Decent tablet for under $500?

[MortonH]

and using an astronomy app like SkySafari you want as much height as possible in the display. I don't like all the new laptops with 16:9 displays for that reason. Same goes for viewing and editing photos.

[skysurfer]

The problem is that most modern devices have the narrow 16:9 ratio.
Sometimes 16:10 such as the Galaxy Tab 3 8.
And otherwise an iPad Air ($480, a decent 4:3 ratio) is an option but you have to live with the limitations of iOS (no shared folder, no USB or external SD card connect).

[MortonH]

What do you mean by "no shared folder"?

[skysurfer]

Originally Posted by MortonH

What do you mean by "no shared folder"?

Under Android (and OSes like OSX, Windows, Ubuntu) any app can store files under a 'shared folder' such as '/sdcard'. iOS can only store files in their own space so when one opens an file with another app, e.g. a PDF attachement to an email, the file is copied to the space of the other app which consumes extra space.
For that reason it is also impossible to upload files from a web browser.

[MortonH]

Thanks for the explanation.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

That's one of the reasons why I chose android over iOS for a tablet. iOS has too many restrictions (which is basically what Apple is all about) whereas android you can go crazy!

Two companies with two different philosophies.

[andrew2008]

Originally Posted by MortonH

Maybe. I'm happy with my Android phone, although I chose it simply because they're available on cheaper contracts than iPhones (I'm a light user so don't need a big plan).

But any tablet I get will be WiFi only, so I guess it's all about the functionality.

I did like the feel of the iPad mini in the store this arvo. Can I hold out until the Retina model is available...?

I am an Android phone user, Windows PC user and ipad tablet owner.

Basic 16GB ipad is under $500 now and is hard to beat.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Originally Posted by 04Stefan07

That's one of the reasons why I chose android over iOS for a tablet. iOS has too many restrictions (which is basically what Apple is all about) whereas android you can go crazy!

Two companies with two different philosophies.

iOS = walled garden, Android = share everything

Security vs convenience is always a challenge in corporate IT. Apple believes in security through lock-down, apps can only share what they allow them to share and don't have any shared space where any potentially "risky" data can be kept that could taint other apps or the OS itself. It's the traditional UNIX way. Apple's approach to the shared folder is sticking it in their iCloud service. Does the same thing and it works really well.

But I also think it's partly a generational thing...Apple's paranoia about secrecy and privacy is very middle-aged, whereas giving up all your personal data and information to the advertising overlord and/or FB is much more a youngster approach. Maybe it's just my random sample of the people I know, but I know more people (obviously, middle aged or thereabouts!) who don't want their whole life out there for all to see, they don't want their emails trawled to provide better banner ads, they just want to get on with their lives with the minimal amount of fuss and hassle. Philosophical indeed.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

Originally Posted by andrew2008

I am an Android phone user, Windows PC user and ipad tablet owner.

I can relate to that!

iOS phone, Windows phone, Android tablet, Windows PC, Mac Laptop.

[rogerco (Roger)]

Don't be too put off by the lack of a shared folder. I have used an iPad for business for a number of years now and have never come across a situation which it was a problem. You have an "Open in" option for email attachments that will allow you to transfer data from email "in most cases". You also have a clipboard that will get data from one place to another.

The big issue with iPads is the lack of a USB port that can accept a lot of devices, the difficulty in printing directly to a non Apple network. I have the iPad 2 and with it and the older iPads you have to get the 3G option as the GPS is in the 3G chip, I think they might have changed that with the new iPads.

No experience with the Android tablets but even with someone elses money in my pocket I couldn't bring myself to fork out the money for the Microsoft offerings.

[Astro_Bot]

Originally Posted by rogerco

No experience with the Android tablets but even with someone elses money in my pocket I couldn't bring myself to fork out the money for the Microsoft offerings.

Maybe it's the way I read that, or maybe there's punctuation missing that'd change the meaning, but, just to set things straight ...

Android is released by Google - it's loosely based on Linux. It has nothing to do with Microsoft.

[OICURMT]

Originally Posted by glend

Just be careful about what version of the Nexus 7 that you look at - if your considering that format. The new version (2013) model is preferred as it has the faster processor, later version of Android, longer battery life and much improved display. It's selling at JB Hifi for around $330, the old version is also still on sale for around $280. It's not a bargain as it will require an ANdroid upgrade, and rumours persist of it dropping wifi connections. Remember you want a tablet platform that can hold up the Sky Safari telescope connection for hours without dropouts (which may mean a re-alignment). I have three Android tablets, and only the 2013 Nexus 7 seems to be capable of holding up the telescope connection for hours at a time.

I suspect you have another issue... I have the 2012 N7 (Wifi, 3/4G) and have never had any problems with Wifi dropout (rooted or non-rooted). I also run multiple APs in the house and it transfers seemlessly between them (Cisco/Linksys main router with two Dlink APs).

The 2012 version with "G" was $348. Don't know what the 2013 goes for, but it can't be much off of that.

[rogerco (Roger)]

Sorry AStro, I shouldn't have put two ideas in the one sentence. I know Android is Linux based and nothing to do with Microsoft. The comment about Microsoft was purely for their lower priced Tablet "Surface" which has Win 8 as an operating system. I don't care what they say, it still isn't a touch screen operating system. The one thing it has going for it is compatibility with other things MS and a USB port. But as someone else has commented it has that long format which makes it seem like it has less real estate space.

I am not averse to the Android platform (I have used Linux on desktops) I just haven't tried one yet. The iPad I love and would be lost without it, I have been around since punched cards and this is the first development to really excite me in a long time. General microcomputers have become a bid "Ho Hum" while I find the way the tablet changes the way you blend a computer - communication device into your life exciting. As they say the iPad "Just works".

[Astro_Bot]

No worries, I'm just being a bit pedantic today.

---------

Though I have no plans to buy a tablet, if I did, it'd be an iPad, not because I like Apple products (I don't own any) but because I prefer the iPad achitecture and ecosystem over that of Android tablets.

[issdaol (Phil)]

Hi Morton,

Specific to your point on having a tablet to use SkySafari I have used the Ipad Version since its first release. On the first gen Ipad, Ipad 3 retina and now Ipad Air. Both the iPad and the software are very stable and the iPad retina screen is very easy to view. Plus you can use the wifi connection or the iPad serial cable converter.

I would not be too worried about getting other information on or off as it is very easily archived via the memory card reader converter or wifi sharing apps or iCloud.

I don't have ay specific allegiance to Apple but it just works without too much hassle and very reliably in my experience.

Cheers

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

On the subject of Sky Safari, apparently it won't be a free upgrade from v3 to v4, so hold off just a little longer as v4 is due out soon...

[MortonH]

Thanks for all the useful info so far.

As is so often the case with me, I get excited about buying a gadget for a few days then I put my sensible head on and start questioning whether I actually need it!

I am only considering a WiFi model since I'm happy with my phone for checking emails, etc when on the go, and I'm not someone who updates Facebook every 5 minutes (more like twice a year). Therefore if I'm away from home it's likely to be in offline mode much of the time.

So I can see it would be useful to have SkySafari, etc with me in the field instead of books, and I can also imagine starting to read ebooks generally, but what else might I use it for to justify the expense? Or put another way - I can justify around $350 for casual use, which gets me a Galaxy Tab 10, or the new Galaxy Note 8, but I couldn't justify $600 for the new iPad Air unless I was going to make real use of it.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Educational tool for your youngster? maybe the mini is a middle ground here, on price and hand-holdability

[MortonH]

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

Educational tool for your youngster? maybe the mini is a middle ground here, on price and hand-holdability

Unfortunately my wife already has an iPad 2 and my daughter has her own LeapPad tablet, so the educational argument is out the window!

It's more likely that my wife will end up with a new iPad and I'll get her old one.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

You don't need the retina display to enjoy Sky Safari... can't imagine it'd make much difference in the dark