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Best Sub $250 Tablet

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by Bumrush, Mar 3, 2014.

  1. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    I won an Amazon gift card for $200 and think it's time I upgrade from my iPad 2 which suffers from wifi issues.

    Any recommendations? I'm debating the Kindle Fire HDX 7 inch, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 or 8 Inch and the Nexus 7 2013 model.
     
  2. daphins

    daphins A-Style

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    If it's not an ipad air it's a downgrade......




    :P
     
  3. maynard

    maynard Who, whom?

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    I'd get the Nexus, esp. if you plan on keeping it for a bit. It's fast, fully customizable and will run the latest software
     
  4. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    There really is no such thing in that price range. Everything is a compromise of some kind in that price range.

    Chip in an extra $50 and get the iPad Mini at $300.
     
  5. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    Bang for your buck the best sub-$250 tablet experience you'll ever have.
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    I got the Nexus 7 2013.

    Wow. Can't believe how awesome Android is.

    I am ditching my iPhone after owning one for 5 years. Going with the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy 5.. So customizable.... Really impressed with what google has done and bored of IOS.
     
  7. finsincebirth

    finsincebirth Well-Known Member

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    What carrier are you on? If on Verizon I suggest look at the Motorola RAZR line. I know my Maxx HD has some of the best battery life of any phone on the market

    Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
     
  8. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    HTC is coming out with a spiritual successor to its One pretty soon, if I remember correctly. Might want to wait for that. I have a Moto X and I'm pretty happy with it. Got it for $99 with an upgrade.
     
  9. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Did this a year ago, with no regrets.
     
  10. Eop05

    Eop05 Junior Member Club Member

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    I also converted from iphone/ipad to Nexus 7 2nd gen/Nexus 5. Awesome stuff. No regrets
     
  11. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    From a productivity standpoint, it stomps iOS. From a media standpoint, it stomps iOS. I was concerned about transferring iTunes music and thought I would lose out on all my media.. Within 10 minutes with Google play music I can now free up my hard drive and access everything via the cloud or download locally if I want to. All automated to the second on both my Android devices.

    I went for continuity and got the Nexus 5 which is a clean version of Android with no manufacturer crapware.

    Also, love the widgets and multitasking abilities, especially while I'm on the road. Google Now is useful with live traffic updates and relevant news and information based on my browsing history. The google voice recognition sh*ts all over Siri.

    I really can't think of one reason to go back to Apple outside of their designs and the longevity of their products.
     
    #1 fan likes this.
  12. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    Ecosystem.
     
  13. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    Security is why I stay. Development environment, and ecosystem are also important. As a developer it is where the money is.
     
  14. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    Cisco put out a report that 99% of all attacks and malware on mobile devices was android related.
     
  15. Are android devices more vulnerable or are they just more popular targets for hackers?
     
  16. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    It is a lot of factors. Mainly how quickly the manufacturers orphan devices from updates. So there are a bunch of android devices that lack critical system updates. Also, android allows you to install third party programs outside of the play store with one system setting.
     
    shula_guy likes this.
  17. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    More vulnerable.
     
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  18. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    I
    You really should qualify Android vulnerability. Android and Windows vulnerability stem from two things: untimely updating and user judgement. Simply put, old versions and downloading scammy third-party apps/programs are the cause of the vulnerability. It's not inherently a software issue. Being updated and being judicial with installation is basically all you need to avoid compromising a handset.

    It's disingenuous to imply that Apple's strategy of disallowing user control is not a tradeoff. I have gone through dozens of third-party apps and at least 10 custom roms without a single security issue.

    I'll take the ability to sideload apk's any day because my own understanding of the system is good enough security with the added advantage of not needing to spend $1,000 just to play Flappy Bird.

    Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk
     
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  19. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Less than 1% of Android viruses come from apps on the Google Play store. If you are safe about it, you shouldn't be getting viruses.
     
  20. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    I never said there wasn't drawbacks, but everything I stated was true. I didn't even bring up fragmentation. :) it isn't like android sucks or something.

    I will say this though. I trust a company that makes money on the hardware more than a company that makes money on your data.

    As far as Apple stuff I don't like. Okay, the 100 MB cap over cell networks is stupid. Not being able to get preliminary approval for an app. In other words, I have to completely develop the app only to then see if it will get rejected or not.

    But man, the apps that work between my hackintosh, MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone? Sweet synergy.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
     
  21. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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  22. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    It's disingenuous to put words in my mouth. What is it with people on this forum and reading things they want to see in posts, rather than what was actually written?

    A question was asked and it was answered. You turned it into an imagined dissertation on mobile OS security.

    Have you been taking straw man classes from Fin D? You are literally arguing with yourself at this point.
     
    McLovin and eltos_lightfoot like this.
  23. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    Do you recommend installing an AV program for Android Des?
     
    shula_guy likes this.
  24. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Waste of effort. If you're worried about AV, just don't enable Unknown Sources, stick to your stock ROM, and only download highly rated, downloaded, and recommended apps.
     
  25. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Android fragmentation is one of the biggest buzzwords of the current tech-sphere while simultaneously being one of the least important.

    http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-android-compatibility.html

    http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/1...ntation-under-control-but-does-it-even-matter

    Basically, Google has been detaching apps from the core of Android and placing them as Play store apps allowing for updating of components. They're also potentially going to force OEM's to push updates or get blocked from using GApps which would kill most of them. Samsung's App store isn't a factor. Only Amazon could potentially survive not having GApps access.

    The point of an implication is that you don't actually have to have said it.

    Just throwing things out without context is a good way to get people to make potentially wrong decisions when spending hundreds of dollars on their next smart device. Have some heart man!

    How is making a side point about Android openness assigning a viewpoint that you don't actually espouse. Please tell me exactly what opinion the following sentence pretends that you have:

    "'ll take the ability to sideload apk's any day because my own understanding of the system is good enough security with the added advantage of not needing to spend $1,000 just to play Flappy Bird."

    That's literally me stating my opinion on the tradeoff between Android and iOS.
     
  26. fins4o8

    fins4o8 Mac FTW!

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    MS is selling the Dell Venue Pro 8 w/ 32gb for $229 on their store website. Its the full blown Windows 8.1 version. It's pretty good for that price.

    -Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk
     
  27. fins4o8

    fins4o8 Mac FTW!

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    If you're serious about Android then go to XDA and learn how to install ROMs yourself so you don't have to worry about getting an update from the manufacturer.

    -Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk
     
  28. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    eltos is an iOS developer so I think he knows how to work the system. The problem is that my father has no clue WTF xda is and wouldn't be able to update his S3 that way.

    Positive developments are the Google Play Edition phones, Motorola's commitment to updates, and Google threatening to lock OEM's out of GApps access if they don't push updates. A major problem, though, is that carriers often withhold OEM pushed updates for whatever reasons. That's holding a lot of updates back.
     
    eltos_lightfoot likes this.
  29. McLovin

    McLovin Resident Pats fan.

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    i lol'd.
     
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  30. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    I have used android and have installed custom rooms. I have owned the droid OG, bionic, galaxy nexus, and gs3. They all didn't meet my admittedly high standards. Look into the radios for instance. There is a reason that you can surf the web and talk over 4g networks with a gs3. That is because the two radios work independently. It also means that I only could use my phone in one spot in my house.

    iPhones, on the other hand, also have two radios, but they work in tandem to reinforce signal strength. So no talking and surfing over 4g, but at least it works all over my poor signal strength house.

    There are other links on fragmentation that paint a very different picture. (As does my admittedly limited development experience.) Look, I don't care if you all stay with android forever. I was just answering some questions and present why people stay with, and, gosh, actually like the apple ecosystem.

    Note that I have jail broken, and built hackintoshes, so again, I am not a newb or anything.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
     
  31. eltos_lightfoot

    eltos_lightfoot Well-Known Member

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    And what is with this infantile $1000 flappy birds crap? Seriously...


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
     
  32. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    Depends on where you get your apps from, what version of Android you're running, and how secure you feel in general. If you stick to Google services and don't browse porn, you're probably fine.

    An implication has to actually be constructed in order to be inferred. You created your own implication and then retroactively attributed it to me.

    A question was asked and it was answered in the most direct, simplest possible terms. There was no hidden meaning.

    Chill.
     
    eltos_lightfoot likes this.
  33. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    I bought an HP Google Chrome for $250. Needed to have a keyboard. Love this thing.
     
  34. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    What do you love about it?
     
  35. byroan

    byroan Giggity Staff Member Administrator Luxury Box

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