My First Tablet. What To Buy? Opinions Greatly Appreciated

Discussion in 'Smartphones and Tablets - Hardware' started by Skinno, Jan 28, 2016.

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  1. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    I'm wondering if anyone could offer me some advice / tips on buying my first tablet.
    I absolutely don't want any Apple products (a personal preference) regardless of their critical acclaim.
    I've always favored Android with my smartphones and am thinking of staying with them for a tablet - unless I can be convinced otherwise.

    Here's what I will primarily be using it / looking for:

    Browsing - lots of it and also downloading / uploading files. So, I do't want anything 'sluggish'.
    I don't play games at all, so I'm not interested in throttling the tablet to its limits.
    I am not an app-fiend so lots of apps with bells and whistles aren't important to me.
    A decent camera would be very welcome but that's a desirable option not an essential.
    Something between 8 - 10" or thereabouts. I'm guessing a larger screen would be nice.
    A clean, easy-to-use interface that looks good.
    Something quite portable and not too heavy that will fit in my (large) backpack.
    AFFORDABLE: I'm not rich and therefore considering buying a second-hand one from eBay.
    That's about it really.

    I've read some reviews on tech-radar but some opinions from people who own them would be very welcome.
    I've been looking at a Galaxy Tab S2 and a Nexus 9 online.
    Any thoughts, ideas and tips would be greatly appreciated.
    Many thanks in advance.
     
  2. Tabeer

    Tabeer Private E-2

    Google Pixel C and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 both are also good tabs.
    In Google Pixel C There are

    -Iconic pixel design/build quality
    -Android 6.0 Marshmallow
    -Keyboard is easy to type on
    -USB Type C
    In Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
    -Lots of RAM (3072 MB RAM)
    -Fast mobile data support (4G)
    -Thin body, measuring less than 7.5mm/0.3inches

    Maybe you can consider these two too.
     
    Skinno likes this.
  3. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    Hi Tabeer,
    Thanks a lot for replying. I have been looking at both of these. The Pixel C is a little too expensive for me to consider but I have been looking at a second-hand Tab S2 9.7.
    My dilemma now seems to be in deciding whether to choose a Tab S2 9.7 or go for the Nexus 9.
    I have seen the S2 9.7 and liked it a lot but have not yet managed to actually hold a Nexus 9. I've read that both are good but still can't decide.
    I believe that the Nexus is usually the first Android tablet to get upgrades but do you know if the Tab S2 9.7 will be upgradable (eventually) to Marshamallow?
    Thanks.
     
  4. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    Skinno likes this.
  5. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    Hey, thanks plodr. That's good news. The S2 9.7 might just be swinging it for me at the moment.
    I'm still curious about the Nexus 9 though. The Nexus second-hand ones I have seen are considerably less expensive too than the S2 ones.
     
  6. Tabeer

    Tabeer Private E-2

    Yes Skinno you are right Nexus 9 will be less expensive than S2 right now. I think you should buy a 2nd hand Nexus 9 first and then plan for S2. Nexus 9 is also a great device and If I specifically talk about battery then its battery is fantastic.
     
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  7. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    Thanks Tabeer. I didn't know that the Nexus has better battery life. That's always a strong point to consider.
    The Nexus I have seen for sale is only 16g while the S2 9.7 is 32g. I am aware that the Nexus has no microSD slot and am wondering if 16g would be sufficient or whether part of that is already filled with apps etc.
     
  8. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    I also forgot to mention that I had slight concerns about the Nexus after readin in reviews that much of the time the tablet is prone to having light-bleed issues. That was something that caused alarm bells to ring for me, although I'm not sure if this bleeding issue is apparent in all models.
     
  9. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    Personally, I never considered tablets that didn't have a card slot. My thinking was if Android keeps getting updated, like Windows, more of the internal sd will be taken up by the OS leaving me less room for apps.
    My tablet is 16GB. I was updated from Kit Kat to Lollipop. I just checked and it says my 16GB device has 11.13GB total space and of the 5.35GB is available.
    I don't install many apps. Total my apps take up 2.77GB. I move pictures off to a computer or flash drive and currently have 55.79MB I have 7.52MB in audio. I assume these are ordinary system sounds because I don't download sound files.

    I store movies on the card but you can have a card for movies, one for books, and another for pictures so the internal sd is just for apps and the Android OS.
    Some apps can be moved to a card but I wouldn't count on this because others refuse to be moved.

    If it were my decision, I get the Samsung because I'd want the slot.

    When I searched, it was between the Nexus or the ASUS. I picked the ASUS because of the slot.
     
    Skinno likes this.
  10. Skinno

    Skinno Private E-2

    Thanks plodr. I think I'm definitely considering going down that path now. I don't use many apps really but the card slot is a huge bonus imo. I browse a lot and listen to a lot of music but I can put my music on a card, no problem. That's one of the main bug-bears I have with Apple IOS - they seem very restricted and not customizable. I despise iTunes with a passion. I want to be able to play and import my music without being told what to do with it.
    Saying that, some techie was trying to convince me how I should get the iPad Air / 2. Admittedly, he did a good job of convincing me how smooth and wonderful the system works but I still don't think I could bear the restrictions that come with it. Petty? Possibly but I've always preferred the freedom one is allowed with Android devices.
     
  11. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    Me too! As far as music, I have a SanDisk Clip+ mp3 player. It is a simple case of opening Windows Explorer and moving or copying mp3 files to my player or a micro sd card. (Yes I bought a player that also has a card slot. ;)
    The one music app I have is Songza but I rarely stream music on my tablet.
     
  12. casiasser

    casiasser Private First Class

    htc nexus 9
     
  13. the mekanic

    the mekanic Major Mekanical Geek

    I love my Google Nexus by Asus. It's a couple years old now, but it is and always has been a great tool and it's bigger than my smartphone!
     
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