Speed/power: Nexus 10, then iPad, then Nook.

Battery Life: all go dead in about 8-10 hours of heavy usage, which includes reading. Reading for some reason really sucks the juice out of the battery. The Nexus 10 recharges the slowest, the iPad the fastest, followed by the Nook in second place.

Ease of use: Subjective but perhaps a slight nudge to the iPad. The Nook is darn impressive though, the kid picked it up, and just started using it.

Apps: Apple still has the most/best. Google Play is still feels a little unfinished compared to iTunes. B&N store is better for books, worse in everything else. iTunes store is still easier to find things on, and has a better selection of music than Google Play. OMG each device I have had to have "Where's my Perry", and other Disney kid games added to keep the kids happy. Google Play is catching up to iTunes quickly, but what I do not like is the porn apps on Google Play, I appreciate iTunes being a more "family friendly" app store.

Browsers: Chrome SUCKS!!!!! (IMHO) Safari is a better browser once you get used to it. Did I mention that Chrome SUCKS!?

Overall feel: The Nook HD (7") is easier to hold and read for long periods, has a gorgeous screen, and handles well. Adding Google Play has made the difference here turning the Nook HD into a good although not great table. Both the iPad and Nexus 10 are a little too big to be comfortable e-readers.

The Nexus 10, well it has the most beautiful screen to date, a bit too high contrast for reading for long periods (it hurts my eyes after an hour or so), limited in storage, but running Android 4.2.2, in line for 4.3 as soon as it comes out.

iPad, good screen, iBooks works better than Google Play Books, Music is better handled (Google music only allows 1000 songs per playlist, iTunes just goes, and goes), but still does not allow as many app icons on screen as the Nexus 10 does.

Conclusion: Pretty much a shootout with IMO a slight edge going to the Android offering, with the Nexus 10 being the better tablet. I am impressed with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 although I am not impressed with $399 for the price. Since the Nexus 7 with a better screen is available at Wal-mart for $249. Android is here to stay, and in a big way. Heck my cell phone is an HTC One VX running Android. I will not use the Amazon Kindles because of the proprietary nature of the Kindle, which locks you into the Amazon eco-system. Use the Kindle app for Android if you need to do Kindle. Another Android tablet to look at is the ASUS TF-700, full HD screen, MicroSD card, keyboard, with SD card slot, lots of RAM.

My next tablet for me: iPad 64 gb with Retina display
My next tablet for my 15 year old: Nook HD/HD+
My next tablet for She Who Must Be Obeyed: Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Comments please?

http://www.google.com/nexus/10/

http://www.google.com/nexus/7/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook...ble/1110060426

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad

http://www.samsung.com/global/micros...ynote/note8.0/

 

http://www.asus.com/us/Tablets_Mobile/ASUS_Transformer_Pad_Infinity_TF700T


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Ivanhoe Hierophant Lord

Ivanhoe

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Heck, the switch from paper to mylar tape was huge. And the shift from punch cards to 9-track mag tape? Nerdgasm!

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Fritz Crew

Fritz

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I still think the swap from Vacuum tubes was a mistake. I mean, think of all that house heating we could do every time we browse the internet! :D

 

I heard they are also pretty resilient to nuclear blast radiation, that's always a nice thing to have.

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m1a1mg Crew

m1a1mg

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Barnes & Noble (BKS)‘s products with power buttons and virtual pages have turned into horror stories. With demand for its Nooks disappearing, the New York-based company just posted a $118.6 million loss in the three months ended April 27—more than double its year-earlier loss and much worse than Wall Street expected. Now the company plans to get out of the tablet-making business entirely, though it intends to continue selling them.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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After having both for a while, I find that I use the Google Nexus 10 to read things like Android Central, CNET, Times of India, the Guardian, Fox News, etc. For music and entertainment, it is the iPad hands down. As for eBooks, both are ok, neither seems better, the Apple offerings are cheaper than the Google play/Barnes and Noble offerings. B&N has a better selection than either iTunes, or Google Play. Baen actually downloads much easier to the iPad, and the Nook than the Google 10. If I am grabbing a tablet to go, it seems to be the iPad rather than the Android. I might grab a Nexus 7 as a dedicated book reader later in the year. Lupe is getting a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 as a christmas gift and lots of books on it. I am waiting for it to come down in price some.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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Grabbed a Nexus 7 2013 model for Lupe's Christmas present. Impressive hardware, not happy at the on/off switch which you really have to hold down to make it work, *unhappy* However the screen is Awesomely sharp. Added a bunch of books to it, and the Nook app, with some Nook books. It is going to be mostly an e-reader, with tablet features for her. She likes the kids Nooks, but wanted more, so instead of a Nook, I got her the Nexus. Me, after sober reflection, I am sticking with iPads. Even though I have an Android phone, I like the iPad better than the Nexus tablet. iBooks just works better I think, and Safari is preferred to Chrome. The full size tablets are not ideal for reading, the smaller form factor seems to be much more comfortable to hold.

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Colin Crew

Colin

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looking at this for the Xmas present

 

Acer Iconia A210 Tablet (HT HAAAA 002), Android 4.0, 16GB, WiFi, Grey

 

Specifications Accelerometer Yes App Ecosystem Google Apps Battery Life Up to 8 hours Battery Type Rechargeable 24.1W/h Li-Polymer Bluetooth Enabled v.2.1 Camera 2MP Front Facing Colour Black Dimensions 0.48" (H) x 10.2" (W) x 6.9" (D) Expandable Storage MicroSD memory slot up to 32GB Gyroscope Yes Internal Storage Memory 16GB Maximum Resolution 1280 x 800 Media Card Reader MicroSD Memory 1GB Operating System Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich Other Ports 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x Micro USB 2.0, Headphone, Microphone Processor 1.2GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad Core Mobile Screen Size 10.1" WXGA HD Multi-Touch Display Warranty 1-Year Limited Weight 1.5 lb. Wireless Network Card 802.11b/g/n Wireless (802.11n 2.4GHz only)

See Technical Details

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rmgill Hierophant Lord

rmgill

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IPad mini here. My uncle bought it for me after I bought an iPad 2 for him. He's slowly working up to using it and loves it. Pretty good considering he's 70 and not very computer savvy.

 

I like the mini a lot. Very happy with it. It's everything I wanted my newton to do and far more. I've been using the iTunes app since inception and had started the mass ripping of my entire music library to mp3's about a year prior to iTunes hitting the net. The app I was using at the time was good but iTunes had more polish. At the time I was running an array of x4 4 Gig disks to get reasonable performance out of the library for a,cress and playback. Obviously that's not an issue now days.

 

I use last.fm a lot both on the iPad and on my iPhone. Kinda nice to have streaming music that's outside of my library and it helps me find new and interesting things to listen to.

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rmgill Hierophant Lord

rmgill

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Oh, for cases I can't recommend the Griffin Survivor line enough. Very tough and good at protecting screen and case. Just bulky.

Edited by rmgill
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Murph Crew

Murph

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Well Apple did their usual sh*t and over priced the new Mini out of my reach, so I got a Nexus 7 2013 edition (32 gb) after selling some old .357 sig ammo, and added the Google Play reader, the Nook reader, and the Kindle reader app. I am pretty well set for books, since I can download from Baen to the Nook app or the iPad (gen 1) that I have, and then read those books on any device. At 323 ppi the Nexus blows away the iPad, and any of the Samsung devices. I thought about getting a Nook HD, but decided on the pure android experience. The Kindle app is a bit of a PITA since it has lots of ads which keep intruding, since Amazon wants you to buy, buy, buy from them. Now if I can just convert the Apple iTunes books to something that can be read on the Nook or Google Play app, I would be happy.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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Update on this one the Google tablet is easier on my old eyes with 300 ppi, and makes a better reader. For entertainment, it is the iPad and Safari is still a more enjoyable browser than Chrome. I might get a used iPad 3 or iPad 4 if I can find one cheap to update my old gen 1 iPad to a better screen. Lupe's Nexus 7 2013 has lots of "Mommy apps" such as coupons, movies, shopping, etc. Hopefully she will like it.

After having both for a while, I find that I use the Google Nexus 10 to read things like Android Central, CNET, Times of India, the Guardian, Fox News, etc. For music and entertainment, it is the iPad hands down. As for eBooks, both are ok, neither seems better, the Apple offerings are cheaper than the Google play/Barnes and Noble offerings. B&N has a better selection than either iTunes, or Google Play. Baen actually downloads much easier to the iPad, and the Nook than the Google 10. If I am grabbing a tablet to go, it seems to be the iPad rather than the Android. I might grab a Nexus 7 as a dedicated book reader later in the year. Lupe is getting a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 as a christmas gift and lots of books on it. I am waiting for it to come down in price some.

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Murph Crew

Murph

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Jelly bean is FAR superior to Ice Cream Sandwich. It has loads of new features that make things easier, and also conserve power, as well as make the tablet work faster. Keep you eyes open for an ASUS TF-700 since it is about to be replaced by a new model, or look closely at the Nexus 7 2013 version. That 1920x1200 screen makes reading easy, and little to no eye strain. Plus it is so darn light, add a Poetic case from Amazon, is you are set. Plus it uses the industry standard micro-USB charger.

 

http://www.androidauthority.com/android-4-0-ice-cream-sandwich-vs-android-4-1-jelly-bean-comparison-video-105805/

 

http://forums.androidcentral.com/android-4-1-4-2-4-3-jelly-bean/258573-jelly-bean-ice-cream-sandwich-gingerbread-better-3.html

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Colin Crew

Colin

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That's only in US, here the pro is $649 out of my price range, everyone is offering the Samsung

Galaxy Tab 2 10.1inch Tablet - GT-P5113TSR

 

http://www.londondrugs.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-2-10.1inch-Tablet---GT-P5113TSR/L7471733,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=computers-ipadtabletsereaders-tabletpcs&prefn1=brandDescription&prefv1=SAMSUNG

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