Non-Apple alternatives to the iPad?

[montmorencyt2w]

Are there any realistic non-Apple alternatives to the iPad at this time?

Are they any good?

What can you do with them, either trading-related, or in other fields?

Thank you.

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

The Galaxy tab (Samsung / Android) has got decent reviews - it's a 7" screen so a bit more portable than an iPad. Bit difficult to summarise what you can do with them when there are something like 250,000 apps available.

Why do you want an Apple alternative though. I bought an iPad for Mrs o'Clubs at Xmas, and its the first Apple product I've ever bought (ie I'm no fanboy), and I think it's an amazing bit of kit. I don't use it for trading, although I now read my daily FT on it.

 

[montmorencyt2w]

Cheers Jack.

Why not Apple? Sheer blind prejudice I'm afraid
From where I came from in IT (former life), it went with the territory to loathe Microsoft and Apple fairly equally. I was in the Sun/Solaris, Unix, Linux camp, and before that, IBM mainframes.

Not quite fair, I know. (And I don't use Linux at home - I would if I still dabbled in Opsyses, but that seems to be behind me now. For everyday stuff I struggle along with Microsft, like almost everybody else. (everyone except the Mac freaks of course ).

There's also the thing of not wanting to be seen as what Private Eye would call an iBore;
not being on that bandwagon, sort of thing.

My nephew showed me his iPad at Christmas, and I was actually very impressed.

Prejudice apart though, I think it's always good to look at the alternatives, especially if they are actually better value for money in some way. Let's face it, you are always going to be paying for the Apple brand to some extent.

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

True, to be fair I bought mine in the US and I thought the sterling-equivalent price was decent value. I'm not sure I'd pay UK prices for one. The thing about being an iBore is that ultimately these devices are about the applications, and the applications will get written for the OS with the greatest installed base, so it does actually pay to go with what's most popular. Look at the PC at CMC Markets thread - he's going on about launching their iPhone / iPad app, but no imminent plans for other platforms, even Blackberry.

A small example, but the FT iPad edition is a thing of beauty, not sure they even offer an Android equivalent yet - you can get it on Android but its basically just the web-edition formatted for a smaller screen, whereas the iPad version has all sorts of whizzy interactivity. I was very sceptical before I bought the one for the missus, but now (as you can tell from this...) she's having to fight to get it back from me. The major drawbacks are no support for Flash content, and no camera, and the price.

 

[montmorencyt2w]

True, to be fair I bought mine in the US and I thought the sterling-equivalent price was decent value. I'm not sure I'd pay UK prices for one. The thing about being an iBore is that ultimately these devices are about the applications, and the applications will get written for the OS with the greatest installed base, so it does actually pay to go with what's most popular. Look at the PC at CMC Markets thread - he's going on about launching their iPhone / iPad app, but no imminent plans for other platforms, even Blackberry.

A small example, but the FT iPad edition is a thing of beauty, not sure they even offer an Android equivalent yet - you can get it on Android but its basically just the web-edition formatted for a smaller screen, whereas the iPad version has all sorts of whizzy interactivity. I was very sceptical before I bought the one for the missus, but now (as you can tell from this...) she's having to fight to get it back from me. The major drawbacks are no support for Flash content, and no camera, and the price.

You are right about going with the best support base, app-wise, which is of course why most of us stick with Microsoft on the PC, even if it is through gritted teeth sometimes.

I wouldn't care about the lack of camera (and I suppose that will come one day), but I guess lack of Flash support is slightly limiting. Not that keen on it myself, but it seems to be widely used.

Hopefully there will be bargains in the old models as the new models gradually come on stream.

 

[gnike]

The most popular alternative to iPad today, as far as I am concerned, is the Samsung Galaxy tab. Although I won't advise you to buy it now, because this year, a lot of touch screen tabs will be introduced and I bet a lot more of the same product will come out. Chances are, the prices will decrease.

 

[scose-no-doubt]

I wonder how long apple can go on replacing products after such a short time before people stop chasing the trend?

 

[0007]

The most popular alternative to iPad today, as far as I am concerned, is the Samsung Galaxy tab. Although I won't advise you to buy it now, because this year, a lot of touch screen tabs will be introduced and I bet a lot more of the same product will come out. Chances are, the prices will decrease.

HP equivalent coming soon. Any good? - we'll see. (also mk2 i-Pad due soon)

http://www.trustedreviews.com/lapto...Announce-9-7in-TouchPad--Running-webOS-3-0/p1

 

[donaldduke]

Cheers Jack.
Why not Apple? Sheer blind prejudice I'm afraid
From where I came from in IT (former life), it went with the territory to loathe Microsoft and Apple fairly equally. I was in the Sun/Solaris, Unix, Linux camp, and before that, IBM mainframes.

MacOS been Unix for 10 years now, and Steve Jobs went towards Unix with NeXTStep over 20 years ago.

 

[montmorencyt2w]

MacOS been Unix for 10 years now, and Steve Jobs went towards Unix with NeXTStep over 20 years ago.

Hey, can't you leave me with my prejudices?? Stop giving me reasons to like Apple!

Seriously, that's interesting; didn't know that. Never had much contact with Apple users in my IT days, and never bothered to find out. I've just scanned the Wikipedia page for Macos and see that the classic version - "The "classic" Mac OS is characterized by its total lack of a command line", so you can forgive me for assuming that their opsyses were about as far from Unix as you could imagine (originally). If Apple was off my radar, Nextstep was even more so, although of course I did read the odd article about Steve Jobs in the comics.

Hee hee, in my Unix days, I was a "command-line commando" Of course I used X-windows, but easy to get a command line up within that ... best of both worlds.
With a command line and the Korn shell, you could do just about anything ...

 

[wackypete2]

"command-line commando"

ahh, back in the good 'ole days, eh?

Peter

 

[Jason101]

These ipad things always look like they are uncomfortable to hold for any period of time.
Whilst with a traditional netbook the screen is held at a good angle for you to read.

Just guessing though, I have never used one.

 

[0007]

These ipad things always look like they are uncomfortable to hold for any period of time.
Whilst with a traditional netbook the screen is held at a good angle for you to read.

Just guessing though, I have never used one.

Isn't it all about "image"? - and it appears that Tablet PCs are currently flavour of the month.

 

[Trader333]

Look at the PC at CMC Markets thread - he's going on about launching their iPhone / iPad app, but no imminent plans for other platforms, even Blackberry.

Blackberry is still the choice for business and not developing an app for it is a bit naive in my view.


Paul

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Blackberry is still the choice for business and not developing an app for it is a bit naive in my view.


Paul

Although many business Blackberries will be locked for non-approved applications, so maybe they think the consumer Blackberry market is just too small.