Help me choose a tablet.

[KevinL]

Do you think the owners of those 700 million iOS gadgets are prisoners?

Yes.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

And the hundreds of millions of people who use Windows?

 

[ManagerJosh]

What about it? I've had Android phones since they were released and have never had it on ANY of my hardware. Nor has my son, my wife or my daughter.
Like a computer - you just have to be selective and watch what permissions the apps request and if unfamiliar with it don't install them.
Some of my friends joke that the iPhone is the phone for the computer illiterate and Android is the technically inclined.

Realistically, how many people actually read those permissions those apps request?

 

[Digital Doctor]

Not prisoners.
They are in the Matrix.
and apparently this is Zion.

 

[ManagerJosh]

Realistically, all of the Android users on Samsung, HTC, etc. are all prisoners of their modified version of Android. You have to jump through a lot of hoops to get to the point where you can actually jump to even another variation of Android.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

This is silly, really. The tablet is a platform to run apps. You choose the one that has the best apps, and the best user experience. This "inside baseball" stuff about closed platforms, open platforms, semi-open platforms and all for most people means utterly nothing.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I think we need to wait for the OP to come back to be able to help him.

 

[Pope Viper]

Sorry guys, I was laid off a while ago, and I've been buried with trying to find a job.

What I plan on doing is wait for the latest offerings from both Apple, and Samsung. Then I'll be able to go hands on with those.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Apple will have new iPads in Oct. But remember to not just check the product, but the apps, and the quality of the apps. Remember that if you're committing to an ecosystem, expect it to be a long-term decision.

 

[Digital Jedi]

I've been happy with the Samsung line of tablets. Galaxy Tab 2 has suited my needs so far, though I'm partial to the whole Note line of products. Everything has it's pros and cons, but the Samsung tablets seem the most flexible.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Switching from one platform to another, particularly if you've already acquired software, isn't a trivial process. In saying that, several times as many Android users are apt to switch to iOS than vice versa.

But if you are happy with what you have, nobody forces you to change your ways.

FYI: I've had to move between Android and iOS as a part of my work, and I find it much easier to upgrade from iOS to iOS gadget than from Android to Android gadget. But if you like what you like, great.

 

[Digital Jedi]

Switching from one platform to another, particularly if you've already acquired software, isn't a trivial process. In saying that, several times as many Android users are apt to switch to iOS than vice versa.

But if you are happy with what you have, nobody forces you to change your ways.

FYI: I've had to move between Android and iOS as a part of my work, and I find it much easier to upgrade from iOS to iOS gadget than from Android to Android gadget. But if you like what you like, great.

Just to be clear, I actually wasn't aware of the conversation preceding my post till just now. I was directly recommending a tablet per my experience to the OP. I think the whole "OS war" thingy is silly.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

It's not about an OS war but more about what provides the best user experience and so forth and so on.

 

[Digital Jedi]

It's not about an OS war but more about what provides the best user experience and so forth and so on.

Which, when dealing with something this complex, is entirely subjective.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Sure.

 

[Jason]

As someone who uses both Android and iOS devices heavily, on a daily basis, I don't see apps as a hurdle to switching, unless you have a large paid app library. It's fairly easy to now find the same apps (of comparable quality) on both platforms. More and more shops are starting to do their prototyping in Android (as they find it easier to iterate fast), and then port to iOS when they're ready to launch, so this trend will likely only continue.

The biggest lock-in to iOS today is iMessage, though the trick there is turning it off before removing your SIM card and using it on a non-iOS device. There's a context switch when going from an iOS device to an Android device, and vice versa, that takes some time to grok, but it's doable.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

In my experience, you will find many apps available in both platforms, but I know of two blatant examples where the Android version is barely functional, at least on a Galaxy S4 with Android 4.2.2. First is Time magazine, second are the apps from the network that carries my shows, GCN. And I won't get into the silly bug in the Android Email app that is carried on some other email apps as well.

 

[Jason]

In my experience, you will find many apps available in both platforms, but I know of two blatant examples where the Android version is barely functional, at least on a Galaxy S4 with Android 4.2.2. First is Time magazine, second are the apps from the network that carries my shows, GCN.

I could list examples where I felt an Android app was superior to its iOS cousin, and vice versa. We could go in circles discussing what constitutes a quality app, what platform provides an overall better experience, etc. None of that matters, it's entirely subjective. The availability of apps won't be a hurdle for most. It's more subtle than that, and really just boils down to preference. Which I gather is essentially what you were saying? Though I disagree with apps being a big differentiator.

The average smartphone user has ~40 apps. At the top of that list is Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Maps, Instagram, GMail, Pandora, WhatsApp, etc. All of which are readily available on both platforms and function roughly the same.

And I won't get into the silly bug in the Android Email app that is carried on some other email apps as well.

Then why even go there?

 

[Gene Steinberg]

To point out that the quality of Android apps is generally not a good as iOS.

 

[steven s]

I bought a Nexus7 the day Google put them for sale.
Bring it with me whenever I travel, Nice companion to having laptop with me.

Bought a 2nd for my wife last Dec. She hasn't never put it down since.
She's not very technical and hardly asks me questions how to do things.
Haven't had any issues.

I wouldn't hesitate for a minute about the Nexus10.
I just don't have a need for a 10 tablet.

I will say I'm glad Apple saw the light to produce the Mini even though Jobs hated the idea.