Tablet computers

[flybymike]

Mrs FBM is wanting to replace her ancient laptop and having seen my new ipad she fancies a tablet with a detachable or bluetooth keyboard. Probably around 10 inch in size and able to do as much as possible that could be done with a desktop.(printing possible?) I would also like it to be able to run Skydemon with a GPS built in but she doesn't want the expense of another Ipad. I know SD won't run on Android although if Tim comes under any more pressure I think he will capitulate soon so Android not out of the question . I think Bepy has a tablet which runs SD (on wince or whatever you call it?)
Any advice from the Geek/Nerd community (ie everyone on here) much appreciated.

[Bepy pilot]

I have been using an Acer Iconia Tab W500 running Windows 7 for almost a year and it is excellent. The good news is that it is coming to the end of it's life now and they are down to £329 in PC world. I have the docking station keyboard for £89 from Staples.

I bought it primarily to run Skydemon which it does brilliantly with a Holux mini Bluetooth GPS receiver £29. Although it can use a micro USB GPS ~£60.

It is a proper PC and has a nice touch screen, 2 USB ports, HDMI and more in the docking station. I augment the storage memory with a 64GB SD card which holds all my docs in a removable media (I find that better). The onboard solid state disk is 32GB. I was sceptical about the size of that but as I use Windows Live for mail, video editing and remote desk top to my other PC's and Skydrive for bigger file storage, I haven't found it a problem. It's amazing how much of your life you store on other peoples servers.

I have been using it as a work computer with the office package installed and have found it ideal, although you do get tired of telling people that it isn't an iPad when they ask you where you got that app.

[TheKentishFledgling]

Recently been using a ThinkPad table and the hardware is decent. The handwriting recognition is particularly good - the best system for this I've seen. However I'm seriously underwhelmed with Android. It's the first time I've had to seriously use it "in anger" and I'd describe it as flakley, unstable and seemingly rushed. I believe "ice cream sandwich" is to be released for it imminently, maybe that'll address some of the issues, but at the moment it's a great bit of hardware let down by flakey software.

FWIW, most of my tablet experience has been with an iPad. I know that has its detractors on here, but with put an iPad and a ThinkPad tablet side by side, and from a usability POV there is only one winner, IMHO.

[Flyin'Dutch']

she doesn't want the expense of another Ipad.

Android + blue tooth GPS + annoying flakiness vs Ipad.

Unless your time and hassle comes at a low price it would have to be an Ipad.

[morticiaskeeper]

I've just sold one of the chinese 10" android tablets. When it came it was virtually unusable. Upgrading the firmware improved things, but its lack of speed meant that it was still booting up or trying to connect to wifi when I had done the job on my android phone.

I'm not a great one for brands, but the next time, it will be an iPad.

[SimonM]

Bepy, a few questions about the W500... How do you find windows 7 using a touch screen and have you tried win8 on it yet? Is the screen as bright as the ipad3 and is it easily sunlight readable for skydemon?

[flybymike]

Many thanks chaps. Having read the above she is going to bite the bullet and get an Ipad. At least we can share the keyboard!

[flybymike]

If I may just briefly drag this one back to the top again. Mrs FBM has been playing with my Ipad with a view to buying one, and has almost been convinced she ought to, that is until she came across the problem of no access to Adobe/flash stuff. She absolutely needs access to video info and interacative professional CPD material via this medium.
It seems incredible to my simple mind that this is not supported and is ostensibly unsupportable on an Ipad although others now tell me there is some sort of magic trickery that can be used to access Adobe/ flash stuff. Is the problem insurmountable ? what does everyone else in the world do? There seems to be so much flash stuff out there on the web. Just noticed I cant even watch the BBC weather forecast Video!

[Timothy]

You can watch BBC News and Weather on the BBC News App and the BBC iPlayer App.

Lack of Flash is a right royal PITA, but Flash is being replaced by HTML5 and the problem will go away. It was an interesting Jobian decision not to support Flash, but it had its reasons. It has surely hastened the demise of Flash and the move to platform independent solutions.

But the pain in the short term is tangible I agree.

I sometimes watch Flash content via LogMeIn to a home PC. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

[Sharpie]

Perhaps it's time for some tablet maker to make an ad where a load of Apple devotees are sat like automatons watching a corporate video and in comes someone running down the aisle with a big hammer and hurls it into the screen....

[papsmc]

You can watch BBC News and Weather on the BBC News App and the BBC iPlayer App.

Lack of Flash is a right royal PITA, but Flash is being replaced by HTML5 and the problem will go away. It was an interesting Jobian decision not to support Flash, but it had its reasons. It has surely hastened the demise of Flash and the move to platform independent solutions.

But the pain in the short term is tangible I agree.

I sometimes watch Flash content via LogMeIn to a home PC. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

another way getting flash on the iThing is to use the skyfire browser:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyfire-web-browser-flash/id384941497?mt=8
not ideal, not as seamless as a PC/MAC based browser but can help.
/p

edit: note this is only for flash videos, not flash websites - important item to note...

[Timothy]

When I looked at this a year or two ago, the reviews were very similar to now:

Customer Reviews
Waste of $$$
by Morcillin
This trash can't play flash. Should be FLUSHED!!!!
by Jakegaga
Very slow browser. The video also loads very slowly.
Not good
by womzee1
Keeps crashing every couple seconds

[flybymike]

Ah yes of course! Never thought of Iplayer. Thanks for that Timothy.
It seems to me from reading the reviews, that all of the App type solutions I could find appear clunky at best and disastrous if some are to be believed.
Must admit this has come as a blow to my naive expectations for my first Apple device...Hey ho..