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Google Nexus 7
by Elen-UK
My other half bought me Nexus 7 for Christmas and I've been using it all the time since then!
Weight and size - I was impressed by how light it is. I take it to work every day and it fits perfectly into my bag!
Specs- It has the latest Android version ( 4.2 Jelly Bean) It is very fast, browsing is so easy. The ... screen resolution is very very good and the colours are very vivid. It has 16GB memory. I have downloaded hundreds of apps since December and it still has a lot of space to use. I use it mainly to browse the internet, do shopping ( ebay, amazon, groceries etc) and read books and it never fails to amaze me how easy it is to do what I want with my tablet.
Battery- The battery life is I think relatively good compared to other tablets I've used. It can go without charging for two to three days depending on how much you use it.
Screen- I am aware that many people found the screen to be easily damaged. I have bought a a very good (and fashionable) leather case and it protects it perfectly, not a single scratch!
Book/ Magazine- reader. The book reader it's one of my favourite apps as I use it to read books before bed and it's so nice to be able to read a book without having to turn pages and hold large books. I also use it when I travel by train and it's perfect for browsing magazines without having to carry the extra weight of physical magazines.
Overall, although I didn't pay for it, for its price ( around £160 ) it is an amazing piece of equipment.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1)
by Zakalwe
I spend all day in front of computers (and most of the night as well), and these days I rarely go anywhere, so I really didn't need a tablet, but I can't resist gadgets and toys. I previously had an iPad 2 (still got it somewhere in a cupboard, or under my bed) but really hated the way Apple insist on locking everything to them, and soon ... got fed up of jailbreaking it all the time. So I opted for the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 to have something to play with. I had thought I would do my usual and play with it for a month and then it would get buried under paperwork and junk, but I'm still using it 6 months on.
It is wifi enabled, allowing me to use it wherever I can find free wifi, though I've never had the need to take it out with me to be honest - my phone covers all my mobile needs. It doesn't have 3G, so it's restricted to wifi, but there are plenty of tablets out there that are cellular enabled if that it what you really need.
Internally, it's running 1Gb of RAM and a dual-core 1GHz CPU, so it operates at a good speed. It is limited to 16Gb internal memory, which is a bit limiting, but does have a MicroSD slot capable of taking up to 32Gb cards for expandion, and also has a micro-USB slot so you can plug in additional external storage - you will need a USB to micro-USB adapter for most flash drives and external HDD's though, but they only cost a couple of pounds on Ebay if you don't already have one. It's also running Android Ice Cream Sandwich - maybe not the most current version of the OS, but still recent enough that there should be no problems running all the current apps. (I have about 70 apps on mine - again, just playing with them - and have never encountered a problem with any).
Externally, my one is white, but there are black versions available. It has a solid feel to it, and moderate weight, just under 600g, so less than the weight of a hardback book. I know some people prefer a really lightweight tablet, but I prefer to feel I'm holding something solid with a bit of substance to it. At 10.1 inches and less than 10mm thick, it really is a convenient size for transporting.
The camera's aren't great to be honest, but are you really going to be taking many photo's with a tablet when all phones have camera's on them these days? The front camera, really just useful for video calling, is only VGA quality, and the rear-facing camera is 3MP - ok for the occasional snap, but don't expect exceptional quality. The screen however is crystal clear, and is perfect for video playback, with no lag or stuttering. There are also stereo speakers on the sides, sound slightly tinny, but overall good sound from such small and restrictive speakers; or you can plug your headphones in.
The real winner for this tablet is Android. If you are used to Apple, then Android does feel extremely liberating by letting you take control of your tablet, and customize it to the way you want to use it. I personally am not a fan of Apple so apologies if this appears biased - I have tried both OS's and just prefer the freedom of Android, though that may not be to everyone's tastes. The Google Play app store (as well as a few other sources online) provide a vast wealth of apps for every situation, a lot of them free, and the paid apps usually costing only a few pounds (many paid apps do have free trial versions, either time-limited or feature limited, that allow you to explore and experiment before committing to purchasing them).
I'm giving the Galaxy Tab 2 a 5/5 rating, because honestly I cannot fault it personally. Others may give a lower rating because of the camera quality, but for me that is not an issue - I am not a serious user
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Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch
by BurberryJJ
I've had a Kobo for a while, and when it started to act up (having had a very hard life) I sought nothing more than a new one (I don't like the Kindle at all.) But on calling at my local Argos, I found they were selling the Nook Simple Touch at £20 less than the Kobo. It looked OK so I went for it.
It was a mistake, even at ... a discount.
I almost returned the Nook right away, when I read reports that I might have to tender my credit card number before I could even use it, but I managed to register without it - perhaps they've changed that requirement now - it would have been a deal-breaker for me. Registering did present one problem - it's only possible by wi-fi, and I have a wired internet connection, so I had to register in a coffee shop hotspot. My old Kobo registered via USB on my PC.
The actual reading experience on a Nook is very pleasant - very similar to the Kobo. The home menu screen is rather cluttered compared to the Kobo, and books don't seem to me to be so easy to organise or find. And you can't delete side-loaded books other than via the PC. All in all though - if this had been my first eBook reader, I'd have been pleased enough.
But I soon ran into trouble. I already have a collection of non-DRMed eBooks that I intended simply to 'side-load' - and so I did for a while. I soon got a 'memory full' error after loading just part of my collection. I was told that my 240meg of memory was now full. 240 meg????!!!! I'd paid for 2 gig!!
It transpires that, of the 2 gig you pay for on the Nook, Barnes and Noble reserve over 1.5 gig solely for books purchased from their store - it can be used no other way, and users have no access to it, even via their PC!! Frankly that's unacceptable - neither the Kobo or Kindle charge customers for memory and reserve it for themselves. You can insert a micro SD card, but that shouldn't be necessary.
Also, while I haven't had the Nook long enough to be sure, a week's use at 2 hours a day had the battery down to 60% - so claims of 2 months between charges seems to me to be a flight of fancy.
My wife quite likes the Nook and is happy with a small collection on the device, so it's hers now. Meanwhile I'm still using my old Kobo and about to shop for another. As with most manufacturers, there are other models in the Nook range - but I'm afraid I won't be shopping with Barnes & Noble again.
Slightly off topic, but two points for people with new eBook readers. First, get a copy of calibre on your PC - an excellent free eBook organiser. Second, switch off your reader's wi-fi at the earliest opportunity and leave it off unless you really need it.
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