I keep going round in circles on this one I want to have a tablet to manage my appointment diary for work online, stream netflix, browse singletrack forum, watch mtb on you tube and if possible use it to stream all to an hdtv does anyone have any real life experience of the alternatives to to ipads or should I give up on my dislike for apple products?

Not got real world ‘use’ experience of them all, but I own an ipad 2 (for disclosure)and have been looking at tablets for my partners business.

Lots to compare and contrast:
I believe all of them will do what you want (definitely the ipad and nexus), but the Surface is let down by it lack of apps – yes it has office but most ppl won’t replace there computer/laptop with a tablet, they’ll supplement it. For me this is not the ‘win’ that some ppl see it as, the are apps for android and iOS which will let you use MS documents & you still have your PC/laptop to do the serious stuff.
Weight wise the ipad wins hand down, the surface was a lump in comparison (from trying them in a shop), the nexus (though I’ve not held one) is in the middle ground.
Price gotta be the Nexus, maybe I’m biased (I did admit to it) but I’d rather spend the extra cash on the Ipad over the surface (it’s just lovely )

I’d suggest getting down to shop and playing with them all… demo’s are always the way ahead.

For us it between the Galaxy Note (2014) and the Ipad. The Note definitely does what we want, I’ve yet to test it the ipad properly, as I wasn’t initially aware you could use it the same way the Note demonstrated. Weights aren’t too far apart, android with a decent processor is very slick but not IOS intuitive. The price is the real stumbling block for the note, it’s the same as the ipad… if the ipad can be made to do the Note has proved it can do, it’ll be a no-brainer for us. Though now you’ve pointed the Nexus 10 out to me, maybe I should take add that into our discussions 🙁

You can argue the android units have more expandability, but in 1.5 years I’ve never felt I needed it on my ipad… so for us it not a selling point

Lots of comparisons on techradar

As for your dislike of Apple products, I was the biggest apple hater in the world… till my partner got an iphone 3 upgrade. Given to me to ‘make it work’, it took one evening to convince me that it was bloody brilliant, miles ahead of anything I’d ever seen – and really really useful, not just a ‘toy’. The major benefit being my tech hating partner was then given it and fully able to use it within minutes. We demo’d some older android phones when we came to need to upgrade our 3/3G phones last year – she was not impressed at all, and just got more and more annoyed/frustrated. The haters might say this is down to our fanboi-ness, I’d disagree, apple got the interface right and got there first. All that said, I’ve yet to be convince that the extra spent on an apple ‘computer’ is worthwhile, so don’t right me off as a complete fanboi!

PS: Talk of a new Nexus 10 soon, so maybe hold out (or buy a Nexus 7 😉 ) so you either get a better unit, or the very capable old (current) one is discounted.

I spent ages going around in circles with tablets. I always came back to the iPad. The retina screen is ace and the device feels premium as opposed to the other plastic stuff. IOS just works and I haven’t plugged it into itunes since first switch on (no need to).

I’ve had an ipad air for the past week and that’s a huge step forward from the previous iPads.
It sounds like you could get away with the mini with retina display which has just hit the shops.

I’m in no way an apple fan boy but after trying pretty much everything available the air was IMHO the best tablet available.

Wow thank you Z1ppy that was comprehensive!! Ned to look at the Note now hadn’t considered that!!

to add 1 thing to zippy for real world apps the ‘pen’ on the note tipped me over the edge and not regretted it

ahh but found you can get a ‘stylus’ for the ipad… no it won’t do hand writing like the note, but we don’t need that & only certain apps allow the use of the pen on the Note (not a ‘slagging’ comment, just a fair warning). The Note (2014) does look a bloody nice bit of kit, and the multi-screen looks a definite ‘pro’.

PS: Glad to ‘help’

If like us you use your tablet to view PowerPoint presentations at work bear in mind that android is more intuitive than iPad. I use Samsung note 8 which I find great – my colleagues on I pads all ask for docs to be sent to them as pdfs.

ohh interesting, and exactly why my partner wants a tablet CaptS, do you know what office app’s they use?

polaris office on note 10.1

QuickOffice is google’s own app for viewing and editing documents (including MS office ones) and I’ve found that it works really well.

So much that I’ve uploaded all my personal files to GoogleDrive as it means that I can access them from anywhere, even on my phone.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quickoffice.android

I’ve just bought a Asus Transformer T100 running windows 8.1 from JL for £350. Laptop/tablet in one

Uses full version of windows 8.1, so works exactly like a desktop pc. However you get the touch interface and apps as per Android and Apple (granted limited at the minute, but stuff like netflix is there).

I’d say it’s a better option than the Surface 2 (which runs windows RT) if you go for windows anyway.

If it were my money I would go for the Surface 2 (or even wait for the Nokia 2520 – by all accounts the superior tablet).

I know I am in the minority but I really like Win 8.1 even on a desktop computer and my love for Win Pho is well publicised.

Second choice would go to the Nexus and if Android is your bag it would be the way to go IMO.

If you go the Apple route I hope it breaks – hateful things…

EDIT – This video shows off the power of the Surface 2 pretty well – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wG1b0yBJHLM

Admittedly a different type of product but recent reviews of Kindle Fire HDX rate it as a serious competitor (depends how you use your tablet I think).

The annoying thing about all the products I like is that they all price the bigger memory products way over the actual cost of the additional memory – I want all of the them to take micro sd’s so I can upgrade memory as required.

I don’t understand why you’d opt for a surface 2 over any of the new Windows tablets, due to the massive limitation of only being able to install apps from the store. Especially when you consider the number of apps missing currently that any previous android or apple user would be used too.

Plus if you need the keyboard it’s another £100.

Dell have also just/ are in the process of releasing the venue 8 and 11 pro, which is another windows option.

As a matter of interest what apps are important ? I mean really ?

Couldn’t give a monkey’s about games and such like, all I want to do is browse the interweb, down load and play various media and do mail and diary stuff. All the rest is just guff.

Who really takes photos (I accept the front facing skype issue) with a full size tablet (I know people do but I just don’t get it) – get a camera or use your phone.

If you could build a tablet as you can spec your own bike build, I reckon mine would only cost around £200 ‘cos of all the crap I’d leave off it.

Looks like Surface and Windows RT is about to get the boot:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/26/microsoft-kill-windows-rt-larson-green

Looks like Surface and Windows RT is about to get the boot:

More likely that they are merging Windows Phone and Windows RT á la IOS.

I’d consider even 1st gen Surface at right price (£ ~100) but surely iPad or mid-to-high spec Android tablet is much safer choice.

More likely that they are merging Windows Phone and Windows RT á la IOS.

I’ll wager they’ll axe it like their MP3 player or failed early smart phone attempts. No one is buying any (in volume), all the windows laptop manufactures have said they won’t make any, so it’s been dead in the water for some time now, just needs putting out of it’s misery.

Does anyone know if the 1 year warranty on apple products is global? Only I’m in Canada visiting friends and I fancy buying a new iPad air.

Does anyone know if the 1 year warranty on apple products is global? Only I’m in Canada visiting friends and I fancy buying a new iPad air.

Why not buy it at John Lewis and get a 2 year warranty?

I do believe the answer is yes. FWIW in 7 years of buying Apple products I’ve personally never had anything go wrong but others have. Still using my iPad1 after 4 years although it is getting a bit slow with all the latest apps/website stuff. I’ll get an Air in the new year when I have the budget.

Finally Apple is having a sale on Friday 29th – traditional sales day in US – so I suspect you’ll get a discount. Would be worth checking UK online store than day too – you can always order online for delivery / pickup

Having a quick browse of the apple forum, they suggest technical support is worldwide but you may have to return it to the country of origin for hardware support (specially for phones due to different 4g types, supposedly not so for computers). Actual users on the same thread suggest it’s a case by case situation, many have been helped by apple , outside the country of origin. I know my m8 was sent a iPhone 5 from Dubai, that was the wrong 4g for the UK, apple UK did suggest it may have to be sent back, but relented & replaced it with a UK compatible handset.
So no clear cut answer, but do iPads often go wrong? (I’ve only heard of user induced issues,not that I’d suggest it never happens)

Ok, thanks. I was just wondering. I will keep my eye out on the 29th and I will have a look at John Lewis. Cheers