Comments on: Should you buy a new iPad or an Android tablet?

By: Chris Hatt

Chris Hatt — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:03:00 +0000

Yeah it’s a good bit of kit.. BUT: My tablet cost £110.. I want to connect to TV via HDMI, I have it, ipad4 adaptor £50. I want to plug in my memory stick, I have usb, ipad4 adaptor £80. I want to plug in an SD card.. I have it, and extra SD card memory up to 64GB.. I have it! Mine’s dual core, 1GB Ram, HD…. yeah, sure you get better battery life, boo hoo!! Mine plays FLAC music files.. MKV, AVI, MPEG4, everything you can think of! Don’t even get me started on i(suck)tunes!! Apples are overpriced eye candy, you can keep yours!! I’ll keep mine! :) – See more at: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/tablets/3409131/google-nexus-10-vs-apple-ipad-4-tablet-comparison-review/#sthash.IZ5UZtoM.dpuf

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 03:45:00 +0000

What i like to do, like some others, is enjoy a bit of both world. Now im writing this from my iPad 2. Im am considering whether to go for the infinity or the new iPad. Belive me i’ve been watching over the past three years apple, and android, growing constantly in this techworld. they are, by far the biggest company of electronic devices. What im trying to say, they have diffrences that you cant get both world on one device. So if you have an iPad or Samsung tab or Note or whatever android tablet, try and get the other side, so you’re playing with both teams. Even me, i used to defend my point of view on apple, but now i like both of them. Was kinda hard to swallow a bit of my pride. Long comment but maybe it can help someone.

By: Jdm762

Jdm762 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:38:00 +0000

I have an iPad, and I love it. But I will soon give it to my daughter, in favor of this Asus or and Acer. For me, the ability to move files quickly and easily from any of my computers, makes Android the only choice. I am tired of being tied to iTunes, and converting files, and not being able to add memory. The iPad is great. But after using an android tablet for a while, I find the iPad unbearably constraining.

By: thereasoner

thereasoner — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:52:00 +0000

You need to do some more research. The ipads browser is crippled, there are half assed work arounds available but the ipad browser sucks next to Andriod. If your like me and you want the same web browsing experience you get on your desktop/laptop then you need to be able to run flash, Apple won’t let you do that. I for one would have never bought a tab if it couldn’t run flash, i do way to much web browsing. Tech sites, antomotive and science based sites i view on a regular basis are all full of flash based video that i want to see. If a tablet could not give me that then i would have just bought a new laptop instead.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Your full of shit. One if the best apps out requires ICS and thats Chrome.

By: Eleeflyguy43

Eleeflyguy43 — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:56:00 +0000

most people aurf and check email – by far, productivity is not a focal point for a tablet. Apple knows this and its web browsing experience is unmatched. Apple is continuosly pushing its third party APP dvelopers to find new productivity utility that is optimized for tablets ,but does NOT intrude on desktop productivity, where a tablet really falls flat on its face. Apple has a “focus on being the best on few things rather than poorly on many”.
That being said, the most bang for the buck is the Kindle Fire. For myself, I don’t use tablets for much more than browsing, but I love a good screen and I browse a lot so iPad 3 is my ticket. Android hasn’t demostrated superiority in these areas yet. multi tasking, while nice, doesn’t seem to offer much benefit for me.

By: X-Man

X-Man — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:53:00 +0000

LOL, spoken like an iFan who has never used the Prime and ICS. Ignorance is bliss, indeed.

By: X-Man

X-Man — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:51:00 +0000

Exactly, the Prime is on constant backorder. Both the tablet and the dock are very hard to find. I bought mine online through B&H Photo back in late November 2011 and didn’t get it until first week in January. Just check the B&H Photo and it’s listed for purchase, but not currently in stock.

By: Ritesh Tripathy

Ritesh Tripathy — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:39:00 +0000

That’s something that would make the Prime superior in something, so no mention! Sorry.

By: Ritesh Tripathy

Ritesh Tripathy — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:37:00 +0000

Lagging? The Prime? Are you sure you weren’t wearing Apple glasses at the moment you apparently witnessed said lag?

By: Ritesh Tripathy

Ritesh Tripathy — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:36:00 +0000

“Mentally challenged” to buy anything but an iPad? Have you ever considered the fact that there are a lot of people who buy Android because they cannot stand iOS, its limitations and its elderly-friendly UI etc etc? Stop being so narrow minded..

Also, if you have a high-end smartphone (of any kind), what on earth do you need an iPod for?

By: schwinn8

schwinn8 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:02:00 +0000

I’m not the one with “unreasonable expectations”. If you think Siri is “unreasonable” then, like I said, we already have 99% of that capability baked in. You can say that Siri is far better, but it’s really not. Yes, it does natural language… but that’s all. Otherwise, ask any review… and you will see that voice commands does almost everything Siri does… the point is, it’s been doing this for years.

Your “theory” that ICS or JB would be required for the next generation version is completely unfounded. This hasn’t happened yet (no app today requires ICS, unless it’s some sort of skin or such FOR ICS) so you have no reason to think so. The proof will be when it actually arrives, and I am confident you will be proven wrong.

As for the other things my Droid can’t do, like I said – name one. All of the items you mention require new hardware – duh, anything that needs new hardware is not a fault of the OS. As for “apps” you still haven’t named a single one.

Bottom line, I am the one saying that both platforms (as the article even agrees) are comparable. YOU’RE the one saying iOS is better, and still haven’t provided an actual example or reason (that isn’t hardware related). Typical of all of these conversations I have had in the past with iLemmings.

So, feel free to show some evidence for your statements, and I’m happy to continue this discussion. Otherwise, I am not going to bother to respond.

By: Max Hartz

Max Hartz — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:58:00 +0000

ICS is running great on my TF101. Not a single crash and the response time is so much better than with Honeycomb. I own both iPad2 and TF101 and since ICS, the Transformer is the one I carry with me most.

The iPad does work better, but the openness and ports on the Transformer make it my personal choice. Plus I have every single SNES and NES game loaded on the thing with a working controller. I’ll never have to download a Game app again…not like any were that great to begin with.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

I do absolutely agree with you in the fact that their email on iOS is lacking and that is the sole reason (along with others) I prefer android (and even wp7) too iOS (at least on phones) and like you I hope to see more especially now that windows might be able to compete with the iPad as we both know android has not been able to even come close. if you have the luxury of waiting then by all means until it meets your needs. I’m all in on Google esp when it comes to Gmail and I will miss it on the iPad (had two android tablets that I sold and or gave away) and who’s to say I won’t be back as I am an android fan (I will buy a nexus tablet sight unseen for example). But I still don’t agree we need an desktop is like windows on a tablet to be OK. a tablet isn’t a laptop replacement (at least for me and I need much more when I need work done but a mobile os built for touch and specifically for the iPad is much more powerful than a desktop is like windows built for a non touch screen, keyboard and mouse will be (much like it has been in the past) not what the market wants nor will be that good of an experience.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:32:00 +0000

No it sounds like you and unreasonable expectations. iOS devices can do everything, but siri and siri was just announced this year my friend I don’t know why you even use that in your comment as there is not even something like siri in Android (yet) and when it does (majel) it won’t more than likely be compatible with phones not running ics or maybe jelly bean. If your only argument is siri then you have no argument as the 3gs (which is more equivelant to the Droid as the 3g came out over a full year before the Droid ever existed) has been supported through iOS 5.0 and your Droid lost support after froyo. There are more things your Droid cannot do on android (apps, face unlock, newer camera, pretty much any advantage or release in gingerbread and now ics) than the iPhone 3gs cannot do on iOS as that is only siri and really the only iOS device that can is the iPhone4s. You cannot even compare the two. I’m not here to argue the advantages of android over iOS or what your Droid has been able to do out of the box that iOS can’t like voice transcription and turn by turn directions as im right there with you as I prefer android on smart phones (love my galaxy nexus) to iOS but iOS products are much longer supported than any android phone on the market.

By: schwinn8

schwinn8 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:02:00 +0000

Sounds like you have a twisted definition of “support”. Fact is, my Droid doesn’t need an update from Froyo. I’m still running it because I still get all the new features (new maps, new voice recognition, cloud capabilities, app support, etc). On iPhone, you must have iOS5 to do some of these things (siri, icloud), and even still you can’t do it all without the 4S. Plus, you lose compatibility with specialized apps fror tablets vs phones… and now high-res apps for the new iPad.

In the end, the only “support” you get on your older device is icloud. In the meantime, you still don’t get Siri, and still have app incompatibilities. In other words, you are “buying” icloud… and you call this “support”?

By: schwinn8

schwinn8 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:46:00 +0000

Along with the complaint below (which I have heard from other iPad users), the fact is neither is perfect… and the iPad is not any “better” of an experience, contrary to what you think. Reality says that Android had a great year last year, and this is with rather crappy choices in hand. I will grant that the iPad hardware is a better overall package than the majority of Android tablets. That’s not to say there isn’t a good Android device (hardwarewise)… it’s just that people don’t always look, and expect the cheap ones to be perfect as well.

I have an Android tablet with a “non-ideal” screen… in off angles, it’s not as good as an iPad. However, it’s not that big of a deal… it works quite well. I really don’t care that it has this “problem” beacuse it does everything the iPad does, at less than half the price.

So, you tell me, how is the “experience” any better, REALLY? What’s “better”? Because, as a platform, I have not seen any difference in capability… and every time I ask, people for examples, I get none.

As for the new “retina” display, keep in mind, this display has the same PPI as my ancient OG Droid phone. Besides which, this is a discussion about Android vs iOS… and so the screen tech is reall an irrelevant topic for this discussion.

By: naren dhupati

naren dhupati — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:25:00 +0000

tablets are meant to be notebook replacements but the biggest problem with i pad is their email app is horrible. i cant attach my docs or zip files to a mail from ipad. ios is fine for mobile where i can view mail and give short replies. But when we are talking of a tablet it needs to have some productivity. I dont want a iphone in my pocket and an ipad in my bag as both are one and the same except the screen size. As far as i think there isnt a real tablet in the market as of yet. the market needs to mature unless u are a compulsive buyer u can wait.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:53:00 +0000

Did you honestly just compare Android to iOS and updates? Good god man. Yes, the iPhone 3G cannot run iOS 5.0, but it came out almost 4 years ago! Android hasnt even been around for 4 years and with your logic the OG iPhone, 3g, and 3Gs can also run most of all apps without updating the OS. The iPhone and iOS products are supported much longer than Android (especially your OG Droid). The Droid hasnt received an update since Froyo and was not supported a year after release (unless you count rooting your device, and even that runs poorly on most apps and yes I have/love the OG Droid). I think you have to be the first person I have ever seen (and I mean ever) that actually argues in the favor of Android when it comes to updates especially when iOS products are supported for 3 years before being dropped and Android devices arent even considered 6 months after release (especially Motorola phones). You do realize that the iPhone 3G that you mention was released a good year and a half before the Droid was, right? The Droid is what most consider the first Android phone to actually bring the OS to relevance. So if it just lost support on iOS 5.0 and you say the Droid is better? Come on buddy you have to be kidding me. I can only wish for the support that Apple gives its devices on my precious Android phones.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:44:00 +0000

I have to agree and no phone is going to pull me away from my Galaxy Nexus and it is in my opinion the best device on the market, but I am jumping from Android tablets to the iPad here as soon as it comes on Friday. I agree when it comes to experiencing the best of both platforms and being brand loyal does nothing but keep one from experiencing some great tech and innovation.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:42:00 +0000

Even when looking and quality you will by far find a better quality app on iOS and specifically the iPad especially with this new retina display. On phones clearly Android is the one to go with as you get better specs, your choice from any OEM, screen size, keyboard, etc etc, but when you are talking about cookie cutter 10 inch screens clearly iOS and the iPad have the much better experience and this new iPad just further shows it. Devs have not jumped on the Android platform when it comes to tablet oriented applications. Not to mention Honeycomb (especially) and ICS run very poorly on these tablets (and yes I’ve owned two including the Xoom for over a year now and the Transformer Prime). You dont get anywhere near the tablet like experience on Android as you will on the iPad. Also iOS runs much much better with no lag where as Android feels like it is fighting you at ever swipe and launch of any application. I hope Android has a better year and I will more than likely be back when Google launches its Nexus tablet, but as for now this new iPad with its retina display has won me over it is clearly the better tablet and is has no competition anywhere near it unless you count the low cost Kindle Fire. I think many are going to see that OEMs on the Android platform will only be able to compete if they launch low end and low cost tablets and even then you will be more than likely running blown up phone applications unless something clearly happens to change the current realm of Android tablets. Not to mention we will start seeing horrible skins like we do now on phones and this is only going to cause slow updates and buggy experiences all across the line. Android had a shot in tablets and now clearly has fallen even more behind as most have either jumped on the iPad or are awaiting a Windows 8 device and it will only be a matter of time before the great developers (or what is left) will do the same.

By: angermeans

angermeans — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:32:00 +0000

Whats “plain sad” is the user experience and app selection on Android tablets. You can find small things to complain all you want, but after owning the Xoom (since launch) and the Transformer Prime (since launch) I have to say I am done with Android tablets (Android phones that is a completely different story as long as it is a Nexus device that is). Using an Android tablet is horrible and runs very poorly. You can make the Android vs Apple argument in the phone space, but there is no comparison in the tablet space, especially now with the retina display on the new iPad. All fanboism aside one gets a much better experience on the iPad and using iOS than one will ever get using Honeycomb/ICS on any number of Android tablets including the ASUS Transformer Prime.

By: Biggbrother

Biggbrother — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:53:00 +0000

Has author been to a store looking for the Prime? They are in high demand and hard to find anywhere since launch. Best Buy sells out within a day of getting them in stock.

By: schwinn8

schwinn8 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Versus the Apple way where you have to buy it, and get stuck in a crappy situation (iOS4 on the iPhone3G, for example)… or you simply get left out completely (iOS5 can’t be installed on the 3G at all)… or you don’t get all the features (no siri on anything less than a 4S).

Compared to Android, where I’m still on my OG Droid (released around the same time) which runs everything “new” today, and doesn’t even require an upgrade of the OS. In other words, I get all the new features without needing an upgrade at all…

By: schwinn8

schwinn8 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Quantity doesn’t mean quality… or functionality in this case. The article was correct to say that with either platform, you aren’t losing out on anything. In other words, the iPad doesn’t do anything significant that Android can’t do as well… and that is a fact.

By: tastygroove

tastygroove — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:36:00 +0000

There is still only one difference that matters: flash. If you can live without flash, you’d almost be mentally handicapped to buy anything but an iPad. If you can’t live without flash, an android tablet.

I have an android phone with flash if I need it. An uber android phone + iPad + iPod I’m ready for anything.

By: Jacetms87

Jacetms87 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:25:00 +0000

No mention that the 499.99 iPad is 16gb and the Prime is 32gb for 499.99? That is an important point to bring up.

By: BoardDWorld

BoardDWorld — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:03:00 +0000

I don’t want to insult your prized purchase but it’s still lagging worse than any iPad 1 I have seen… Certainly a lot smoother than the Galaxy 10.1 though.

By: Arthur Hale

Arthur Hale — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:27:00 +0000

I admit, I was crapping it slightly over the ‘new ipad’ before launch. I just bough the ASUS transformer Prime and thought I was going to see my sexy new tablet outclassed 2 months later.. happy to say that isnt the case. Apple slowing down, ASUS revving up.. the Prime is top of the Android pile and IMO still beats the new ipad.

By: dougs_hqo

dougs_hqo — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:33:00 +0000

Probably one of the more balanced articles I’ve seen, and kudos for doing so.

Still, I have two major gripes with the media’s coverage of these two devices.

First, is the CPU / GPU combo. Both are ARM Cortex-A9 processors on different chipsets – A5X is dual core and Tegra 3 is quad. Also many people have pointed out Tegra 3 has 12 core GPU, but only the A5X’s quad core GPU gets a mention.

Second, the RAM on the iPad is still unconfirmed. I’ve just checked Apple’s site and wikipedia and it’s still the case. In fact the 1GB of RAM is from a source, reported by The Verge I think?

It really gets to me (this is NOT an attack on slashgear or the author!), people looking to blogs and media outlets for information and help on purchases. But so many tech journalists report misinformation and repeat rumours as fact, it’s pretty lazy. Maybe most of the News of the World staff did find jobs.
And that’s what really grinds my gears, back to you Tom.

By: abhele

abhele — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:40:00 +0000

PADFONE FTW !!!!!!!!

By: Raza194

Raza194 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:32:00 +0000

If you’re willing to overlook the limitations of existing apps…..the BB playbook is a great option
We’re getting the 16GB version in HK for around US$250 and for many people 7 inches is the sweet spot

By: AthrenGlory

AthrenGlory — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:20:00 +0000

Yeah I read it was suppose to happen last month and then I read later this month. Honestly getting a straight answer from Samsung on updates is like trying to get an answer from Microsoft on the topic of if the WP7 and 7.5 devices will be upgraded to Apollo WP8.

By: Haris Radzi

Haris Radzi — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:11:00 +0000

Seems like we need many browser for iOS huh? Plain sad

By: Russell Wiley

Russell Wiley — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:43:00 +0000

Doesn’t all the keyboards for the iPad use bluetooth to connect? So this would take battery life away. This is compared to the 6 hours of battery life that the Transformer Prime’s keyboard dock adds.

By: ChrisW

ChrisW — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:30:00 +0000

This is a good review in regards to the hardware specs. Now in regards to deciding what to buy, I need to look at my primary use of the device. If I would only use the build in apps like web browsing, email, social networking, etc., then both devices would be fine. But in looking at specific usage, the availability and quality of apps trumps other considerations.

I use Logos Bible Study with about 3000 books which is only available on the iPad as a tablet app. I edit videos and organize photos, so iMovie and iPhoto is great for me. Equivalent Android apps are by far not as mature yet. Thus for me the iPad would be the only choice. – Your use case will be different, if you need a tablet at all…

By: pepee63

pepee63 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:29:00 +0000

I’ll compare the new ipad to all the tablets that will be released later this year. My bet is that we are going to get an Android tablet that will easily surpass the ipad

By: droidman101

droidman101 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:12:00 +0000

Notice though, he didn’t mention the CPU is only dual core.
in CPU performance the transformer wins, but in graphics, the iPad wins.

As a side note, I’m not buying a tablet until Intel and AMD gets more into the tablet space, no more of this ARM crap for what should be powered by a more powerful processor.

By: Ocelotty1

Ocelotty1 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:53:00 +0000

Transformer with Win 8 – I have an iPad & what it cannot do bugs the hell out of me.

By: Sopheak Maxx Hean

Sopheak Maxx Hean — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:51:00 +0000

Lol forget to mention this part in the article.

“Apple contended at the iPad event this month that their new A5X chip out-does the Tegra 3 in the graphics department without much for hard numbers to back it all up outside “4x vs 1x performance.” ”

Lol 4x what? GPU cores? vs 1x Tegra3 GPU? WTF? Tegra3 has 12x GPU man.. Common!!!