Best non-Ipad tablet currently available

spideog7

So I was waiting for the Notion Ink but seems unlikely I'll be able to get one of those (apart from using Ebay) so now not sure what to go for. There's a bunch of different tablets coming out in the next few months but need to order one asap due to work stuff.

Price not really an issue as long as it's less than or the same as the Ipad. Basically have been offered an Ipad but would rather get something a bit more open and with some interface (USB etc) and camera.

Ideally:
Android that's upgradeable to Honeycomb (or alternatively some type of Linux distro)
Tegra2
~10" screen
GPS
Camera

Viewsonic GTab seems to be the only one that fits the bill so far but I don't believe it has GPS and it's a bit on the cheap end.

The only other option would be to go for an Android phone but I don't particularly need all that functionality in such a small form factor with woeful battery life. It's a shame that there's no competitor to the Ipad almost a year after it came out. I have an EEE PC and something like that in tablet form would be perfect really.

daithi2011

I was thinking about the archos 101.
Id love an iPad but the more I think about it, its so locked up and so expensive I think its at rip-off point.

Ideally i you could get something like the Archos 101 but with 3G that would be great. Stick a pay as you go sim into it and it would be great.
Have all your movies and stuff on USB drive and off you go.

IPad is just too locked down 3G is even more than the already massive price.

I'll give it another while and see if anything like the 101 comes out with 3G

LukeS_

Sounds like the Motorola Xoom could be good. Though, that's not even released yet and maybe won't even be in Ireland. I think it's supposed to retail for €799. Could be completely wrong though.

mickoneill30

spideog7 wrote: »

need to order one asap due to work stuff.

&

Ideally:
Android that's upgradeable to Honeycomb (or alternatively some type of Linux distro)
Tegra2

There's your problem. You need it quick and it needs to specced to the next generation. There's not going to be a lot of choice.

spideog7 wrote: »

It's a shame that there's no competitor to the Ipad almost a year after it came out.

Why do you say that bit though? Of course there are good competitors. I've an Archos 101 but it doesn't meet your requirements so it's not an option. It doesn't have a Tegra2 and it won't be upgradeable to Honeycomb. It's a great competitor to the Ipad though. The Ipad screen is better though but then the Archos is a couple of hundred quid cheaper and beats the iPad with customisability, weight, connectivity etc.

justsomebloke

truthfully I don't think anything out at the moment is going to meet your requirements. I think the Ipad is the best tablet on the market at the moment but will probably date very quickly over the next couple of months, once the next gen tablets come on the market.

The Ipad 2 should be released at the start of April and Honeycomb tablets should start appearing quite quickly after wmc in 2 weeks, and the vast majority of these should easily eclipse the ipad. Truthfully the dell streak 7 is probably the best out at the moment, other then the notion ink (whose build quality is highly questionable) however it isn't released in europe yet.

spideog7

mickoneill30 wrote: »

Why do you say that bit though? Of course there are good competitors....

Fair point I wasn't aware that the specs on the Ipad were so poor until I researched it a little bit. Still in terms of interface, battery life and screen it seems to have one up on a lot of what is already there.

I still think the Viewsonic Gtab is the best of what I have seen. The Dell streak looks good to but according to the specs I've read the battery life is abysmal (4hrs). Loads more supposedly available in the next few months, shame they are all hitting the market at the same time. Seems like a lot of them aimed to line up their release with Honeycomb, don't see why to be honest, no reason they couldn't be user upgradeable.

At any rate I think the general consensus I've come to is that there's Ipad competitors but nothing there at the minute that meets all of those specs at least not for another month or 2.

BionicRasher

Motorola Xoom looks great but is expensive http://www.eurodroid.com/2011/01/motorola-xoom-android-3-0-tablet-announced/

How about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which looks class but not sure on price yet http://www.eurodroid.com/2011/02/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-confirmed-dual-core-android-3-0-launching-on-vodafone-this-spring/

or even the LG Optimus Pad - 3D to boot but again might be pricey http://www.eurodroid.com/2011/02/lg-optimus-pad-launching-in-europe-from-march/

I am keen to see the Asus range of tablets but I don't see any real announcement yet on them - I really like the look of the Slider and also the Transformer with the snap on keyboard (giving a battery boost) is a great idea too again I wonder if they will run Android 3.0 and what the price range will be http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/asus-tablet-lineup-preview-slider-transformer-memo-and-slate/

I really don't get why anyone would go for an iPad at the moment with the expected announcement of iPad 2 to come soon. Unless its a big jump in specs I think it will struggle to keep up with the Android (and Windows tablets) coming out soon.
A friend boasted how he could keep his iPad and iPhone in sync the other day and I asked how he did that. He then told me about some software that costs 59.99 a year and how it connects his iTunes and PC and then I got all flustered and confused and gave up listening - why put yourself through that type of pain just to have a bit of kit that looks nice - I think you should hold out for the new Tablets and see what you can get your hands on that will be a lot more open and expandable and have all the specs your looking for