Intro Device for Android OS?

[lelisa13p]

If I was looking to get some hands-on experience with Android but not in the market to finance phone service (that base is covered) could you share your thoughts about what devices would be possibilities? My SIL got a Toshiba Thrive for Christmas and I was looking at the differences compared to iThings, which are what I know. Call this preliminary research.

Oh, and I'm budget-bound.

Talk to me like I know nothing about Android because, ahem, I know nothing about Android.

[jigwashere]

Well...I've been very happy with my refurbished Nook Color which regularly sell for $149 and sometimes go on sale (I got one for $138).

I have little experience, but there are differences between Android for phones vs Android for tablets prior to the most current iteration known as Ice Cream Sandwich (which still isn't on many devices, yet).

Other than simply gaining some experience, is there any other purpose it would serve? Do you want it to be pocketable, small enough to fit into a medium sized purse (like my European man-bag), or iPad-sized? For example, if you might use it more for reading, a 7" screen is good, but if you expect to use it for movies or web browsing, bigger might be better.

If you can afford $199, Kindle Fire would be an excellent choice. Maybe you want to wait a bit and see if the Google Nexus 7" Tablet becomes a reality.

[hal]

Past the fact that I don't own an Android device, and all my experience falls down to act my dad's IT aide, Lauren I think that adding to jig's contribution, you should focus on a tablet that is affordable to you.

Provided that you are not looking for a cellphone-network-connected device, and provided that you are PDA-covered by two TX and an iPod Touch (very hard to surpass in their own merits), I think that Android can turn out to be more enjoyable to you in a tablet. And if I'm wrong, then you would get an impression that would just need to be downsized. In PDA size, I feel that Android will not do any better than your PDAs, only different. Say just the new flavor of PDA. But in a tablet, the user experience can be somewhat different.

Android tablets are not getting popular around here. In tablets, iPads rule over here. For all things, I thought we were in "economic issues", and the more expensive of all tablets is getting mainstream. But OK, Androids are slowly gaining a place of their own. The only ones I've seen in significant amounts are Chinese manufactures of low quality -- stay away. Anyway, I've had chances of playing with a Toshiba tablet, and another one of some brand I don't remember, and I've been fairly impressed. It's a comfortable platform, tweakable by those who wish so, fairly stable, and speaking of tablets, it actually demonstrates two features better that iPads: if you've been doing lots of things in PDAs, you can do all of them just as good or bad in a tablet, only more comfortable to you; the only factor better in PDAs and smartphones is that you can fit them to your waistband

[Hook]

Although I have no experience with it, the Nook color with CM7 seems a good way to go if you are interested in a tablet.

How restricted is your budget?

For about the same price as a new iPod Touch, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Player 4" which will give you a pretty nice Android experience equivalent to a topline phone. You could also pick up a slightly older but high end model on ebay and not use the phone.

I got my son an LG Thrive packaged as a Gophone for Christmas and he loves it (luckily, he's never been able to use my Nexus One). Best Buy had it for $125. The trouble with it is it is mid-range with a slow processor, low screen resolution, limited memory, is not upgradable and has no flash capability (the CPU again). It would be like a bike on training hweels in that you won't really be able to judge what a really good experience of Android is like.

That's why, particularly if you want something pocketable, you go for the Samsung Galaxy Player if it is within your budget. You want to see what it is like on decent hardware.

[Adama D. Brown]

Okay... there IS a lot to be said for the Nook Color. You're getting a hell of a lot of hardware there for not a lot of money. A screen equal to a much more expensive 7" tablet, WiFi, Bluetooth if you go with CM7, expandable storage, etcetera.

It MIGHT be a little slow, looking at the processor specs, which might make me hesitate if you want to get a really good feel for what Android is like. But then, I haven't used a Nook, so I can't comment on how fast it actually is relative to a good smartphone.

Also, as Hook points out, there's the Samsung Galaxy Players. They're a little more expensive than a Nook, but they've got a good hardware base and basically give you the "phone" experience without a phone. And without having to mess around with installing a custom ROM, like on the Nook Color.

[r0k]

I was about to recommend the Samsung Galaxy player but Hook beat me to it. I saw one in Best Buy last weekend. It's listed for $239 on Amazon. I might pick one up for myself so I can tinker with Android on my shiny new google apps account so I can compare it to the iCloud experience I have with my iThings.

[Adama D. Brown]

I was about to recommend the Samsung Galaxy player but Hook beat me to it. I saw one in Best Buy last weekend. It's listed for $239 on Amazon.

The nice thing about the Galaxy Players is, whether you buy the 4" or the 5", you're getting the same basic specs. Same processor, same memory, same resolution. The only difference is the screen size and the larger battery in the 5". (As well as size and weight, obviously.)

That makes it not a choice between low-end and high-end, but between more portable and more powerful, which is nice. You can choose the more pocketable device without sacrificing speed or storage.

[jigwashere]

The Nook Color with CM7 does enable BT, and but it's weak. I can use it for a keyboard and mouse, but not really a headset. It also doesn't, have any audio input. Another thing that's missing is a camera and gps. Other than that, I recommend it!

Sent from my XDAndroid TP2 using Tapatalk!

[Adama D. Brown]

The Nook Color with CM7 does enable BT, and but it's weak. I can use it for a keyboard and mouse, but not really a headset. It also doesn't, have any audio input. Another thing that's missing is a camera and gps. Other than that, I recommend it!

The audio input point is kind of good. Google has some excellent and cool voice features, including Google Translate, that I highly recommend checking out.

[Hook]

Lelisa, if your interest is to see what Android can really do, especially compared to Apple, I encourage you to consider spending for the Galaxy player. You get the whole magilla, no ROMing required.

This is of course amusing to me because I'm considering the iPod Touch, in part to explore the iOS platform.