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View Poll Results: What type of (non-iPad) tablet do you have?
Full size with WiFi 20 40.00%
Full size with WiFi + 3G/4G/cellular 2 4.00%
Mini with WiFi 19 38.00%
Mini with WiFi + 3G/4G/cellular 5 10.00%
Something else 6 12.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 01-14-2013, 02:50 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by rbmrtn View Post
I have a chinese 7" android with wifi. paid ~ $70, has HDMI, SD, mini USB. It's rootable , I've loaded android 4.2 onto it.
What did you buy and where did you buy it?
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Old 01-14-2013, 03:00 PM   #22
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six months ago... nextbook7s resistive screen... ICS, and not compliant, but I rooted for Google Play... thru finless bob.
$79.

Good for learning... not very practical for me.
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Old 01-14-2013, 04:15 PM   #23
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10" Motorola Xoom, wifi. Pure android so running gingerbread. (Some of the other early android tablets needed to be rooted to update to current android version.)

For the first year I had it I called it my "pressssssshusssss" - like Gollum. I still love it - but will leave the house without it now.

I think microsoft has something with the Surface. My kids have netbooks running windows 8 - which is designed for the touch screen (though they don't have touch screens)... With Microsoft's muscle and deep pockets I suspect it will get a big install base and app base.

We're a mixed household. I'm android, husband is iOS (iPhone for work).
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Old 01-14-2013, 08:23 PM   #24
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Just got one of those new Dell 'convertible' Ultrabooks, the XPS 12, that is a laptop that converts to a tablet (with a screen that 'spins'). I've only had it a day but love it so far (and if that feeling continues I'm definitely adopting rodi's "pressssssshusssss" moniker!).
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Old 01-14-2013, 08:44 PM   #25
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Bought a "full-size" tablet at xmas (ipad, 4th generation) but find I'm still primarily using a mini (kindle fire, 1st generation). Think 7 inch and 10 inch functionally differ and glad to have both. The kindle is great to tote around, for books, to listen to books, iheart in bed on those insomnia-nights. The ipad retina screen is far superior for web-surfing.

As for 3G, bought it for the kindle but not the ipad. Having it has been a lifesaver when run out of books and don't have wifi access.
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Old 01-14-2013, 10:28 PM   #26
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What did you buy and where did you buy it?
It is an ainol novo 7 aurora II, got if off amazon on sale with a discount coupon. I think this model has been upgraded to a newer version called crystal.

Ainol Novo 7 Crystal 7 Inch Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Tablet Dual Core 1.5GHz 1GB RAM White

has google play for apps.
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:04 PM   #27
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Got a new Nexus 7 (wifi only) for xmas to replace my old B&W Kindle. My old eyes really need the backlight to read in the car on those long commutes. Responsive, beautiful display, software upgradeable, and the 32GB of memory is plenty for me. I've got 3G on my phone if I need to pick up email or do some googling on the run.
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Old 01-14-2013, 11:37 PM   #28
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I have a 22" tablet.

Well, it's a combination touchscreen monitor and Android device, and there is no battery so calling it a tablet probably isn't fair. It can do WiFi and Ethernet as an Android.

It seemed like a neat idea because I had been thinking about a touchscreen monitor for my Win8 desktop and was also considering buying an Android for mostly around-the-house stuff. First thing I did was to set it on the coffee table and try to install Netflix and Pandora from Google Play store. Fail and fail. For some reason some apps--the ones I wanted the most--won't install on this device. I was waiting to see if the mfr was going to do something about that, but apparently they aren't. It's possible to install a different app store and get Netflix and Pandora from there, and I just got around to doing that today.

Its size isn't conducive to living room use, so it's been sitting on the dining table for a month or so. Curiously I kind of like it there, but I could probably do just as well with a 10" tablet.

I haven't put it on my Win8 box yet. At one point I had thought it would be neat to use Android for quick stuff and only boot up Win8 when needed, but Win8 starts so fast and has comparable apps there's really no point in having Android available on my desktop monitor.

I'll eventually put it on Win8 to try out full-size touch screen, but for now I think I'll leave it on my table where it's currently hooked up to my stereo and playing Pandora. And now that I have Netflix installed on it, I might find other places in the house to use it.

I don't think I'd recommend it. The app scarcity and sometimes-slow interface and the larger-than-everything-else-so-some-apps-look-weird makes it a bit clunky to use as an Android. I have yet to see how it behaves as a touchscreen monitor.

I don't think a 7" tablet would be big enough for me, and it's a bit close to the phone size I want. I think I'll eventually have about a 4.5" - 5" phone and a 10" WiFi-only tablet, both Android.
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Old 01-15-2013, 04:49 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by BigMoneyJim View Post
First thing I did was to set it on the coffee table and try to install Netflix and Pandora from Google Play store. Fail and fail. For some reason some apps--the ones I wanted the most--won't install on this device. I was waiting to see if the mfr was going to do something about that, but apparently they aren't. It's possible to install a different app store and get Netflix and Pandora from there, and I just got around to doing that today.
Jim, I saw similar complaints in the customer reviews at Amazon. ViewSonic Support replied, offering suggestions of other sources to download both Pandora and Netflix. Amazon.com: ViewSonic VSD220 22-Inch (21.5-Inch Vis) Full HD 1080p LED Touchscreen Smart Display and Android 4.0 ICS All-in-One: Computers & Accessories
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Old 01-15-2013, 05:41 AM   #30
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Me: HP Touchpad dual boot WebOS & Android, Kindle Fire 7"
DW: IPAD 3
DS9: Ipad 2

Don't use Kindle Fire much anymore. DW had a Kindle Fire but quit using it after she got the Ipad. DS9 used DW and My Kindle Fires until he got his Ipad.
DS16 does not have a tablet but uses his MacBook Pro.
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Old 01-15-2013, 06:00 AM   #31
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"have a Samsung Galaxy S II - technically that's a smartphone but I mainly use it as a mini tablet and almost never as a phone. My 3g/4g cellular plan is from Ting which is great because in months where I don't use voice or data, I don't get charged for it. If I go the whole month with no phone calls, and only using wi-fi instead of 3g/4g, my Ting monthly bill is only about $6. If I use some voice and some 3g/4g data, that's about $12/month."

what or who is ting?
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Old 01-15-2013, 06:08 AM   #32
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... what or who is ting?
You can read about the plan details on their site:
http://ting.com

In short, I think Ting is great if you use small amounts of voice or data. If you're a heavy user then I think other service providers would be cheaper.
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Old 01-15-2013, 09:32 AM   #33
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You can read about the plan details on their site:
http://ting.com

In short, I think Ting is great if you use small amounts of voice or data. If you're a heavy user then I think other service providers would be cheaper.
I just dug out my Sprint smart phone usage data and entered it into the ting calculator. I must be a heavy user, as Ting would not consistently save me any $$.

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Old 01-15-2013, 01:30 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by rbmrtn View Post
It is an ainol novo 7 aurora II, got if off amazon on sale with a discount coupon. I think this model has been upgraded to a newer version called crystal.

Ainol Novo 7 Crystal 7 Inch Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Tablet Dual Core 1.5GHz 1GB RAM White

has google play for apps.
Seems a little thick, but for the price you can't beat it by much.

I've been toying with buying a table for the last 2+ years (ever since the iPad 1 came out), but held off because I really wanted a smaller form factor with expandable memory. What hacks me off about many manufacturers is built-in obsolescence. Back in 2004, I bought a Dell Axim PDA (before the advent of smart phones with large screens). It had an ARM processor, 3.5 inch QVGA screen, wi-fi (802.11b) Windows Mobile, Word for WM, Adobe Acrobat for WM, Windows MediaPlayer, etc..., an SD slot and a Flash memory slot (for a total capacity of somewhere around 32 gb). I used it until around 2010 when everyone switched to WPA2 encryption for wi-fi and it wasn't compatible anymore.

These days I have an iPhone with unlimited data (and wi-fi) that can play movies, music, etc... so there is no immediate need for another entertainment-oriented device. That said, a larger screen (i.e. 7 inches) would be perfect for traveling, particularly if paired with a nice portable keyboard. The last couple of years have been dedicated to the 9.7 inch form factor, but 2013 seems to be the year for the 7 inch tablet. Now it's just a matter of time until prices drop as more and more competitive models hit the street.
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Old 04-08-2013, 05:46 PM   #35
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(As the "iPad-type" poll and thread has been getting some interest lately, I'm posting here simply to reactivate this thread as well.)

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Old 04-08-2013, 06:02 PM   #36
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I reluctantly bought a Nexus 7, for a bunch of trips that are along time away from home. Didn't feel like lugging a laptop around. Because I don't have cell service at home I bought the wifi 32GB. I use Quicken 13 and Quicken synced flawlessly with the Nexus. Since I already use Gmail, Gdocs, Gdrive, and Gmaps/earth. I can use the cloud for a bunch of my computing needs with enough storage when not connected. Kindle works fine with my Amazon account, and with 32 GB I can load a lot of music and books once out of wifi range. Also the GPS works fine with maps I can download to the unit, and store to use in real time.
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:04 PM   #37
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Kindle HD 8.9 WI-FI
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:06 PM   #38
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The only tablets I have say BAYER on them. Yes, I am a Luddite.
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:22 PM   #39
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The only tablets I have say BAYER on them. Yes, I am a Luddite.
Hmmm! your connecting to this site on a computer(a big tablet)
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:22 PM   #40
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We bought a Kindle Fire 8.9 a couple weeks ago. It's ok. I don;t like typing on it but it is great for viewing videos and reading books.

Still can't figure out how to get the ER.org app. It doesn't seem to show up at the Kindle App store.
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