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Which tablet for me?

C

chknhwk

Android Enthusiast
I have been looking and looking and can't seem to figure out which tablet is the best for me. I currently have a Viewsonic Gtab but I need something a little bit smaller and more up to date. My son is autistic and I need something I can watch movies on for car rides to help keep him entertained. A list of my must-haves:

  • <10" (10" is just a tad too big)
  • expandable storage - doesn't matter what kind of card
  • dev support in case I would like to upgrade or the stock programming is subpar
  • >7" (8-9.5" would be perfect, I think)
  • I would really, really like to be able to get a waterproof case - again, autistic son. this would give me some more peace of mind with letting him play with it
  • <$200
  • compatible with Google play and Amazon app stores
There is currently a Sony Xperia S on woot with cradle for $260. While it is over my $200 cap I really really want an Xperia and since I have Verizon I can't have one as a phone, it has expandable storage and it's gorgeous. Should I choose this over say a refurb Nook HD or Kindle Fire??
 
anything that fits those criterion you don't want.

the closest you're going to come will be the old nexus 7 at 199.
 
I've moved this on over to the device comparison forum :)

The Nexus is the cheapest android tablet I could recommend to anyone. You really get what you pay for with these things with the exception of the Nexus. Google is selling them either at cost or under cost. So you get one of the best tablets at a cheap(er) price

Although, It doesn't have an SD card slot and I'm not sure about waterproof cases
 
No sd card slot is a deal breaker. To get one with enough storage you end up paying exorbitant prices. If it was just for me it would probably work but I'll most likely need to have about twenty movies on there.
 
i was referring to the build quality of a device with all the features you listed at the price point you want. you get what you pay for. anything with the features you listed at the price you asked for is something that is going to cause more problems than it solves.

it will overheat because they jacked the voltage to make the CPU faster.
the battery will explode because they jacked the voltage.
if it doesn't explode, it's not going to hold a charge after a month.
the case will fall apart because it's made of compressed newspapers.
you'll lose data because they used cheap storage.
you want updates? HAHA.

pick your poison. cheap tablets are generally cheap for a reason. the nexus is a shocking exception to this rule, but google sells them at a loss, hoping to make it up when you spend money in the store.

so, when i say "anything that fits those criterion you don't want" i literally mean it word-for-word. pick a good tablet, with the features you want. account for the fact that it may cost $400 - but it won't be crap in a month.

do you buy an $800 car expecting it to drive (another) 100,000 km? why do you expect it of a tablet/phone?

now, there is a chance that you may buy your $150 tablet, and it will be glorious, and do everything you want, and last for the rest of your natural life. but i personally wouldn't take that bet.
 
Yup. Your price limit is a huge factor here. Nothing priced under $200 that fits the criteria exists that I would recommend for you.

Dependent on pricing in your country, a WiFi only Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch sells for about $220 here in my country, so you may look at that.
 
I went with a kid specific tablet for my son and got the Kurio 7" at Kids-R-Us for $99. So far it's pretty sweet. I'll provide updates if anybody is interested in something like this for their kids.
 
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