Which android tablet is better?

[Angelight]

Need some advice here. I’m contemplating to replace my old laptop with an android tablet (but not iPad) and have shortlisted 4:


1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer
2. Acer Iconia Tab A500
3. Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Which is better in terms of value-for-money? I’ve googled online but the reviews are so technical, hope some kind soul will give me some suggestions. Thanks!

[valvestate]

Angelight:

1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer
2. Acer Iconia Tab A500
3. Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

I would definitely go with Samsung Galaxy. It has higher CPU and graphics... you will not regret it.

[Angelight]

But compared with iPad, is the Samsung Galaxy as versatile, for example, can watch movies, play games, read ebooks, apart from the internet surfing and send emails stuff?

valvestate:

Angelight:

1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer
2. Acer Iconia Tab A500
3. Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

I would definitely go with Samsung Galaxy. It has higher CPU and graphics... you will not regret it.

[BigDevil]

If you are expecting the versatility and capability of an iPad, why not just get an iPad :?

[Angelight]

Cos iPad more expensive right? Or is it the same?

BigDevil:

If you are expecting the versatility and capability of an iPad, why not just get an iPad :?

[cimman]

Angelight:

But compared with iPad, is the Samsung Galaxy as versatile, for example, can watch movies, play games, read ebooks, apart from the internet surfing and send emails stuff?

valvestate:

[quote=\"Angelight\"]1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer
2. Acer Iconia Tab A500
3. Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

I would definitely go with Samsung Galaxy. It has higher CPU and graphics... you will not regret it.

[/quote]all android tablets can read ebooks, watch movies, play games, read emails...
you just have to download the relevant apps to do all that. Most of that apps that does that are free...

[cimman]

BigDevil:

If you are expecting the versatility and capability of an iPad, why not just get an iPad :?

actually to say that the iPad is more versatile than an android tablet is not entirely accurate. There are a number of android apps that allows one to customize the homepage to one's liking. You can't do that for the iPad. In this area, the iPad lacks the versatility.
The iPad does have the edge in performance over the Android tablet, simply because the apps are optimized for that hardware. The Android ecosystem does not allow that because there are just too many hardware options available.
However, with the introduction of the NVidia quad core processor, it has managed to exceed iPad's peformance through sheer brute force. Not elegant, but it works.
I'm sure Apple will introduce a quad core processor down the road. However, that's down the road. As of now, the Asus Transformer Prime is the king.

[cimman]

Angelight:

Cos iPad more expensive right? Or is it the same?

BigDevil:

If you are expecting the versatility and capability of an iPad, why not just get an iPad :?

not really, cost is not a major factor when choosing an iOS platform vs an Android platform. Both platform have very different philosophies. The iOS platform has a very draconian view of what apps are allowed in the market place. Anything that changes the look and feel of iOS is not allowed. Apps are monitored for quality, ie. minimum crashes. The upside of this is that iOS apps has a very consistent user experience and feel.

The Android platform is more liberal. Anyone can put anything out there. You have a lot more choices, not in terms of the absolute number of apps, but in terms of what apps can do. However, this also means that there is no quality control. Common complaint is that android apps are unstable, crashes often. The trick is to pick out the good stable ones through reviews. Android apps also loses out to Apples apps on performance. Not a lot, just a shudder here and there when you swipe, just not as smooth as on the iPad. The reason is because the Android OS has to cater for a large number of hardware platforms, so apps cannot be optimized for a particular hardware architecture, unlike the iPad. However, most Android users feel that the performance is good enough for them. It is an acceptable trade off for flexibility.

So if you're the type that is not technically inclined, just wants things to work when you press the power switch, and doesn't care two hoots for customization, the iPad is for you.

If you're the type that don't mind reading up on the latest tricks to get the last ounce of computing power out of your tablet, and loves to tweak every color, every shadow, every pic on your homescreen to your liking, well, the Android tablet is your only choice.

As you can see, both sides have their own ardent fans because both tablets are very different in nature. Price difference is really not an issue if you can afford a tablet in the first place. A tablet is a luxury, not a necessity.

You have to know which OS character suits you best. The difference in philosophies has far wider implications than the price difference of a hundred dollars or two.

[Angelight]

Thanks, cimman for your helpful input. After reading your comments, think I will likely get an iPad cos I’m not a techie. I just want things to work without too much complexities. One more question: I’m used to writing on microsoft word, and most people I know used Microsoft Word too, so when sending attached documents are compatible. can iPad open microsoft word?

[pojo]

Hi Angelight


Microsoft Word may not be specifically available for iPad and Andriod tablets, I believe. However there are many WP programs like Documents to go which allows you to read and write documents in Microsoft Word format. This means that you can edit the document, save it, export it to another PC to open it in Microsoft word.

Usually the read only version of the WP program is free. This means you can open a Microsoft Word or Excel or Powerpoint file in your email using your iPad or Android tablet. However to make changes to the document, you need to purchase the full program which is not expensive.