Best Tablet
 

Ok then guys what's the best Tablet out there? Budget is unlimited... I want one with 3G or 4G and not WIFI only so I can browse the web wherever I am.

Re: Best Tablet
 

You need to decide what type of tablet you want. 7" or Large.

The best tablet is probably the iPad Air. Followed by the smaller iPad mini Retina. Simply because the iOS software still edges out Android when it comes to the tablet and the App Store for tablet application still isn't that good on Android IMO. However the Nexus 7 is also a very good tablet as well, great hardware, great screen and it's much cheaper than it's closet rival - the iPad Mini Retina.

So large tablet: iPad Air is simply way out there.
Smaller Tablet: iPad Mini or Nexus 7 dependent on if you want iOS or Android respectively.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Agree with Damien

Re: Best Tablet
 

Thirded - I have an iPad, Android 10 and 7 inch, and a Win8 tablet, and the iPad is the one I use most.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Depends what you want to do, I recommend iPads for people who are invested in iOS already.

A part from that iOS has a slight lead on smoothness over android but nowhere near what It was.

If you will have kids using it as well I'd for a nexus due to the multi account support or if you want to do specific things. Video play back via xbmc is miles ahead on the nexus, I also find transfeing files to and from iOS cumbersome.

My iPad fell in disuse due xbmc and a note taking app with handwriting recognition on the nexus.

J

Re: Best Tablet
 

if of course you only ever intend to connect it to one computer to transfer data

any good brand tablet with a quad core cpu and 2 gig of ram will perform well. I have the Note 10.1 first edition and its brilliant smooth fast no problems at all. I hate itunes and the whole Apple way of doing business so I personally will never own Apple anything. However I bought my daughter the Air for xmas because that was what she wanted and asked for it with a baaaaaa lol

least you have unlimited budget you will need it lol If you have a good net package on your phone you could of course tether

Re: Best Tablet
 

I think most of the good tablets, Android or Apple, will perform well and with speed. Build quality (and screen!) is mostly equal in terms of iPad Mini Retina vs Nexus 7 as well. However I think Apple edge in terms of software and the support for Tablet applications in the Google Play store is poor in comparsion to Apple's store.

That said it's true that iPad is a pain if you want to drag and drop files or music from your computer to the tablet. You can't really do it unless you want to put up with a lot of hassle. However if you are willing to buy into the ecosystem than Apple is still be best tablet overall.

Re: Best Tablet
 

I got a Nexus 7 for my brother for xmas and had to fill it up with apps and games etc for him. It's really easy to use and has a great screen on it. Putting things on it is a breeze too and it is a really nice tablet.

But I have the iPad 2 and to me it is a much more solid machine altogether and I much prefer the bigger screen. Since I've had it I've never put it down to be honest, it gets more use than my PC. But getting things on and off it is a nightmare so got round that by Jailbreaking it. I don't think I'd hook it up to itune again as I just can't get on with it.

I ain't an apple fanboy but if my iPad died today I'd replace it in an instant.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Basically:

iPad Air if you want a larger screen
iPad Mini Retina if you want a smaller screen, more portable tablet, and iOS.
Nexus 7 if you want a smaller screen, more portable tablet, and Android.

Re: Best Tablet
 

We bought into the Apple ecosystem over a decade ago with our first iMac, followed not long afterwards with a 1st gen iPod, which I still have, and still works. :D

I've not been interested in computing as a hobby for many years now. All I want is for any item of consumer electronics to just work when I plug it in, whether it's a TV or a computer or a tablet. And the simple fact is, with the iCloud account I've had since it was called .Mac, everything plugs together and works without even having to think about it. So for me, it's worth spending a little more and using a little longer, in order to have an iPad even if it's not the most up to date, rather than having the latest all-singing, all-dancing spec just for the sake of it.

My 1st gen iPad still does everything I bought it for, and more besides. Obviously there are things it can't do, compared to more up to date models, but as I didn't buy it for those features I can hardly complain.

To answer the OPs point about wanting 3/4G as well as WiFi, stop and think for a moment about how you use a tablet. It is not a phone, you can't easily use it walking down the street the way you do with a phone. Chances are you are only going to get it out when you are sitting down somewhere, and then you can usually find a hotspot to connect to. I have a 3G slot in my iPad, not from choice but because the end-of-line model I bought on eBay just happened to have one. But I have never put a SIM in it and in 3 years I can probably think of only a handful of times I'd genuinely wished I'd had one.

When I come to replace my iPad I won't be seeking out a model with a SIM slot.

Re: Best Tablet
 

http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/feature...-connectivity/


For me it'll always be droid, like some others I'll never fall into the Apple trap......... But each to their own I guess!

Nexus 7 would if portability was high on my priorities be my #1 choice.
I like the look/speed/feel of the Tab 3 10.1 2014 edition but not sure if there is a 3g variant.
I use my N7 out and about with my phone acting as a wireless hotspot for on the move connectivity.

Re: Best Tablet
 

I currently use a Nexus 10 and loving it, and as like some others i will never fall into the over priced apple ecosystem.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Just bought the wife the Note 10.1 2014 version.
Higher screen res than the ipad air and has 2 quad core cpu operating in tandem so 8 cores.
very fast and smooth.

also going up to kitkat early 2014

Re: Best Tablet
 

But it doesn't have 4g

Re: Best Tablet
 

yes it does

http://www.mobicity.co.uk/samsung-p6...l#.UrXjjE2YZhE

Re: Best Tablet
 

... to add to that:

Also consider that, depending upon what phone you have, you may be able to "tether" it to a WiFi only tablet and use the phone's 3G/4G connection when not able to use WiFi.

I have only ever had WiFi iPads, and on those rare occasions when I've not been able to use WiFi I have just tethered my iPad to my phone and used the phone's 3G connection.

Re: Best Tablet
 

I have used a Ipad, Nexus 7, Note II and a Surface Pro 2 and I have to say the Nexus 7 was the one I recommend to people, however when I have the cash sorted I will be buying myself a Surface Pro 2 and will then tether my phone to it if I need internet access, whilst I am out and about.

Personally I will never own another Apple product after my previous experience but I can understand why some people do like them, and like the whole ecosystem around them but for me it's just not something I am interested in.

Just think about whether you want the added expense of a 3G/4G tablet when you are possibly already paying for a phone tariff that may, have more than enough of a bandwidth allowance for the 2 devices.

Re: Best Tablet
 

There's no such thing as "best tablet". All you will do it get people's opinions and start a flame war between the iOS boys and Android folk. :p:

Re: Best Tablet
 

As much as I hate the Apple ecosystem, I still think the ipad is one of the best tablets out there. The problem is once you buy into Apple, it's a pain to get out. At the minute I have an ipad2 and a samsung galaxy. To get them to play nicely I had to ditch most things icloud and use google instead. I have an ipod and my wife has an iphone, so all our music is in itunes, so your pretty much stuck with Apple when it comes to music and I have money invest in Apps. I've been looking for a new tablet and it's between The Galaxy Note 2014 and iPad Air, given that I already have many ipad apps, I'm leaning towards the iPad, even though I prefer the Galaxy Note as it's more versatile and not as limited by storage capacity due to the SD slot.

To be honest both have their good and bad points, and if I had the money, I'd probably have both! I'd also agree that 3g is not really worth the extra on a tablet, I have it, but have never used it, if I need internet while I'm out I just tether to my phone.

Re: Best Tablet
 

I'd like a large screen.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Then its between note 2014 or ipad air

Re: Best Tablet
 

I'm swaying towards the Note at the moment. The ipad looks amazing but the note is edging it at the moment.

Re: Best Tablet
 

I would buy the note if it was for me just because no iTunes lol

Re: Best Tablet
 

You don't need to use iTunes with the iPad.

Re: Best Tablet
 

cool teach me :) saves me having to store or Bethia's library when I give her hers :)

Re: Best Tablet
 

OK. Decide how important it is to you to be able to access the file system via drag and drop on your PC. If it's not too important then I would strongly recommend the iPad Air. In my opinion the software on the iPad is considerably better than that on Android. The only Android tablet I would look at is the Nexus 7 which is a smaller screen.

---------- Post added at 09:42 ---------- Previous post was at 09:41 ----------

Well you would only get opinions but I think people can be quite impartial on the merits and flaws of the various devices. I am a Mac user with a Nexus 5 phone. I get whichever is best tbh.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Lies! If you'd have gotten whatever was best you'd have got an iPhone 5!

Re: Best Tablet
 

bump

does it just work without connecting to iTunes first?

Re: Best Tablet
 

You have to have iTunes installed, but you never have to touch it.

you can use ifunbox or iTools to transfer media to iphone/ipad.

I prefer ifunbox.

Re: Best Tablet
 

and its safe to use and does not need a jailbreak?

Re: Best Tablet
 

Very safe. works with jailbroken or non jailbroken.

the only thing I would do is disable iTunes from running when you plug iphone/ipad in. you can disable the bonjour service and iPod Service it installs too.

another thing to add is that on a new device you may have to connect it to iTunes first (set up as new device) as it has to do something to it before you can start using iFunbox to start transferring media to it.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Sorry, missed this :)

Apple "cut the cord" with iOS 5 and the introduction of iCloud back in 2011.

As of iOS 5, you no longer need to activate iOS devices using iTunes. They can be activated directly over 3G/WiFi.

You also no longer need to use iTunes for backups, as you can use iCloud instead.

Plus, you no longer need to use iTunes for iOS updates - iOS devices can be updated directly over WiFi without using iTunes.


Given that you can also download apps directly from the App Store app, music and videos from the iTunes app, and books from the iBooks app, you also don't need to use iTunes to add content to an iOS device either...

...Unless you want to add your own music library to an iOS device, but as Gary said there are also ways around that, by using an iTunes alternative.

Videos? If you use AVPlayer (iPhone) / AVPlayerHD (iPad), you can play a variety of video formats, including ones not supported by the native Videos app on iOS... And they can be added via a simple FTP transfer instead of an iTunes sync.

Re: Best Tablet
 

thanks :)

---------- Post added at 21:40 ---------- Previous post was at 21:39 ----------

thanks :)

Re: Best Tablet
 

Does anyone know where the cheapest place is to buy an iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular, is airside the best place? and am I right in believing an iPad Air or the mini Retina are the two to go for rather than the iPad 2 and mini.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Airside?

iPad Air and the Mini Retina are the better options. The other two options are cheaper. The Air and the Mini Retina are noticably faster and have much better screens and in the case of the Air it's a bit thinner and there isn't as big a border around the screen making it slightly smaller whilst retaining the same screen size.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Sorry I meant Airport airside. I'm not sure which to go for, Air or Mini Retina. I'm also lost on how much memory I should go for, I see theres the SD card adapter but that looks irritating.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Airside will be slightly cheaper then. The Air is bigger and the Mini is smaller. The Air is faster but the difference is minor and to be honest a tablet isn't really a device where such specs matter too much. The screen quality is the same on both.

I recently got a iPad Mini because I prefer the smaller size. It makes it easier to read on which is the main purpose of the Mini for me (reading articles, newspapers and magazines) and it's more portable. It's better if you intend to use it outside the home a lot on a commute or whatever. The Air is probably better if you will use it for casual internet browsing around the house and don't see yourself holding it as you would a book/magazine.

Re: Best Tablet
 

What about the memory side, whats the best capacity to have. I'll be looking to use it as a mini pc, able to type up documents and a little entertainment like games. I hope to not fall short of memory but at the sametime not buy too much. Is the SD adapter a decent add on or would it be better to spend more?

Re: Best Tablet
 

The Air and the Mini Retina have pretty much the same specs apart from the screen size. Avoid the iPad 2 and the original Mini.

The SD adapter is no use for external storage. It's purely for transferring photos from e.g. a camera's SD card.

Because of the increased resolution of the Retina display, apps are generally bigger now than they used to be.

Personally, I think that 16GB is too small. 32GB is a good size. More space than the 16GB model, but not as expensive as the 64GB or 128GB models.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Thanks Mods :)

Re: Best Tablet
 

Just to echo what Matt said. I shelled out the extra for 64GB but have never come anywhere near close to filling even half of that. Unless you want to store a load of video content or high bitrate music then 32GB should be more than enough.

Do you really need cellular though if you already have a phone data contract which supports tethering? It's an extra 80 sheets plus another sim card/contract to be messing about with.

Re: Best Tablet
 

Thats a good point, thanks :)

Re: Best Tablet
 

I went for the Levono with the 10.1 screen. It's a cracking bit of kit well happy with it.