Just out of curiosity has anyone been playing with inexpensive tablets? The Kindle Fire is an obvious good choice but I've heard little bits and pieces about mega cheap tablets, sub $100, and I'm wondering if anyone has explored them?

I've got similar curiosity, but so far not enough to buy one with my own money to check one out...
I'm keeping an eye on them as a device class though, for possible purchase of a "classroom set" one day. I just don't see the iPad as being cost effective for the K-4 grades... 5-8th grade, maybe.

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Every time I considered an inexpensive tablet, I would read a review that would explain why it was a piece of junk. I finally decided on a refurbished Kindle Fire (bought during the 1-day sale when they were $139.) I like it a lot. It's not an iPad but I knew that going into it.

If there was any way to run my Square credit card reader on it, it would take care of all my needs. It's not perfect but I spent less on it than my refurbished iPod Touch!

Before buying a Kindle Fire, be sure to read the reviews so you know what people don't like about it. I'll tell you what I do like: the display is really nice (I do photography part time and having my photos look good on it is important), I purchased the Calengoo app. and now I have my iCal calendar automatically syncing with Google calendar, which in turn syncs automatically with Calengoo so I have my calendar with me at all times. Finally, I like the size. While I certainly wouldn't turn down an iPad, the size is bigger than I want to carry with me everywhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2012 09:39PM by magicmikey.

does a $99 touchpad count? I'm very happy with mine

I like my daughter's Nook Color. The screen is nice, it's responsive, and I can add extra memory to it. I've seen them as low as $119 refurbished.

It's a shame the kindle fire doesn't have an SD slot. Of course I could say that for the iPad also. I'm asking out of curiosity rather than an actual desire to buy one of these inexpensive devices. I LOVE gadgets.

the android tablets, in general, are thoroughly subpar. the kindle fire is a bit better.

then again, these opinions are very subjective. it really depends upon your individual needs.

---

For me I think the priorities would be
1. video playback (even if low quality)
2. email
3. basic web browsing, just enough to come here, no flash, java, or any of that crap
4. screen brightness, needs to be visible even if the res is low

Quote
Sam3
I like my daughter's Nook Color. The screen is nice, it's responsive, and I can add extra memory to it. I've seen them as low as $119 refurbished.

I agree. I like my Nook Color and Nook Tablet (1GB RAM, 16GB model). Enough basic functionality to keep me happy. Books, mags, papers, movies, music, apps for kids, web, email, and the price ($119 refurb for the Nook Color and $175ish open box for the Nook Tablet) made for a relatively risk free purchase.

I use the Nook Tablet and my daughter uses the Nook Color, she loves her Nook.

Quote
mattkime
the android tablets, in general, are thoroughly subpar. the kindle fire is a bit better.

Super cheap Android tablets or Android in general? I find the Asus Eee Pad Transformers to be pretty nice. There's also several Samsungs that feel nice in the hand, have good performance and otherwise work fine as a tablet. That's just a couple examples.

The Nook Color/Tablet are far from sub par as well. All depends on needs and budget.

imo, the primary problem with Android devices is the fact that Google controls
the OS while any Jones, Murphy, Pashduki, or Wang in the electronics industry
may {and do} build and sell inexpensive "Android Compatible" products.

Too many "will it work in 6 months" variables for me.

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2012 09:22AM by Panopticon.

I was tempted by that cheap HTC tablet that dealnews advertised the other day. I don't see a problem with Android, but more a problem with future compatibility (I guess you can't depend on it for $150)

---

Hurts like a bastid...

If the ~$100 tablet won't run Gingerbread android or Cyanogenmod well, I'd pass on it.

I have the $139 Kindle Fire and I quickly tired of the Kindle Fire Android OS, so I nuked it and put Cyanogen on it. It's a great value since Amazon subsidizes the hardware cost in hopes that you'll buy ebooks, prime, etc.

The main drawback is that it doesn't have any physical buttons so adjusting the volume quickly can be a pain. They have hacks for it that put buttons on the screen, but physical buttons are nice. An SD card slot would be nice, but not a deal killer. I have 4 or 5 mp4 movies and 30+ apps and I still have space. The processing power is more than ample but the 512MB of ram can be limiting if you do a lot of multitab browsing.

The nook tablet is probably a better deal at $175, but if you are wanting to try out a tablet for cheap, the Kindle Fire or Nook Color is a good choice because of the decent processor and hackability. Look for a used one for under $100.

There will always be the rumors *(:>*

[www.appleinsider.com]

Rumor: Apple to release sub-$250 7-inch 8GB iPad in October

By Slash Lane

Published: 02:39 PM EST (11:39 AM PST)


Rumors of a new, smaller iPad continue to surface, with the latest report claiming Apple is preparing to launch a 7-inch tablet this October with 8 gigabytes of storage for less than $250.

The new iPad could cost as little as $200, according to iMore, which cited a "reliable" source. If Apple were to hit the $200 mark, it would compete more directly with Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire, but such a price would make it near impossible for Apple to achieve the same margins it does with the rest of its product lineup.

The source of Thursday's rumor did correctly pinpoint the March 7 date for Apple's new iPad unveiling before the event was announced by the company, and it also accurately predicted that the third-generation iPad would feature high-speed 4G LTE connectivity. The site also claimed in March that Apple's next iPhone will arrive this fall with 4G LTE and a 3.5-inch screen.

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"