Tablet Suggestions?
- Thread starter Mattmatt
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Well there are quite a few things that need to be known. First is he going to use it to take notes and such during class? Is he going to just record the sessions and then listen and notate later? Is storage a concern? Is a physical keyboard or the ability to hook up a keyboard via a case or Bluetooth something that needs to be considered? What is going to be the preferred method of such notes? Google Docs, or just a normal .doc format that can be read by Office for use on a PC? Is it just going to be something for him to carry around and mess with when he isn't at class? Is he going to need mobile network connectivity or will WiFi suffice?
So yeah there is quite a bit more that needs to be known aside from the "tablet for college" cause that isn't really going to get you many answers. There is everything from the 2nd generation iPad to the new Nexus 7 that can cover just a tablet in the $200-$400 range.
So yeah there is quite a bit more that needs to be known aside from the "tablet for college" cause that isn't really going to get you many answers. There is everything from the 2nd generation iPad to the new Nexus 7 that can cover just a tablet in the $200-$400 range.
If note taking is one of the main purposes then a tablet isn't the best choice for that since tablets don't have real keyboards. A keyboard can be added to many tablets but then it becomes much more cumbersome. If taking notes is primary then I would suggest a netbook over a tablet. Tablet's are good content consuming devices but aren't particularly well suited for content creation.
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Mattmatt
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Well honestly the reason I said for college is because its his 18th birthday tomorrow, and we want to surprise him, so I am not sure what his uses are going to be, but I can tell you things they MAY be and will NOT be. He will not need it for 3g/4g because Wifi is everywhere at college. He has a laptop, but he may want to use it for class a few times, but I really don't know. I am not a big user of google docs, and I don't think he is, but if it ends up being cheaper to purchase, then google docs will be fine. I don't know if there are tablets that don't run with mac, so it must connect to a mac, or else it would be a little bit pointless. I think I want to get him and Asus or Acer, but I don't know. A keyboard will most likely not be hooked up to it, but the ability for it to be able to would be nice. He will be messing around on it as well. Hopefully that helps!
I'm not sure about the requirement to be able to connect to a MAC. For what purpose? If he simply wants to transfer files or something like that, that can be done over wifi regardless of whether working with a MAC or PC. I've had a tablet for about a year now and have only connected it to my computer a couple of times.
If I were looking to buy a decent tablet in the price range of $200-400, I would be looking at the Nexus 7.
If I were looking to buy a decent tablet in the price range of $200-400, I would be looking at the Nexus 7.
Well Google Docs is completely free and can be accessed by anything with a network connection or via any Android Device.
Apps that he bought on his computer? If you mean something like Microsoft Office, that is not compatible with any tablet on the market. At least not until Oct when Win8 comes out. As of right now there is nothing that is interchangeable from PC to Tablet. Android Tablets cant have their apps on a PC. Stuff bought for an iPod will only work on Mac's and not PC's.
I can understand the whole surprise aspect, but seriously something like this that will be a daily use item cant be something purchased without input. Getting an Android Device when he is currently running a Mac might not be something he wants. He might just want to stick with Apple based products for their simplicity rather than having to learn Android as well as OS X.
Apps that he bought on his computer? If you mean something like Microsoft Office, that is not compatible with any tablet on the market. At least not until Oct when Win8 comes out. As of right now there is nothing that is interchangeable from PC to Tablet. Android Tablets cant have their apps on a PC. Stuff bought for an iPod will only work on Mac's and not PC's.
I can understand the whole surprise aspect, but seriously something like this that will be a daily use item cant be something purchased without input. Getting an Android Device when he is currently running a Mac might not be something he wants. He might just want to stick with Apple based products for their simplicity rather than having to learn Android as well as OS X.
I am not recommending an iPad. What I am saying is that if he already has a Mac Computer an iPad would be logical. As the interface is not that much different and the software is made by the same company. It is far easier for him to sync stuff up from his Mac to his iPad than it would be to sync from his Mac to an Android tablet. Not to mention the fact that any apps bought on his Mac, would not be able to be used on the Android Tablet, forcing them to be re-bought, if there is even an Android version.
What I am saying is that while you want it to be a surprise, your best option is to talk to him to find out what he plans on doing with it and what he would prefer. As all you will be doing if you got something he didn't like is wasting money, time and possibly buying an item that you cant return cause he is off at college and past the time frame that it can be returned.
So if you really want to waste your time and money and do something that he might not like cause it doesn't work well with what he has, that is fine by us. But buying an expensive piece of electronics from someone is no easy matter. It isn't just throwing a dart at a board and done with. It is an investment that takes time and research to get done, input from the user for a proper buying experience.
What I am saying is that while you want it to be a surprise, your best option is to talk to him to find out what he plans on doing with it and what he would prefer. As all you will be doing if you got something he didn't like is wasting money, time and possibly buying an item that you cant return cause he is off at college and past the time frame that it can be returned.
So if you really want to waste your time and money and do something that he might not like cause it doesn't work well with what he has, that is fine by us. But buying an expensive piece of electronics from someone is no easy matter. It isn't just throwing a dart at a board and done with. It is an investment that takes time and research to get done, input from the user for a proper buying experience.
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Mattmatt
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Thank you so much for your help! I just pretty much asked him, and he said he wouldn't want one, and I think we are buying him a camera. But I plan on buying a tablet in the near future, and I (almost) have an ASUS laptop, so I think I will be buying the transformer for myself, and I will use the information you gave me to make the purchase. Thanks again!
