$300 Tablet Recomendation

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nshpred

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Aug 21, 2013
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I'm looking at possibly getting a tablet for around $300. I don't need it to do anything too fancy; it will get a lot of use with things things like youtube and netflix, but I'll probably also use it to take notes in class, so I'd like something I could connect a keyboard to. Any recommendations?
 
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I would recommend an iPad Mini. The iPad mini has several keyboard attachments made for it, and you will have access to hundreds of thousands of well optimized applications.
 
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An 8" Windows 8.1 tablet is probably the most versatile. You won't be tied to Apple's or Android's ecosystems, can use any USB peripheral that runs on Windows, should come with Bluetooth support for wireless keyboards, and you should be able to find one near your $300 budget.

I would rather run full PC software than be tied to an App ecosystem, and I would rather program using the full feature set of desktop development software than trying to figure out how to program for Apple and Android, but that's just my personal opinion.

It would seem, you can currently pick up the base model Dell Venue 8 Pro for the promotional price of $229 from the Microsoft store. That's not a bad price for a full, quad-core, x64 Windows based tablet: http://tinyurl.com/nuzg73r

You can spend the rest of your $300 budget on accessories, like Danbuscus25 suggested. 🙂 It comes with Office, which is more than you can say for the other offerings.
 
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I think this would probably be good for them. http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-8-pro/pd
 
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To clarify, the Venue 8 Pro does not run RT, it runs a full version of Windows, the same as any other desktop PC does.

I agree with you, tcb1005, about the Venue 8 Pro being probably the best choice of tablets in that price range. At the promotional price, it pretty much is hard to beat the value.
 
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What about the Asus Vivotab Note 8? Basically the same as the Venue 8, but it has a Wacom digitizer which is perfect for note taking. No other tablet offers Wacom that cheap (as far as I know). Also, pretty hard to get your hands on one right now so good luck!

I think it also comes with Microsoft Office. Also, be aware that some might say that Dell Venue has an active digitizer as well, but I've heard nothing other than how terrible it is.

Also, in all honesty, you'll probably be dropping closer to 350 for either. I don't think you want the 32gb version because you will have very little space left over after installing windows. 350 for 64 gb Dell and 380 for the 64 gb Vivtotab

Edit: You might be able to get away with the 32 gb vivotab. I forgot that Asus includes an 8gb recovery micro sd card (store safely!), and thus you can free up that space for other things.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-8-pro/pd?dgc=BA&cid=274305&lid=5130723&acd=12309196732294295

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.295784600&pid=CWF-01676?mr:trackingCode=CE0B03EE-5BA9-E311-98D0-B8CA3A5D9DDA&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=31967039347&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=21844073347&tid=2iYORhOz_dc&cid=5250&pcrid=31967039347&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=pointitsem_Microsoft+US_google_PLA+-+All+Other&WT.source=google&WT.medium=cpc&origin=pla
 
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Also, I want to hijack this thread real quick 😛 Is there anywhere to handle either of these tablets? Or is it MS store only? Pretty sure the Vivotab is MS store only, but if I could get my hands on a Dell or the Asus at Best Buy or some other big box, then that would be great! Thanks!

UPDATE for original poster: If you don't mind open box, Newegg has the 32 gb dell venue pro for 200. That is a pretty sweet deal. Really tempted to do it myself, but I want to get a hands on experience first (and I really want that wacom digitizer).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?gclid=CK_xltPUjb0CFeY-MgodTTUACw&Item=N82E16834300179R&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-All+Tablets-_-N82E16834300179R&ef_id=UnvwTwAABNF@nwhd:20140312184903:s
 
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The listing I posted to was for a brand new Venue 8 Pro at $229, not an open box or used model. The Venue 8 Pro can take a 64GB micro-SD card, so it isn't as limited as you're making it out to be. It's lower cost to get some 64GB micro-SD cards than to pay to have it pre-soldered to the tablet on the inside. Also, if you really needed that much space, you can use an OTG USB adapter to attach a portable hard drive. You'll likely need a hard drive that is externally powered, but if you're really in that much need of space for a tablet then I suspect you're trying to use a hammer to sharpen pencils, if you get my meaning.
 
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You can likely get your hands around a tablet at a Microsoft store, as you mentioned, but I wouldn't know where else. I've been through Fry's and don't recall seeing too many on display, so you may not find what you're looking for there. As for Best Buy, I dislike the sales people in that store so much I only go in when I have to, and that's maybe once a year, so I can't help there. As far as the feel of the Venue 8 Pro, the back is rubberized and not smooth or flat, but has micro-grooves in a circular pattern. It's pretty easy to grip with two fingers when picking it up. For my purposes, I ended up going with the grotesquely overpriced Hand e Holder device so I could actually hold the tablet comfortably for long periods of time and to prevent accidentally dropping it: http://www.handeholder.com/
 
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R.e. disk space: ya, that is true...but I think you can only install apps on the onboard drive? SD card is good for everything else, but all of the reviews I've been seeing...most people wished they had gotten the 64 (something like 10gb left after windows install).

R.e. Best Buy: ya those guys are sharks. I have no problem buying from the MS store, but we don't have one around here and I really want to get hands on before buying. Want to see for myself if the Dell stylus is that bad. If not, then I would hands down take the Dell over the Asus
 
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"Sharks" is hardly the word that comes to mind for the salespeople at Best Buy, but I'll keep things clean here.

Dell stylus wasn't available when I purchased, and wasn't available for some time after, so currently I don't have the stylus. I can't offer an overly informed opinion of that. I've only heard the reviews, as have you, but I do know that Dell updated the firmware to address the stylus issue back in January, so it is supposed to be improved from reviews prior to that.

I have not installed apps on an SD card, but you can use a guide such as this which offers many suggestions, and a likely work around for installing Apps to the SD card: http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/dell/60268-guide-maximizing-disk-space-your-dell-venue-8-pro-other-windows-8-1-system.html
 
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Lol, I had to deal with the guys at Staples today, don't get me started. I just told them to stay out of my way.

I went hands on with Venue today, and I have to say I liked it quite a bit. They didn't have a stylus available, but I used my finger to write some notes, and I think that it seemed decently accurate. The screen was great. I do have to say that it seems like it would get frustrating to navigate and press buttons without a stylus. I really wish I could get my hands on the Asus. The Dell was the 32 gb model, and it was 29 after formatting. Also looks like it had about 6 gigs as recovery, and after windows install it had 9 gb free. Seems sketchy, but it might work.

Ya if there is a work around for the app situation (likely), then the storage space really is a nonissue.
 
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It appears that the workaround for the App storage being moveable was removed with the 8.1 update, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, or maybe it does... All in all, I've been pretty much satisfied with my Dell V8P. I have noticed, the spacing of most icons and buttons in Windows 8 is such that your pointing is almost always right where it should be. It's only the old, leftover interface bits that migrated from 7 and earlier that have bad spacing. As I wrote my own software for keeping track of lists, I was able to make nice, easy to read text, with big buttons, just as I was hoping to. The screen seems to be pretty decent quality, but I wish at some point manufacturers of PC devices would wrap their head around glossy screens being something of a nuisance.
 
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