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Looking for a budget tablet....

Satchmo

Satchmo

Why do they call it a Power Ranger???
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
1,884
When I was at DePasta's this summer, I notice he had a tablet was was running his music collection, net, cable, etc. Recently, my MIL had received an iPad for her b-day, and my girls are hooked on it because of the games. I like the idea of using at a universal remote, and to play home Mr. DJ.

Do you guys have any tight wad, cheaper recommendations? This would be a b-day present for me, so I was looking at a lower budget. Can you get a decent tablet for $200-300? I know the iPad was around $500, and the Sony and Samsung are very nice, but they are in the same area as well.

I'd like to use if for web based Netflix, universal remote, surfing porn the network, music, and games for girls (that stupid Disgruntled Birds game). What have ye, throbbing brain of CP?
 
I was at Costco the other day and saw an 8" Visio Android based tablet for $189.95. I looked up some reviews on it and they were mostly favorable. It has built in IR for TV remote control (I had to buy a separate gizmo to do that with my iPad) that all you had to do was get the free App for it to control the TV/Audio. It should be able to handle Honeycomb 3.** once it becomes available through Visio. It could also handle up to 32GB of additional memory with the addition of a micro SD card plus it has a micro USB and HDMI ports. The only negative was that it's a single core processor and had limited RAM...for some that's an issue, but for quite a few others it wasn't. Check it out.......http://www.amazon.co...howViewpoints=1

I bought an iPad through the Apple website as a refurb...$349 delivered for the iPad 1 with Wifi only....the non-Flash video thing is the only issue I have with it.

Good luck with your hunt....
 
There should be a new batch of Android tablets coming soon. I know the Xoom 2 is on the horizion, but may not be until next year. I mention this, as the current ones should be coming down in price soon. At least I would think.

Have you thought about second hand?

ETA: Apparently Flash is no long a problem. It appreas Adobe released that they were dropping it. That's what I have heard though, havn't looked into it yet though.

2nd Edit: Link to article. Flash is being dropped for mobile devices in favor of HTML5.
 
Keep an eye on 'slickdeals.net' and also look at bfads.net(or com).

With the holiday's here...you should find something.

(Yes...flash is going away for tablets/mobile.)

Also not that B&N's NOOK Color just had a price drop and can be rooted IIRC - that may be your best bet all around. $200
 
Shooter rooted his Nook color and loves it. Send him a note.....I plan on getting one for the daughter for Christmas and rooting it.
 
Holy crap. I am officially tech stupid. I thought this may happen. First off, I saw the Costco deal for $189 which led me to make this post. I will have to do a lot of reading. A few questions:

1. What is Honeycomb 3? Is it anything like DonkeyPunch 5? I heard the Android software was pretty solid, but still in second place after Apple. I understand for a couple hundred bucks I am not going to have top of the line.
2. Single core and limited RAM = It will run slower in non-tech talk?
3. I am open to refurbs. Great idea.
4. Rooting, eh. If I didn't know what it was, I'm guessing I would know enough to use its function. I like the Nook Color.
5. G-man: I love the on line deal sites. I'll have to keep on eye on them once I figure out what the heck I want.
 
HP has one for approx $225 at Best Buy...I heave heard good things about it.
 
I prefer Android. Check out phandroid.com . Its where I stay up to date on my Droid stuff.
 
Satchmo said:
Holy crap. I am officially tech stupid. I thought this may happen. First off, I saw the Costco deal for $189 which led me to make this post. I will have to do a lot of reading. A few questions:

1. What is Honeycomb 3? Is it anything like DonkeyPunch 5? I heard the Android software was pretty solid, but still in second place after Apple. I understand for a couple hundred bucks I am not going to have top of the line. ----MAC if you just want it to work - Android if you want to play around.
2. Single core and limited RAM = It will run slower in non-tech talk? -----depends on what you are doing.
3. I am open to refurbs. Great idea. - Yea, there can be some nice ones out there.
4. Rooting, eh. If I didn't know what it was, I'm guessing I would know enough to use its function. I like the Nook Color. ----root just means gaining access to the root of the software, that why you can do what you want (open hidden doors) - easy enough to do.
5. G-man: I love the on line deal sites. I'll have to keep on eye on them once I figure out what the heck I want. -----worth a look for deals.
Click to expand...

As for Kindle Fire....meh...I'd still talk to shooter, or I think Repp went thru this too.
 
Make sure you figure out if you want conneciton features...like a HDMI port to connect to...anything HDMI.

As much as I'm a PC guy...IF...I get a tablet it may just be an iPad screen and ease of use....*sigh.
 
I have played with the Nook color that was rooted, it's a pretty great tablet for the price. I will probably be getting one for Christmas for my wife and rooting it so I can play with it when she isn't using it.

Also, the Nook tablet is about to be released, it will have a dual core processor and double the RAM that the Nook Color currently has. Since it looks like you are going to be doing streaming video and some other processor heavy things with it, this might be your best bet. They are like $250, which is a pretty good deal for a tablet system.
 
Satchmo said:
Holy crap. I am officially tech stupid. I thought this may happen. First off, I saw the Costco deal for $189 which led me to make this post. I will have to do a lot of reading. A few questions:

1. What is Honeycomb 3? Is it anything like DonkeyPunch 5? I heard the Android software was pretty solid, but still in second place after Apple. I understand for a couple hundred bucks I am not going to have top of the line.
2. Single core and limited RAM = It will run slower in non-tech talk?
3. I am open to refurbs. Great idea.
4. Rooting, eh. If I didn't know what it was, I'm guessing I would know enough to use its function. I like the Nook Color.
5. G-man: I love the on line deal sites. I'll have to keep on eye on them once I figure out what the heck I want.
Click to expand...

1. Honey Comb is the Android software that is deigned specifically for tablets.
2. I agree with 2K6TBSS in that you will want to try to get a dual core for the streaming and multitasking things you will inevitably want to do on your tablet. Without it you may notice lag when streaming or jumping back and both between apps and porn sites. :whistling:
3. I think refurbs can be a good deal as long as there is still a warranty on the device.
4. Rooting will typically get rid of all the "bloatware" that manufacturers tend to load on the device. Its very similar to having a lot of the unwanted stuff that's loaded onto a new PC taken off when you buy it. There are quite a few other "techie" things you can do with a rooted device but optimization is the biggest (IMO).
5. Wherever you can save some money some more good cigars...I say do it!

I'm planning on getting my old man a tablet for Christmas. I have a couple of free devices at work that I lose out on if I don't use them by the end of the year. I'm going to pick up a couple of the Galaxy tablets I think. My Dad always runs upstairs to his PC whenever he wants to look something up. Now he wont have to pause the TV all the time and piss my Mom off. It's for their marriage really. :rolleyes:
 
BSchmidt1981 said:
Satchmo said:
Holy crap. I am officially tech stupid. I thought this may happen. First off, I saw the Costco deal for $189 which led me to make this post. I will have to do a lot of reading. A few questions:

1. What is Honeycomb 3? Is it anything like DonkeyPunch 5? I heard the Android software was pretty solid, but still in second place after Apple. I understand for a couple hundred bucks I am not going to have top of the line.
2. Single core and limited RAM = It will run slower in non-tech talk?
3. I am open to refurbs. Great idea.
4. Rooting, eh. If I didn't know what it was, I'm guessing I would know enough to use its function. I like the Nook Color.
5. G-man: I love the on line deal sites. I'll have to keep on eye on them once I figure out what the heck I want.
Click to expand...

1. Honey Comb is the Android software that is deigned specifically for tablets.
2. I agree with 2K6TBSS in that you will want to try to get a dual core for the streaming and multitasking things you will inevitably want to do on your tablet. Without it you may notice lag when streaming or jumping back and both between apps and porn sites.
3. I think refurbs can be a good deal as long as there is still a warranty on the device.
4. Rooting will typically get rid of all the "bloatware" that manufacturers tend to load on the device. Its very similar to having a lot of the unwanted stuff that's loaded onto a new PC taken off when you buy it. There are quite a few other "techie" things you can do with a rooted device but optimization is the biggest (IMO).
5. Wherever you can save some money some more good cigars...I say do it!

I'm planning on getting my old man a tablet for Christmas. I have a couple of free devices at work that I lose out on if I don't use them by the end of the year. I'm going to pick up a couple of the Galaxy tablets I think. My Dad always runs upstairs to his PC whenever he wants to look something up. Now he wont have to pause the TV all the time and piss my Mom off. It's for their marriage really.
Click to expand...

+1 on every thing he said. Android is here to stay and will be great with Ice Cream Sandwich. That will be the next update and ALL Android devices will be running it by June next year. There will be a couple of devices that won't get the update, that is a manufacturer's support deal.
 
Kindle Fire seems pretty solid. It seems like hybrid reader/tablet and a bargain at $199.

I will have Shooter give me a call when he has the plane on auto-pilot and some time on his hands to discuss. Thanks guys!
 
grateful1 said:
Make sure you figure out if you want conneciton features...like a HDMI port to connect to...anything HDMI.

As much as I'm a PC guy...IF...I get a tablet it may just be an iPad screen and ease of use....*sigh.
Click to expand...

Does the iPad have HDMI now? I don't think so, or USB support either. May be wrong, but don't think they do. I would stay with Android as well.
 
Still working on my text link skills, but anyway, news on the kindle..

[url="http://www.phandroid.com/2011/11/16/kindle-fire-finds-easy-1-click-root-method-let-the-games-begin/]finally.[/url]
 
Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire. There is a $50 difference in price but both of them can be rooted, the nook looks like a more robust platform.

iPad still rules the roost, maybe the price will come down once the holiday sales period starts. You never know if sales for the Kindle & Nook look promising, Apple may respond.
 
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