OT: Your advice - GNex 10 or Transformer Prime?
Bit of a slow day on the board, so I thought I'd solicit some opinions: the wife and I are looking to get a new tablet for ourselves. Basic criteria: must be Android-based (I'm not interested in hearing why I should buy an iPad - we both have Android phones and love them), we're not interested in the 7" tablets (Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, etc.), must have some HD video output capability (want to be able to connect to TV).
Right now, we're looking at the Asus Transformer Prime and the Google/Samsung Nexus 10. I'm leaning toward the Nexus 10, just because I have a Galaxy Nexus phone and have liked it a lot, and the new screen sounds amazing. Plus, I like the idea that having the "official" Google tablet means we'll be among the first whenever Google releases new OS's. My only hesitation is that it's so new, there aren't many real-world reviews - just the tech blogs touting its pluses/minuses on paper. I also like the fact that the T-Prime has a slot for Micro SD.
What say you, MGoCommunity?
December 18th, 2012 at 6:21 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 6:58 PM ^
Last question - what about when you wipe? No pause then?
December 18th, 2012 at 7:01 PM ^
Do you not have a bidet?
December 18th, 2012 at 5:44 PM ^
First and most importantly, when we bought our house we realized the cable in the bedroom doesn't work. We had the tech come out and he said we would have to open up the wall to find the problem with the cable. That wasn't going to happen. Second, I don't want to pay for another HD box. With the slingbox I get all the HD channels I get on my basement TV where I have my cable box. It saves me money not to pay the cable company. I can even access my DVR with the slingbox. Third, I can where headphones with the nexus very easily and cheaply. My wife would complain if a TV was on and she could here it.
The primary reason is because the cable in the bedroom is unoperable and I don't want to smash up our wall to attempt to fix. It works fine in the rest of our house.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:46 PM ^
Well OK, if there's no cable then there's no cable. That is a little different.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:36 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
Bought a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in March. It took Samsung until August to spit out ICS for it and now Samsung won't update it to Jelly Bean. Sure, I can root it and use CM10 but I just bought the thing this year and they won't keep the OS up-to-date?
December 18th, 2012 at 6:59 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 7:14 PM ^
Well, that is unless Verizon is your carrier... took forever to get JB on my GNex. I know I could have rooted it and gotten the update much sooner, but I just don't feel comfortable enough right now rooting my phone.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:39 PM ^
The Transformer is going to give you an experience that more closely resembles using a computer, but with a touchscreen. If you plan to use it to write a decent amount, it's got a pretty sizable advantage with a pretty good built in productivity suite and the keyboard attachment.
If you want a cool touchscreen device for fun and recreation, the Nexus is a good way to go, as would a Kindle Fire or iPad. Those are all very similar devices, so I'd recommend going to an electronics store and playing with them all to see which you're more comfortable with.
What may also be worth a look is a Microsoft Surface. The RT is basically like the ones just mentioned except that it has a USB-host port, which is nice. The Surface Pro that's coming out in a few months will essentially be a full fledged Windows computer in a tablet form, which is awesome, and likely to be expensive.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:47 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 5:54 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 6:04 PM ^
What's the primary use you're getting it for? And is wired video out a necessity? I know the iPad can wirelessly stream video to an AppleTV, so I assume there are similar solutions for Android tablets.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^
Nexus 10 100%. I have a transformer prime and have had since march. Its a good tablet but support is horrible, lags on ocassion, many have wifi issues, gps doesnt work and Asus had to give out a free adapter for gps. Asus really shit the bed with it and released the 300 and the 700 soon after to fix the issues the prime had.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:56 PM ^
Get the Samsung. Asus will likely be making excellent tablets in another release cycle or two, but Samsung is still ahead of them right now. Asus will catch up though.
Regarding your specific issue of new OS releases, the Galaxy can easily run Cyanogen mod and let you control the updates.
My advice is give the 7" a chance. We bought a 7" Tab 2 and a 10" one. We ended up buying a second 7" one because we both wanted that size. Normally the tablet is held close enough to the user's face that the screen real estate is not an issue and the 7" is easier to hold, tuck into larger pockets when moving around, fits in purses with ease, etc.
I've really found the 7" tablet, coupled with a bluetooth speaker and a bluetooth keyboard to be ideal. For serious typing i just use the bluetooth keyboard and avoid having the on screen one take up real estate. You can buy a dock with HDMI for the Galaxy Tab line.
December 18th, 2012 at 7:07 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 7:20 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 7:21 PM ^
Please, for posterity's sake, tell me how you really feel.
December 18th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 9:38 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 8:48 PM ^
And isn't the question/answer "which one helps you to read MGoBlog the best?"
December 18th, 2012 at 9:35 PM ^
I'm mad I wasted time looking up all the Michigan rosters to figure out which #10 was getting was being called either "Gnex 10" or "Transformer Prime". I should've clicked on the link first.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:54 PM ^
Reading these comments, one thing comes to mind.....nerd alert!! Thanks UM, for producing some of the country's most astute observers of the subtleties of technology differentiation.
And just to clarify, I fully fit into this category. Just funny how a simple question can elicit so many serious remarks about Android product optimization versus Apple packaged user experience.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:58 PM ^
I strongly recommend the transformer prime. I absolutely love it. It has tegra 3 processor (and Nex10 doesn't) which is amazing for both performance and battery use. I have been extremely impressed by Asus, and will buy from them in the future. I'm about to go on vacation, and I love the fact that I have a keyboard with another 6 hours of battery so I won't run out of battery during the trip even if I use it nonstop during my 3 flights across the country.
While you may love your Nex4... the nexus lineup was actually made by different companies. There is no guarentee that the Nex10 is as good as your Nex4. I've heard great things about Nex7, but not so much Nex10.
December 19th, 2012 at 9:43 AM ^
You wouldnt be impressed with Asus if you had been an OG TF200 owner from the beginning. Even though I'm not a dev I have an account over at XDA and I would say that the only reason the GPS/WIFI issues got (semi) resolved is because we had access to an Asus employee.
Instead of a 5 dollar GPS dongle they should have been offering a free upgrade to the new tab's they announced a month after the Prime went on sale.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:23 PM ^
This discussion is the exact reason why I love this website. Thank you.
In regards to the topic, I could not agree more with the OP. Spot on. People that use Apple productts are probably not aware there are better options out there, but they dont know because they dont care.
To each, their own.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:15 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:20 PM ^
Simple answer: It depends on what you want it for.
If you need productivity and a keyboard dock, then the Transformer Infinity is the best you can get.
If you want the best screen on the market for media consumprtion with fast updates than the nexus is the way to go.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:57 PM ^
I'm browsing on a Nexus 10 right now, really love it. Converted apple fan boy
December 19th, 2012 at 8:20 AM ^
Just curious, but has the MGoBlog app been adapted for a tablet screen? Or do you just access it through your browser?
December 19th, 2012 at 9:45 AM ^
Cant answer your question specifically but the scaling of the app looks fine on my Prime but I do get a lot of force closes with the app that I do not get when browsing on my phone.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:43 AM ^
I'm not sure there is an Android App for tablet or not. But the IPad one is made for the tablet screen. But pretty similar. The creator wondered why anyone wouldn't just browse on one, and basically he was right. You get more of the functions through the browser. (Though still can't embed).
December 19th, 2012 at 3:38 PM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 9:35 AM ^
Buy them all try them out take the ones back ya didnt want....
December 19th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 3:37 PM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 12:25 PM ^
First, I'm disappointed in those of you who claim Apple users don't know what's good for them in this discussion. I was a Windows user for years and suffered through the common complaints of crashes, frozen windows, etc., etc. After Sony, Toshiba and Dell, I finally made the switch to a MacBook Pro. Best decision I ever made on this front. I have now had two MBP's and have NEVER had a problem with either one of them. They are fast, efficient, easy to use, and reliable. Furthermore, they have software that takes care of my particular needs, whether it is creating presentations, creating word documents, consuming media, ripping/burning discs, surfing, making/editing movies, you name it.
I had an Asus Transformer tablet because I believed the iPad was overpriced. The Transformer was a good tablet. However, I can do more on the iPad. I have the 3rd generation, with a beautiful screen and all the apps I need, most all of which have been free. I have messed around on other Android tablets; I just like the tablet experience for most of the reasons already listed on this thread.
One of the reasons I prefer the iPad and MacBook Pro's is that, in my opinion, their touch interface is superior to the others. The touch screen on the iPad is the most responsive in my experience. The trackpad and ten finger usability on the Pro is the best experience in my opinion. There are advantages and disadvantages for sure, but I have never felt limited.
In fact, I have an Android phone, downloaded the free application- FoxFi, and now use my phone as a wireless hot spot for the iPad (for free since Verizon wants to gouge users who pay for a hotspot when you already have a data plan). I bought the Android Razr Maxx because iPhone was not 4G ready when I upgraded. Now, I believe the iPhone 5 is the best handset for my type of use. I'm not an Apple "fanboy," I simply love their products and believe their build quality is superior to most competitors. My MBPro is a brick of unibody aluminum for instance. I totally respect those who find Android or Windows to be best for them. I believe the Google Play store and Apple App store have most all of the apps anyone really needs.
***By the way, I also use Apple TV and Airplay to stream content to my 55 inch 1080p- television wirelessly, and Roku in other areas of the home. Yes, I do like my gadgets.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
Better specs + Nexus=unfiltered Google experience. Screen is amazing, and has a great feel in your hands. Dev community will undoubtedly support the hell out of this thing as they have with all Nexus devices. And getting the latest updates to Android is a big deal. If you buy a tablet with a custom UI like Touchwiz or whatever Asus has you will have to wait months to get the latest Android.
BTW love then when presented with two choices, a bunch of people on here have to say "iPad." Obviously, you've done the research and know what you want.
December 19th, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
iProducts have Clash of Clans and that game is good. I should review all products like a 5th grader.