| Author | Message | ||
     Hybridmomentspass |
Im curious if any of you have personal experience with one of these three options for college I am returning to school, I am wanting to be a teacher, and wanted to ask yalls opinion on the matter. I've read a few things that are a bit dated (mid 2010) that showed the cost of real book vs ebook etc, not a huge price difference, would take several semesters to compensate the cost. But thats not bad if I, or anyone, is planning on being in school for 3+ years. Im thinking about weight savings, portability etc I have a laptop that stays at home, and i also have a netbook which goes with me many places. I am NOT looking to replace either with a tablet/ereader/ipad - i love having a real keyboard etc But just thinking of maybe adding to it all with one of these units. Please advise, please tell me your opinion on the things Thanks a ton GO | ||
| Court |
I think you may have a tough time finding text books online but that may be a function of your chosen curriculum. I have a couple students who use iPads for taking notes . . . quite cool really . . they write away and the thing is constantly converting the written notes to searchable text. If that is of any interest I can find the app they are using. | ||
| Froggy |
It depends on what its going to be used for. If you are just using it for books, get a Kindle or similar e-reader. They have a different kind of screen that makes it easier to look at for extended periods of times. You can read books on any device, but it is naturally easier on a Kindle. If you are going to be doing prettymuch anything else, get a tablet like the Motorola Xoom. The ipad is just a waste of money. | ||
| Greg_e |
E-textbooks are just as stupidly priced as regular printed textbooks, there really isn't enough savings to justify the e-reader. For the longest time the publishers claimed that the printing cost were a majority of the cost, now that some have an electronic version they claim the cost of gathering the (ofter outdated) information is the real expense so they can justify the money they are taking in. It is all just one big scam to get rich off their books. Add to that the lack of publishers willing to have an electronic version of the book and it really doesn't make a lot of sense right now. | ||
| Hootowl |
"The ipad is just a waste of money" Well that just like, your opinion, man.  | ||
| Greg_e |
The Xoom is also a waste of money, it is a maybe $300 device with a $200 name on the outside. The Archos tablets are lower priced and might work, but I won't recommend them because their support for problems is not very good. You would be better off with some kind of crap-pad (cheapo Android tablet) that sells in the under $200 range. After that I think Dell has a combo Laptop/tablet running Win7 that would be a good choice since you actually have a real keyboard attached and can do real work. I think Acre may also have a notebook/tablet combo that would fall in the under or around $500 range. | ||
| Froggy |
Greg, I own a Xoom, and a $100 Android tablet, and have some ipad experience. The Xoom runs on Android 3.0 while all the cheapo tablets run the outdated inferior and not tablet optimized versions of android. The cheap tablets are just that, cheap garbage. The ipad suffers from all the usual Apple problems with not being able to do a what you want because Jobs says no. While expensive, Android 3 and the Xoom are simply the best you can get, period. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
I like my ViewSonic G-Tab. ...once i loaded a custom ROM on it. Garbage out of the box. But, it's really one of the best of the "cheap" tablets, very strong hardware (same processor as the Xoom) but for <$300. | ||
| Hammer71 |
Only thing I can't do on my I pad is tps reset/datalog. Works for what I need it for | ||
| Court |
I have a Faber #2 lead pencil and an Evidence legal pad . . . somehow I'm getting along too many degrees later.  | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Yeah, the Xoom is flying off the shelves, people love it...... .....Unless they don't. http://www.intomobile.com/2011/04/06/motorola-has- sold-mere-100000-xoom-tablets-since-launch/ | ||
| Sayitaintso |
I'm loving my rooted Nook Color...... | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I would love to find a tablet that was capable enough to load my dictionaries on, provided a tab for cyrillic writing, with text conversion, and a picture data base for key word searches when you just cant remember the f'n right one. it beats the 300 lbs of reference material in the book shelf. | ||
| Loki |
just my two cents worth. I have had an iPad from nearly day one. Where I go it goes. The only thing it was lacking to me, was the tactile feel of a keyboard. I have since solved it with the addition of a BT keyboard. I have it when I really need it. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
I want one, not for taking notes, but for the books, to not kill my shoulders and back with the weight of text books. Any of you using one for your text books for college? | ||
| Froggy |
The things you need are different from the things I need. The iPad cannot play Flash, it does not have a built in HDMI or MicroSD slots. Yea you can get overpriced adapters with limited functionality, but I like being able to clone my entire display onto a TV so I can watch videos, and not just the applications that Apple approves to work on the external display. The best part is, I don’t need to jailbreak or hack or root the Xoom in order to do what I want. Want to load a 3rd party program that isn’t in the market? Just enable the option in the security menu to allow it.
Funny, because the Xoom was sold out at every Best Buy I tried to get one at on release day back in the end of March. I ordered it online with in store pickup, and got the last one at my local shop. One of my friends went to get one; we hit about 6 Best Buys and 2 Staples before we found one still in stock for him. What I love is that the article you linked is dated April 6th, only a week and a half after release of the Wi-Fi Xoom. It has been on sale since February if you wanted the more expensive Verizon version requiring a plan. Obviously the releasing with only the more expensive version that requires a data plan would hurt initial sales figures. The Appleish price isn’t helping either, but you get what you pay for with this, unlike the iPad. Last time I checked, sales weren’t a measure of how great a product it is, otherwise the Honda Civic would be a better car than the Ferrari Enzo, and McDonalds cheeseburgers would better than Five Guys Hybrid, for your intended use I think a Kindle type E-Reader would be best. | ||
| Drkside79 |
I like the kindle and for $139 its a steal. Oh and the books sync to your cell so no need to get the 3G one IMO | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Yes, the more I look into it I think an Ereader is a better option. Color though. because I dont NEED another device with all of those options I could save coin and go with just a reader. Im going to go to the school bookstore next week, look at price of books and see if the publishers offer ebook forms and consider all of that before pulling the trigger on it | ||
| Videoninja |
It's pretty amazing how much apple is relentlessly hated by some. | ||
| Eboos |
I am also back in school now, and I don't even take my laptop with me each day anymore. Good old fashion books; I would much rather have books then have to download and scroll for everything. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>It's pretty amazing how much apple is relentlessly hated by some.<< They get hacked off because the people who actually buy and use the products don't care what the haters think. Ipad didn't suit my work requirements. I bought a macbook for the same money as a a G3 pad. Connectivity issues - and I use flash on my own web site. I would like one as a toy/entertainment device though. When they get cheap enough. | ||
| Rudy |
During my undergrad I bought the majority of my books used on amazon. It was hard to support the bookstore when the prices were insane and the sell back prices were awful. It sucks, but carrying around books was/is the best option for me. I don't like reading things on screens for extended periods of time... | ||
| Billyboy |
Rudy, the Kindle isn't like reading things on a back lit screen. It's non eye-straining, and a pleasure to read. My wife gave me one for Christmas a couple years back because she hated the tons of books laying around and I haven't looked back. I can't speak for textbook pros and cons, but I love my Kindle. | ||
| Froggy |
Rudy, you would love the Kindle screen. It isn't a normal LCD, it does not strain your eyes. Honestly, It doesn't even look like a screen, the text looks like a real book, then you press the next page button and its like "HOLY CRAP! IT MOVES!" | ||
| Court |
Checked with students tonight. . .they are using NOTES PLUS |
