Suggestions for an Android Tablet for testing

[andyh1234]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for an Android tablet for testing purposes.

Initially I thought id go with the Kindle Fire as it is cheap, popular and apparently not the fastest (ie. if its slower and my code runs ok, then my code should fly on faster devices!), but I cant get one here in the UK without paying silly prices for a basic tablet, so thats on the back burner until im next in the States.

Looking at others, tablets seem to come in 600x800, 600x1024 and 800x1280 resolutions, and some run 2.2, 2.3 or 3.x versions of Andriod.

So, without trying to break the bank and having a stack of tablets, which would be your first choice for development testing?

Life is so much easier developing for the iPad!

Andy

[BarrySumpter]

Thats been discussed here.
Can't recall which forum.
Search for Tablet.
I recall range of prices, etc.

[andyh1234]

Thanks Barry,

I did try a search first, but just came back with a single thread which had one vote for an Asus Transformer.

Fingers are duly slapped, Ill try searching again a bit more thoroughly!!!

Andy

[Simon Knight]

Hi,
I found this thread and thought great an answer to the very question I need answered. Alas no answer at all. I did search for "tablet" which returned 40 threads but I have yet to find a list of recommended tablets.

Simon

[BarrySumpter]

Yeah, the Asus Transformer is what my research ended up with as well.
Just now looking on the internet the Asus Transformer wins.

So for me, if I were looking for an Android Table
I'd begin searching the internet for lists that include the Asus Transformer.
Then see if I can get a better one for around the same price.
Then see how cheap I could go with as many feature as I want.

[Simon Knight]

Hi,
The Asus transformer looks good but at a price. I hope to look at an Arcos some time.

best wishes
Simon

[sefrojones]

I've been using an acer iconia a100 (1024x600) as my test device with great success.

[jacque]

My first Android tablet was an Archos 7 Internet Tablet running Froyo 2.1. I really liked it a lot and the price was right. It was dog slow though. Because it was my first, I didn't realize how slow it was until I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" with Honeycomb 3.2. The Archos works fine for testing and does everything it should, and I still use it occasionally to see how Froyo will look with my stacks. They don't make that model any more and the new ones are faster. Their prices are good. Even their newest Ice Cream Sandwich model isn't as expensive as some others.

One thing the Archos tablets lack is a back camera, so if you'll need that then you don't want an Archos. Otherwise it has most everything we need for LiveCode development. In general the Archos has more ports than the Samsung. My Galaxy Tab has no ports at all and requires a special (stupid, arbitrary) cord and connector. The charging cord also allows you to plug it in as a USB device so you can use ADB with it, but unlike the Archos there is no USB-in port or HDMI out. Archos is optimized for media. Samsung is more generalized.

Now that Samsung has introduced some newer tablets you can probably find an "older" model (like, six months older) for less. These tablets are fast, even with the Tegra 2 that is becoming outdated.

I like both of mine, but it's the Samsung I carry around with me everywhere.

Those are the only two Android devices I've had, so that's all I can comment on.