I'm in the market for an Android tablet. I played around with a cheap sub £70 tablet and wasn't that impressed with it's performance, but then if truth be told I didn't great expectations based on its price.

But it did make me want to get a better tablet so that's why I'm here to ask you learned folk for suggestions and advice on what I should buy. Obviously I have a budget and criteria to base my selection on:

A budget of £200 but I would be prepared to raise that by 10-15% if it meant better performance from a slightly more expensive model.

Main tasks will be web browsing, emails, faceblook and watching ripped movies from DVD.

I'd wait for the Advent Vega 2.

If it has better specs and screen viewing angles than the Vega 1, then it'll be a good tab.

The Advent Vega looks like a cracking tablet. Version 2 should be a winner when it comes out.

Any idea when it's due to be released? A rumoured September date seems to be slipping away very quickly. Surely they'll want it in the marketplace for the Christmas market

Yes September was the date I heard about too, but I reckon it'll be closer to Christmas.

Hopefully they won't rush it at the expense of quality.

But I think it'll be worth the wait if it is £200 and has the better specs and screen compared to the Vega 1.

Most of the better tabs are over £400.

Well at least it's not long until Christmas now!!! 14 weeks from today to be exact

There is also the hanspree. £150 from ebuyer however you will find it more usable with one of the custom ROMS out there.

QUOTE=c4rv;52872235]There is also the hanspree. £150 from ebuyer however you will find it more usable with one of the custom ROMS out there.[/quote]

Thanks for that. I wouldn't be against some tweaking but it would be much handler if any device I buy runs straight out of the box.

I would take as a given that when the vega version2 comes about that it will be running Honeycomb?

don't know and don't have a release date.

Also I think google only approve honeycomb for 10" devices ?

The new Samsung 8.9" is running Honeycomb.

Just had a look on google. Seems minimum recommended specification is dual core CPU and 1280x720 resolution for honeycomb optimised applications.

So far I have resisted the tablet craze but the Samsung 8.9 is the first one to make me say "Me Want!"

I'd better start saving...

I'm starting to cave in and seriously thinking about buying a Vega with updated ROM from eBay.

Should I wait for a couple of more weeks or give into the temptation?

It's just under 8 weeks to Christmas and I would have though that the new Vega would be in the public domain by now or at least some advertising preview to stir interest but I can see nothing except that it was due to ship in September which has slipped by without a mention.

Just bought a re-furbished one last week. Took 3 days to arrive. Followed instructions her to mod it http://android.modaco.com/forum/474-...vegamodacocom/


I have a flytouch3 already and have used ipad, ipad2 and transformer. So where does the vega with 3.2 ROM fall ?

Well overall responsiveness is very good, quite close to the transformer and much better then the flytouch. The screen is very good, works quite nicely.

Stability is a bit so and so, 95% of things work fine but still get the odd glitch here and there, something that does not really happen to iPad.

Only been using it for a few days so far but at £130 its the best VFM tablet out there right now.

I think the are hanging on to Tegra 3

As likely is that Google has a minimum date for gadgets using Android 4.

So a bit of each?

Can I add a supplementary question?

Can anyone give me any DOWNsides to the IPad 2?? Everyone seems to be mad bout it....

I'd mainly want to surf the web, use it as an e-book, read periodicals etc. Also use email as I go along. Is it easy to use Hotmail on IPad??

Hope you good folks can offer some advice......

"Downsides"?

The cameras aren't very good. They're fine for video chat, but crap for anything else. However, I can't think of any reason to use tablet cameras for anything other than video chat. Want to take photos - Use a digicam or cameraphone!

It doesn't support Adobe Flash. If you visit a lot of Flash-based websites (e.g. video sites which don't have HTML5 alternatives, or those awful sites actually made out of Flash), or have a passion for Flash-based browser games, then this could be an issue. If you don't care about those, though, then it doesn't matter. Personally, I don't miss Flash: BBC iPlayer has an app, plus works using the browser; YouTube has an app, plus works using the browser; ITV Player has an app; 4oD has an app; BBC news, C4 news, and Sky news have apps; Live Freeview TV can be streamed using an app (FilmOn TV) or website (TVCatchup); etc. etc. etc.

The major downsides are:

Locked in to iTunes which means you can't download apps from anywhere other than iTunes

Can't add more storage if you run out

No HDMI connection (for connecting to TV's)

No Flash Player

There are many positives though. One of them is that it provides one of the most polished experiences.

Thanks guys

Now I know this is really naive, but are there any problems using hotmail, it being linked to microsoft?

And has anyone used it as an e-book? I have a kindle but find the format really dull and boring = like the dictionary function and ability to change font size, but no more

Do you find it good for reading?

Thanks a lot

HDMI - You can at least get an adaptor, though, to give an HDMI connection [plus if you have an AppleTV you can stream to that over WiFi]. And it's not like Apple is the only company to not have HDMI built-in on its tablet: The Galaxy Tab 10.1 needs an HDMI adaptor too, ditto for SD cards.

Flash - How big a downside that is depends on if you actually need it or not. Some people do, but the vast majority of tablet consumers presumably don't care (as they all have iPads), plus the iPad's dominance of the tablet market means more and more websites don't need Flash for e.g. videos. For me personally, all the main things people usually think they need Flash for work fine without it as they have apps and/or use HTML5. All I would ever need Flash for is browser games... which I don't play.

Hotmail - Don't use it, but don't see why there would be any problems with it. Hotmail / Windows Live Mail is even one of the default account types when you go to add a new email account to it.

E-books - I've used my iPad 2 to read a few e-books. The screen is not as good as using a proper e-reader with an E Ink screen like a Kindle, but it does actually work quite well and I can comfortably spend a few hours or more reading a book on my iPad.

Can you access the Android Market from the Vega? I read somewhere that you can't

Thanks again - you've given me food for thought

You can't use the Market out of the box (unless something has changed), but you can add it...

http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2010/11...t-google-apps/

http://android.modaco.com/topic/3314...nline-kitchen/



No problem - any more questions just ask