Personally, having used both iPad and Android tablets fairly extensively,
and had to support them both, I wouldn't buy an iPad on a bet. You are
utterly and totally locked into the Apple ecosystem with the iPad, and that
lock-in has been getting tighter with each new iteration of the device.
There are too many ways to easily make a tablet more useful that Apple
simply won't allow--such as all the restrictions they place on bluetooth,
just to cite a prominent example.
While I will agree with Chris Crawford that the Kindle and the Nook are
both designed to lock you in to their ecosystems as well, at least with
each you have much better value for the money than with the iPad.
Take a look at the variety of 10 inch Android-based tablets out there; the
microSD slot in many of them (like with the Samsung) is a definite plus, as
is the ability to install both Kindle and Nook apps for access to more
books (for example).
All that said, having had both "vendor-custom-version" Android tablets and
phones and now an "unmodified android" phone (Nexus 4), I'd personally hold
out for the next iteration of Google's Nexus 10 (or whatever it ends up
being called)--or even the current version if Google should
restock--especially if it is offered as unmodified Android. So far, the
Nexus has been the most trouble-free mobile device I have ever owned, and I
attribute the majority of that to its stock version of Android and the fact
that Google updates the device promptly when a new version of Android is
released. The same cannot be said for many of the devices from other
vendors, who either orphan the device (no further updates) or where updates
often take many months to appear.
Other considerations include things like whether the device uses a standard
micro USB charger (many don't, unfortunately including the current Nexus
10, for example, and all Apple iPads) and whether the device has NFC
(handy, especially if you have a phone with that capability), whether the
tablet will auto-backup (Android tablets back up at least the OS and most
customizations to your Google account), whether you can remote wipe and
remote locate the device at no extra charge (Android, again, can do this
via your Google account), and the level of integration between the device
and your account (Android is far ahead of Apple in this regard).
And, last but not least: Depending on your particular use case, a
Chromebook may be a far better investment. Most are significantly less
expensive that a tablet, come with a keyboard, and are not much larger or
heavier than a tablet. Some even are touch-capable now.
On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 12:37 PM, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > I'm thinking of getting a tablet primarily for image access and
> connection
> > to internet. Might also be nice to play a movie occasionally. I have an
> > Amazon Prime account which provides some movies. If the choice is a
> Kindle
> > Fire HDX or Apple iPad, what compelling reason should I be aware of when
> > making this purchase? Bill "Leaning to Kindle" Barber
>
> Get either the iPad or the biggest/baddest Samsung. Avoid the others.
> But you could do what my wife just did and get a Lenovo Yoga. It's a
> laptop with flip around screen which converts it into a tablet of
> sorts. Works great as a laptop and almost great as a tablet.
>
> Personally, I find that my Galaxy Note 3 eliminates the need for a
> tablet most of the time.
>
> --
> Ken Norton
> ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.zone-10.com
> --
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