New tablet for parents.

Baked.noodle

Hi all,

My folks want to buy a tablet for Christmas. They are willing to spend about €350 - €400 on it and they don't have any idea what specifications they want. They are willing to go android (my dad has SGS2), but will consider an Ipad (possibly mini). I guess either way 16 GB would be plenty. They aren't even sure if they want a 7" or 10" screen but a good battery is absolutely necessary. So my question is simple, what it the best value circa €400 tablet (Android or otherwise) available in Ireland at the moment (I'd rather not mess about with Parcel Motel)?

Thanks.

MuppetCheck

I gave my father my old nexus 7 and he loves it. If you want something bigger the nexus 10 has great battery life and is easier to read the screen.

Baked.noodle

What would be the best value 10" Android tablet for €400 or less?

MuppetCheck

Nexus 10 imo.

DECEiFER

A new Nexus 10 could be out but will it be out before Christmas? No idea and it's not likely. I'd say it'd be reasonably-priced also. The old Nexus 10 (rumored to be made by ASUS) is likely still the best value Android tablet but it does mean messing around with Google and Parcel Motel unless you can obtain one from Amazon, etc., anyone other than Google themselves.

You could also opt for a Nexus 7 2013 which is a fantastic 7" tablet and it's just so cheap compared to similarly-spec'd alternatives. You could get one in PC World, and certainly via other retailers maybe in the UK for the best value, without having to go through Google directly, thus saving you a massive headache.

Baked.noodle

Thanks. Do you are anybody else have a link to the cheapest Nexus 10? As I stated above I would rather if I didn't have to use Parcel Motel due to the inconvenience of returning a dud. Thanks.

DECEiFER

Sure. Bear in mind that you would be choosing between a 16GB or 32GB. Choose wisely as one of the reasons why Nexus devices can be so high-spec'd and cost so little is the lack of expandable storage, so they have no external SD card slots. It's a trade-off but a lot of people don't mind. I didn't when I got my Nexus 4 16GB.

Also bear in mind that the Nexus 10 is a 10" tablet from 2012 but the new Nexus 7 is a 7" tablet, but from 2013, so it's more evolved. I suggest you check the specs. However, both will be getting Android 4.4 KitKat (in-fact, the OTA is already being pushed out for them).

Nexus 10 links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Nexus%2010 (may need Parcel Motel - see if it delivers to Ireland)
http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_sop=15&_udlo=250&_udhi=&_nkw=Nexus+10&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

Nexus 7:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Nexus+7&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ANexus+7 (may need Parcel Motel - see if it delivers to Ireland)
http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_udlo=200&_udhi=&_nkw=Nexus+7&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1
http://www.pcworld.ie/Product/GOOGLE-Nexus-7-32-GB/315666/2.9

(for the Nexus 7, make sure you only consider the 2013 edition as it's far better than the original Nexus 7 from 2012 - the results from the above links could be ambiguous)

Hope these help.

Baked.noodle

Thanks very much DECEiFER, and MuppetCheck. You have done most the work for me

Edit: Seems Amazon will send it too me after all. That should do nicely.

DECEiFER

No problem. Feel free to ask any questions about specs if you're having trouble figuring out what's best, but include your parents' requirements when doing so, so we know what the tablet will be used for mainly. It's just a pity the second gen Nexus 10 hasn't come out yet like the Nexus 7 has.

Happy shopping!

DECEiFER

Oh, look at these:
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2013/11/14/new-nexus-10-2-release-date-seemingly-confirmed/
http://www.designntrend.com/articles/9076/20131113/nexus-10-2-new-release-date-specs-rumors-price-update.htm

I'd hang on and see if Amazon, eBay, etc., will sell the second gen Nexus 10 within your price-range. It'd be worth the wait to see since it's rumored to be released before the end of this month.

Baked.noodle

That does look slick. I'll have to tell them to wait and see.

DECEiFER

Baked.noodle wrote: »

That does look slick. I'll have to tell them to wait and see.

If it doesn't come out before the first week of December, don't wait, because otherwise you risk not being able to get the current gen Nexus 10 before the year's out as it could be in high-demand for Christmas. And if they sell out, you also have to consider that the stock won't be replenished due to the possibility (and I reiterate possibility) that the current gen may be discontinued in advance of a Nexus 10 2 release. That being the case it will boil down to whatever inventory is left and whatever retailers have it. The Nexus 4 sold out before the Nexus 5 came out. That was it on the Google Play Store. No more Nexus 4. Now it's just the Nexus 5, 7, and 10.

So just keep the eyes peeled and check often for news of the Nexus 10 2 by searching on Google alongside stock levels of the current Nexus 10. It's the best advice I can give you.

Also just to advise you that there's a rumored Nexus 8 to come out, and a Nexus 12, but if/when? No idea. Buying and holding out for tech is like playing the stock markets, I'm tellin' ya!

Baked.noodle

Hey,

Many thanks for the help selecting a tablet. My folks went with the Nexus 7 2013 edition. They are delighted with it, so I'm happy for them. My mum was wondering about a speaker so she could listen to music, and I suggested she get a Blue tooth sound bar. Naturally, I have to sort this out for them, so, has anybody got recommendations? Anything under €100. Thanks.

coolhull

Hi all

My brand - new tablet, an mpman 1010 android touchscreen, responds very poorly to on-screen tapping (if you know what I mean)
It usually takes 5 or 6 taps to get a response. This is especially the case when waiting for the cursor (?) to appear in the google search box. I've tried using one of the stylus things but it made no difference.
Any ideas?

DECEiFER

It's an A8 1GHz tablet, right? So it shouldn't be that slow all of the time. It could be the software. Was it like that from the very beginning and are there any custom ROMs for it?

coolhull

Yes its only two weeks old. And yes there is a CD Rom, a mini one, but I don't see a slot to put it in.
But being a computer thick, that's probably my fault. Any help would be gratefully received, Deceiver!