I'm going a tad non-musical with this post, but I think a few of you will get some benefit out of it.
I'm the proud owner of three different tablet computers:
* Very old Fujitsu Stylistic 5010D Windows Tablet. Made in 2004. They sell for about $100 on eBay.
* iPad 1. They sell for about $350 on eBay for a 16gb version.
* Kindle Keyboard 3G. They're $140, new.
Now, if you really wanted a cheap tablet that doesn't have mutitouch (it's got a stylus), the Fujitsu isn't bad: you can install Kindle and Nook apps, as well as apps that can read PDF and ePUB files. You can also play games and stuff on it. The drawbacks: it weighs about two pounds, the LCD display isn't the best and it's kinda slow. The maximum battery life is only about two hours. I use this for my one IT certification practice test app and it works beautifully for that. Someone also mentioned that there's an app out there -- somewhere -- that you can use to display music and tap a pedal (either USB or MIDI) to turn the pages. As this old tablet has a really ginormous display (I think it's 12.1"), it'd be perfect for that. Especially at $100.
The iPad 1 is great. Really. The multitouch implementation is the best I've seen on any tablet. Fun to use, etc. The screen is also extremely crisp, so it's OK for reading ... indoors. You've also got a great selection of applications, but not as many as the Fujitsu. This also means support for just about every eBook format. The battery life is extremely good, too.
The iPad 3 (or 2S) should be out in a couple months. That's going to drop the prices on the iPad 1 and 2. If you want 'em, that is: the iPad 3 is supposed to be much betterer, with much higher resolution screen, twice the speed, thinner and lighter, and less expensive.
Then there's my Kindle Keyboard. Why the heck did I buy it? Well, two reasons: the Kindle Keyboard is the only Kindle that has free 3G access to ALL websites -- although browsing them is a bit of a hassle. The Kindle Touch has access to only Wikipedia, Amazon and a couple other websites. It's also got, unarguably, the bestest screen for reading and a battery life that's measured in months -- if you're not doing much. The disadvantage is that the screen is slightly smaller than that of a standard paperback and the web experience would be much, much better if it had a true joystick or omnidirectional nub, like you see on a lot of laptops.
(Good thing to note: the Kindle Keyboard has two versions: one with "special offers" and one without. The "special offers" are only displayed when you're not using the device, so the only time you see it is when you turn the unit on. They don't display if you're reading a book or surfin' the web. Save $40 and buy the thing with "special offers.")
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Because I am computer geek at work, I've had the opportunity to check out:
* The Toshiba convertibles ("convertible" = "Twist the screen one way and it's a tablet. Twist it the other way and it's a fully-featured laptop"). Too thick and heavy.
* The thinnest Lenovo convertible. Lot thinner than the Toshibas, but not thin enough to use it comfortably as a tablet.
* The ASUSMacbook Air Ripoff Zenbook. Not a tablet. Light and thin. Multitouch trackpad absolutely, positively sucks. Considering you're really not supposed to use this thing with an external keyboard & mouse, this is a big, big minus. (Other reviewers have said approximately the same thing.)
* The Macbook Airs (11" and 13"). Not a tablet. Light and thin and has a really, really nice multitouch trackpad. Some folks will not like the fact it's a Mac, though. Expensive: the 11" Air and 13" ASUS are about the same price.
I'm the proud owner of three different tablet computers:
* Very old Fujitsu Stylistic 5010D Windows Tablet. Made in 2004. They sell for about $100 on eBay.
* iPad 1. They sell for about $350 on eBay for a 16gb version.
* Kindle Keyboard 3G. They're $140, new.
Now, if you really wanted a cheap tablet that doesn't have mutitouch (it's got a stylus), the Fujitsu isn't bad: you can install Kindle and Nook apps, as well as apps that can read PDF and ePUB files. You can also play games and stuff on it. The drawbacks: it weighs about two pounds, the LCD display isn't the best and it's kinda slow. The maximum battery life is only about two hours. I use this for my one IT certification practice test app and it works beautifully for that. Someone also mentioned that there's an app out there -- somewhere -- that you can use to display music and tap a pedal (either USB or MIDI) to turn the pages. As this old tablet has a really ginormous display (I think it's 12.1"), it'd be perfect for that. Especially at $100.
The iPad 1 is great. Really. The multitouch implementation is the best I've seen on any tablet. Fun to use, etc. The screen is also extremely crisp, so it's OK for reading ... indoors. You've also got a great selection of applications, but not as many as the Fujitsu. This also means support for just about every eBook format. The battery life is extremely good, too.
The iPad 3 (or 2S) should be out in a couple months. That's going to drop the prices on the iPad 1 and 2. If you want 'em, that is: the iPad 3 is supposed to be much betterer, with much higher resolution screen, twice the speed, thinner and lighter, and less expensive.
Then there's my Kindle Keyboard. Why the heck did I buy it? Well, two reasons: the Kindle Keyboard is the only Kindle that has free 3G access to ALL websites -- although browsing them is a bit of a hassle. The Kindle Touch has access to only Wikipedia, Amazon and a couple other websites. It's also got, unarguably, the bestest screen for reading and a battery life that's measured in months -- if you're not doing much. The disadvantage is that the screen is slightly smaller than that of a standard paperback and the web experience would be much, much better if it had a true joystick or omnidirectional nub, like you see on a lot of laptops.
(Good thing to note: the Kindle Keyboard has two versions: one with "special offers" and one without. The "special offers" are only displayed when you're not using the device, so the only time you see it is when you turn the unit on. They don't display if you're reading a book or surfin' the web. Save $40 and buy the thing with "special offers.")
===============
Because I am computer geek at work, I've had the opportunity to check out:
* The Toshiba convertibles ("convertible" = "Twist the screen one way and it's a tablet. Twist it the other way and it's a fully-featured laptop"). Too thick and heavy.
* The thinnest Lenovo convertible. Lot thinner than the Toshibas, but not thin enough to use it comfortably as a tablet.
* The ASUS
* The Macbook Airs (11" and 13"). Not a tablet. Light and thin and has a really, really nice multitouch trackpad. Some folks will not like the fact it's a Mac, though. Expensive: the 11" Air and 13" ASUS are about the same price.