Buying a tablet for travelling

riley94 on 24/02/2013 - 09:50

I'm going travelling and am thinking bringing a tablet instead of a laptop is the way I want to go.
Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about them, so am hoping somebody else can help me out a bit.

From what I can see, you can either get a cheap one or a brand one… I'm a little worried about getting one of the cheap ones, since I can't imagine the warranty and quality would be too good? Also because if my tablet survives the trip, I'll be using it regularly.

I need it to be able to do three things:
upload photos to online storage (so a micro SD card)
send emails
access the internet to book accommodation etc

I'm currently looking at this one: http://www.harveynorman.com.au/promos/super-weekend/samsung-…

and this refurbished one (I like the idea of being able to put a keyboard in it) http://www.graysonline.com/retail/TF101-1B179A-R/computers-a…

Would either of these be a good one to take? And are they good deals?

Thanks for reading!

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • NShineton on 24/02/2013 - 10:36

    Hey Sarcasm Queen!

    I myself have a Galaxy Tab 7.7 and I love it. Many people moan that it's a bit 'clunky' when compared to an iPad and if I'm completely honest, Android isn't as smooth as iOS when it comes to OSs…

    However, I am EXTREMELY happy with my 7.7, as I believe the value saved by not buying an iPad (and it's "I'll play any format" mentality)is a bigger plus than a .5s wait whilst the screen slides across…

    My fist question - why 10"? I find the 10" a lot heavier than the 7.7 (but that's just me).

    My friends have the transformer and it has awesome battery life with the keyboard attached (superior to many laptops). And, I'd be happy with a refurb. But that's just my thought… Thinking about it, the Mrs has an iPad II with a bluetooth keyboard and it is really does enhance the functionality. The only real bugbear I have is that sometimes you still need to use the touchscreen - the keyboard doesn't obviate the requirement for touchscreen functionality completely…

    As these are both quality tablets you're interested in, I'm not sure there's much that can go wrong, but as always scan the forums on line before committing.

    Good luck overseas!

    • riley94 on 24/02/2013 - 13:59

      Thank you so much for your helpful reply, NShineton!

      I'm in complete agreement with you over the Android vs iPad thing… I hate how restrictive iWhatevers can be.

      I hadn't even really considered the different available sizes. I'll look into that now. I think smaller would definitely be better, since I'll be lugging it around so much.

      • scrimshaw on 24/02/2013 - 18:09
        +1

        How about the Nexus 7? It's currently on offer @ Dick Smiths (expires today though, so be quick if you want to purchase)
        http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XC8132/asus-google-nexus-7-q…

        The only caveat — because it lacks an SD card slot, you will need to purchase 2 things
        A USB OTG cable
        A SD card reader

        You will also need to root the Nexus tablet in order to use attached USB storage devices.
        https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.s…

        • ProspectiveDarkness on 24/02/2013 - 18:23
          +1

          Not quite in keeping with the OP's general direction, but the N7 is a great tablet for a relatively low price.

          You will also need to root the Nexus tablet in order to use attached USB storage devices.

          The Nexus Media Importer works just fine for me, unrooted…?

          For the OP:

          • With the N7, uploaded photos can be put on OTG storage (dead easy to do, just a few more steps than micro SD) or uploaded to the cloud

          • Wifi is a given, but the 32GB cellular model is quite cheap compared to other tablets of the same specifications.

          • The N7 is far more future proofed than either of the 10" tablets you posted above, as scrimshaw said. IMO it also has far better build quality - which you may want to consider, if you're to be using post-travels.

          No keyboard dock on the level of the TF101, though.

  • NigelTufnel on 26/02/2013 - 10:52
    +2

    Personally I would recommend an Asus Transformer tablet with docking keyboard for travelling. I have the TF300 and it's great, but doesn't have the build quality of the TF700 (but also not the price tag).

    It's small and very easy to travel with (compared to a laptop, not to a 7 inch tablet), not too expensive (TF300+Dock is less than $500), it has a microSD slot, it has a USB port (in the dock), it has a front facing camera (good for skype), the keyboard makes typing emails a hell of a lot easier than typing on the screen, and battery life is pretty good.

    If you want a 10", then I'd say an Asus TF is the way to go for travel. TF101, TF300, or TF700

  • riley94 on 26/02/2013 - 14:29

    Thanks scrimshaw for the suggestion of the Nexus and for the information about the other little things I'd need to buy. They're nice and cheap. :) And thanks ProspectiveDarkness for the info about the build quality, I'll definitely be using whatever I get after my trip.

    Although I think smaller is probably a lot better, I'm really liking the idea of getting a Transformer. It seems like a good quality tablet, and I do like the idea of a keyboard. Thanks for the model numbers, Jonaseymour!

    I'll have a look in some stores to actually see some of the tablets, and decide if the 10 inch will be okay.

    Thanks for all of your help!

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