Dear Santa - My Ideal Tablet

I have been resisting buying an iPad for close to 2 years, and my resolve in beginning to weaken.  I am an ideal candidate for tablet  - I was using tablets 8 years ago.   But none have quite hit my wishlist.   For the ideal tablet I would happily plunk down some iPad level bucks.

I just can't stand doing it for a tablet I know doesn't hit the mark.

So if Santa and elves can make it happen, here is what I want in a tablet.

1. 3G - or a case with a pouch for my Mifi
2. 7-8 in  screen size -  I want it to fit in one hand.   The Kindle Fire and Galaxy Tab both nail this one
3. Streaming video - that works.  Not like the Fire.   More like the iPad.
4. Great App Store - like the iPad.  I am under-whelmed by the crippled app stores on the Android tablets.
5. Front and rear camera
6. Bluetooth - for keyboard and drive mapping
7. SD slot - for viewing pictures, and transferring information
8. Long Battery (over 12 hrs)
9. Lightweight (less than a pound) 

And Santa - make it around $300.   In case it isn't in my stocking.  

We didn't start the Fire

Apologies for the lame Billy Joel reference, but I couldn't resist the pun.

I really, really want to like the Fire.  But even for only $200, I still am not sure it is a must have table

Things I love about the Fire:

• Streaming video from Amazon Prime
• Android Apps - chord bot and Quick office were my first.
• Web browsing - Total Web access
• The size - I LOVE a smaller tablet.   The iPad is too big to hold in one hand

Things I hate about the Fire:

• No 3G - Wifi only is so lame.  No card slot to add it is even lamer.  Using my Mifi defeats the small form factor, because now I need a case to hold both.
• Streaming video - works about a third of the time, and is choppy
• Navigation - If my documents aren't going to be in "Docs" (the logical place), then I need access to the file system.    Maybe I can find  a nice app for this - and Quick office is NOT it. 
• No camera - front OR back.  I want both
• No SD slot - even my Kindle had this
• No Bluetooth - so no external keyboard or wireless document/music transfer

The longer I have it, the more I like it.    I find it handy for quick access to the web instead of hauling a laptop, and struggling with a tiny screen on a phone.    Most people I know with iPads end up using it mainly as a handy  $600 web browser.   Two hundred bucks is still pricey for a handy web browser, but better than six hundred.  

So what I am finding is I definitely want a tablet.    Most of the tablets are too high-priced for my budget.    I may keep the Fire until something better comes along.  

Kindle Touch is better than expected

My Kindle Fire and Touch and both arrived.   Between the two of them, there is one excellent device.  But not all in one package.

Things I love about the Touch:

• 3G connection - Wifi only is for the birds, and I don't mean Angry Birds.   I want 3G in the Fire
• Battery life - a week or more is awesome
• Weight - less than a paperback book,  barely as much as a magazine.  Totally portable as something to throw in your bag as an after thought.  (like extra reading material that doesn't take up space
• Black and white screen - still the greatest for serious reading
• Audible Books!

Things I hate about the Touch

• Finding the menu button(s) - totally non-intuitive to push this grid looking thing on the bottom bezel (Even describing it is confusing!)
• Navigation - I want to look for my books so many more ways than they provide.   I need more search options, and list options.   Also ways to look at summaries of the books.  For example, a list of authors that will expand to show their books so I can skim the list.
• Resetting furthest page read - I re-read my favorite books.   I have had a Kindle for 3 years.   I want a re-start or re-read option that will keep my "new" place in the book.

So, because of what I love, I am seriously considering keeping my Kindle Touch as well as the Fire.   In fact, it may the Fire that goes back.  (See Fire review) 

Start the kindle fire

While browsing the Amazon site this morning I noticed a little blurb at the top of the page about the new Kindle family.  Family?   I clicked the button to be one of the first to see the new color Kindle Fire media tablet.

I ordered mine at 11 AM.   I couldn't order the purple case I wanted until later because the link for purple gave me brown instead.    Turns out I was 2 hours before the official announcement and had caught the webmasters as they were updating the content.

Ordered a Kindle Touch, also, with 3G.

Almost went for the brand new $79 Kindle simplified, but when I saw it did not support Audible books, it was a deal-breaker.   Even after ordering 2 versions of the device I still spent less than iPad 1 16 G Wifi tablet.   (available used on Ebay and Cowboom)

The only bad part is I have to wait til November to see it.  

Scoblelizer don't Know My Momma

Just read a post about Robert Scoble on Google+ that disrepects my Momma.  As you may have noticed in my profile, my love of all things tech and gadget is genetic - from the distaff side.  So, Robert,  maybe your Momma can only spell Facebook, but mine can handle Google+. 

Bet your dad belongs on Facebook, too.

My next tablet

I've been borrowing an iPad to use from time to time, and I love.   I really do.  But I don't know if I need it.  It's great for quick browsing, or portable Internet, but I can use my iPhone for that.  And the iPhone fits in my pocket.

On the other hand, I just bought a Windows 7 tablet called the Acer Iconia W500.  It isn't my first tablet purchase - as you can see from the blog tablets come in and tablets go out.   But this one . . . I find myself reaching for it instead of my laptop and liking it.

It's not as light as the iPad, or Android tablets, but it has a touchscreen interface.   And the touchscreen does not suck.   Instead of trying to find Android or iOS versions of applications to do my normal tasks, I just use the Windows version that I already own.  

If I wanted a cool tablet for play, viewing movies, etc., I would still get an iPad.  But having a touchscreen with the power of my netbook, and an attachable keyboard with USB ports and an Ethernet port . . . I am loving this.   Using the onboard Bluetooth I can hook this to my MiFi and I have Internet anywhere.

Did I mention it was cheaper than an iPad, even before you add in the keyboard?    This might be the tablet that finally stays for the duration.