The 10 best budget tablets

[Terpe]

There will be tablets under many trees this Christmas, but they don’t have to cost hundreds. Here are 10 good-value but high-performing devices........


1. iPad Mini Retina



The king of value tablets is at the more expensive end of the scale but it’s worth it. The new models come with a retina display: screens with a pixel density so high the human eye won’t notice individual dots. With specs to match the new iPhone 5S, the new iPad Mini is easily one of the best tablets around.

£339, apple.com



2. Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8



With its sleek design and stereo speakers, as well as a built-in stand, the Lenovo Yoga delivers a multimedia experience few tablets match. The Yoga is, in essence, a portable cinema – Netflix subscribers, for example, will love it.

£199, pcworld.co.uk



3. Amazon Kindle Fire HDX



It’s easy to forget that the Kindle range began with a humble series of e-readers – especially when you get your hands on the HDX. The Kindle Fire HDX has a huge screen and specs to match. Better still, it’s linked to Amazon’s huge media library the moment you open the box.

£199, amazon.co.uk



4. Google Nexus 7



Google’s Nexus 7 is the crème de la crème of tablet computers, offering a £350 experience for nearly half the price. The Nexus 7 has an almost unmatched screen quality, and comes with the latest Android.

£199, https://play.google.com



5. ARCHOS 97 Tablet



The Archos 97 8gb offers a huge screen (9.7”, about the size of a netbook), as well as many of the features of the Surface 2, for a fraction of the price. Archos are known for producing versatile kit at absurdly low prices; this is no different.

£139.99, pcworld.co.uk



6. Windows Surface 2



The Surface 2 is Microsoft’s flagship Windows tablet, and it’s easy to see why: it’s light, fast, has Office and runs for 10 hours on a single charge. Unlike the iPad, the Surface 2 has slots for memory cards and USBs, and has unmatched camera quality.

£339, argos.co.uk



7. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7”



Light and portable, the Tab 3 is a competitively priced tablet for those who live life on the move. If you own a Samsung Galaxy mobile, you’ll be right at home – the Tab looks and feels similar to use, but comes with a larger screen that’s optimised for reading and watching movies.

£139, direct.asda.com



8. Tesco Hudl



The UK’s biggest supermarket entered the fray earlier this year with the Hudl, a tablet designed to make purchasing products on the go easy. It might not quite have as robust a feel as the likes of an iPad Mini but it does more than shopping – there is full access to all the apps on Google Play, making it great value.

£119, tesco.com



9. Dell Venue 8 Pro



There’s never been a better time to own a Windows tablet, especially now the 8.1 update has been released – it’s faster than before. And with its high-definition screen and front-and-back facing cameras, it comes with everything you could want in a tablet PC for a bargain price.

£250, dell.co.uk



10. Nook HD 7”



Brought to you by Barnes and Noble, the largest bookseller in the US, the Nook is lauded for its low price and sleek design. The Nook HD offers full access to Barnes and Noble’s extensive eBook catalogue, and over a million apps, games and magazines on Google Play.

£89.99, currys.co.uk



Source:-
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/...s-8978315.html

[grahamw48]

Thanks Peter.

I was thinking about buying a tablet for when I'm on my hols.

[Longweekend]

Santa just bought me a Samsung Tab 3 10.1 which I believe should be in your top 10....

[Arthur Little]

Santa just brought me a Samsung Tab 3 10.1 which I believe should be in your top 10....

... that's nice! Is "doing his rounds" earlier this year in Cheshire?

[London_Manila]

I recently purchased an Apple Ipad air 64gb £508
I am sending it back under the 14 day apple refund policy
Bottom line is its just a larger version of my Iphone without the phone
Its heavy as well and i prefer using a mouse
I dont know what all the fuss is about to me these tablets are just gimmicks and a laptop is much better
Latest retina display looks the same as my old laptop

I have ordered a Macbook Air 13 inch laptop

No one seems to like windows 8 these days so i am going over to Apple

[grahamw48]

I'm starting to think the same way.

[Dedworth]

Obviously the authors of this list have a different view to me I don't feel that £199, £250 & £339 are budget or value when it come to buying a tablet. Mug, sucker and rip off more like

[raynaputi]

If you really want a budget tablet just for internet and games, then go to ebay and lots there sell at £50 more or less.. Just check the specs for your liking. I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" but I got it for free when Keith bought his Samsung Galaxy S3 last year. If there are deals like that then it's worth getting the tablet. If not, then I really recommend buying the budget ones from ebay.

[Dedworth]

You're right Rayna - a friend of my wifes had that deal on the S3 then she sold the tab to another friend to send back to the Philippines for her folks. I mused over getting that Hudl for after Keith suggested it but on Monday Tesco had sold out. Aldi are doing one on Sunday for £79.99 - great spec but I wont be buying as it is let down by the 4 hour battery duration

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuy...7316-md-98282/

[grahamw48]

People like me just want something basic for internet browsing while on hols, with a screen big enough to read more than a couple of lines. I don't want to take my smartphone abroad.

Is it too much to ask for ?

[joebloggs]

You're right Rayna - a friend of my wifes had that deal on the S3 then she sold the tab to another friend to send back to the Philippines for her folks. I mused over getting that Hudl for after Keith suggested it but on Monday Tesco had sold out. Aldi are doing one on Sunday for £79.99 - great spec but I wont be buying as it is let down by the 4 hour battery duration

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuy...7316-md-98282/

dedworth what do you want for your money , how much do you spend on beer a month

we've got a Ipad and Hp pad, no one uses them, i prefer my PC still and everyone else would rather use a laptop

[Dedworth]

how much do you spend on beer a month

That's covered by the Official Secrets Act Joe

My Mrs wants one for TV, Net etc some of the time at work on nights. The 2 year old net book is obviously old hat now and being Filipina there's got to be some sort of brand for when the pals look at it - that's why I was thinking of the c £100 HUDL

[hawk]

maplins are doing a couple tablets 10" £169 8"£139 quad core then theres the 7" at about £99 am thinking of going for the ten " prestigio archos 9.7 at£109

[andy222]

200 barbituates to be taken all at once for Cameron and Osborne.. I will check out the Aldi one.

[gWaPito]

I recently purchased an Apple Ipad air 64gb £508
I am sending it back under the 14 day apple refund policy
Bottom line is its just a larger version of my Iphone without the phone
Its heavy as well and i prefer using a mouse
I dont know what all the fuss is about to me these tablets are just gimmicks and a laptop is much better
Latest retina display looks the same as my old laptop

I have ordered a Macbook Air 13 inch laptop

No one seems to like windows 8 these days so i am going over to Apple

Must agree LM My grown up kids both have ipads same as their mother. I much prefer my laptop. More workable!

[London_Manila]

People like me just want something basic for internet browsing while on hols, with a screen big enough to read more than a couple of lines. I don't want to take my smartphone abroad.

Is it too much to ask for ?

The Hudl tablet at Tescos is more than enough for most people

[London_Manila]

Must agree LM My grown up kids both have ipads same as their mother. I much prefer my laptop. More workable!

Many of the people i work with only use ipads as portable movie players
Touch screen is ok but the novelty soon wears off
I spent most of the time with the ipad cleaning the screen due to fingerprints and dust

The days of the trusty laptop are not over

[cebuguy]

Laptop and desktop is still better to use than those tablets. This is why I still use them wherever i go. I do have a coby kyrus tablet but its just for browsing sites.

[grahamw48]

Well, looks like I'll be buying a little laptop then.

I'll ask my son how to use it....seeing as he's had a nice Toshiba for a couple of years now, courtesy of dad.
Now he's independent, I can spend a bit of money on myself.

[Terpe]

When it comes to buying 'gadget technology' we all have our own ideas and strategies, needs and wants and of course available budgets etc.

A tablet isn't a replacement for a laptop and a laptop isn't a replacement for a tablet. imo

Tablets are very good at many things, but let's not forget that their capabilities are, in principle, just part of subgroup of elements of a laptop.

Generally speaking the tablet has a much better battery life than a laptop and sets you free from being connected to the mains power for the best part of the day.

Tablets are considered to be lighter and a whole lot more portable than the vast majority of laptops with an associated tendency to be easier and more comfortable to sit and use. (no more hot laps!!)
Additionally the tablet is always instantly ready to go. No boot-up and waiting for stuff to load.
This means it's much quicker and more convenient for Facebook, e-mail, news, TV and weather.

Then what an amazing number and choice of 'apps'. Again an almost instant access to the programs and functions you personally want just fingertip touch away.

The laptop, on the other hand, gives a huge increase in storage possibilities. Most laptop hard drives have plenty of storage capability. It's also easy to add more by way of external hard drives or portable 'sticks' both of which are relatively cheap and fit easily into your pocket

As yet tablets have no means of adding such extra storage. You're stuck with what you've got.
Yes, there's always a way around this but none really cut the mustard. Cloud storage can work, but it's not local and needs time to load and may need format conversion.

In terms of file formats, tablets are again quite restrictive when compared to a laptop.

The decision to buy is solely a personal and highly individual one.
If you know what you want to achieve and the limitations of a tablet are outweighed by its advantages then it's simple a case of which tablet.

If the limitations of a tablet are just too much......no problem....stick with your laptop only and save the money. Simples.

Me, I love the convenience, speed and portability that a tablet offers. Wouldn't be without one. Roll on the next generation.

My laptop is still indispensable though and my world is big enough for both.

[KeithD]

I use the Samsung Tab for reading books as it is a damn site lighter than the 1000+ page books I buy

The latest A20 Dual Cores are fast enough for most people, and run all of the current apps. £50 on Ebay. If you want better a screen and battery life then Hudl, otherwise for the top budget one Nexus 7 - 2.

[Doc Alan]

I cannot claim to be an expert, and have found the posts on this topic interesting, thank you . Terpe gives a well balanced account in his latest post .


I have a laptop, smart phone and camera, but don’t need to take my laptop when travelling.


For the record, I recently bought the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8 inch from Amazon ( £ 179 ) ; “ notebook cover “ takes it to just over £ 200. It’s supplied with a 16 GB memory card. WiFi access is needed. This is ideal for me – I don’t need to take photos with it, but it’s good for Skype. That extra inch ( 8 rather than 7 ) makes a difference . The keyboard is big enough not to need a stylus pen. Reading and sending e mails is easy. It comes preloaded with many apps. It doesn’t have a slot for sim card ( unlike more expensive tablets ).


Here are the detailed specs :-



Item Weight 313 g
Product Dimensions 0.7 x 12.4 x 21 cm
Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
Item model number SM-T3100MKABTU
Color Black
Screen Size 8 inches
Processor Brand Intel Atom Processor
Processor Type Intel Atom
Processor Speed 1.5 GHz
Processor Count 2
RAM Size 1536 MB
Computer Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive Size 16 GB
Graphics Card Description Integrated
Wireless Type 802.11A, 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n
Operating System Android Jelly bean 4.1
Average Battery Life (in hours) 6 hours
Lithium Battery Energy Content 16.5 watt_hours
Lithium Battery Packaging batteries_contained_in_equipment.

[Dedworth]

Terpe I agree with the Doc a good write up. I can see the benefit of the tab over a laptop in being able to loaf around surf the interweb, watch vids etc without being encumbered with leads and the weight of a laptop. I also like the 'Droid system.

Biting my tongue over spending my money with the loathed Tesco I ordered Mrs D a Hudl this morning when they came back into stock briefly - they were out again by this afternoon. Tesco must be laughing all the way to the bank.

[gWaPito]

dedworth what do you want for your money , how much do you spend on beer a month

we've got a Ipad and Hp pad, no one uses them, i prefer my PC still and everyone else would rather use a laptop

I use my decktop Joe. ...only time I'd use my laptop was when the wife was using pc and on holidays... my s4 does everything else. Horses for courses. ..

[les_taxi]

I use my Desktop for most use and Galaxy s3 for in car use,have fancied a large tablet for watching movies on in car but that's all I would use it for.

[Dedworth]

I use my Desktop for most use and Galaxy s3 for in car use,have fancied a large tablet for watching movies on in car but that's all I would use it for.

What numbers are you tipping for tomorrows Irish Lottery Les ? I'll be logging onto WillHill shortly. A tab might be handy for keeping track of all your wagers

[grahamw48]

I use my Desktop for most use and Galaxy s3 for in car use,have fancied a large tablet for watching movies on in car but that's all I would use it for.

I bought a nice TV for the car that works off the lighter socket.

Useless now !

[Ako Si Jamie]

Thanks Peter. Was recently thinking of buying one but LM's comments has made me think twice.

[gWaPito]

I use my Desktop for most use and Galaxy s3 for in car use,have fancied a large tablet for watching movies on in car but that's all I would use it for.

Same as

[gWaPito]

I bought a nice TV for the car that works off the lighter socket.

Useless now !

Talking of which.........I still got my brother's 8 track somewhere in my garage..Mint condition