Advice on buying a tablet PC

[Hateshinai]

I am thinking about buying myself a tablet PC. I don't really need one but each year I am given a sum of money from my employer to as refund for books/conferences/IT products. If I don't spend it I don't get it.
I still have about 900 euros to spend before the end of the year. So as long as I stay within that budget the tablet will basically be free.
I intend to use it for entertainment, mostly for reading comics, watching movies and for my kids to mess around with. So a large screen is a must.
Any suggestions about what to buy?

[avrame]

Biggest question is the OS you want to use on the tablet? iOS? Android? Windows? iOS option is obviously the iPad, Android gives you a few options, but I suggest sticking to the ASUS brand Android tablets, they are typically well built. If you are looking for a Windows one, they are typically the most expensive if you aim at a non-Netbook spec'd tablet. From my experience, the Samsung Series 7 slate or the Asus Tablet both had a very pleasant experience, through, Windows 7 is far from a 'touch-optimized' OS.

Links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Transforme ... 316&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-iPad-2-16 ... 338&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-XE700T1 ... 364&sr=1-2

Small reviews/opinion:
iPad2 - Easily one of the most popular on the market. Large app store, and pleasing browsing experience. Streaming media such as netflix, hulu and youtube are easily used and are actively supported.

Android - Cheaper, good performance, large app market. Apps are troublesome as they are built for various SKUs/models of the OS, so they are some problems with purchased apps not being compatable with your device. Nice refund policy for apps if they don't work, streaming video media is typically well supported.

Windows slate - EXPENSIVE, it's a PC. Anything you can do on a PC, you can do on the tablet. Attach a keyboard and mouse, you have a full PC experience.

[Jayson]

You can't go wrong with either the Xoom or the Transformer. I have the Xoom and really like it. Just make sure you get something thats running 3.2.

The only reason I would go with the transformer over the xoom, is if you want a hybrid laptop. The Xoom has a better build quality and more peripherals made for it so far.

I prefer android over iOs, but thats just me. If you already are invested in a bunch of iphone apps, then go with the ipad2.

[avrame]

I have a transformer, good little device, but after playing with it for a while, I miss the basic functionality of a laptop or a PC device. My wife's first comment that it can't play 'Farmville' on facebook, despite having flash support. If I do end up buying a tablet anytime soon, I'm probably going to grab this guy:

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Iconia-W500- ... 349&sr=8-2

Weak proc, nice solid state drive (slap in a SD card if you need more space), and a dedicated GFX card. Should be good enough to handle all the stuff my wife and I do.

[Hateshinai]

I would rather avoid Windows but have no experience with either ios or Android.
I have no intention of adding peripherals.

[Lokkenjawnz]

I've got an ASUS Transformer, and it's absolutely fantastic. Aside from PC games, there's really not a huge disconnect between using it vs a full-fledged PC. The Transformer seemed to have some build issue, early on at least, but mine never suffered any problems, and even the ones with problems were apparently RMA'd with very little trouble, ASUS stands by their products. The Transformer also gets very fast updates, sometimes before the Xoom (which is technically the developer tablet), and is confirmed to be getting Ice Cream Sandwich shortly after it comes out.

I'd recommend the hell out of the Transformer, if not for one reason: Transformer Prime. The next Transformer will be coming out in the next couple of months, so if you can wait for it, it's going to be a beast. It's got a quad-core (technically 5-core actually) Kal-El Tegra 3 processor, and it's thinner than it's predecessor, and weirdly enough looks kind of like an Apple Macbook Air actually.

So in short: ASUS Transformer, either the original now, or the Prime in a few months. I really don't think you'll be disappointed, and if you have any questions about it, or Android in general, feel free to ask, I'm a pretty big Android nerd.

[lisalover1]

I really have to agree with lockenjawz; waiting a month or two for the Transformer Prime is probably a good idea. The specs are really impressive (quad-core 1.4 GHz), and if you're really that set on Windows, Windows 8 will have support for ARM processors, so there may very well be an unofficial port of Windows 8 to the tablet. Even if that never happens, Android gaming is really starting to take off; pretty much every major iOS release is getting a simultaneous Android release, and the OS is finally starting to get some respectable exclusives, like Disgaea and the R-Type port.

[Hateshinai]

unfortunately I can not wait for a new tablet to be released. I have to buy it within the next 3 to 4 weeks in order to get my money back.

[Addisonjoy]

I think you should buy Android 2.1 10-Inch Touch Screen Tablet. It has Android 2.1 OS, 256MB RAM, and 2GB HDD.I'm personally using this application, its really great.

[CRTGAMER]

Good online browser but just an oversized Cell Phone?
My relative recently bought a small tablet with the Android. I HATE IT! Maybe because its a new system to learn? The Apps are laid out like the cell phone and no Windows compatibility for MS Office and PC games. Any serious typing I have got to have a keyboard, but a blue tooth keyboard defeats the portability aspect. On the plus it does make a good WiFi browser.

Now if I can just get a cell phone that has free WiFi.