Spec me a tablet please?

[rOAdeh]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a bit of tablet help. I thought I originally wanted a Kindle Touch, for something to read on my commute to work. However, the recent launch of the Kindle Fire made me consider spending a bit extra and get something that handles video and pictures too. The only thing is that I don't want it to be big (i.e. the Fire was perfectly sized for me) and I also don't want to spend as much as an iPad would cost. I hadn't realised how big the market was though and am somewhat bewildered by the options available so would appreciate any direction!

What I want:

Compact with high quality screen that is good for reading and watching (preferably something that can be used outdoors too but this is a secondary requirement)
Meaty enough processor/RAM to handle SD H264 content natively (720p/1080p would be nice but I expect will be too demanding and therefore is definitely not high up priority list. It needs to support playback natively though; can't be doing with transcoding everything into a specific format )
Easy drag and drop support (preferably no proprietary software needed)
Enough storage space to handle a number of films/TV shows (thinking at least 10GB of usable space, ideally more)
Good battery life (10 hours of video playback over the course of a week would be good)
Games aren't a major concern but would be nice to play occasionally. Films/Pics/Music/Books much more important though..
Wifi enabled (don't need BT or 3G really - though if I can tether through my iPhone's USB/BT somehow that would be handy)
Cheap (as I said I was considering a Kindle Fire, but could stretch to more - say £300ish?)
Things like camera/GPS etc are nice but again not a priority. Camera only would be more preferable if I could use it for Skype.

Is there anything that fits?

Cheers,

 

[malachi]

At the moment the Asus Transformer has come down to £300 without the attachment but with the Transformer 2 round the corner, I am holding out myself.

 

[rOAdeh]

Hi malachi, the Transformer 2 actually looks pretty impressive thanks. However, I'm a little concerned it might be bigger than I wanted and have a lot more features than I actually need.. If that was seen as the perfect option to fulfilling all my requests at the top end of the market, is there something smaller and more basic towards the bottom end? Or would you just go for the original Transformer?

Thanks,

 

[V4NT0M]

Your best bet would probably be the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000, same dimensions as the kindle fire but a bit slimmer and should do everything you want of it.

 

[bifday2k]

As you said max budget of £300, id have to agree with malachi, the original transformer won't be beaten for that cost. Storage space is fine, 16Gb + sd slot for more if needed, so that would cover the films.

Battery life is about what your after also, and if you wanted more, could at a later date get the laptop dock for it that increases the battery life further.

The transformer 2 (prime) will slot into the old transformer pricing £400-550, so quite abit over your budget, yes is looks amazing for sure, but the original transformer is still a class bit of kit.

Main reasons id suggest the transformer (original) for you are:
Very good Screen
Android 3.1/3.2 (or whatever it is by now)
Will get the ICS (android 4) update
Good storage + sd slot
Regular updates over the air by asus

Basicly sub £200 tablets can't really compete with it, so now its droped in price id highly recommend it.

 

[V4NT0M]

If you did want to go for a 10 inch tablet I would recommend the Tab 10.1 over the transformer, it has a better screen and it's slimmer and lighter. The only thing it doesn't have is an SD slot. I got my reconditioned tab for £265.

 

[manic111]

Blackberry Playbook? Decent price for what it is at around £250, if not a little less.

 

[rOAdeh]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies; very helpful. I think what's going to decide it for me is the size of the tablets.. I think I'll need to pop down to a store at the weekend to compare the sizes of say the Transformer and the Samsung.

I've seen friends buy iPads and could never find a niche that meant that I needed one, since I already have a desktop, laptop and an iPhone. My commute is the only place when a 15" Macbook Pro isn't really socially acceptable to be using while on a crowded train! So if I'm honest all I need is something that's easily portable that can entertain me for a couple of hours each day...

Cheers

 

[chrismscotland]

Blackberry Playbook? Decent price for what it is at around £250, if not a little less.

+1 I've just bought one fair enough the dearest 64GB one but they're all the same.
Really enjoying it, very portable due to its size and its fantastic for video, music and eBooks, I've also been reading a lot of PDF magazines on it and its perfect for that too.