Bad time to buy Android Tablet?

[adamvk]

So, I'm considering buying another tablet. I bought the iPad one when it came out, and sold it three months later. The lack of flash and tabbed browsing (at the time, now theres tabbed browsing) made it unusable to me. I was also frustrated (and still am) at the lack of a tablet-like operating system. It just works and looks like a giant iPod Touch. I have an Atrix, and I love it. So of course Google came to mind first. I'm really liking the Asus EEE Pad Transformer. I just have a few concerns.

Are there a lot of tablet specific apps for Honeycomb?

Is there any way at all to get Netflix working on the Asus EEE Pad Transformer or Motorola xoom? Rooting, etc? I really would like it to do this. (Or Hulu Plus)

Should I just wait? I've heard Ice Cream Sandwich is one the way. What is the probability that it will run on the Transformer/Xoom? I don't want to buy a tablet to have it be unable to run a new os a few months later. Should I just wait for Ice Cream Sandwich tablets? Do you think the hardware specs are going to be a lot higher?

I could easily wait. I have my Atrix running 2.3, a Macbook Pro, and a very fast Windows 7 based workstation, so this would mostly be for "fun."

Thank you very much. I know I'm asking a lot.

 

[Merlin1]

I would say go for it. I cant answer your first question as i do not own a tablet that runs honeycomb. I do know there are a few honeycomb specific apps but most of them will come pre-installed. I know Netflix can be ran on some devices that don't have official support but i don't know about the transformer. Ice cream Sandwich from what i understand can be ran on phones and tablets but is the new version for phones and will not be honeycombs upgrade. If just for fun is a goon enough reason to you then i would still say go for it. I know i didn't fully answer all of your questions but still hope i helped some.

 

[Lombardi]

I would wait

 

[takeshi]

I was also frustrated (and still am) at the lack of a tablet-like operating system. It just works and looks like a giant iPod Touch.

Meaning what, specifically? In what ways do you expect a tablet OS to differ?

Should I just wait? I've heard Ice Cream Sandwich is one the way. What is the probability that it will run on the Transformer/Xoom? I don't want to buy a tablet to have it be unable to run a new os a few months later. Should I just wait for Ice Cream Sandwich tablets?

If ICS is a must-have then waiting would make sense unless you can confirm that ICS will be released for any current tablets (and can confirm how well it will run).

 

[geetechfever]

Compared to Apple appstore, currently,there are less apps in Google market. Even you root your Android device, I don't think there would be various apps to work on it.

 

[adamvk]

Meaning what, specifically? In what ways do you expect a tablet OS to differ?


If ICS is a must-have then waiting would make sense unless you can confirm that ICS will be released for any current tablets (and can confirm how well it will run).

In my opinion, ios looks great on iPhones and iPods. However on the iPad it looks like crap. The "grid" structure of it just looks downright bad, and more thought should have been put into consideration with it. With 10" of screen real estate, they had to keep everything in a grid? Honeycomb tablets, for example, have many widgets and ways of organizing the homescreens. It feels much more how a tablet should feel. Having seen Windows 8, I think that also looks promising.

I do think I'm going to wait though. Thanks everyone for the replies. Although, Woot did have the Xoom refurbished for $375 (Maybe it was $400). That was very tempting haha.