Tablets and Tribulations (And Tribbles)

"KirkyV" (KirkyV) 11/21/2014 at 16:16 • Filed to: None

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I need - that is, want - a new tablet computing device. My old iPad 2 is dying a long, slow -so incredibly slow - death, and it's eaten one (hundred) Oppo comment(s) too many. (Incredibly self-serving request for advice follows.) (Any italicised text is largely pointless ranting, and can be safely ignored.)

I've spent hours watching YouTube reviews and comparisons, and I actually feel further away from making a decision than I did when all this started. My preferences are as follows:

1. I prefer (stock) Android to iOS, and while I've generally felt comfortable with a foot in each ecosystem, I'm growing rather tired of Apple's bullshit. (In spite of the following rant, I am willing to consider Apple devices, as I do rather like the hardware. I'd just prefer Android.)

The way they neuter Chrome on iOS - it can't use its own rendering engine, and has to make do with a deliberately crippled version of Safari's - is a key example. Oh, and then there's the way you can't really share stuff between apps without a bunch of irritating extra steps: on my phone, if I want to add a picture from my Dropbox to a comment I'm writing, all I have to do is hit the 'Image' button, select Dropbox as I would my on-device gallery, and find the image. On my iPad, I have to exit the browser, load up Dropbox, find the picture, save it to my on device gallery, then go back to the browser, hit the 'Image' button - that is, assuming my iPad hasn't had to reload the page, wiping out my comment (which I realise isn't an issue with iOS, but rather, specific to my broken-arse old iPad) - and then repeat the far smaller number of steps I had to take to get the picture on my phone. It's ridiculous.

2. I only really use a fairly small set of core apps, and I'm not really fussed about gaming—I play games a lot, but on my PC and consoles.

3. I'd prefer a larger - though no larger than the iPad's - screen, but am tempted by the potential cost-savings of going smaller. I like the idea of a light, easy-to-hold device. (The iPad Air 2 is essentially my ideal tablet, hardware-wise, but it's too bloody expensive, and iOS...)

4. I like cheap, but I'm willing to pay a bit more for the sake of avoiding shitty everyday performance.

5. Storage isn't too much of an issue for me, as I've got all the Dropbox space in the world, and stream basically everything.

...

...

...

Christ, I'm a picky fucker. Please help me! I leave you with an example of the fine media that I might use this hypothetical tablet computing device to consume:

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:19

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Nexus 9? The older Nexus 7 is still a viable option too.

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:21

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I've been considering the older Nexus 7, but I think the screen might be a little too small for me - it isn't that much bigger than my phone's five inches - and I plan to keep this thing for a while, so the Nexus 7 having had mildly out-of-date hardware even when it launched is a bit of an issue for me. Up until it came out, the Nexus 9 had been my go-to, but all the middling reviews, combined with the surprisingly high price tag, have put me off.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:22

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If you want it to be long lasting.

Nibbles > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:22

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I don't remember this episode...

KirkyV > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:24

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DS9, 'Trials and Tribble-ations'. It's a classic, largely because it's set within another classic.

CKeffer > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:24

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I adored my Asus Transformer tab, and actually plan to get another to replace the giant piece of steaming excrement that is the windows surface RT. But anyway, batt life is good on the transformer, and it has a bonus of an extra batt in the keyboard dock which can extend batt life up to 12+hrs continuous use. Bundles with the keyboard dock look to be running $300-450 or so on Amazon.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:24

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I know it's not what you asked about, but I love my Surface Pro 3.

Any reason why not Windows 8? It's really not much different in function than before. It just looks different is all.

Walmart is selling a Windows 8 (full version not RT) tablet for $99 next friday. I imagine you could find some online as well.

Nibbles > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:25

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Have you considered a Windows tablet?

KirkyV > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 11/21/2014 at 16:25

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If it was good enough for Gilgamesh, it's good enough for me.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:26

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Galaxy Tab 4 10.1? It's cheaper with a larger screen.

KirkyV > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:28

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I have, but the full-fat Windows tablets are both too bulky and too pricey for me, and the RT models have all the drawbacks of Android tablets - a lack of decent tablet apps, and generally middling hardware - with none of the Android stuff that I like. Thanks, though!

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:30

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I really like the hardware - though the screen's a mite larger than I'd prefer - but I can't stand Samsung's skin, and I really don't fancy dealing with custom ROMs and the like on a brand new device. Thanks, though—if it wasn't for the Samung-ness, it'd be pretty much perfect.

(As you can tell, I'm bad at receiving advice. I'm just hoping there's something I've somehow completely missed.)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:30

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How about this Windows tablet?

http://www.cnet.com/products/asus-…

It runs full Windows.

Nibbles > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:33

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I'm only part-way through season 2 of my DS9 rewatch. Guess I'm gonna have to move faster lol

Nibbles > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:34

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The Transformer is a great idea with pretty poor execution. Also it's quite large :(

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:34

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It's tempting, but I don't need any of the laptop stuff - I have an old MacBook that's responded very well to an SSD transplant - and part of the reason why I want rid of my iPad is the low-res screen. I hadn't considered it, though, and I'll be putting it on the list for further YouTubing and hand-wringing.

Nibbles > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:34

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I hear ya. Was just wonderin' is all (Windows shill here)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:40

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Really? I have heard that it's the best windows tablet out there with a reasonable price. Are you thinking of the T200? It's the larger one with an 11.6" screen.

burntartichoke > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:43

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Keep watching! Its worth the wait.

Pessimippopotamus > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:44

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Nexus 9 is apparently too troublesome to own, with its processor causing inconsistent behavior.

Maybe a LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition? My god that's a lot to type. It's a year old model, but should be still capable, if you can find one.

Nibbles > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:44

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A 10'' tablet is still pretty hueg :)

From my experience, the Transformer tries too hard to be both a netbook and a tablet, and subsequently doesn't do that great of a job at either. It's cheap, yeah, at hundreds less than other full Win8 tabs, but that does show in build quality and battery life.

KirkyV > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:45

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Savour it—DS9's a great series. It isn't my favourite Trek - TNG takes that accolade; it's actually my all-time favourite TV series, generally - but it did something very different from what had come before, and what came afterward.

(I'll say, though, that it's not necessarily a direction I'd like Star Trek to explore further. I think we're in desperate need of a return to TNG-style optimistic science fiction, at least in part—there hasn't been a truly optimistic space opera on television since... Stargate Atlantis? And I think the last piece of televised science fiction to dedicate serious time to allegorical explorations of complex moral and social issues, with an eye toward more than simple drama, and do it well, was TNG.)

Nibbles > burntartichoke 11/21/2014 at 16:46

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I know ;) I watched the entire series on first run

I've also smoked and drank a whole lot since then :\

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:47

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Thanks for your input. I'm looking for a similar device myself.

Nibbles > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:50

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If you want a full-fledged WinTab with decent specs, good battery life and quality support then save the extra few hundo and buy a Surface Pro. Pro2 units are going pretty cheap these days and are high quality tabs. Pro3s are beautiful, awesome and the idea of an i7 tablet with space to spare is great - but prices reflect that too :). Still a 128GB i5 Pro3 is priced at a grand; well worth it.

KirkyV > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 11/21/2014 at 16:51

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No Walmart where I live, I'm afraid. And besides, I think Windows 8 may actually be a little more than I need. I have a laptop for serious work on the go, and a desktop for at home.

Cheaper full-fat Windows 8 tablets always come with compromises - battery life or bulkiness, poor screen quality or middling performance - for the sake of features - desktop applications, laptop docks and so on - that I wouldn't get much use out of. The Surface Pro's a lovely device, but it's far more than I need, and far, far more money than I'm able to afford.

KirkyV > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:53

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I love me some Windows, but only when I get to interact with it by means of a mouse and keyboard, attached to my nice, meaty desktop.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 16:54

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Yeah, but that's still three times my budget. I was considering the Nexus 9, but it's a bit much as well.

KirkyV > Pessimippopotamus 11/21/2014 at 16:55

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It'd be a good option, but I don't think they ever sold the Play Edition G Pad in the UK, and I'd rather just buy an iPad Mini 2 than deal with an Android skin. (With the possible exception of Sense.)

Nibbles > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:57

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Win8.1 is beautiful with touch. Win10 is even better

Nibbles > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 16:58

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Hold off then. Hold the fuck off.

Win10. WinRT will be all but gone, unified ecosystem between Mobile (WP), Desktop and - to a point - XBone. Don't buy until Q2 next year, you'll thank me

burntartichoke > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 16:58

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We certainly got the soap opera out of the way with DS9. Voyager got the lost in space part and Enterprise did the new frontiers sort of vibe. SG Atlantis was fairly positive looking and gotta love the Trek cameo! I think Trek could do a one way, no return story line like SG Universe but like Universe, it probably wont last as long as any of the other series. Maybe some more about the Breen?

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 17:00

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I was waiting anyway. I don't exactly need it right now anyway, but for school next year I will. I'm just watching to see what's available, and where the products are headed.

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 17:01

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Nvidia Shield Tablet? It's toward the top of my list—I'm just wary of buying it without getting a chance to try it out first - it's quite heavy for its size - and inconsistent battery life reports have me worried. Oh, and the screen's a mite middling.

KirkyV > burntartichoke 11/21/2014 at 17:03

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I mean, technically Voyager was the one-way story... Ah, Voyager, you had such potential... (The same goes for Enterprise. It's a shame they cancelled it just as it was getting good. And the toll the budget took on the CGI was always obvious.)

burntartichoke > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 17:05

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My wife and I just finished DS9 and it was fun to piece together what I remembered from when I first saw it and see where it fits into the story line. I always caught bits and pieces as Fox kept moving the scheduling on me.

KirkyV > CKeffer 11/21/2014 at 17:07

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I like the look of it, and the price is good... But I really don't need the keyboard dock functionality, and the bulk's a big turn-off. Thanks, though!

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 17:07

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I was looking at it but I'm not sure I want to spend the premium for streaming games that I wouldn't use, because my GPU is AMD.

EDIT: Actually the price isn't that bad. Maybe I'll consider it again.

Pessimippopotamus > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 17:08

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Ah. Gotcha.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 17:08

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Then Windows RT would actually work best for you. You can still use IE to access Google Docs, and the MS OneDrive and Office apps are really rather good too.

The RT tablets go for much less than the Full Win8 ones as well.

KirkyV > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 17:09

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Oh, I know—I just meant to say that Windows very much has a place in my heart.

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 17:11

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Oh, I'm never going to use any of the game streaming stuff; if I'm near enough to my PC to stream games reliably, then I'll play them on that. It just seems like a pretty great tablet besides—an unofficial Nexus 8, of sorts. I mean, it actually got Lollipop a little before the old Nexus 7s.

Nibbles > burntartichoke 11/21/2014 at 17:12

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Exactly what I'm doing with my wife :) I forced her to watch a couple episodes of TNG, then we ended up marathoning all 7 seasons. Now we're watching DS9 and the movies in canon order, and will be adding Voyager to the mix soon

I'm such a fucking nerd

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 17:14

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I had the Nexus 7, but the screen broke. I keep looking for something else to get, but then keep coming back to the 7.

KirkyV > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 11/21/2014 at 17:16

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Indeed they do, but RT tablets tend to have all the same problems as Android tablets - a relative dearth of decent tablet apps, and less than brilliant hardware - with none of the Android stuff that I like. Still, thanks!

KirkyV > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/21/2014 at 17:18

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I'd have gotten a 7 by now, but I want a larger screen, and more future-proof hardware. That's pretty much the draw of the Shield for me—I'm just put off by the weight, potential for battery life issues, and middling display.

burntartichoke > Nibbles 11/21/2014 at 17:27

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It took a while to get her started on TNG but she got into it. We both hate Wesley so that made the episodes he was in bearable as we would both yell at the screen. DS9 did have some parts that were slower that made it hard to finish but the multi-part ending made it so easy to binge watch season 7. Now to get her into Voyager, although after back to back TNG and DS9 she is a bit Trek-ed out. The movies break up the shows a bit but not enough. I am still waiting for the hardest challenge, getting her to watch TOS!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 20:49

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Best. Episode. Of Anything. Ever.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > KirkyV 11/21/2014 at 20:52

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I use a Kindle Fire HD. It runs a heavily modified version of Android, and it doesn't give you access to the full Google Play store, but it still allows Apps to be sideloaded if you download the APK and install it manually. I find it's perfectly able to do stuff like web browsing, in fact when I go away on overnight trips I usually bring that instead of my laptop.