anyone with both an IPad and android tablet in the house?

[wotayottie]

Not interested in hearing the thoughts of the fanboys from each side of the divide but would love to hear from anyone who had both types in their family and can therefore give me a real comparison between the two.

anyone out there?

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I've got an iPod touch and an Android tablet ....

Off the cuff:

Transferring stuff to the iPod is a right royal pain in the arse, can't use the iPod as a "USB stick" as easily as the Android device. Android has got worse in this respect as the Nexus 7 is an MTP instead of a Mass Storage device - some stuff doesn't drag-and-drop like it used to, haven't got to the bottom of it yet.

iTunes is a real pain as we have multiple iDevices in the house and multiple user accounts on the PC in the study, but one music collection - spend far too much time trying to get the right content on the right device.

Availablility of Apps that are compatible with the version of OS on the device - a tie from my point of view, it used to be that devs concentrated on Apple but the tide has turned with Android now equally important.

Useability of the devices is a matter of taste and ability to adapt to new tech, although I am finding the iOS interface increasingly bland and boring when compared to the widgets on Android.

Web Surfing is now equal as Nexus 7 no longer supports Flash out of the box. - Real pain and minus points to Nexus - it's now equal to iPod/Pad in this respect.

Apple devices go a bit flaky on my WLAN, I have 3 APs and have never got to the bottom of it.

I run a mixed Apple (5-6 iPods of various vintage including relatively recent iPod Touch) , 6 PCs(Windows 7/XP/Vista), 4 Android devices (2,3-4,2) with 1 X-Box media extender and 3 Squeezeboxes (network and internet music system.)

For a mixed environment Apple is a pain to integrate 'cos when you hit a problem there is not alot you can do about it.

PC based mix of technologies is plug and pray. It might work out of the box, it might need some tweaking. Overall if you're PC based and tech inclined, then Android is a better choice IMHO.

Everything probably works nicely if all you have at home is Apple stuff and make extensive use of the Cloud. My brother-in-law is a photographer and I'm sure if you shaved his hair he'd have an Apple logo underneath - he swears by Apple. If you accept the limited compatibility of Apple with other systems, and the price, the i-Pad,Pod and Phone is the way to go.

Never had any problems with malware that have not been caught and dealt with immediately. Once the kids learn't not to visit dodgy sites and install dodgy software and Win7 sorted out permissions I haven't had any problems since.

All IMHO ... don't want to start a fight.

 

[wotayottie]

Thats a hell of a lot of kit Baggy - your retailer must love you. Thanks for the info. Am planning on getting a tablet and have been impressed by the slick professionalism of my sons Ipad, but I have an android phone and lots of PC kit so undecided about adding a third OP system to the existing two. usual intended uses - surfing, emails, on board use.

Reading your comments I guess you would lean towards android in my situation. Am I understanding you right?

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Not interested in hearing the thoughts of the fanboys from each side of the divide but would love to hear from anyone who had both types in their family and can therefore give me a real comparison between the two.

anyone out there?

Not got both actually in my house but have an Android tablet and phone and use iPads and iPhones every day at work (with whatever apps I want on them).

The "iPads just work" should really be stated as iPads are far easier to set up and get working. Android tablets are just as reliable but, because of their greater flexibilty and customisation options, can be more complex to set up. In practice, if you're willing to stick to the basics, then Android is incredibly easy to set up as well so I think this one can be a bit of misnomer. The other misnomer is that Apple lock you in but Google is open. Apple do lock you in but for Android you need to have a Google account (i.e a gmail account) and, if you want an easy life, Google lock you in just as much. The only real openness with Android is that you aren't locked in to one manufacturer's hardware and proprietary adapters. If you're happy with Apple then, albeit at a slight price premium, you won't be disappointed but you have to be happy with Apple hardware. Remember the catch with comparing with an Android tablet is which one . I'm talking about Android tablets running Android 4.0.1 and above now (known as Ice Cream Sandwich) and that are a similar price range to the iPad - so Nexus 10 or 7, Samsung or Asus high end tablets, etc.

Interface and apps:

There are more apps available for the iPad but I've never found an iPad app that I really wanted on Android but wasn't available except perhaps Navionics (actually not even that because I bought it in time). Against that Airdroid isn't available on the Ipad so it's swings and roundabouts for me. Also I can get widgets for Android which I like a lot and the status bar/notification is ahead for me too. I actually prefer the look of the iPad screen but find the Android devices easier because there's more difference between the icons and widgets for each app. I tend to spend ages looking for a specific app on the iPad.

Build Quality and design:

The screens on the tablets, build quality, responsiveness, etc. are very similar. It's purely subjective - I'd put the iPad behind the Nexus and Asus Transformer TF700 but ahead of the rest of android tablets in this space but that's just what I happen to like in the design. The Nexus 7 especially I like the rubber back which allows you to hold it in one far more easily than the iPad Mini and the Transformer, with it's sleek looks and detachable keyboard dock out iPad's the iPad if you see what I mean. I also like the pen on the Samsung Note which is a good example of the way Apple do you lock you in - if your are on Android you can look at things like the Note with it's stylus or the Transformer with it's keyboard dock and get one of them when you replace your tablet. With Apple you get and iPad 2, 3, 4 or Mini and that's it.

Accessories and add-ons:

There are way more accessories for the iPad than for all the Android tablets put together. If you look at individual Android tablets then you are often restricted to just a few choices. Again though this has never caused me a problem - whatever adapters or cases, including waterproof cases, I've wanted have been available. For others this may not be the same and there is huge market for all sorts of docking stations, stands, etc. for iPad which will never be available for Android tablets.


In all honesty it's possible to have a personal preference but either will do what 99.9% of the population require and do it very well indeed.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

It's really all down to how much integration you want to do.

We have all our media (films, music and photos) located centrally on a PC with a RAID 1 disk for safety. This PC has 3 user accounts for me, SWMBO and Kids.
The kids have their own PCs too and some local content on top. Every device with LAN or WLAN has direct access to the files, including all the Android devices.

iTunes sits on top of this and syncs content with the iDevices, theafter they operate stand-alone apart from WLAN for Apps and browsing. I also have a remote control app (iPeng) for the music players on the iPod Touch. iTunes is really the issue for me, multi-account PC with iTunes doesn't seem to work very well for me, and after many hours I've given up trying to get it to work seamlessly, it's good enough but the process for adding new content is a bit convoluted. Mother-in-laws iPad has access to our WLAN but can't get at the content, pain when she want's to take pictures away with her - (we use Facebook/Picassa for this)

Logitech Media Server also sits on this PC and serves the Audio content to the 3 music players - Lounge, Bedroom and Sauna. All android devices have the Logitech App as a remote control. It can also be controlled from SWMBOs laptop.

Windows Media Centre serves video, audio and photos from the same repository to the X-Box which is in the Cinema room - it runs a Media Extender and looks like Windows Media Centre on the host PC. (Win 7 has it all integrated out of the box, just point the X-Box at the PC and it works - a much under-rated X-Box use-case IMHO)

If you only want to use an iPad stand alone as a browsing, mail and entertainment device - and you don't have multiple users with content from different PCs, or other systems accessing the raw data from your iTunes library then it is viable without too much trouble. Otherwise IMHO Android is more flexible.

Alternatively go all out Apple - (Mac, Apple TV, iPads, iPhones) - I have friends who have this setup and they are pretty happy, if a little poorer

 

[Lodds]

Not interested in hearing the thoughts of the fanboys from each side of the divide but would love to hear from anyone who had both types in their family and can therefore give me a real comparison between the two.

anyone out there?

I have an iPad (3G)and Android phone. I love the iPad which I brought for the purpose of marine navigation only. I would also add that I have marine Navionics on the Android.

I love the iPad as it can fulfil most of the tasks I need to carry out on a daily basis. The iPad is not cheap and you can add another £100 for the 3/4G version. 3/4G is a must if you intend to do any real navigation at all. iPad is very well supported and the after sale service is second to none.

I would also add that the iPad can be fully waterproofed see
http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/gb_en...ipad-3-2-e1/?gclid=CI7m3fWj_LQCFePHtAodlEIAgg

As I say only the iPad gives me what I need, if you don't want navigation to the degree I am looking for then the Android looks a good buy especially the new Samsung.

Anything else I can help with please let me know

 

[wotayottie]

Baggy

Pure curiosity / nosiness this one. Do you use your home sauna? Ours is full of boat sails etc and neither it nor the associated shower and gym have been used for years. Looked like a good idea but wasnt.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Baggy

Pure curiosity / nosiness this one. Do you use your home sauna? Ours is full of boat sails etc and neither it nor the associated shower and gym have been used for years. Looked like a good idea but wasnt.

Yes, we get quite cold winters here so it's quite nice to spend an evening in the sauna after a long snowy dog walk. (The dog doesn't come in the sauna though)

It was designed into the house at build, so its in a tiled room with shower, under-floor heating, seating, music (and beer-fridge next door). Last used it on Sunday. Sounds better than it is, very compact and bijou but we like it.

Works as a drying room and spare bathroom in the summer.

 

[rwoofer]

I'm not too dissimilar to Baggywrinkle in that we have a Android and iPhone, 3* Ipods, Nexus7 and Ipad 3, 4 PCs, Raid configured NAS for all the media and 3*AP WLAN. Would tend to agree with his comments as well. The Apple stuff is easier, more pleasant to use for simple stuff, but getting stuff on and off the devices via ITunes is just a nightmare. Before anyone says I have about 700GB of multiple format media that means you can only ever download subsets on a device . To do this across mulitple devices owned by different people is just too hard. I even invested in a 64GB IPad, but most of the memory is unused cause I can't get stuff on easily.

The Android devices seem to need a bit more faffing about, but once sorted seem easier to use for what they are intended. Agree it is shame that Flash no longer works on Chrome, but then again you can use the best video player, VLC, which Apple has kindly stopped everyone using through there licensing intransigence.

 

[wotayottie]

We've never got out of the summer phase.

 

[dunedin]

Yep got both (and yet this evening typing on Samsung Win 7 netbook)

If comparing like with like (ie high end Samsung 10inch tablet to the iPad) then both are really great - key factors

- if you are already a committed iTunes music and content user then stick with Apple - they are masters of the "walled garden", great if do it their way, and make it difficult if you don't like it that way
- Apple also better for fastest simple setup - and if you want a million and one Apps you probably have no need for

- Android tends to be better suited if you like to control the environment yourself - eg attach directly to PC and manage files (including music, photos etc) like on a USB stick
- IMHO the Android widgets can make it easier to use than iPad for specific purposes - if somebody skilled has pre setup
- in most cases you don't have to pay for 3G to get a GPS

 

[yodave]

Using my iPad right now. It's an iPad 2hd not sure it was ever called an iPad 3. Also bought a kindle fire (import) at the same time just under a year ago. Can't compare against the kindle fire hd, but there's no comparison between the iPad and the original fire ...I use the iPad first every time, and the fire is a back-up. Have a garmin chart plotter aboard and do not see the iPad or fire as a rival down to daylight visibility, jolting, and waterproofing.

That's my opinion, and no amount of debate will change my personal view ...that's how I use them.

 

[RichardS]

We now have a Windows 8 tablet in the house with USB port, SD card port and HDMI port. If you have a back-collection of Windows software you would like to run, I would hold back from going Apple or Android and wait for some excellent 64 bit W8 Pro tablets (MS, Samsung, Lenovo, Acer etc) to come out over the next couple of months.

If you are only interested in apps then OSX or Android are probably the way to go.

Richard

 

[wotayottie]

RichardS - yes I have a lot of old windows legacy programs but I'm not sure how many of them I would want to try and use on a tablet. I dont know how others use their tablets - thats maybe a sensible question to ask. But my intention was to have an easy and quick boot up way of doing emails, browsing forums and weather sites all at home plus some nav and skype on the boat. I might occasionally use the spreadsheet app for finances but any serious work would be on a PC using a keyboard.

I wonder if my usb TV dingle would work in your windows tablet - if so that would be an attraction on the boat allowing me to leave the old lappy at home.

 

[RichardS]

RichardS - yes I have a lot of old windows legacy programs but I'm not sure how many of them I would want to try and use on a tablet. I dont know how others use their tablets - thats maybe a sensible question to ask. But my intention was to have an easy and quick boot up way of doing emails, browsing forums and weather sites all at home plus some nav and skype on the boat. I might occasionally use the spreadsheet app for finances but any serious work would be on a PC using a keyboard.

I wonder if my usb TV dingle would work in your windows tablet - if so that would be an attraction on the boat allowing me to leave the old lappy at home.

Any dongle which works on a Windows PC - TV, GPS, 3G, etc will work on a Windows 8 Pro tablet provided you have the drivers (Windows 7 or Vista drivers will usually work). Not Windows 8 RT though which is restricted to apps and MS Office.

Windows 8 Pro has an excellent tiled touchscreen mode if you don't want to use a keyboard - or you can connect a keyboard and or mouse (my wife's keyboard and mousepad is built into the flexible screen cover) and use W8 in ordinary desktop mode.

With a W8 tablet + keyboard I'm not sure why you would ever need to take a laptop except for playing fairly recent games.

Richard

 

[billmacfarlane]

I'm writing this reply on a brand new Nexus 10, just set up yesterday. At home there is also an Ipad4, IPhone 3, Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 phone, and a Kindle Fire HD. Music is stored on a pair of raid 1 discs, using the Flac format. I also have access to an IPad 2 at work. I could witter on for yonks about the technical differences between my new tablet and Ipads but I don't think that's the point. Apple is all about ease of use, lifestyle products if you like, and a consumer who wants hassle free media at his/her fingertips will probably choose Apple. Androids are a bit more fiddly to use but not by much nowadays. The biggest drawback of Androids is the different operating systems which means a developer has to throw more resource at creating an app across all the Android platforms whereas you only need to write one app across the whole Apple platform. My wife would like to change her phone for a new Samsung , but is worried as she is tied in to ITunes, an application which should have been strangled at birth. I've told her not to worry as I can transfer her stuff across, but again that's missing the point. She can cope with ITunes by herself but she'll need my help with a Samsung. If you want to do the basic stuff, email etc., either tablet will do the trick but if you want to run a specific app, I doubt you'd be disappointed with either platform. An Android tablet will give you more bang for your buck as Apple trade ruthlessly on the loyalty of their fan base and charge them accordingly. Compare that with Google who are throwing out the Nexus range at cutthroat prices to compete. If you Google 'Nexus v IPad' you'll find lots of articles written comparing the 2, the summary seems to be Apple are a gnat's unmentionable ahead if only due to the sheer amount of apps for the platform, but all the major apps are well covered by both. You pays your money, you makes your choice.

 

[Jamesuk]

Not interested in hearing the thoughts of the fanboys from each side of the divide but would love to hear from anyone who had both types in their family and can therefore give me a real comparison between the two.

anyone out there?

I have an iPad and an Acer Iconia tablet (Android) I also have a iphone and Galaxy S. my dad has the transformer prime (Android)

Honestly get the ipad cellular/GPS 32gb. i advised my mum to get that she bought the 64gb. Buy it now and you should have it on monday.