[Q] Which Tablet do i get for $200 or less?

[bigwooly]

Okay so this will be tablet forum #3 I've joined in the last 2 days and ask the same question. this one seems to be by far the most active when it comes to tablet decision help. I know it gets tiresome helping all the tablet noobs w/the same question so i apologize ahead of time for being one. any ways here it goes

Soo Black friday coming up and it looks like there are going to be several deals on tablets out there.

Anyone have any suggestions on which one to get?

I'm hoping to use it for browsing around the house, watching movies on vacation, and various other uses(hoping there's a vnc client out there so i can use it to vnc into my HTPC.), also hoping for something w/marketplace access

I don't need one w/ celluar i have enough devices i can get internet from when i'm out and about.

Here's what i've seen so far

Kmart - Sylvania 7.1" comes w/2.1 Wi-Fi - $139.99
Toys R US - Sylcania 7.1" comes w/2.1 Wi-FI - $139.99
Hastings - Sylvania 7" WiFi Tablet w/ Android O/S 1GHz ARM 11 Processor 256MB RAM 2GB Hard Drive - $149.99
Radio Shack - PanDigital Novel - $149.99 ($20 gift card w/purchase)

They all look to be the same tablet although each add words the device differently. Best buy has a couple of E-reader devices listed however i'm not sure if any of those could be rooted and flashed to a rom more suiting my needs.(nook, cruz e-reader)

Feel free to suggest any device i'm not limited to the ones i've listed so far

I've never rooted an android phone but am technically capable of doing so. By this i mean i'm a computer nerd by trade so i should be able to figure it out.

 

[bigwooly]

Okay so the more i read the more confused i get about what i want out of a tablet. This will be my 1st one.

So far i'm still up in the air as what to go after.

The battery life issues on the Sylvania SYNET7LP worry me about that device. (is this a fixed battery back or could i have some place like batteries plus build a custom battery cell for me to improve battery life?)

The Witstech A81E+ looks to be one of the more well rounded and supported pads currently on the market in my price range (the battery pack is replaceable which should me i can get some form of extended life battery pack for it)

and the last one that is in the running thus far is the Zenithink ZT-180. It's a 10inch and has decent reviews but doesn't look like it's going to get a working 2.2 ported to it. (once again a major concern for all of these devices for me is battery life so I'm not sure if this battery is something that can be replaced or something of that nature)

It's surfaced that one of my major concerns is battery life. I'm an IT guy by profession and I am looking to integrate this device into my daily routine at work to lighten the load i have to carry around w/me. I cover 2 call center and a few other sites and my laptop bag is pretty darn heavy to have to haul around. I'm looking for something that i can use to take down notes on issues and keep track of what I've done while I'm out and about on the call center floor and potentially download drivers or patches via wireless and dump them onto a thumb drive for use while I'm on the floor. So if there's something out there that i can get 5-6 hours of use w/light wifi usage out of then that's what I'm after. I have no problem having to turn Wi-Fi off and on in order to get this kind of battery life.

With all that said I'm a geek through and through when i get home I'm still in geek mode so i would still like to be able to toy around w/it around the house some market games and what not. It there's one out there w/a built in IR blaster I'd like that i have ideas about it's usage w/my Current Home Theater setup.

CAN I HAVE MY CAKE AND EAT IT TOO WITH AN ANDROID TABLET?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[gurgle]

OK, Here are the hard cold facts. I am in IT as well but on the darker side if you catch my drift.
The units you can buy right now for $200 or less will be in a sense archaic in six months. Think of the PC upgrade madness on an accellerated track ie going from 1.6 (Donut) to 2.2 (Froyo(most current)) in 18 months similar to going from Win2K to 2008/Win7. So choose well.

The processor you want at a minimum is a Cortex A8. This is the only single core Processor which can run Flash 10. True Dual Core and multi-core processors such as the Tegra II or Samsung Snapdragon are also contenders. But these will be a minimum of $300USD. The Sylvania is an OK reader and viewer, but you will be disappointed for power tablet use.

I have both the A81-E (No G-Sensor) and X5A(No G-Sensor) You do not need the G-Sensor as much as Internal storage unless you play games.
On my A81-E I have a Android RDP and VNC app which both work well. On the X5A, I have the VNC. The A81-E/G are both good units. (G=G-Sensor) The other difference is the increased storage for the A81-G.

I get about 4-7 hours out of each depending upon what I have enabled. (BT, WIFI, GPS...) I like the BT as it is fully A2DP compatible and have used a Motorola S9 for Wireless music and Video listening. The X5A uses two batteries in parralel,but non-user changeable. The A81 has user removable Battery.

Both come with functional Market, which is nice. You have to do a quick patch on the A81, but is well documented. You can easily slide load directly from the memory card. The advantage goes to X5A on this as it uses Standard size SD and not MicroSD on the A81. For your apps, you need a minimum of an 8Gb card. I have a 16Gb card on my X5A and find that the perfect secondary storage.

The Compatibility for both is good, but you will find the lower the price you pay, the lower the compatibility. The reason you can find A81s for 150-200 right now from dealers like MP4Nation or MeriMobiles is because manufacturing has ramped up in decent production numbers. These will likely be 25% lower in 3-6 months.

Ruggedness goes to X5A over the A81-E. This is due to the heavier duty case and cover built in. The A81 is solid,but would recommend a case for storage. But the A81 will fit comfortably in my pocket.

They are both resistive touch with sensitivity going to the A81. Precision is much better. There are capacitive touch units out there, but you give up power (right now) if paying for capacitive capability.

So, IMHO, Do not get anything less than Froyo-2.2, Cortex A8, 256M -RAM, 2-4Gb Internal Storage, and Good Factory/community support. The tip of my hat goes to A81 over the X5A unless you want to try one of the Community (VeNoMous) Froyo Builds) This will satisfy you well into next summer. The A81 would be most likely Gingerbread/Honeycomb compatible as well compared to the TCC 8902 in the X5A

The Sylvania/PDN will be a disappointment for you. But that is my opinion.

 

[bigwooly]

Thanks this is the kind of answer i've been looking for. now a question on the a81e+ vs a81g
Merimobiles has the a81e+ listed as now having a g sensor
and the only difference that would leave between the two as far as i can tell is that the a81g has a fullsize usb onboard

 

[bigwooly]

or should i just hold out for this one Herotab MID816 i could stretch the $ a little if it's worth it

 

[gurgle]

The MID816 is just the ticket, but you said under $200. So did not mention it. The 512M of RAM will be important potentially to be next gen Android compliant. The A8 Cortex is the best single core right now. There are ones which come close, but it is the most compliant for all apps.

As you saw, the A81-G only has a G-Sensor and the full size USB. Otherwise, it is the same device as the A81-E. There are slight differences in Firmware core elements, but the community G-Firmware does work on the E. but not vice versa.

 

[imagecolour]

WOW thats a very good enriching experience. Just reading this made me conclude to go for Wits A81G . I have purchased it and i dont think i will regret buying it. Thanks Super Moderator (Gurgle)

 

[PMKJJN]

Considering the discussion above, what is your thought on the best option here:

* Anroid 2.2 Froyo OS Android Tablet PC with Texas Instrument CORTEX A8 CPU, GPS - (Witstech A81-E) ($239 from Euogo)
* X5A Plus Telechip Android 2.1 Android Tablet PC 720 MHz with 1080P HDMI Port, Accelerometer, Multi Touch Screen ($169 from Euogo)
* New G10 Haipad M701 Android 2.1 Tablet 800 MHz with 7 Inch Multi Touch Screen, Accelerometer, Camera ($174.90 from Euogo)
or
* 8 Inch Android 2.2 OS Tablet with Freescale iMX515 Cortex A8 Chip, 512M RAM, support Flash Player 10 ($226 from Euogo)

Which of these is the best spend taking into account the ability to upgrade the OS, solid build, support, fewest hardware / software glitches, etc? I do not want to have my wife open on Christmas morning and have a couple weeks worth of issues before she can enjoy it. Thanks for your input.

 

[mgr52]

judging from the reviews and videos the X5A seems to be a sturdy tablet. With the others, I have heard with the cortex A8 it is still pretty buggy. The X5A seems to be the most stable out of all of them and has the bang for your buck characteristics. The one thing that I would look into further if I were you is if the X5A will be getting an upgrade to 2.2 otherwise you will have to look into doing that on your own.

 

[gurgle]

* Anroid 2.2 Froyo OS Android Tablet PC with Texas Instrument CORTEX A8 CPU, GPS - (Witstech A81-E) ($239 from Euogo)
* X5A Plus Telechip Android 2.1 Android Tablet PC 720 MHz with 1080P HDMI Port, Accelerometer, Multi Touch Screen ($169 from Euogo)
* New G10 Haipad M701 Android 2.1 Tablet 800 MHz with 7 Inch Multi Touch Screen, Accelerometer, Camera ($174.90 from Euogo)
* 8 Inch Android 2.2 OS Tablet with Freescale iMX515 Cortex A8 Chip, 512M RAM, support Flash Player 10 ($226 from Euogo)

Which of these is the best spend taking into account the ability to upgrade the OS, solid build, support, fewest hardware / software glitches, etc? I do not want to have my wife open on Christmas morning and have a couple weeks worth of issues before she can enjoy it. Thanks for your input.

I can only speak from personal experience and what I have seen watching the threads of the forum.
If given the choice of the ones listed above, I would choose either the A81E or the last unit. I would have to say though there are none which are perfect choices. The only reason I would choose the A81 is the processor, running 2.2 since August, and has acceptable manufacture support. The last one only because if it having the A8 processor and the 512Mb RAM. The problem with it is the stretched 4:3 (800x600) screen and there have been issues with the Freescale A8, I think they are working them out, but it comes closer to potentially running next gen with the processor and memory. (Gingerbread is rumored to want an A7 processor, but the A8 should be able to handle it. (Think a P4 running Win7 vs a Core2 processor)).
The X5A is a good solid unit and I would buy it willingly in October, but there is no indication of a 2.2 upgrade on the horizon, Unless you consider the community build. The G10 is basically the same unit as the X5A only packaged differently

You wanted my opinion. Well there it is. All of these are third tier tablets. 1st tier= Samsung, Lenovo, Apple... 2nd tier=Huawei,Sylvania 3rd tier= Any of these 4th tier are any of the true generics and forgetable disposables.

 

[bigwooly]

Just for the record i went with the sylvania.

So far the only downside for this one is battery life

The manufacturer is still promising froyo after the 1st of the year.

They released an update wednesday that got the otg usb working it also fixed my hdmi issue.

Still trying to figure out some stuff on it but all in all i like it
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