Best tablet PC

[Canetoad]

Hi Guys,

The wife has dropped a few hints that she'd like a tablet computer for her birthday. I was wondering if I could get some advice from anybody who has one already. The usual questions:

Which is best?
Should I just get an iPad?

She'll be using it mostly for internet access and music playback. It'll probably be used as a reader as well. I'll probably want it to be usable as a remote for the squeezeboxes in the house too.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

[northwest]

As much as it grieves me to say it - just buy an iPad and be done with it.
The only other contestant is the Samsung Galaxy. It is up to you but I surrendered last year and really I could have saved myself a load of grief (and money) if I had just succumbed right away.

[seoirse2002]

Im in the same boat,and am torn between the Galaxy and ipad....opinions please?

[Gmanuk101]

i've used the galaxy and have an ipad (1st gen).

to me it's about how these things feel in your hands, the ipad wins design wise. the software is of course the apple walled garden, however you can jailbreak them with success (allegedly).

iPad is more expensive.

if budget is limited (small) go galaxy
if budget isn't limited go iPad

best way to find out is go into the apple store and mess about with one, then go mess about with the galaxy. leave it a few days and do the same again.
then make your decision.

[Martinh]

Hi,

I have an android phone (galaxy s2) and an ipad 2nd gen and the ipad wins hands down - IMHO there are several hundred miles between the two systems.

The ipad hardware is better and it's cheaper than the galaxy tablet too (ipad 2 is now £329).

The quality of the apps on ipad are better too, as the developers make much, much more turnover and margin from ipad apps.

Add this to the fact that you can resell them easily and also have a choice of 1000s of accessories (ever seen an android dock?) and it's a no brainer.

Galaxy tablets just aren't selling. The only reason that android phones sell is that the salesmen make lots more commission with them.

For me the killer app is the combination of the ipad, the apple TV and itunes match. I can stream all my music from the internet to the apple TV2 box to my hifi without having a server in my house. I can also watch movies via netflix. Magic! Sounds very good too.

I was against apple until i got my ipad and now i think they are the business. its not just about the hardware, it's the hardware, software and the infrastructure all working together that makes it unbeatable.

Hope this helps,

martin

[AlfaGTV]

Using an iPad (1st gen) to write this, i can only agree with the previous voices.
A friend got a cheap Android "pad" from ebay a couple of weeks ago, which he uses for remote controlling a Squeeze Center. First of all the price difference is neglible if you can live with a 2nd gen iPad which sells for reasonable money now. Secondly, the iPad runs in circles around the droid-pad in every imaginable way; speed, quality, availability of apps and the whole user experience.
Now i sound like an Apple representative, but i assure you, i do not gain anything from this.
:rolleyes:

I have personally embraced the whole Apple concept; MacMini as a music player, iPhone for daily communication, iPod touch and iPad for remote controlling and 95% of all my Internet usage. Also an iPod Classic for carrying my music collection with me to the mobile home etc. iTunes as a player augmented with Amarra and using some different DACs and all of my music and movies stored on a NAS in the closet. Gah... I'm such an arse... :doh:
Br Mike

[Werner Berghofer]

Mike,


I have personally embraced the whole Apple concept

I have to report something very similar:

• ancient Mac mini G4, used as music and fax server
• mid-2011 27" iMac for my daily work
• 17" MacBook Pro
• iPad (2nd generation)
• iPhone 4
• two Airport Extreme, three Airport Express WIFI base stations (wireless printing and music streaming)

In use by the missus:

• 13" MacBook (white)
• iPhone 4S

Of course I wholeheartedly recommend an iPad as the overall best choice for a modern tablet computer.

Werner.

[seoirse2002]

Thats settles it for me then.....Ipad it is.
Should have known though...she uses an imac,so it would be silly to stray from Apple.
Thanks for all the help...
mmm...now.... about an app for the sbt...

[Martinh]

Thats settles it for me then.....Ipad it is.
Should have known though...she uses an imac,so it would be silly to stray from Apple.
Thanks for all the help...
mmm...now.... about an app for the sbt...

Good decision.

While you are at it, don't forget to get a decent case/cover for it.

The apple cover is OK, but your ipad needs something that does justice to the fabulous build quality.

I can recommend the Stilgut range - very well made. Gives good protection, works great as a stand for watching TV and movies and also creates the perfect angle for typing. Only £44 too, which is a bargain when you see and feel the quality.

Here's mine http://www.amazon.co.uk/StilGut-UltraSlim-Smart-Cover-Function-Support/dp/B004QX86NK

Martin

[Canetoad]

Great stuff guys!

I was going to go for a 2nd generation version as she's not interested in having the latest, greatest. Is it worth going for a 32Gb over 16? :scratch:

[AlfaGTV]

To me, 16gb is more than enough. I have some music on it, but mostly use it as a remote control and source for streaming services, at the moment Wimp and Spotify. And if i want access to my complete library of music and pictures i merely start one of my MacMinis with home sharing turned on=All music and movies available from NAS on my iPad.
The only storage i need is for apps like Hifi+ magazine, around 100Mb per issue.
Also have a lot of PDFs stored on it like manuals and books, but the rarely take upmore than a few Mb.

Br Mike

[Martinh]

Hi Bernie,

I went for the 32gb version - in hindsight, I probably would have gone for the 16gb version - maybe.

If you want to store loads of music and movies onto the device, then you will quickly fill up 16gb (or 32gb). For surfing, watching tv and playing games, 16gb is enough.

If you go for the ipad2, you can only get the 16gb version now, although there may still be some stock of the 32gb version at some retailers.

Martin

edit you can get the 32gb from £359 on line. http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/290634817075?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y

[Mark Grant]

The ebay seller linked may be selling grey imports, not sure what the UK warranty would be like on a USA imported ipad but might be best to buy in UK with UK VAT receipt so you have a good warranty.
gets a mention on hotuk deals:
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ipad-2-16gb-wifi-brand-new-297-94-ebay-digigood-1178035

[Martinh]

The ebay seller linked may be selling grey imports, not sure what the UK warranty would be like on a USA imported ipad but might be best to buy in UK with UK VAT receipt so you have a good warranty.
gets a mention on hotuk deals:
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ipad-2-16gb-wifi-brand-new-297-94-ebay-digigood-1178035

Yes, good point - best to ask the seller to prove it's a uk unit.

Tesco have them for £400, I think. http://www.tesco.com/direct/apple-ipad-2-32gb-wi-fi-white-tablet/211-3275.prd?skuId=211-3275&pageLevel=&sc_cmp=pcp_GSF_Computers_211-3275

Martin

[hifi_dave]

Just before Christmas, my Wife was dropping hints about a tablet thingy. I did ask the question here and elsewhere and the advice was split.

In the end I decided on the Apple 32 gB because it is the one everyone desires and if I'd gone for a Sony or Samsung it would be considered 'second best'. Sad but true.

Another thing is that Apple have a store fairly near to us and she can pop in with any queries.

My Wife is absolutely bowled over with it and is using it for hours every day and I've now bought one of our Daughters one for her business use. I went for the i-pad 2 for her as the new model, apparently, has problems and the extra the new one offers isn't particularly relevant.

[BlueEyes]

Forgive my ignorance of the subject but I am from the remedial class of computers.

I presently have at home an old pc and now have no landline as I await the iphone 5 launch date.

Is there any way I can use an ipad for letter writing, internet access and streaming without the need for a broadband connection in the way that you might sent use a mobile phone on contract and would it be cheaper to do this than my present £17.50 per month on Virgin which is solely for my broadband connection?

If not what is the advantage of a tablet pc other than portability?

PS A mate is using an ipad in Perth WA but "dongles" are expensive over there.

[Martinh]

Forgive my ignorance of the subject but I am from the remedial class of computers.

I presently have at home an old pc and now have no landline as I await the iphone 5 launch date.

Is there any way I can use an ipad for letter writing, internet access and streaming without the need for a broadband connection in the way that you might sent use a mobile phone on contract and would it be cheaper to do this than my present £17.50 per month on Virgin which is solely for my broadband connection?

If not what is the advantage of a tablet pc other than portability?

PS A mate is using an ipad in Perth WA but "dongles" are expensive over there.

Hi Bert,

From your post, I understand that you've got virgin broadband connected to your old pc. This is by far the fastest and lowest cost option to get internet at home.

You can connect an ipad or other tablet (and all new smartphones) to your broadband, but you will need to get a wireless router to make the connection. this connects to (or replaces) your virgin modem and then gives you the wireless broadband.

I'm pretty sure that virgin can upgrade you for free or at low cost - talk to them about your options. They should be able to send someone out to connect everything too.

The tablet pc can do most things that a pc can, but not all. For web surfing, it's great. For storing photos and serious work, it's less good IMHO. Things like printing are a bit tricky - it's more designed for email rather than snail mail.

Hope this helps,

Martin

[BlueEyes]

Hi Martin, my real name is Greg but an old g'friend used to call me Bert after the grumpy guy in Sesame Street!

Can an iphone not be a wireless router as I intend to get the iphone 5 later this year when it is launched?

I am not an online gamer but I would only stick with my broadband connection if you told me that I need it for streaming music if I get some active speakers and say a Rega DAC or maybe even the ATC cd player with internal preamp.

Regards,

Greg

[Martinh]

Hi Martin, my real name is Greg but an old g'friend used to call me Bert after the grumpy guy in Sesame Street!

Can an iphone not be a wireless router as I intend to get the iphone 5 later this year when it is launched?

I am not an online gamer but I would only stick with my broadband connection if you told me that I need it for streaming music if I get some active speakers and say a Rega DAC or maybe even the ATC cd player with internal preamp.

Regards,

Greg

Hi Greg,

This is not an easy answer, as the best solution depends upon what you want to do and how much you want to spend.

If you want something that is plug and play, needing almost no computer experience and are willing to sacrifice a little in terms of sound quality, then apple is a good solution.

Something like the squeezebox touch may give better sound, but needs more knowledge to set it up and keep running. You can control this from your iPhone.
With the squeezebox, you will need to have a separate computer to store your music or subscribe to spotify or similar.

If you want great sound and no computer hassles, then stick to a decent cd player.

Whichever way you choose, you will almost certainly need to keep your old pc and virgin broad band. The iPhone can connect to the Internet via the mobile phone network, but if you do a lot of surfing or stream anything from the Internet, it wil get very expensive very quickly.

Hope this helps,

Martin

[Canetoad]

Does the iPad 2 have a USB port for attaching extra storage capacity? :scratch:

[Martinh]

Does the iPad 2 have a USB port for attaching extra storage capacity? :scratch:

No, as far as I know, you can't add storage or even plug in a usb stick or SD card. I have the usb camera adaptor and tried to plug my usb key in and got a message saying that there was insufficient power available to power the device. Maybe if you use a powered usb hub, it might work.

There's an SD slot on the adaptor, but it only allows you to read photos from the card, not store anything. Maybe someone has found a way around this with an app?

I didn't really persue it any further, as I have a 32gb unit ;)

I think you might be able to read and write to a NAS device wirelessly. I'm sure apple have something. There are also plenty of cloud-based options too. I backup my work pc to syncplicity, which offers some free storage, that i can access from anywhere with my ipad, android phone or pc.

If you find out, please let me know.

Martin

[Canetoad]

I've ordered an iPad 2 32Gb through Amazon for £367. I have noticed in the last couple of days that supplies are dropping off. Still plenty of 16Gb versions though.

[Martinh]

I've ordered an iPad 2 32Gb through Amazon for £367. I have noticed in the last couple of days that supplies are dropping off. Still plenty of 16Gb versions though.

Nice one Bernie,

My wife said to me last night "I think this tablet (ipad) is really good". I nearly fell off my chair because she was dead against it when I got it and hates all technology. Especially when I keep changing things with the hifi, pc, tv etc :rolleyes:

The problem in my house is that everyone wants to use the ipad and the pc and laptop are sitting gathering dust. The PC will have to stay, but the laptops days are numbered.

Most popular apps in my house are catch up TV (live TV streaming) words with friends (scrabble), facetime (video calling to the in-laws in France), draw something (pictionary), internet, youtube, ebay, remote control for my apple TV, Netflix - the list goes on.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Martin

[Canetoad]

Thanks Martin.

I'm sure I'll be adding a few apps of my own to it when I give it to her. ;)

Our son will probably want to get his hands on it too. :doh:

What's it like streaming video via wi-fi? My router is only 50 kbps. Think I should upgrade?

[Martinh]

Hi Bernie,

I would wait and see if it works well before upgrading your router. I have a Belkin Play Max N300 in my house.

Streaming video and music between the ipad and the apple tv2 works great. I use the apple tv2 as my music streamer.

You can stream content from your ipad to any airplay enabled device or simply use it as a remote for another streamer (i.e. SB touch).

I started off with it all connected wirelessly, but now have the apple tv2 connected using an Ethernet cable (the cable was already there). There are less buffering delays like this.

With my setup, there is a small but noticeable drop in sound quality between streaming direct from the internet or my pc (itunes) and streaming files stored on the ipad itself.

This is because streaming from the ipad to apple tv uses the airplay system, which loses a bit of sound quality IMHO. Still good, but not as good.

The apple tv has apps built into it to stream directly from the internet (itunes match, netflix, youtube etc.) which gives the best quality. In this case, the ipad only functions as a remote control pad.

If you don't have a streamer, you could do a lot worse than trying a £99 apple TV2 with a suitable DAC. I think its a really underrated product and works fantastically with the ipad.

It satisfies my need for good sound and my family can also use it for music and movies too. I had a SB Duet before and no one used it because it was not user friendly enough. The PC needed to be on and then there were constant network problems etc.

Hope this makes sense,

Martin

[AlfaGTV]

The cause for your percieved drop in sound quality when streaming from the iPad may be caused by the AirPlay system. When streaming from one device to an Air Play compatible device such as an Airport Express or an Apple TV2 the audio stream is converted "on-the-fly" to Apple Lossless in 16bit 44,1Khz, and then converted back again into an PCM stream in the receiving device. From there it is either converted to analog or directed to a digital interface.

Please also consider the option of streaming data between devices that are hard wired together, using the iPad only as a remote control. My Airport Express har its WLAN turned off and is connected to my home network with Ethernet cable which most definently increase sound quality and lessens interrupts caused by WLAN traffic and collisions.
The iPad is of course connected to the same network via WiFi for remote control tasks and internet accessibility.

BR /Micke

[Martinh]

Thanks Micke,


The cause for your percieved drop in sound quality when streaming from the iPad may be caused by the AirPlay system. When streaming from one device to an Air Play compatible device such as an Airport Express or an Apple TV2 the audio stream is converted "on-the-fly" to Apple Lossless in 16bit 44,1Khz, and then converted back again into an PCM stream in the receiving device. From there it is either converted to analog or directed to a digital interface.



Thanks for that- it would explain the loss of quality that I can easily hear. I sometimes use this option, but mainly for convenience, not sound quality.




Please also consider the option of streaming data between devices that are hard wired together, using the iPad only as a remote control. My Airport Express har its WLAN turned off and is connected to my home network with Ethernet cable which most definently increase sound quality and lessens interrupts caused by WLAN traffic and collisions.
The iPad is of course connected to the same network via WiFi for remote control tasks and internet accessibility.

BR /Micke

This is interesting, because I didn't compare wireless with wired sound quality when I switched over. I certainly noticed that it takes less time to buffer tracks. The airplay mirroring quality is better too, which is also very useful.

Cheers,

Martin

[Werner Berghofer]

Mike,


When streaming from one device to an Air Play compatible device such as an Airport Express or an Apple TV2 the audio stream is converted "on-the-fly" to Apple Lossless in 16bit 44,1Khz, and then converted back again into an PCM stream in the receiving device

true, that’s the way wireless audio streaming works in an Apple environment. However, in my setup there are no audible differences when comparing playback from a Mac directly connected via Toslink to a DAC and wirelessly streaming to an Airport Express which is (Toslink) feeding the same type of DAC.

My audio files are all in ALAC 16 bit/44.1 kHz.

Werner.

[morris_minor]

"My" iPad is the most used item of technology in the house. Problem is I can rarely prise the kids or the misses off it - and she has a nice MacBook to play with.

The iPeng app is a brilliant controller for the all the Squeezeboxes we have and also acts as a player too with the in-app purchase. This was the killer app that made me get one in the first place.

With two iPhones, two Mac Minis and the Macbook (and an Airport Extreme router) it might seem we're Apple Fanboys, but the reality is that this stuff just "works". The W7 PC in my office needs frequent rebooting, though happily the ASUS WHS box justs sits there nicely serving up music.

[seoirse2002]

Ordered the 32gb ipad 2 from tesco online last nite at £399....they accepted my order,but Ive just received an email from them today cancelling it saying...out of stock
The good news is that it is in stock at Carphone Warehouse for £399 so I managed to get one there and pick up from my local store in 3 days.
I seen it advertised cheaper elsewhere,but was worried about the grey import possibility and warranty so I paid a little extra to be safe.
Its for the wifes birthday May 1st but Im sure I will have to "check it out" before that

[snuffbox]

Just pulled the trigger on 32gb wireless for£389 from amazon. First time I've ever dealt with them.

[Mark Grant]

Some great prices, any links to amazon for these prices.

[AlfaGTV]

My audio files are all in ALAC 16 bit/44.1 kHz.


This is an interesting scenario! What happens when playing ALAC via Air Play, it is already in the desired format?
All of my files are stored in AIFF, thus they need to be encoded and then decoded in the receiving end...

And, to be honest, i havent compared my MacMini's optical out to the Airport Express's... I have some homework to be done with! ;)
My spontaneous reflection is that the direct optical out will whip the AE's ass when comparing AIFF files...

Br Mike

[Canetoad]

Hi Bernie,

I would wait and see if it works well before upgrading your router. I have a Belkin Play Max N300 in my house.

Streaming video and music between the ipad and the apple tv2 works great. I use the apple tv2 as my music streamer.

You can stream content from your ipad to any airplay enabled device or simply use it as a remote for another streamer (i.e. SB touch).

I started off with it all connected wirelessly, but now have the apple tv2 connected using an Ethernet cable (the cable was already there). There are less buffering delays like this.

With my setup, there is a small but noticeable drop in sound quality between streaming direct from the internet or my pc (itunes) and streaming files stored on the ipad itself.

This is because streaming from the ipad to apple tv uses the airplay system, which loses a bit of sound quality IMHO. Still good, but not as good.

The apple tv has apps built into it to stream directly from the internet (itunes match, netflix, youtube etc.) which gives the best quality. In this case, the ipad only functions as a remote control pad.

If you don't have a streamer, you could do a lot worse than trying a £99 apple TV2 with a suitable DAC. I think its a really underrated product and works fantastically with the ipad.

It satisfies my need for good sound and my family can also use it for music and movies too. I had a SB Duet before and no one used it because it was not user friendly enough. The PC needed to be on and then there were constant network problems etc.

Hope this makes sense,

Martin

Martin,

I have an SB Touch and want to use the iPad as a remote for that. That and as a book reader is mostly what I want to use it for. I guess there's all sorts of interesting apps around for it. Should be interesting. :)

[twelvebears]

Unfortunately even as Apple devotees (20" & 24" iMacs, Mac Mini, 2008 13" MacBook and 2011 13" MacBook Pro), we remain unconvinced by the iPad.

Even having borrowed a friend's for week, we still see it as a (admittedly very) cool gadget, but a 'tablet computer'? Not really as it's too locked it what Apple think it should do.

Also my Better Half has just got a Samsung Galaxy S2 over and iPhone and we're really enjoying it. Agree it's not as seamlessly integrated as an iPhone or iPad would be (especially is an all-Apple household), but if you have a Google account and Spotify, it's really excellent and available free on a 12 month contract....

However as long as you want a cool tablet 'device' and do your actually computing elsewhere, an iPad is in a league of it's own.

As I say, it's just boils down to what your expectations are and how much freedom you want about what you can do with it.

[snuffbox]

This is an interesting scenario! What happens when playing ALAC via Air Play, it is already in the desired format?
All of my files are stored in AIFF, thus they need to be encoded and then decoded in the receiving end...

And, to be honest, i havent compared my MacMini's optical out to the Airport Express's... I have some homework to be done with! ;)
My spontaneous reflection is that the direct optical out will whip the AE's ass when comparing AIFF files...

Br Mike

I'm sure all that makes sense to someone

[Werner Berghofer]

Mike,


What happens when playing ALAC via Air Play, it is already in the desired format?

I’m no electronics engineer, but I guess in this case the digital data is being sent “as is” 1:1 without any alteration to the receiving Airport Express station.

Since its introduction the Airport Express has been known as 100 percent bit perfect.

Stereophile: → Apple AirPort Express Wi-Fi Hub-D/A processor (http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple/index.html) (May 8, 2005).

So for me it’s no surprise that I hear exactly the same when comparing the output of a locally via Toslink connected DAC to the output of a remote DAC receiving digital data wirelessly via an Airport Express. I also don’t notice any difference in playback quality when sending audio data via Ethernet cable or WiFi. What is arriving at the digital port of an Airport Express is absolut identical, no matter if the data is sent via cable or wireless network. In my opinion thinking that playback quality is better when streaming via Ethernet cable is close to superstition.


My spontaneous reflection is that the direct optical out will whip the AE's ass when comparing AIFF files...

Well, then obviously you belong to The Chosen Ones with Golden Ears who are able to distinguish the sound quality of AIFF and ALAC files ;-)

Werner.

[Martinh]

Unfortunately even as Apple devotees (20" & 24" iMacs, Mac Mini, 2008 13" MacBook and 2011 13" MacBook Pro), we remain unconvinced by the iPad.

Even having borrowed a friend's for week, we still see it as a (admittedly very) cool gadget, but a 'tablet computer'? Not really as it's too locked it what Apple think it should do.

Also my Better Half has just got a Samsung Galaxy S2 over and iPhone and we're really enjoying it. Agree it's not as seamlessly integrated as an iPhone or iPad would be (especially is an all-Apple household), but if you have a Google account and Spotify, it's really excellent and available free on a 12 month contract....

However as long as you want a cool tablet 'device' and do your actually computing elsewhere, an iPad is in a league of it's own.

As I say, it's just boils down to what your expectations are and how much freedom you want about what you can do with it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "locked" - can you expand upon that?

I don't think you can do everything with an ipad and can't see me getting rid of my main computer for serious stuff. I might change my windows pc for a mac though.

I originally thought I might use the ipad for showing customers pictures and designs for my kitchen and bathroom business, but decided that it looked a bit flash. I didn't want potential customers to think that I was making too much money :rolleyes: - I'm not, by the way :(

Cheers

Martin

[seoirse2002]

LOL,funny you should say that as the guy who came to price our new patio and other garden work had one with pics of his other completed projects.
"must be doing well" was the first thing we thought...
Isnt it strange how our perceptions are based on what we see? The garden guy commented "nice car" so for the next quote,I hid it in the garage and put the old alfa on the drive...result? £1000 cheaper!
I have learned not to pull up right in front of any shop that involves making a deal many years ago,and to dress down.

[Ali Tait]

What Alfa do you have?

[Martinh]

Hi all,

My work colleague has just bought one of these and has asked me to set it up over the weekend:

http://image.ebuyer.com/UK/P0344245.jpg http://www.ebuyer.com/344245-scroll-extreme-tablet-pc-54242

Initial impressions are good for the price (£180). From a distance, it looks like the real thing and I suspect that the ipad cases and some accessories might fit too.

Will have a play and report back.

Martin

[seoirse2002]

146 Ti...Its my second one,have just traded in my old one with 235,000 on the clock and still going strong!!! this ones got 35,000 on new engine

[seoirse2002]

Well got the idpad 2 32gb as mentioned...and thought Id get her something else as well....I was going for a case and found the Logitech Zagg case and keyboard...its excellent!!
The case is made of aircraft grade aluminium and has a built in keyboard that connects via bluetooth leaving you to enjoy the whole screen on the ipad...I managed to pick one up on the Bay for £35 as the amazon price was £89.99...now amazon has reduced its price to £39.99!!!!! GRAB IT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Keyboard-Case-iPad-2/dp/B0052SO83K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336133408&sr=8-1

[slate]

and put the old alfa on the drive...result? £1000 cheaper!

well everybody knows that alfa owners are married to their mechanics :eyebrows:

[seoirse2002]

:lol: and lovin' it

[Martinh]

Well got the idpad 2 32gb as mentioned...and thought Id get her something else as well....I was going for a case and found the Logitech Zagg case and keyboard...its excellent!!
The case is made of aircraft grade aluminium and has a built in keyboard that connects via bluetooth leaving you to enjoy the whole screen on the ipad...I managed to pick one up on the Bay for £35 as the amazon price was £89.99...now amazon has reduced its price to £39.99!!!!! GRAB IT http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Keyboard-Case-iPad-2/dp/B0052SO83K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336133408&sr=8-1

When I first got my iPad, I seriously looked at this product. What stopped me was the that it effectively turns it into a laptop, which is what I bought the iPad to replace.

I find that typing is ok on the iPad (I'm using it now) - maybe for serious typing it could be a big plus though?

Martin

[Ali Tait]

146 Ti...Its my second one,have just traded in my old one with 235,000 on the clock and still going strong!!! this ones got 35,000 on new engine

Nice, I have a 164 Super with 84k on the clock.

[Mark Grant]

Hi all,

My work colleague has just bought one of these and has asked me to set it up over the weekend:

http://image.ebuyer.com/UK/P0344245.jpg http://www.ebuyer.com/344245-scroll-extreme-tablet-pc-54242

Initial impressions are good for the price (£180). From a distance, it looks like the real thing and I suspect that the ipad cases and some accessories might fit too.

Will have a play and report back.

Martin

That looks interesting for the price, might make an ideal browsing device and remote control for squeezebox or Sonos etc.
Let us all know when you have tried it :)

[Ali Tait]

well everybody knows that alfa owners are married to their mechanics :eyebrows:


That's just a vicious rumour started by those who don't own an Alfa :lol:

[seoirse2002]

That's just a vicious rumour started by those who don't own an Alfa :lol:

All jealous,I'd say...everyone knows you haven't driven until you've driven an Alfa:lol:

[Ali Tait]

Exactly!

[Folkboy]

My other half wants a tablet even though she doesn't care much for my iPad (v1). She's a long time Android user and so I'm probably going to get her a Asus Transformer Pad TF300 when it's released. Only pisser is it's $399 in the US and £399 over here, but you do get the docking station at that price.
Or possibly the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" which is about half that of the TF300.
Then there's the proposed Google Tablet which comes along later this year...

[slate]

All jealous,I'd say...everyone knows you haven't driven until you've driven an Alfa:lol:

well a colleague bought a 156 back in the day and after a couple of years he shifted to Vauxhall. The fact that there are 40 miles to the nearest Alfa dealership did not help with the frequent "visits"

[Martinh]

I ve had a a chance to play with the Scroll Extreme and it s a mixed bag.

I also let my 2 kids have a go (5 and 13) and it was a big thumbs down from them.

Bearing in mind that this costs only £180 at ebuyer, I think its a good operating system, let down by poor hardware.

It ships with Android 4.0 ICS, which is good but to my mind is less polished than ios. Just typing this on the android tablet is a problem because the text box disappears under the keyboard and you can't scroll down any more. Editing it later on the iPad is a delight.

But its the hardware that's the problem here - its just too slooow.

Even doing basic things like surfing the web and typing this post are a poor experience, with too much lag. Perversely, scrollling through many websites brings the "Scroll Extrreme" to a standstill.

Running Netflix is a no go too, as it just sits there, waiting for the processor to catch up.

You can run tv catchup though, which is nice.

Another hardware issue is that the volume control has 2 functions: forward/back and volume. You have to push and hold the the rocker to get volume control and then it zooms to full or zero. Not good and dangerous with headphones. There doesn't seem to be any way to change this either.

To be continued.....

[Martinh]

On the plus side, connectivity is good with usb and hdmi leads in the box. You can also add more memory to the 8GB internal memory using mini SD cards. Not as good as having a large internal memory but workable.

The screen is ok but looks washed out. The case is nice but lightweight and a bit creaky. The speaker iis a tiny slot on the back panel - ok for tv, but hideous with music.

A plus for some May be that it looks like an iPad from a distance...


Of course you can't stream music or video from it to an airplay receiver either.

I was expecring to be able to tweak everything in the setttings menu but its quite tied down compared to the ipad.

In conclusion:

I really wanted to like this as its at the right price point to be an alternative to the ipad. Unfortunately, the hardware just isn't up to it. How android allowed this to be made is beyond me. It highlights the benefits of apple having control over the hardware and software to ensure that the user experience is top notch.

Believe me, this makes the £329 for the ipad2 look like a bargain.

Martin

P.s. I'm typing this on the extreme and its painful.

[slate]

Going to buy an iPad 2? see if you can find one of the new hardware versions... you might get lucky
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5789/the-ipad-24-review-32nm-a5-tested

[Martinh]

Going to buy an iPad 2? see if you can find one of the new hardware versions... you might get lucky
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5789/the-ipad-24-review-32nm-a5-tested

Shows the iPad 2 is still going strong.

The retention of the iPad 2 is a master stoke. If the competition were screwed at the £399 price, what chance do they have at the £329 price point?

Why other manufacturers don't do this instead of spending money developing additional budget products, I don't know.

It also means that my investment 6 months ago is still a current model :)

Martin

[Ali Tait]

well a colleague bought a 156 back in the day and after a couple of years he shifted to Vauxhall. The fact that there are 40 miles to the nearest Alfa dealership did not help with the frequent "visits"

Probably said this before, but worth saying again I think. I used to have a 166 T-spark which I bought with 70k and scrapped four years later with 220k on the clock. In that time all I spent money on was the usual consumables- tyres and service items etc. The car never let me down once and was even still on it's original exhaust. Yes, everything electrical still worked.

My other half works for Sky and they got offered ipads with 25% discount, so I've a new 32Gb iPad coming.