Choosing a $400 Tablet Device

So I proposed to my partner that we invest in a new tablet. I suggested one of the new Kindle fire HDs that would add touch capability to my reading, plus media capability, and select Android Apps. As a student prime member already, the device sits very comfortably rooted in the Amazon consumer-system, which I find extremely impressive.

"iPad," was all she said.

The point was clear, "if we're are going to invest in a tablet device, why not go with something better established."

Following her lead I went about the process of investigating three current tablet options on the market to decide between. Here are the criteria I used in order of importance:

1) price - we had a budget of $400
2) productivity - the real reason we needed this thing was to assist in my assignments for school. But media consumption is what all tablets do well, we needed to find something powerful enough to do more.
3) reliability/support - as a student, I'm very poor. I don't need to replace items every 6months to two years. I'd prefer this thing to last my program.

With these criteria, I narrowed down my search to the three best performers, and then tried to make the price point. Here are the contenders:

1) the iPad, in what ever iteration I could find at the price
2) Samsung Galaxy Tab or Note 10.1"
3) the ASUS VIVOTab 10.1" windows 8


If your are searching for a list of the best tablets and why, you should stop here. I'm not including my research, reviews collected, or extensive specs on these models. These are, to my mind the top three tablets I'd be willing to sink my money into. If you would like to know why something did not make the list, feel free to ask. What follows is info on choosing your buying options when the price is fixed and you want to find the best value for the money. Chances are, you already know if you are an apple person or an android person. I have no interest in changing minds either way.


****************

IPAD:
Absolutely everywhere prospective buyers look to research tablets, the iPad is #1 on the critics' list. Apparently the mini and the iPad top out the list, with iPad 3 and iPad 2 falling somewhere down the line. You can find those specs, but allow me to point out that the 3 model adds retina display, and a slightly improved processor, camera, and 500 more Meg's of RAM. Honestly, the display is probably the most important upgrade to factor in when deciding between a 2 or 3. I'm not considering the mini because we decided we wanted the biggest screen for our dollar.

Prices vary by model/ options. For my budget, I'm sticking with WIFI-only, and i use a mental slider to move proportionately from price to storage size ($519-$398). So an iPad 2 might offer 32GB for the price of a 16GB iPad 3. For me storage is important, but I want to integrate my tablet with cloud and home network storage options to access/backup files for school. It isn't as big of a factor to me.

*winning features* the App Store, retina display 3rd an 4th Gs), lots of inexpensive 3rd party apps and accessories, and a solid reputation for build


Samsung Galaxy Tab/Note 2 10.1":
I apologize that I keep lumping these two together, but this is mostly because, like the ipad, they are pretty much the same thing in two flavors. The note has a faster processor, more RAM, and includes a stylus and advanced handwriting functions built in, but, in truth, the tab can do this as well if you make an investment in the stylus and software. As a student I care about this feature. Handwriting notes can be useful in class. Reviews are mixed concerning how either of them actually perform handwriting tasks, though. The resolution is adequate for 720 HD viewing, but not competitive with the iPad, and the use of a proprietary (apple-looking) charge connector is obnoxious. Between the two, the Note wins for performance, and the tab wins on price.The difference between price new is significant ($330 vs $480) but with new models very soon to be released, these costs will go down.

*winning features* SD card slot (!!!) - expandable to 32GB - why more tablets do not offer expandable storage makes no sense to me. Android App Store, solid build reputation, and file system access for better PC integration, bigger screen than iPad.

ASUS VivoTab Smart ME400C 10.1":

Honestly, this is the tablet the world needs. Unlike the VivoTab RT (avoid at all costs) version, this model uses a fully featured windows 8 operating system. Love it or hate it, this is way more functional as a productive workstation than all mobile OSs. It also has a bone fide Intel® Atom™ Z2760 Dual-core CPU @ 1.8 GHz - this outclasses ALL other mobile processors. It won't out perform a fully featured desktop or laptop, but it will cost less than the latter, and be more portable than either. Chances are, this is more processing power than your office PC of 7 years ago - doesn't sound too impressive, until you hold it in your hand or slide it into you purse. The OS allows you to switch between the conventional Windows desktop and the Metro UI which runs apps from the newish Windows App Store. To my mind, reviews of the store seemed lackluster at best with many apps reportedly not ready for prime time. Coupled with the barely HD resolution (1366 x768), and the lack of apps, one should reach for this machine as a workhorse more than a media consumer.

The draw here is that with standard 64 GB of memory and a micro USB port, you can load up most of your windows applications and run them on the go! My goodness, how novel, a portable computer! But seriously, if you want your tablet to do more than spoon feed you more entertainment, this is huge. You'll no longer need to sift through millions of app descriptions trying to find productivity apps that suit your specific needs (check out my forthcoming apps suggestions for students). For me, not paying for an additional set of barely functional office products is a pretty big deal. If you want to go this route, check the windows 8 software compatibility tool on the Microsoft site to make sure you preferred applications will run.

A major caveat, is that the desktop screen resolution is natively very small, making tap-selections a pain with fingers and stylus, not to mention hard to see. But that isn't to say it's ugly or unstable, just not brilliant. There are great demonstration vids on YouTube for the interested.

Price $450

*******************************
Verdict:

I'm not trying to tout the best tablet, merely offer a guide on buying a tablet at $400. All of the models mentioned above exceed this price except the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the iPad 2, so if you want to buy new, those are your options. Both are excellent. The choice will come down to how close to $400 you want to spend, and which AppStore you prefer (apple or android). Seriously, most everything else is a wash.

I'm comfortable buying used or open box, and amazon warehouse has some great options to pick up an iPad 3, galaxy note, or VivoTab smart in used like new condition at or below $400. Never settle for less than like new condition, and personally I avoid refurbished in most cases (Walmart sells cheap refurbished options if that's your thing). Like new can be an open box return or replacement where the item was barely handled. Also, be sure wherever you buy there is a rock solid return policy (usually 30 days). Amazon is the king of no-hassle returns, and it makes sense why they have like new returns in stock, so this is my preferred option.

eBay and Craigslist are viable options, with eBay being the lesser of the two. There are many many shady sellers out there so I recommend caution. Craigslist is a bit safe given you can actually demo the device before you buy it, but that's only if you are comfortable meeting strangers with significant amounts of cash.

The one option on this list that cannot be purchased for $400 dollars used - like new is the new 4th Gen iPad. Amazon sells these new for $470, and used prices do not drop below $430. Curiously, the price of the 4 and 3 are extremely close new, but the used market has a nearly $130 dollar difference. I won't speculate the whys, but so long as this holds, your best iPad option at $400 is the iPad 3.

In the end, we picked up the iPad 4 for $398 at a local best buy (a place I never ever shop). I found this by searching the local open box items online. We were told that the return had no charger with it and was being sold at a discount. The price had actually dropped three times before we got it. To beat all, the charger was actually in the box, under the molded insert! If i had not found the best ipad in this price range, I would most likely have purchased the VivoTab smart by ASUS. For my needs as a student, it is the best all-round option. But, with mixed reviews out there, and price not a decisive factor, I went with the best buy (pun intended). I hope you'll be as lucky, but by all means, check your local stores for like new returns!!