Tablets - best bang for buck?

[Barts]

iPad 2 or Galaxy tab? IOS5 or Android? I'm Apple to the core (haha) however it's time to consider the competition. I do have an iPhone and MacBook though I'm not convinced iCloud offers enough to continue with my obvious obsession for all things Mac. My needs are predominately web browsing, reading web content, online magazines and the odd app or two (Facebook etc). Anything I should consider with either of these devices?

[sil3nt]

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Wipes the floor with the iPad.

Does cost a lot though.

Don't think it has been released in NZ yet.

Take a look at the old model as well http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Sear...tFromAll=False

But if you had to choose between the Galaxy and iPad i would go Galaxy. But then again you are an apple man so i would imagine an iPad would sync nicely with the iPhone and MacBook.

[SMOKEU]

Don't buy a fucking iPad because Apple products are fucking gay. The iPad is just a mid range tablet computer with an Apple logo on it which sells for double what it should sell for.

The Samsung Galaxy tablets are well worth looking into. Android is so much better than iOS.

[Hoon]

The ipad has revolutionized the way our family uses computers. The only time we use a computer now is if someone else is using the ipad. I originally bought an ipad to keep my 2yo occupied but it has become so useful that my wife and I also fight over it and I am now considering buying a 2nd one to keep everyone happy.
Where Apple has it over the competition is really the App store and the number (and quality) of apps available. The Galaxy and ipad are evenly matched hardware/os wise but when one can do twice as much as the other due to the range of apps then it has a definate advantage.

[Scuba_Steve]

Only reason you'd look at Galaxy is if it was significantly cheaper, as it's not just go iPad as sil3nt said it'll snyc better with your current setup. (tho if not in a rush it might be worth holding off a little till iPad 3 that should be early next year)

[willytheekid]

You want bang for ya buck?

Forget the tablet!...try one of these!

http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/shop/co...rod114071.html

Bloody grunty laptop!(for the price), it can play ANY modern game you throw at it and MUCH more functional than a tablet (And I hate HP products!....but this lappy is getting rave reviews!...best punch for the price on the market presently...they are selling like hot cakes world wide)

Specs:
2.2GHz 2nd Gen Intel Core i7-2670M Processor (Quad core!)
4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 (1 x 4 GB) (You can get another 4g thrown in for free!= 8gig of high speed ram!)
640GB Hard Drive (5400rpm)
15.6" High Definition LED BrightView Display (and it has vga AND HDMI outputs)
Radeon HD 6770M Graphics Whistler XT with 1024MB GDDR5 (thats a 1gig GPU!- highest midrange mobile card on the market today)
802.11b/g/n WLAN; Integrated 10/100/1000
Microsoft Windows 7 Premium
Beats Audio Quad speakers; Beats Audio Audio playback

Google the reviews on this little beasty and you see whats better value and performance...a hip little tablet...or a budget/mid range monster!

Hope that makes your decision a little harder

[Brian d marge]

I'm typing this on the Asus a500, with the cover on it feels heavier than the I pad, also doesn't switch off when u shut the cover, like the Ipad does
the software can sometimes be a little rough, on the android ... but this a500 has USB, USB mini, HDMI as well as work and Bluetooth output
I use Linux a and this synchronizes well with Ubuntu,
the browsers aren't that flash ( pun intended
general browsing on the a500 in the main is OK but filling in text boxes, or replying to face book can be hit and miss..
for the price 32 000 yen compared with I pad 44000 yen ( sorry japanese prices, I assume nz would be similar ) I went with the a500
battery life not as good as I pad but still 7 hours easily..
I use mine very heavily and as a media consumer, or light producer, they are brilliant
but if i were going to a cafe to cad up a part or show a customer, the laptop wins hands down ( on special here you can get some serious clout for the same price as this tablet!! )

stephen

[SMOKEU]

The Galaxy and ipad are evenly matched hardware/os wise

Nope, the Galaxy has double the RAM of the iPad. Also the Android OS is much better than Apple, since there is more support out there for Android and because Android is open source.

[ckai]

I'm an Apple man myself but not hardcore. I do shop around for anything that isn't a computer. The wife and I both have android phones (Galaxy S2 for her Sensation for me) and I'm a big fan of Android over iOS. iOS is pretty and does shit well but Android gives you flexibility. As for the tablet...I thought I'd compare the competition by having a play on the Galaxy...holy shit was that thing slow! I was bloody disappointed to tell you the truth. It made out phones look instant. The iPad on the other hand was smooth although not lightning quick, still pissed on the Galaxy.

[Kendog]

Only Geeks buy based on specs e.g. double the ram.
The rest buy based on usability and fit for purpose. So try them both out and see which one you like better.

Just like buying a motorbike.

[Headbanger]

The Prime has only been released in one market, and the vast majority of orders have been delayed for 6 weeks.

And its not spanking the Ipad, The hardware is better but the software isn't as optimised as Apples product and in the benchmarks I have read the results are close with the Ipad beating it in some cases. This is meant to change with the next release of Android (which was meant to ship on the Prime but didn't) but until then its an unknown.

Personally I wouldn't buy the Apple, But that's due to my general dislike of wanky corporate marketing and the delusional cult of jobs. The open platform also appeals to me rather then Apples closed system, It cripples devices but some people prefer it that way. Far and away the biggest negative in regards to Apple is itunes.

Best price I have seen for the Transformer (not the prime)

http://pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=...KB-Android-3.0

[Headbanger]

Only Geeks buy based on specs e.g. double the ram.
The rest buy based on usability and fit for purpose. So try them both out and see which one you like better.

Just like buying a motorbike.

Meh, first I decide how much CC I want......

[SMOKEU]

www.dealextreme.com have some cheap Android tablets. I've dealt with DX several times before and they're pretty good.