Looking into purchasing a tablet for college.

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kjb1686

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Mar 12, 2012
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Hi everyone i was thinking of purchasing a tablet but the problem is i have no idea where to start.I am looking into this for college use mainly and web browsing and playing some games on it. I was looking at the nexus 7 and the new kindle fires they both look to be really great but i don't know anything about either of them. All there any sites or anything that can help me purchase one. Also my budget will be 200 to around 500 obviously the lower the better. I am not looking to buy one for a few weeks so i have time to find one that fits all my needs. I was looking into the ipad from apple it looks really good now that said i don't know if i should get a ipad 3 or ipad 2. At microcenter right now the 16gb ipad 2 is 359 which is really cheap however the 16gb ipad 3 is only 100 more. I don't know much about apple so i dont know if i should just get a 16 ipad 2 or a bigger ipad 3. Also i know there are many others out there i don't mind what os they have on them Also i am sorry if this is in the wrong forum if its you can move it to the right one.
 
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Hey there -

Things like your size needs you need to figure out on your own - maybe go look at them in stores and think about it. For all tablet options, touching and looking at them is critically important. You can't buy this online without seeing it first.

Honestly, in my opinion, Apple still leads this market for a reason. Their products are a little more mature and have more accessories, apps, compatibility, etc. The difference between the ipad 2 and 3 is in screen resolution and graphics ability - the 3 will be better for playing games. The two is cheaper and is also slightly lighter. I'm not sure what kind of college student you are, but if you think it will be in any risk of breaking at all get the cheaper one. If not, the 3 is certainly nicer.

Your college bookstore probably has discounts on tablets. Apple has long done education discounts and I'm sure others do to. Check into it before you buy.
 
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Have you had any experience with the different mobile operating systems? I find that most people get used to either iOS or Android and don't necessarily do well switching camps.

I have been using iOS on iPhones and iPads and have really enjoyed my experience - the appstore is always churning out new applications and many of them are free/inexpensive. I have used both the iPad2 and the iPad3 - if you're planning on doing web browsing and occasionally watch videos on the device, you'll really appreciate the screen quality of the new iPad. I personally used an iPad2 and loved it. It is more than sufficient for your needs and will support the vast majority of the apps on the market.

If you have more experience with Android, there are plenty of excellent options available depending on your budget. The King of the Android tablets in my opinion is the ASUS Transformer Infinity. Screen quality on that table (1920 X 1200) is almost just as good as the iPad retina display. It is very thin, well designed and has a keyboard dock option that increases the battery life of the device. For someone that will be using this tablet on campus, the keyboard dock would probably be an awesome accessory to supplement using a laptop.

My major recommendation is to go to a brick and mortar like BB and try a couple of different models. You may find the 7" models like the Galaxy Tab or Nexus will fit your day to day usage better. You might find that you don't like the weight of one of the Android tablets. You might find you like the look of one of the tablets better.

That's my two bits
 
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Spent some time reseaching tablets (already have an ipad 1). this is what I ended up ordering (should have by thrusday).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230481
Read the reviews @ New egg.
Also google the asus TF700 and read some of the review.

In additoin to the Tablet, I had already purchased a 32 gig microSD card to take it up to 64 gigs and I boaght the keyboard ($80 for tf201 Keyboard), a 64 gig Thumbdrive Plus an additional 64 gig SD card.

Apple make a great tablet - just don't care for the restrictions on add-ons.
 
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Hi everyone i am sorry for the late reply but i might take a drive up to a best buy the closest one is about a hour and a half drive away. I have tried both android and ios even though it has been a while since i have had a item with either os i am leaning towards a ipad.

I am waiting until tomorrow and hoping apple release a ipad mini with decent specs other wise i might get a ipad. I love android due to its customability but i also like apple because of all the apps that they have and like game junky said i love how they always seem to have new apps. Also since i am in college apple is doing a back to school thing that when i purchase a ipad either online or at one of their stores i get a 50 dollar gift card for books apps whatever i want to use it for.

Also in regards to retired chief yes apple is highly restricted but once you jailbreak there is a whole other world of possibilities that can be performed on the device. I had a ipod touch and loved it after i jailbroke it but then again i like android because everything is already open.
 
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+1 - Good pick Chief! That's the Droid I recommend. The screen is killer and ASUS makes great design choices. I personally would rather have their Zenbook prime rather than a tablet but you have to pick the right tool for the job.
 
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I am a fan of Apple's mobile devices (not Mac PCs - still refuse to get used to OSX and all it's restrictions), but my one grievance is their proprietary, minimal connection options for accessories. No USB, no card reader - that's a big whoops for a mobile device that's supposed to be the hub of activity on the go. I loved my iPad but I have learned to let an ultrabook fill that gap.

I don't think the iPad Mini will make as big of a splash as people think - yes, it will be a lower price point but I don't think they're aiming it to go toe to toe with the Kindles and Nexus' of the world. Apple likes it's profit margins too much to go sub $300 and it will more likely resemble a smaller iPad2 so they can recycle some of their internal components from that line.

Regardless, test several different devices - view media on the screens, test the feel of day to day usage, test the web browsing experience and then pick whatever works best for you.
 
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just to fill in, The Asus TF700 arrived last night. Plugged it into a TF201 dock and left it charging over night.
Brought it into work. Turned it on and the first thing it did was to upgrad Ice cream sandwich to Jelly Bean. Where did they ever come up with these names - LOL.
Plugged in a 32 Gig microSDHC into the tablet (recognized), a 64 gig SDXC card into the Keyboard Dock Plus a 64 gig USB3 Thumbdrive - Both were recognized (Note, the Dock is a USB2 port, But my laptop and two desktops all have USB3 ports.

Have not had enought time to "play" with it But sofar think it was the right choice.
 
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