Bulk Of Questions From A Person New To Tablets/Smartphones etc.

[IndustryStandard]

Okay, I kept writing, and deleting the title, I couldn't find one that described my post.

Basically I am a 17 year old who doesn't own a smartphone, or tablet, Hasn't really used them or anything.

BUT. I am a computer geek, so I am not completely tech illiterate.

Anyway, My parents have stated that this December they would give each of my siblings and I 100$ to spend on whatever we want. I figure, Hey. I could use a tablet, finally bring myself into the future a tad outside my flip phone and craptop.

Of course, I can only get the tablet off of Amazon. And 100$ isn't exactly a lot of spending room, I know.
I want to make sure my post goes well for everyone I will follow some guidelines I saw in a sticky.


I want to use the tablet for browsing, whether its YouTube, Watchtvseries.to, Or going online to look at a guide for my game. This would be my main usage.

A secondary use which isn't game breaking for me honestly, is I have been eyeing the "Nazi Zombies Black Ops App" since my computer is to awful for the game, and my older brother is 18 hours away with our Playstation, my Tablet would be the only way to play it anymore.

I do not care at all for the size of the tablet, I just don't want to be squinting at it.

The built in storage size really goes with whatever you think it needs, I don't plan on storing anything.

-Edit- I think its 4.2 or 4.3 that adds some new feature thats called trimming or something thats suppose to help with long term performance, Someone could clarify on that it would be nice.

Now apart from wondering if anyone can find the best I can get, I have a handful of questions.

I live in South Carolina, North Charleston, in case this is important.

Now for my questions.

1. Similar to how buying a computer with Windows pre-installed with junk, is this the same with android tablets? If so can I reset everything so its a nice clean happy slate for me?

2. From what I am aware when you buy a tablet that say, comes with android 4.2, You are not able to update to 4.3+, is this true? Or only applies to some tablets? How do the updates actually work?

3. With Android being all Google like, does Google force itself down your throat by making you use a Gmail, and Google specific apps? Because I use outlook mail, and deeply hate gmail.

4. If I get a tablet, or someone on here (most likely this) found me a tablet to get, will I have to worry about being outdated, and not getting to use newer apps? Or how does that really work?

5. I know some tablets have external slots for SD cards, Will android be able to use the extra storage? How will it use it.

6. I keep trying to read from Ubuntu's site, but getting a lot of conflicting information, but Ubuntu for tablets looks amazing (I use Ubuntu on one of my laptops) but I can't figure out if its Ubuntu -with- tablets thats not out yet or being able to install Ubuntu for tablets itself is not out yet.

Basically I am interested in having Linux on my tablet, and I can't tell if Ubuntu for tablets is actually out or not.

7. Whats the apps like on android? Are they chock full of ads, is everything on there full of free versions with hardly anything and then a Pro Version, whats the freeware situation like?

8. Be honest, Any small or major quirks you have with android tablets/android itself that I should know? Things buggy, does it slow down soon, do batteries die off quickly, do the apps flat out suck?



Sorry for the wall of text, Sorry if I posted this in the wrong area, sorry my ignorance on tablets shows. I am a bit of an anxious person and if I am ever given money I make sure to spend it to its full use.

 

[leeshor]

Welcome to the forum

1. Similar to how buying a computer with Windows pre-installed with junk, is this the same with android tablets? If so can I reset everything so its a nice clean happy slate for me?

Most Android tablets come with additional apps, except mainly for Nexus tablets. Most of those apps could be called bloat but don't really get in the way like that would on Windows.

2. From what I am aware when you buy a tablet that say, comes with android 4.2, You are not able to update to 4.3+, is this true? Or only applies to some tablets? How do the updates actually work?

That's a hit and miss. Most major brand tablets come with 4.4 and the moment and will probably get 5.0. 4.2 is getting pretty old at the moment.

3. With Android being all Google like, does Google force itself down your throat by making you use a Gmail, and Google specific apps? Because I use outlook mail, and deeply hate gmail.

There are dozens of mail apps, many are better than the stock mail app, which doesn't happen to be G-Mail. However G-Mail is greatly improved recently and the app is not at all limited to using G-Mail. You can add virtually any mail account including Outlook.

4. If I get a tablet, or someone on here (most likely this) found me a tablet to get, will I have to worry about being outdated, and not getting to use newer apps? Or how does that really work?

Tablet's like computers get outdated. A decent major brand tablet should not restrict the apps you can get from Google or Amazon but updates are up to the app developer. Most apps are updated pretty regularly.

5. I know some tablets have external slots for SD cards, Will android be able to use the extra storage? How will it use it.

Most Android tablets have a microSD card slot and it can be used for data/media storage.

6. I keep trying to read from Ubuntu's site, but getting a lot of conflicting information, but Ubuntu for tablets looks amazing (I use Ubuntu on one of my laptops) but I can't figure out if its Ubuntu -with- tablets thats not out yet or being able to install Ubuntu for tablets itself is not out yet.

I don't have a good answer for you there but installing Ubuntu would not allow you to use the Google and Amazon apps

Basically I am interested in having Linux on my tablet, and I can't tell if Ubuntu for tablets is actually out or not.

You may want to consider not even getting an Android tablet in that case. Your budget will be your biggest problem in any case. To get the newer versions of Android, a major brand tablets that is more likely to get newer versions ans will be most able to get a variety of apps compatible with the tablet is likely to cost more than what you planned..

7. Whats the apps like on android? Are they chock full of ads, is everything on there full of free versions with hardly anything and then a Pro Version, whats the freeware situation like?

Many of the free apps do come with ads but I haven't fond them to be all that intrusive. paid versions are usually fairly inexpensive.

8. Be honest, Any small or major quirks you have with android tablets/android itself that I should know? Things buggy, does it slow down soon, do batteries die off quickly, do the apps flat out suck?

No, no, and no.

 

[PitCarver]

 

[Spider]

Hi IndustryStandard, welcome to the forum. Nice of you to become a member of Android Tablets.

 

[IndustryStandard]

Oh that helps, I went ahead and browsed Amazon for tablets under 100$.

I pretty much have like 4 tablets to choose from on Amazon. As of this week, Don't know the status later in the month.

The Amazon FireHD 6
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-HD-Displ...761011_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418675871&sr=1-1

Toshiba Excite Go AT7-C8 7' 8gb
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Excit...761011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418675871&sr=1-3

Asus MeMO Pad 7' ME170CX-A1-BK 16gb
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-MeMO-ME1...761011_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418675706&sr=1-2

HP 7' Plus 8gb
http://www.amazon.com/HP-Plus-7-Inc...761011_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418675706&sr=1-4

From what I can tell the Amazon FireHD seems to be the more bang for your buck deal, the HP seeming to be the worst, the Toshiba being pretty good, except the screen is awful, The Asus seemed alright, It didn't have a quad processor like the FireHD but people are commenting on it having battery issues.

I don't really know which is best, or maybe theirs one I didn't list that's actually better then these, I only took the top 4 with a decent amount of reviews, the rest had hardly any review.

And well, The Amazon FireHD isn't technically an android tablet, which means I would have to leave this nice forum, and use an OS that I don't see having a lot of support from app makers.

Any thoughts?
By the way newegg might be a possibility now, I plan to check their later.

 

[leeshor]

Pick the ASUS or the Toshiba. The Amazon Fire has some limitations because it's very oriented toward Amazon. The HP doesn't get very good reviews. I would go for the Memo. Also it has 16GB rather than 8.

 

[IndustryStandard]

Pick the ASUS or the Toshiba. The Amazon Fire has some limitations because it's very oriented toward Amazon. The HP doesn't get very good reviews. I would go for the Memo. Also it has 16GB rather than 8.

But the Memo is getting a lot of bad reviews involving the battery not charging.
Conflicting reviews bother me.

 

[PitCarver]

Reviews are a hit and miss thing. Personally, I look at the overall rating and the number of ratings.
Might want to visit your local Best Buy and try one, first hand.
Keep in mind that when you read about memory, that includes the OS. The Toshiba takes up approximately 4GB and leaving approximately 4GB for your downloaded apps. If you're a gamer, the added size of the memory in the Asus wont leave you short.

 

[IndustryStandard]

Reviews are a hit and miss thing. Personally, I look at the overall rating and the number of ratings.
Might want to visit your local Best Buy and try one, first hand.
Keep in mind that when you read about memory, that includes the OS. The Toshiba takes up approximately 4GB and leaving approximately 4GB for your downloaded apps. If you're a gamer, the added size of the memory in the Asus wont leave you short.

While I fully agree with that, I am a paranoid person when it comes to spending money that isn't mine. A lot of people complaining about the same thing I will take more serious then having mixed reviews with all the bad reviews being different.

Now. I am stupid, I clicked Amazons "Our under 100$ selections for tablets" instead of just searching for tablets, and not surprising I found more tablets to browse through.

Right now the tablet thats winning is this acer, even though I can only get it refurbished..
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Iconia-A...681091&sr=1-26&keywords=tablet#productDetails

And I look forward to when or if this acer gets replaced by anything better. But for now, from my basic understanding, this Acer is top dog right now.

Also the only gaming I am doing is that Nazi Zombies app, and probably an emulator, even though my PSP already has all the emulators I need.

 

[leeshor]

You asked for a suggestion. You can purchase whatever you want. My money is still on the ASUS and the 16GB of storage.

 

[PitCarver]

You asked for a suggestion. You can purchase whatever you want. My money is still on the ASUS and the 16GB of storage.

There would have to be something awfully compelling for me to opt for an undersized unit. Referbs also pose a concern to me.
Just my opinion though.

 

[IndustryStandard]

I still have awhile til anything happens, Maybe a wonderful sale will occur on Amazon for example.

Buuut, the Asus only seems to have the 16gb storage going for it, and not much else in comparison. I mean its screen is supposedly better then the Toshiba, but that Acer seemed to be the best, so far.

 

[leeshor]

I spend a lot of time on an ASUS forum, the Memo has a lot going for it, no matter what you have read.

 

[IndustryStandard]

Well, Okay. Could you share some reasons for that? And why its better then the other options listed.

 

[PitCarver]

I don't have either of these units, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but looking at the additional information, such as the best sellers ranking, I'd still go with the Asus. It's also upgradeable to a newer OS. I'm sure that leeshor could give you better information than I can.

There are folks, here, that are extremely happy with tablets from companies that I've never even heard of. I do believe that once you get into an Android device, you'll be pleased.
The ultimate decision is yours.