Tablet Needed

[DMS]

It's been a bit quiet here lately... but I will post my query anyway!

Being a reader of books and a geek, I'm fairly glued to my Kindle. But I think it's time for a change to something that is a bit more capable. My requirements are fairly limited: the dimensions should be pretty much the same as the Kindle which likely restricts me to a 7" screen size; the screen should be multi-touch; it should have access to plenty of apps; it will need a headphone out; and that's about it. Cheap is good but build quality is more important.

In the mainstream, I've looked at the BB PlayBook and also wondered whether to wait for the arrival of the Kindle Fire or the Google Nexus. Slightly off the wall is the Ainol (awful, awful name) Novo7 Elf which is stupidly cheap yet good build quality and comes with ICS installed.

Any thoughts, experience etc?

[2o2o]

I have actually had my hands on an Ainol (that really sounds so wrong) Novo 7 aurora it is a nice device for the price it is excellent for perfect user experience well you need to pay way more for that, and it was a bit slow and choppy running through menu's but perfectly usable. Also it apparently has a better screen than the Elf.

[DMS]

Shame there aren't any UK suppliers of Ainol stuff. The Aurora looks to be the one - nice and cheap and fair quality plus ICS - but finding stock is proving interesting and it may well be that it is discontinued. In fact, it looks like an Aurora II is on the cards. BabelFish has been less than helpful in translating the Ainol site with various peculiar references such as "cut down the desolate iPad2 firewood" and "stuffed dumpling". Failing that I will probably be boring and plump for a PlayBook!

[2o2o]

Yeah that's the problem with these cheap alternative tablets, the good ones primarily hit US market, the one I've used came ove with a friend from Canada, I am thinking about getting a tablet too but probably wait for Windows 8 my Sensation is running ICS and while it is a massive improvement I want to start programming some custom apps and I already know the basics of windows code from lots of work in WM6.5. I have heard people complaining their battery isn't lasting as long with ICS mine seems to be lasting about twice the time it did on the stock ROM and I still have Wifi, Sat Nav and Bluetooth always active

[Nec_V20]

2o2o, you can't really go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). It has enough real estate to be useful and still fits into a jacket pocket. My dealbreaker was a MicroSD slot which for instance the Google Nexus 7 doesn't have.

It has great bluetooth connectivity (Apple sucks in that department) and I can connect up my bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and speaker/microphone at the same time with no problems.

I have no use for a smartphone and the real estate was too small and a 10.1 inch tablet was useless to me because I couldn't fit it in my pocket.