Best tablet under $500.

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417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1351583 25-Jul-2015 13:47

nathan:
Wade: As far as charging and USB hub this adaptor is the one that people have reported as working fine with the HP Stream

www.aliexpress.com/Universal-usb-OTG-Charger-HUB-cable

I would only sink decent money into a windows tablet if it had a minimum of USB3 and full HD, a $500 8" surface 3 would be ideal imo :P

Is there another link, that is 404

Noted that you would like a Surface Mini :)

My store (tap that tablets) will have some charging hubs in soon. Probably monday (as soon as they clear customs). Sorry for the plug, but seemed like it might be helpful, seems like a lot of people here are looking for them.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1351619 25-Jul-2015 15:04

nathan:
Wade: As far as charging and USB hub this adaptor is the one that people have reported as working fine with the HP Stream

www.aliexpress.com/Universal-usb-OTG-Charger-HUB-cable

I would only sink decent money into a windows tablet if it had a minimum of USB3 and full HD, a $500 8" surface 3 would be ideal imo :P

Is there another link, that is 404

Noted that you would like a Surface Mini :)

We will try this link then :P

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-OTG-hub-charger-with-4-ports-for-tablet-thinkpad-8-X98-VivoTab-note8-M80ta-WT/2024712630.html

A surface mini sounds like an awesome idea, 8 inch tablets are the sweet spot imho

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1351651 25-Jul-2015 17:11

Wade:
nathan:
Wade: As far as charging and USB hub this adaptor is the one that people have reported as working fine with the HP Stream

www.aliexpress.com/Universal-usb-OTG-Charger-HUB-cable

I would only sink decent money into a windows tablet if it had a minimum of USB3 and full HD, a $500 8" surface 3 would be ideal imo :P

Is there another link, that is 404

Noted that you would like a Surface Mini :)

We will try this link then :P
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-OTG-hub-charger-with-4-ports-for-tablet-thinkpad-8-X98-VivoTab-note8-M80ta-WT/2024712630.html

A surface mini sounds like an awesome idea, 8 inch tablets are the sweet spot imho

I'm inclined to agree. 8 or 8.9 inch is holdable in one hand, portable in a small bag. That maximized the benefit of a tablet, ease of use, accessability, mobility. (Ive got big hands, so I reckon 8.9 is also good)

Ideal for me is a 8-8.9 inch windows tablet with an m-core chip, and 4gb ram, decent sized ssd (maybe 64-128 with up to 128 microSD - even two microSD slots might be nice), full USB 3.0 port, hdmi, seperate microUSB charging - so that it can be used as a full desktop, netbook, or tablet as I choose, whilst still being able to churn some decent software.

9.7 inch or 10+ widescreen is unweildy in one hand, and not that much more portable than a small slimline.

I absolutely want a powerful 8-8.9 inch that is not nessasarily packaged with a keyboard, but easily convertible via the power and the size/ports. Personally I wouldn't mind if it was under full HD though, so long as the screen was decent, but if the option was there I would go for it.

In fact I don't even mind if the full port is usb 2.0. So long as there is one seperate from charging. Takes a bit to max those out as it is. I'd only be running printer, keyboard, mouse, hybrid HDD. You'd need a large SSD or wired network to really make use of USB 3.0.

Even a decent moderate 8 inch windows tablet is great to use.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1351663 25-Jul-2015 17:51

Getting completely off track but absolutely ideal device for me would be a 5.5~6.5 inch 1440p screened Intel X7, 4GB ram, USB Type-C, Continuum W10 phone, this would be the device that would be a total game changer, the 'ubuntu phone' done properly if you will

I'm scared MS will screw it all up and have a flagship W10 phone that is weak by tablet/pc standards rendering continuum less than effective, bottom line is that for continuum to be truly versatile the phone needs as much computing power as something like the Surface 3 to be of interest to the target market

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1351702 25-Jul-2015 19:01

The thing is though, there are constraints on size versus power. The m-core has only really just made possible fanless laptop type power on a tablet. The battery tech, and the heating constraints hold back smaller devices, because of the power and heat of the given chipset.

As such mobile sized devices will usually be slightly behind tablets, tablets behind laptops, laptops behind desktops. The desktop has that wild space for cooling and circuit boards, and that direct from mains high wattage.

RAM is less of an issue. You can pack a fair bit of RAM in a phone, 4 GB for sure anyway. Not so certain about SSD as well.

I don't think we will see surface 3 type processing power and RAM in a phone for a few years yet. In fact we are yet to really see that m-core type power in a tablet under 9 inches.

But you may well get windows phones with 4gb, and could get them with usb 3, or c.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1351733 25-Jul-2015 21:38

Skylake Core M will be significant

Great feedback but curious about the delight for 8"

Wouldn't you got for a Phablet + productivity 12-13" device?

Does 8" replace anything or in addition to?

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1351741 25-Jul-2015 22:27

nathan: Skylake Core M will be significant

Great feedback but curious about the delight for 8"

Wouldn't you got for a Phablet + productivity 12-13" device?

Does 8" replace anything or in addition to?

Absolutely, it will be very significant.

For me, no. 12-13 is not really comfortable in one hand. A phablet or smartphone is a small viewing window. The one handed thing, for me is a big issue. It's bad enough getting ape arm, without having to juggle hands with a heavier tablet. The form of a smaller tablet is highly accessible, whether you are picking it up while sitting on the couch, travelling around, showing a friend something, or reading a book.

I look at it this way, now that computers have many forms, each and every one of them is a compromise. A smart phone has less general power than a tablet, smaller screen. A laptop has less than a desktop. Each form has more or less accessability, convenience, or power/display.

I find that the 8-8.9 inch is about the perfect middle ground between them all.

I also like having a keyboard input option. Which is easier on a blackberry, or a tablet, than a phablet. I like phones to be small, easily pocketable. Holding a phablet to the ear, or using it even for texting, seems awkward. It makes a nice pocketable PC, but again, compromises. For me, for phones, I favour phone type functions over computer type functions - email, texting, calls.

So for me, its about compromise and form factor. For other people a phablet might be better, or a larger hybrid. There are 6-6.5 inch phablets that also seem to strike a great middle ground and would be good for some. And for those who are laptop oriented, constantly mobile inputing, the 10-13 might make good sense.

I like small, portable, effortless. So that means a much smaller phone, and a much smaller tablet. Although I think 8.9 still has a pretty nice display size. Perhaps if I was a journalist rather than a business owner, I would favour something with a larger screen and keyboard.

Also as a techie who grew up with the commodore, amiga, amstrad, I am kind of in love with the idea of a portable three in one too. A computer that has the power of a laptop, but can work at a tablet size or with a keyboard dock as a netbook, taking your home computer with you, slung lightly on the shoulder in a small shoulder bag, whether ever you go. We are not quite there yet for power, but we are extremely close.

I guess on the highly mobile front, we will probably get projector (or wrist projector), or casting computers eventually that are smaller than phones but with bigger than smart-watch screens (or that can cast on screens displayed all over the place. The power will be less, but it will be more of a counter point to the power and size of the desktop than the phone.

In asia, they love small so much, they have tiny credit card sized phones. They aren't really smart phones but they are very small. I've also heard people say when they get a tablet, that they find their phone more redundant. My demands for a phone are not very big.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

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nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1351751 25-Jul-2015 22:31

Does that mean you have a phone, 8" tablet, then another device for doing real work?

What I've seen is 8" falls in the death zone between Phablet and tablet/hybrid

Would you ditch your phone and combine it with a super-Phablet 7" device?

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1351753 25-Jul-2015 22:38

As I said, I prefer my phones to be smaller, focus on simply functions like email, text, phone calls, very occasional browsing.

I absolutely use an eight inch for real work, when I am out and about. Mine has a keyboard dock that makes it like a little netbook. For more serious work, it's the desktop or nothing. Although I'd prefer to use an 8.9 inch for what I use the 8 inch for, the ones with decent keyboard docks are a soon to be thing, not a now thing. I think 8.9 as the initial netbook size, is a good portable size for a keyboard including hybrid - but 8.9 hasn't fully taken off yet, although there are a few hybrids hitting stores soon.

I'm not a journo though, I use my portable input for e-mails, messages, small website edits, checking stuff online. So my use isn't heavy when mobile. It doesn't need to be. I would prefer if writing a lot of content, to use a desktop. Even over a large laptop.

So for me, its just phone, eight inch with keyboard, desktop. Light, simple, specialized. When the power catches up with tablets, I'd like to switch the desktop out, so its just phone, tablet, and tablet in hub/dock.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

elpenguino

3423 posts

Uber Geek

#1351766 25-Jul-2015 23:25

I have tried a surface pro for 0.5 of a day. Great looking and behaving device but lasting impression is it is simply too heavy for one handed use.
I use a cheap 7" android at home at it is much more convenient and comfortable.
Rully tempted by 8" HP stream but not sure I can justify another toy.

Tablets are great for quick web surf but I cant see me using a 12" tab for productivity. Strap on keyboard? Why not use my laptop .......

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1352119 26-Jul-2015 19:24

nathan: Does that mean you have a phone, 8" tablet, then another device for doing real work?

What I've seen is 8" falls in the death zone between Phablet and tablet/hybrid

Would you ditch your phone and combine it with a super-Phablet 7" device?

I have Android phablet, 8" W8.1 tablet, W10 desktop and work supplied i5 ultrabook

For me the phone does things the tablet doesn't and vice versa so negates a certain amount of redundancy, i had a 11.6" W8.1 hybrid and it had no where near the portibilty of the 8" device, we also have a couple of ipads in the household and they are definitely a lot more awequard to handle then the 8" tablet, they are just better balanced in the hand.

I think from a consumers perspective 10" tablets seem like better value that 8" tablets so the placebo of Im getting better value by spending a little bit more and getting a bigger device kicks in

If I could get a "super-Phablet 7" device" (hopefully this is secret code for some beastly W10 continuum phone device you can't yet tell us about) then yes i would ditch current phablet and tablet in a heartbeat

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1352128 26-Jul-2015 19:39

While seven inches is totally alright and similar to eight inches for ease of use, its not a lot more portable than eight inches.

6.5 at a pinch at least can go in a jacket pocket for work.

There is no way I ever want to hold something 7 inches up to my ear and talk into it, and for me even 6.5 inches seems a bit ridiculous. Some might think nothing of that. I have actually held a seven inch phablet up to my head, and it felt like the stupidest thing ever.

But then again, I like small. I'm still siding with blackberry because of the hard keys and reasonable sizes.

Would you actually hold a seven inch screened device to your head?

I did hear that someone played with having a 9.7 inch and a seven inch in the house at one point, and said that they both got used. I am not sure I would find the same if it was a 12 inch though. Widescreen might be great for laptop style use, but its kinda weird for using as a tablet IMO.

So while there might be redundancy, perhaps vastly different screen sizes and operating systems/functions offer more flexibility, different niches.

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1352149 26-Jul-2015 20:21

I reckon HTC were ahead of their time with the Mini+, a 7" device with a optional handset like this would be very useable, a seperate handset would be almost necessary if you were using tablet in a docked desktop situation

Dreal

417 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1352161 26-Jul-2015 20:59

Yeah I think a smaller, more phone orientated device works well with a tablet that docks as a PC.

Twin SIMs would work well for that (not that we have paired/twinned SIMs here in NZ yet)

Tap That - Great cheap tablets and tablet accessories. Windows and Android, NZ based

dazhann

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1352175 26-Jul-2015 21:42

Was wondering if anyone has used skype on a hp stream 7 . Wife was looking at getting one to travel with as its only $99 at Noels. My only concern would be that its listed as only having a front facing camera thats .3mp which sounds rather pointless. thanks for any thoughts

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