Best products from r/tablets

Feel like a broken record saying this, but the kindle fire hd is a great tablet for the price. Does not come with google play installed, but it's free and easy to install it and gain access to all your apps from both the amazon app store and google play store.

For the price, hard to beat. $150. Kid's version is currently on sale for $160 which includes the "2-year worry-free guarantee: if they break it, return it and we'll replace it for free. No questions asked." which is nice if you're getting this for a kid, or just clumsy. =)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6RPGKG

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Z8PLYW

I use a Samsung Ativ Tab 3 myself for exactly that purpose. It can't cope with Drawboard PDF (specifically), but it's perfectly fine for Microsoft Office and OneNote, and pretty much any other pdf annotator I've tried. In a pinch, you can use something like Splashtop to remote into your desktop, but I've only needed to when I've taken it on weekends away.

The digitizer is perfect, I have no complaints. It's just as good as the much more expensive specialist Tablet PC I have from about five years ago. I'd really much rather use the Ativ than cart that brute about.

Atom has the advantages of being lighter, cheaper, and having seriously long battery life. And the Ativ is thinner than a paper notebook.

With that set of priorities, I have no hesitation in recommending it. Just don't try to play Hearthstone while your virus scanner is actively doing a scan. That... didn't go so well.

EDIT: And buy several of these - the Galaxy Note variant. I've tried both, and those work best (I think it's the same digitiser as the Note 10.1?)

The one relevant question is probably what your budget is, but discounting that and just going straight for "fairly cheap" the Fire series from all reports may be the best thing you can get for classicmememom in that category unless you find a really good deal on something like a Galaxy Tab A (which otherwise butts up against the Amazon Fire HD 10 price-wise). And if you're going to be the one setting it up, you'll probably be the one doing tech support for it--for better or worse--so you'll definitely want to set it up any way you see fit so she can have minimal issues with it.

The regular Surface (non-pro) is a Windows RT device. It runs on an ARM processor and will NOT run x86-compiled programs (like anything for your normal windows computer) or unsigned programs that are compiled to ARM. You would only be able to use the Windows Store.

The Surface Pro runs Windows 8.1 on an x86 (intel) architecture. It will run any traditional Windows programs (including Steam and Steam games). The SP1 comes with 4gb of ram and an i5 processor (HD4000 integrated graphics). This is enough to play SC2 comfortably in 1v1, and would handle the games you're talking about fine.

The Battery Keyboard (if you can find one) is a keyboard case with a battery in it. It roughly doubles the weight and thickness of the tablet, but adds a significant amount of battery life (6-8 hours of normal non-gaming use).

If you're interested in looking at used SP1s, here is a link. You can get them for sub-500 (even sub 400!) barring the keyboard case, which will push the price up a bit. If you're willing to spend more, the SP2 is much nicer. Slightly lighter, better processor (and HD4400 integrated graphics), and better base battery life, but comes at a raise in price.

If 10" is a must, then I would have definitely recommended:
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ZA000001US-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Midnight/dp/B00TR05L9Y/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479155485&sr=1-8&keywords=nvidia+tablet

and

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F57BNG2/ref=psdc_1232597011_t2_B011TVF5QC

I've been roaming through Amazon, and those are definitely the best tablets under $160. Both have amazing specs. 2GB RAM, 1080p screen, and both have Android M Asus one is bit more recent, while the Lenovo one is more cheaper.

You may want to research on which one has the better battery life and so on. Also, you can return your recently bought tablet to Amazon within 30 days, even if it is already opened.

A stylus can be any little stick that you use on your screen. A stylus with an active digitizer is what you want for drawing - popular examples are Wacom and the S-pen. Styli without an active digitizer are basically only good for touch commands (think the biggest pencil tool in MS Paint). /u/cereuc's comment about "crayon style" is very accurate.

The Surface Pro 1 is a perfectly acceptable drawing tablet since they added the WinTab drivers. Source (Disclaimer: auto-start Youtube video that's kinda loud)

I don't know anything about the Cintiq honestly, but what could be so special about tilt recognition? My oldest smart phone has that. A Wacom stylus (read: an active digitizer) does typically add a lot to something's price.

As far as I know, the Jot stylus is strictly for iOS systems (iPads). Any active digitizer is good for drawing, there are just several brands out there - again, like Wacom and the S-pen for Samsung devices.

Edit: The tilt recognition is in the stylus, got it. Unless that's something you'll use frequently (sounds like a calligraphy thing), I don't think it's worth the price tag.

Edit2: You can generally mix and match styli and tablets, but you need to make sure the software matches. There is software in both the tablet and the stylus that determines whether it's digitizer-enabled or just capacitive.

For example, the Bamboo styli are commonly paired with Samsung Note tablets because some people prefer the thicker "pen" feel over the thinner "pencil" feel of writing. Here's what the Note 10.1 stylus looks like for the sake of comparison.

yes it is still worth it, i like its processor performance which is good for playing those games you mentioned. long lasting battery life, excellent display. another alternative i would recommend is the [Nvidia Shield K1] (https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-940-81761-2500-500-SHIELD-Tablet-K1/dp/B0171BS9CG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474511521&sr=1-1&keywords=nvidia+shield+k1&linkCode=ll1&tag=qt088-20&linkId=24fabfa786c08c30f4f16b71a581a116) has a longer lasting battery life, powerful processor performance for gaming.

Eh, if you can ever check out the chromebook at a bestbuy or something you might want to . . I loved it so much I bought the pro as well. The brightness can be turned down to near nothing so it doesn't kill me that way. Great for PDFS.. hope your search works out.. you might also want to look at the https://www.amazon.com/BOOX-Ereader-Android-Interface-Dual-Touch/dp/B077GVLMJN/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1523910847&sr=8-6&keywords=e-ink+reader&dpID=51IKMLKuS1L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Best bang for the buck is the Tab A 10.1 and go for the 2016 model. We just got a few here at work, about $150 from Amazon. This is a refurbished product but very much like new and actually has a better warranty than the new one from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXDJHNB/

Case $19

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FVLU5GQ/

But before you buy a new one, try a factory reset on your old one, just make sure to backup your personal data first.

>reading PDF files/word documents, some games, and movies and surfing the web

For all of those except maybe gaming, a 10" would be best. I've recommended this one before, but the Asus MeMo Pad FHD10 is on sale right now for under $300. It's a solid buy, my wife has one and no complaints. decent spec too: Dual-Core Intel Atom @ 1.6Ghz, 2GB RAM, 1920x1200 screen.

I have a 7" tablet, I love it, but it's not ideal for documents and movies due to the small size. Just my opinion, others may disagree. I do find it fantastic for gaming though, I found holding the 10" one awkward when trying to play games.

Lastly, no matter what you buy, find a good deal now. Trust me, you don't want to wait for black Friday or Cyber Monday, stock will deplete and you'll likely have to settle for whatever's available, as opposed to buying what you want. It's never worth it to shop on black Friday, most of the deals are shams with custom SKUs anyway.

There are several styluses that will work on Samsung devices w sPen (Notes, Tab A w sPen, MS Surface pro 1/2..)

Wacom Bamboo Stylus

Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 S Pen with Eraser

Fujitsu Stylus Pen

Wacom Grip Pen UP-911E-02DD

IMHO, they all suffer from cursor off-set with the exception of the new "Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus" that seems to be most comparable to an actual sPen. The other choice is the Samsung Spen w Eraser. If you are comfortalbe with pen offset the Fujitsu and Wacom grip have two side buttons.

You may consider getting the newly released Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1. It has comparable performance to the Note 2014, but the Spen technology is better with 2046 (maybe 4096..) levels of pressure (double) and tilt recognition. Currently only Clover Paint, and Art Rage recognize stylus tilt, and possibly the beta version on Infinite Painter.





If you find my comments helpful I appreciate an^up-vote

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ME176CX-A1-BK-7-Inch-Tablet-Black/dp/B00KD5SER8 This one is $108 (I know that's well above your budget, but believe me, you are not going to find a good tablet for $70 unless you are God of Discounts)

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ZENPAD-Z170C-A1-BK-16-Tablet/dp/B010FGJKWC/ref=dp_ob_title_ce (This is slightly weaker than the one listed above I believe, but it's $80 right now (it's on discount), I know that's also over your budget but not by much) Edit: This one is your best bet, the processor is clocked a biiiit slower, but it's running a newer version of Android

When I said I wanted one like the pen that comes with the Surface Pro, I didn't mean the features, just the feel. The one that I already have is really hard to write anything with, so I wanted something more robust so to say. I was eyeing this one, it has a rubber tip, but from the reviews seems to be way better to write/draw with: https://www.amazon.com/Studio-Neat-Cosmonaut-Wide-Grip-Capacitive/dp/B007EW9ISM?SubscriptionId=AKIAJMXJ2YFJTEDLQMUQ&tag=digitren08-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B007EW9ISM&ascsubtag=15635633935959xqh

But it seems kinda big, so I'm open to any suggestions from anyone who can help me out

Thanks, can you check the following:

Dell Venue:
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-11-Touchscreen-Bluetooth-Refurbished/dp/B017MD55V6/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483491700&sr=1-2&keywords=dell+venue

Nexus 9:
https://www.amazon.com/Google-Tablet-8-9-Inch-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B014QCGIS0/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483491578&sr=1-4&keywords=nexus+9

NVIDIA Shield:
https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-SHIELD-K1-Tablet-Black/dp/B0171BS9CG/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483491578&sr=1-3&keywords=nexus+9

NVIDIA and Nexus have both good reviews and have been out for a long time (not sure about the newest Dell). Aparently, NVIDIA and Nexus both runs android, with an NVIDIA touch and with vanilla respectively. As for Dell Venue, it runs Windows 8. I think all are reasonable prices for those devices, but they aren't the most updated in the line so I am unsure of the support you might get from the manufacturers. You can also look at Google's Pixel C if you want something up-to-date.

You have several choices. My favorite is Onyx Boox Note+.

They make the 9.7" Note S, the 10.3" Note or Note+ or the 13" Max2.

Sony also makes a similar 10" DPT-CP1 and 13" DPT-RP1 but they cost more and are "closed OS". The Booxes run Android.

There is also the 10" reMarkable

For reading music, the Android apps are the best. You'd have to scan sheets as PDFs on the others and there might be "display" issues.

I was aware of refurbished tablets, kind of trying to narrow down to the tablet I want to get. Since this is going to be mainly a reader, I'd like to spend around 300 or less. Since the Nook is 145 on Amazon (ironic) I might swing by a Barnes and Noble and see what it feels like.

What do you think about the Transformer TF103CX-A1-BK 10.1-Inch? Apparently it comes with KitKat, and it's only $180 on Amazon right now.

Thanks for the reply! I usually carry a backpack right now because I haul my laptop around. I think I could downsize to a large purse/bag if I didn't have my laptop. As a girl, I doubt my pockets would allow for any tablet. They barely fit my phone as is.

I found levono and asus tablets that are 10" I think. (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JAIE86U/ref=psdc_1232597011_t1_B00NJVRWJ4 and http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF103C-A1-Bundle-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Keyboard/dp/B00JOI6FZ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415648976&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+tablet) They're a little cheaper than the Samsung. Do you have any thoughts about those?

What would pen input do? When would it be superior to not having it?

Hap hap hello there! I am a bot and you linked to Amazon.

This comment contains 3 pricing graph(s) & 1 extra link(s). To graph the extra(s), please copy/paste single link in reply:

Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1"; 16 GB Wifi Tablet (Black) SM-P580NZKAXAR (B01LFV5SI6)

____

Product 1: Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel for Galaxy Note Black (B00IWJM9SW)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur|Not in Stock|$28.99|Not in Stock|
|Hi|$39.99|$87.26|$49.99|
|Lo|$26.90|$22.77|$10.00|
|Avg|$31.22|$27.21|$28.47|

____

Product 2: Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus for Samsung Galaxy Note (CS310UK) (B01694XUQQ)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur|$39.95|$30.33|$35.00|
|Hi|$39.95|$44.45|$35.00|
|Lo|$29.99|$28.95|$20.00|
|Avg|$36.83|$39.45|$31.56|

____

Product 3: Wacom Grip Pen UP-911E-02DD (B00014HR3I)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur||$55.74|Not in Stock|
|Hi||$74.40|
|Lo||$50.36|
|Avg||$62.00|

____

Other products in parent comment - to graph, please copy/paste single link in reply:

Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1"; 16 GB Wifi Tablet (Black) SM-P580NZKAXAR (B01LFV5SI6)

_____

^^I'm ^^a ^^bot. ^^Please ^^PM ^^any ^^bugs

Well, since the thinkpad 2 and the vivotab note are about the same price is the thinkpad the best bet as they both seem to have the digitizer/one note as well as a slightly larger screen?

Just saw this in a /r/gadgets thread. Seems easy to carry around and onenote would make note sharing easy.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TLA7P4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This thing has won me over. $900 when released, less than $300 now, in roughly a year and a half. Built in stylus = win.

Cheap windows 8 tablet with an Atom processor and use OneNote for note taking. If your main computer runs windows as well, all you need to do is sync using OneDrive.

The Asus Vivotab Note 8 seems good for simply note-taking besides the fact that it's 8 inches, so there isn't as much space as a piece of paper.
link

If you're ok with a used tablet, the surface pro is borderline over you budget after you factor in the cost of probably having to get a new stylus + charger, but it's 10 inches and has fairly good stylus capabilities.
link

Of course, if you're going used, other choices become available such as the Thinkpad Tablet 2.

She liked the 9.5" size of the iPad but would be happy with 8".

These are the two I'm eyeing right now:

First choice: Lenovo Tab 2 10-Inch 16 GB - This says it comes with Android 4 but after some research it appears that it can be updated to Marshmallow.

Second choice: LG Electronics G Pad II 8-Inch Tablet (LGV498)

if all ya wanna do is watch movies, the Asus ME302 is a movie watching machine

don't worry about built-in storage ... microSD is what ya want, anyhow ... pick up a few 32gb microSD for $15/ea er so, and pile on a couple dozen movies

the ME302 also has microHDMI ... pick up an adapter/cable, and ya can plug it into most any TV/monitor ya find

if ya wanna spend a little more for some newer hardware, there's the Asus TF701 and Sony Xperia Z2

if ya'd prefer windows, an Asus T100 would work well, as the keyboard/dock is basically a built-in stand (be sure to get the 64gb version though ... the os n such eats up about 20gb, off the bat) ... otherwise, in a 10in, the Surface Pro 1 is a good deal at $450 (this is basically a full Windows 8.1 pc, that happens to be packaged in a tablet)

if I were you, I'd got with the ME302 (toy) or the Surface Pro 1 (toy/work)

The xiaomi mipad 2 is a decently priced device. It runs android so your apps will be usable from your Nexus. I have used it and it's a very good tablet.

A lot of people here also praise the nvidia shield.

Edit. There are also a lot of cheap chinese tablets with dual os (android-Windows) that can also double as netbooks. The quality varies though.

1. There are several types of digitizers. Wacom, N-Trig, Capacitive, and supposedly Synaptics on the new dell venue 8 pro. I'm not too familiar as to the actual definition of digitizer, but from what I know, there is another screen within the Wacom and N-Trig tablets allowing for better accuracy from the stylus and pressure detection. Capacitive is your standard tablet. Just touch screen, and you do have the option of getting a rubber ended stylus to try to write. However, it is nowhere near the technology of the Wacom and N-Trig.
   
   
2. Capacitive is simply touch screen. As I have said before, you do have the option of buying a rubber domed stylus for the capacitive. A capacitive tablet won't be able to use the stylus from a Wacom tablet. Your tablet is a capacitive tablet.
   
   
3. I'd say that note taking isn't that bad. People usually buy wacom enabled tablets for photoshop and note taking. If you find that the Asus t100 is decent with it's capacitive screen, then it shouldn't be a problem.
   
   
4. If you're looking for a capacitive stylus, you might want to check out these:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Corp-Bamboo-Stylus-Tablets/dp/B004VM0SE6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382554686&sr=8-1&keywords=Wacom+stylus
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Cosmonaut-Wide-Grip-Stylus-Capacitive-Screens/dp/B007EW9ISM/ref=pd_sim_pc_7
   
   

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-10-Inch-Tablet-Navy-Blue/dp/B00TR05L9Y/

Save $50 more and get that. Or buy the crappy Fire tablet for $50, root it put the play store on it, and get rid of all the amazon crap, and use it for now until you can afford a nicer tablet. It runs things surprisingly well.

I have an Amazon Fire 10 HD and I think its great for watching movies and reading books/comics. A 10.1" screen along with the price of $150 for the 32GB model makes it quite the bargain (IMO)

The regular iPad 2018 supports the Apple Pencil. That's about $400 to buy both iPad+pencil.

Perhaps the cheapest tablet with an active digitizer/stylus is the Samsung Tab A 10.1 with S Pen. (has to be "with S Pen" otherwise it won't have an active digitizer.) It's about $230 now on Amazon. The price of that thing fluctuates a lot:
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Samsung-Galaxy-SM-P580NZKAXAR-10-1-Inch-Tablet/product/B01LFV5SI6

An active digitizer/stylus make all the different in handwriting notes. The number of tablets that have one are fairly few and they do cost more.

The surface tablets are an option too. The Surface Go is relatively cheap (as surface tablets go) but buying the bigger model with pen will make it more expensive than the ipad 2018 alternative.

If you're not in a hurry, Black Friday is only a few weeks away too.

Amazon currently has it for $199 32GB $229 64GB version and yes it is new and directly from Amazon. I snatched one in fear that they would sell out by the back to school tax holiday.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HWHQKWG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The one thing that comes to mind is the ASUS Memopad 7 ME176CX-A1-BK. It's a bit more expensive, normally $150. But Amazon often has sales on it, it's $125 at the moment. That would be better, a real Android experience, a bit bigger.
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ME176CX-A1-BK-7-Inch-Tablet-Black/dp/B00KD5SER8

I have an Asus Transformer and I enjoy it.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JOI6FZ8

Looks like amazon is selling them used for 95. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00KD5SER8/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tablet-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B01LXDJHNB

there you go... You're welcome.

Good idea.
BTW, what do you think about Lenovo Tab 2 A10? It got 1920x1200 display... https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ZA000001US-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Midnight/dp/B00TR05L9Y

ASUS MeMO Pad 7 ME176CX can be found for a little more than $100.

I prefer this for a cheap tablet, but it's usually $150+:

ASUS MeMO Pad 8 ME181C

And not to be a dick, but you have $300 a year and you are going to spend more than a third of your income on a tablet?

What about http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF103C-A1-Bundle-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Keyboard/dp/B00JOI6FZ8/ref=dp_ob_title_ce ? I searched for the 300TF on Amazon and it said that was a newer model.

Is this one you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KD5SER8

And the Lenovo Tab 2 A10 is on sale for $150 right now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TR05L9Y/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_27?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I'd say this:

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-8-Inch-Tablet-Titanium/dp/B00V49LL90/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1469668958&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+tablet

Nvidia Shield
http://www.amazon.com/Nvidia-Shield-8-0-Inch-Tablet-Black/dp/B0171BS9CG/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

Sorry I have a dysfunctional memory, I fixed it, xe700t1c http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CTHQORA?pc_redir=1396791104&robot_redir=1

I want to throw out that it comes in android as you specified you wanted.

http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF103C-A1-Bundle-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Keyboard/dp/B00JOI6FZ8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411088504&sr=8-3&keywords=asus+transformer

No hdmi though. But a solid price for what you get.

$99 Amazon Fire HD 10 has Blue Shade feature.

Now I'm torn between Microsoft Surface Pro Tablet 128 GB Hard Drive, 4 GB RAM, Windows 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition (32GB, Black).

Amazon Fire HD 10 ~$150