Tablets I'm researching to buy, at Walmart.

[f14av8r]

Originally Posted by Tumble Weed

Tablets I'M researching to buy, at Walmart or online.
Asus Refurbished Transformer EeePad with WiFi 10.1" 299.
Asus Refurbished Transformer EeePad with WiFi 10.1" Touchscreen Tablet PC Featuring Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Operating System, Blue: Computers : Walmart.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 16GB Titanium Silver (Wi-Fi) - Refurbished
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 16 GB (Wi-Fi) - Refurbished - Walmart.com

Apple iPad mini 16GB with Wi-Fi
Apple iPad mini, Black - Walmart.com

I'M leaning towards the Asus, but I don't know all tablets.
So I'd like info from any one please.
Thanks my friends for your help..

Hey Tumble Weed,
I'm surprised that nobody has asked you this yet. What do you want an tablet for? Are you surfing the internet, reading books, watching videos, listening to music? Your platform sometimes depends on your interest. If your interest cover all of the above, the IPad is by far the safest bet. If you have more limited interest, you might be happy with a Kindle Fire, Nook, or a Windows Surface. Again, defining your requirements is the secret to picking your hardware. Fill us in!

[wa8yxm]

The slightly larger screen on the tablet makes book reading easier. and some other stuff too. Also if you want a 2nd "internet device" a tablet, feature for feature, is lower cost than a new smart phone.

In my case I specifically wished a book reader for my wife. I found some other cute applications which are mainly to "Get her interested" since she is a computer-phobe.. I have not yet told her it's a computer, roughly equal to what I'm typing on just now.

[Jchet]

I have an Android Tablet and have owned 2 ipads and currently own the iPad 3. I never understood the Apple appeal. I used to walk into an Apple store and was never clear why the attraction for the productl. Then I got an iPhone, which led me to my first iPad, upgraded to the IPad 3 a month later, bought a huge iMac for my office and tied it all together with Apple TV. I now understand the appeal. Although it took me 2 months to learn the iMac operating system, when I called tech support I got someone on the phone in minutes, they spoke English and I could understand them, they didnt repeat everything I said like a parrot because English is a second language and resolved the issue.

The quality of the products are first rate, customer support the best of any product I have ever seen, and frankly very easy to use. All my products work together. But my iPad 3 is great. I use it as my travel computer, and at home its my personal TV.

[wa8yxm]

My objections to Apple are as follows:

The price.. I have always felt they were overpriced
The sales methods for their original products They used what I call the Bribery and coersion method, They gave free computers to schools (Bribery part) and thus Dad had to buy an Apple so JR could do his homework (The coersion part)
And finally the fact the I-Pone was original locked to AT&T and I am very anti-locking.

(I should say finally of the reasons I am listing) There are a few more I'm leaving out.

[Gadget63]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

My objections to Apple are as follows:

The price.. I have always felt they were overpriced
The sales methods for their original products They used what I call the Bribery and coersion method, They gave free computers to schools (Bribery part) and thus Dad had to buy an Apple so JR could do his homework (The coersion part)
And finally the fact the I-Pone was original locked to AT&T and I am very anti-locking.

(I should say finally of the reasons I am listing) There are a few more I'm leaving out.

x2! Plus you have to jailbreak them in order to get third party apps.

[Muddypaws]

There is very little difference if you stick with 'premium' brands. Apple, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, and don't forget Kindle and Nook if you don't need 4G and GPS. I have an iPad with the Retina display and no other tablet comes close to the clarity of the display........yet.

There's a reason why some brands sell for low low low prices.

I have no problems transporting my music from one to the other. iTunes works perfectly fine with MP3 files.

A Samsung with Gorilla Glass would be my #1 choice for a non-Apple tablet. My experience with ASUS has not been good but with an extended warranty I would choose that brand second. At one point in my career I was responsible for 600+ Lenovo convertable tablets. That's why Lenovo does not make my list.

My DW has a Nook Tablet that she uses every day. She also has a MacBook Air that she LOVES. Both are amazingly solid devices.

The operating systems (Android/IOS) share a common heritage (Linux) but IMHO Apple has done a more user friendly implementation. Other tablet devices are not as well 'locked down'. Locking something down is how you keep users from harming themselves. Running third party apps can be dangerous to your tablet and has been known to turn them into expensive bricks. I bricked my previous iPad after jailbreaking it and it took several hours to un-brick. I am a very experienced PC/Apple guy with 44 years of IT experience.

[Gadget63]

I will give you that apple is more user friendly provided you play by their rules, however, being computer savvy myself, I prefer a more hands on approach and so far (keeping fingers crossed) I haven't created a problem I couldn't solve with any of my equipment.

[Tumble Weed]

Originally Posted by f14av8r

Hey Tumble Weed,
I'm surprised that nobody has asked you this yet. What do you want an tablet for? Are you surfing the internet, reading books, watching videos, listening to music? Your platform sometimes depends on your interest.
Fill us in!

Didn't think of this I guess it would help..
I started out wanting a nook for DW and I could sneak it. Then realized that you could get on internet with a tablet that would do the same as a reader and a chance at over a million free books. Then found out I could get a GPS in the deal. So far the reason of buying one keeps expanding.
So now I’M thinking I’M buying it for me…lol
Thanks for all the info every one keep helping. I’M now looking at so much my minds locked up and that’s easy to do.
I got a good problem I found a very reasonable ASUS $160. .and a iPad mini $200.
I think on buying them both and we can try both and then when we buy new or refurbished. We know what we like. It’s so hard to chooses and once in my life I felt tech savvy and now I don’t any more..
Every ones reply have really helped, I’M really glad I found irv2 and so many helpful friends.
I'll be here reading
Don

[wa8yxm]

THe little one (7" I view) I got for my wife (And just shipped back due to cracked screen, As I said GET THE PRODUCT PROTECTION PLAN) works great as a Kindle, will do NOOK if I ask it to, And runs many other apps.. IT does not (however) have GPS, Blue Tooth or Telephone (Cell internet or calling) Only WI-FI.

Can be used with a USB keyboard or rodent. Came with needed adapter for a thumb drive (Thankfully) which is a 25 dollar part, and the entire bill protection plan and all was under 100 bucks. Soon as I get the E-mail saying they know I handed it to the lovely young lady at UPS (From where I'm parked UPS is DOWN (lower altitude) and I get to WW to put anothe r7.42 on my gift card.. I'll re-order.

Oh, a couple of apps you might like.. Pandora and Live-365,, Both are internet radio, Different stations,, Pandors seems nicer than Slacker which often comes installed.

RV-Assistant (Dump station finder)
Gas-Buddy (Saves you $$$$$ going to the wron pump)

All-Stays (Ok that one you pay for)

Talking Tom (cute, no useful prupose but cute, PET the cat, Feed it milk,, Don't step on it's paw)

I put a bookmark on the home page TV Listings Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Zap2it

You need to go there and configure the account before you visit with the droid,, Also register and get a password, Strip the URL down to do all that and to log in the first time with the droid (Stripped means everything up to com/)

[Tumble Weed]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

THe little one (7" I view) I got for my wife (And just shipped back due to cracked screen, As I said GET THE PRODUCT PROTECTION PLAN) works great as a Kindle, will do NOOK if I ask it to, And runs many other apps.. IT does not (however) have GPS, Blue Tooth or Telephone (Cell internet or calling) Only WI-FI.

Can be used with a USB keyboard or rodent. Came with needed adapter for a thumb drive (Thankfully) which is a 25 dollar part, and the entire bill protection plan and all was under 100 bucks. Soon as I get the E-mail saying they know I handed it to the lovely young lady at UPS (From where I'm parked UPS is DOWN (lower altitude) and I get to WW to put anothe r7.42 on my gift card.. I'll re-order.

Oh, a couple of apps you might like.. Pandora and Live-365,, Both are internet radio, Different stations,, Pandors seems nicer than Slacker which often comes installed.

RV-Assistant (Dump station finder)
Gas-Buddy (Saves you $$$$$ going to the wron pump)

All-Stays (Ok that one you pay for)

Talking Tom (cute, no useful prupose but cute, PET the cat, Feed it milk,, Don't step on it's paw)

I put a bookmark on the home page TV Listings Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Zap2it

You need to go there and configure the account before you visit with the droid,, Also register and get a password, Strip the URL down to do all that and to log in the first time with the droid (Stripped means everything up to com/)

Thanks for the great infromation, I will ask for more when I get what I get.
Some says ice creme sandwitch, jellybean and other names, what is that stuff. I guess another search..

[JohnBoyToo]

those are androids cutsie names for their operating system versions...

that's all...
and to the Apple fanboy - I'll put the screen on the samsung 10" up against anything you got BUDDY !!!!

well, let me say this - my eyes are the limiting feature - not the screen rendering

[Tumble Weed]

How do you know if has GPS ability?

[emoney]

I for one just got rid of my Xoom tablet because it collected more dust than anything, but that's the reason there are so many options in the Tech World, I suppose.

Having said that, I just noticed that GoogleMaps just released a "turn-by-turn" free App for iPhone and I'm assuming Android as well. I used it this past weekend for a work thing and it was quite user-friendly. Knowing this, you should be able to download that app on any tablet you choose (assuming, of course, it's also an Android platform app).

I will add this to the conversation though; it seems as if tablets are getting smaller and phones are getting bigger, so it's just a matter of time before the two become one. I only mention that because it wouldn't surprise me if this time next year the market is flooded with a new "one-size-does-all" device that replaces our phones, laptops & tablets. That's the whole name of the game anyway, it seems: design a new product and just when most people are buying it, make it obsolete!

[Muddypaws]

Originally Posted by JohnBoyToo

those are androids cutsie names for their operating system versions...

that's all...
and to the Apple fanboy - I'll put the screen on the samsung 10" up against anything you got BUDDY !!!!

well, let me say this - my eyes are the limiting feature - not the screen rendering

I am anything but an Apple fanboy. When my DW insisted on getting the Mac Book we nearly needed a lawyer. It is little more than a iPad with a keyboard. A very expensive keyboard. I used to develop software on Macs and I hated them!

But when it comes to the tablet war Apple still has the best display.

The retina display is 2048-by-1536 resolution.

The Samsung 10.1" display is only 1280 x 800 pixels. Just over half the resolution of the retina display.

Until you actually see a 24 Megapixel photograph rendered on a retina display you have no idea how much difference there is.

Reading a Kindle book on the retina display is pretty darn good too. But was it worth the extra $100? Was to me.

The funny thing is that the display is probably manufactured by Samsung. Sooner or later Samsung will either find a legal way to use the display or build a better one for themselves.