I have a few air miles saved up.. I am thinking of getting a tablet

[COLONEL ANGUS]

Does anyone have any input on the following tablets that are offered
on airmiles.ca

Toshiba Tablet - 32GB
Acer "Iconia" Android Honeycomb 3.0 Tablet - 10.1'
Acer Iconia Android 4.0 "Icecream Sandwich" 16GB Tablet - 10'' - Titanium Gray
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 32GB
Nextbook 9" Premium Android 2.3 Tablet.

Which one would you get based on what is available with airmiles ?

I don't know what I would use it for. Just surfing ,or as an e-book
reader. A few of these tablets have Bluetooth. i don't know what I
could use that for. I am not a computer geek. I only have a slight interest
in tablets, but I have absolutely no interest in the other stuff that is offered
on airmiles.ca. Not into computer games either. I just need to use up some of
my airmiles and decided to get a tablet. Maybe barter it off in exchange for the
companionship of a SP
Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[curmudgeon]

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't bother with the Nextbook. It's a discount brand.

As for the others, I looked at the airmiles website to get details:

the Toshiba is the AT200-02 "Excite LE". This is Toshiba's newest tablet (released in late 2011), it's pretty good, and has the distinction of being one of the thinnest tablet on the market.

the Acer Iconia 3.0 is the A500 model. This was Acer's flagship model from spring 2011. It's pretty good and it's already upgradable to android 4.0
The Acer iconia 4.0 is the A200 model. This is a newer (Jan 2012) model than the A500, and the specs are very similar but the A200 has a smaller primary camera, and no secondary camera. It's basically a newer but lower cost replacement for the A500.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the GT-P7510 from spring 2011. This was one of the most popular (by sales) android tablets, and it's scheduled for an update to Android 4.0 in about a month.

If you value thin and horsepower, go with the Toshiba.
If you value support, I think the Samsung will come out slightly ahead.

With the Acers, it's a toss up. The A500 has better hardware, but the A200 is newer and more likely to get support in the near term.

 

[newatit]

My Ipad is hard to beat. too bad it is not offerred.

 

[newatit]

that is a good idea. The Ipad is so well done, and great apps. You can get so many accessories too for them, and they mate nicley with an Iphone, that it seems a mistake to go any other direction. I got a keypad cover for mine, it is nothing short of fantasitc. Turns the thing into a near computer. typing is fast.

 

[blazejowski]

Not a fan of Apple, but even I have to admit, nothing comes close to the iPad

 

[Papa Chongo]

Another vote for the IPAD, I even use it in business, there are times when I have left my laptop at home and rely'd solely on the IPAD, there is no better tablet to browse with, and using KOBO it is an awesome Ereader

If I had to choose between those It would be a toss up between the Toshiba and Samsung.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

a contractor buddy of mine uses an IPAD on the go, it works fine for him. he's a pretty organized guy, keeps a detailed portfolio of each jobsite - budgetting spreadsheets, material lists, timesheets, photo album, contracts (he can use the camera as a scanner, it's so high def), etc.

plus it's his emails and hands free cell phone when he wants it to be

it seems to work for him - and the photos are brilliant

 

[Sonny]

I am kind of interested in Miscrosoft's new Surface. So far it has rave reviews for what has been revealed about it to date, these written by highly respected tech-heads, even folks with IPads.
If the battery life is decent and if price competitive, I may go with it, as I like a tablet that is also a PC.
Don't know why, but I think Apple may be getting too mature a line. Jobs is gone. Samsung is doing great with its phones. Microsoft has now just re-invented/re-innovated the tablet.
Lots of app developers will keep the cash flowing for Apple for some time to come, but my sense is that its days in the sun are numbered.

 

[Tugela]

The only thing a tablet is much good for is as a reader/picture viewer. Most other things I find a real computer the better choice.

Any of those choices would be suitable. Get something which is small and light, but large enough to read without things being minute on the screen. Keep in mind that holding/using a tablet involves unnatural motions and extensive use will start to become uncomfortable (main reason for small and light being a priority).

I think in a year or so there will be much better choices available after Windows 8 comes out and hardware vendors start producing better integrated devices. Win8 sucks for traditional computers but I think it is going to open a lot of options for systems along the lines of ultrabook/tablet hybrids. Microsoft seems to be counting on those sorts of devices being the future of personal computing.

 

[Sonny]

The only thing a tablet is much good for is as a reader/picture viewer. Most other things I find a real computer the better choice.

Any of those choices would be suitable. Get something which is small and light, but large enough to read without things being minute on the screen. Keep in mind that holding/using a tablet involves unnatural motions and extensive use will start to become uncomfortable (main reason for small and light being a priority).

I think in a year or so there will be much better choices available after Windows 8 comes out and hardware vendors start producing better integrated devices. Win8 sucks for traditional computers but I think it is going to open a lot of options for systems along the lines of ultrabook/tablet hybrids. Microsoft seems to be counting on those sorts of devices being the future of personal computing.

You should look at the features of the Surface. Easel stand, cover becomes keyboard, runs Win8, runs Office, etc. ... a real computer in a tablet.

 

[Tugela]

Ya, the transformer was the first real effort at a hybrid device, but it is kind of hobbled by Android which IMO is really just suited for phones. I think newer generations of those sorts of devices are going to get a lot better.

I think the Surface is just Microsoft thowing down a challenge to hardware vendors so competition gets going.