what do you think of off-brand sub-$100 tablets?

[mpvue]

ebay has lots of Chinese sellers with $85-125 android 4.0 tablets. I fully understand 'you get what you pay for' but good basic low end electronics is something the Chinese excel at (besides the fact that the high end tablets are made in China also)and it would be for a child (or three)
I just can't see getting a child a real ipad or nexus or kindle or whatever.

thoughts?

 

[dparm]

They always seem to have some major shortcoming, like a 2 hour battery life. If you're fine with their disposable nature, I'm sure you'll get by.

The Nexus 7 is such a good deal, though...

 

[supton]

I bought my Nextbook 7 from Big Lots, and I've been quite well pleased. Long battery life, although if you leave the WiFi on, then set to hibernate, it does not last nearly as long. It also lacks a camera, which I thought I didn't want, but at times I think I would...

My biggest complaint? I wanted one of the tri-fold leather things, so I could stand it up. Cost $40! I paid I think $106 for the tablet, and I recently saw a cheaper tablet.

But after using it, and realizing that it slips into my Dockers reasonably well, I'm not so sure I want a smartphone any more. Much larger screen makes it easier to read; and a removable SD card means gobs of space.

 

[mpvue]

the ones I'm looking at have android 4.0, camera, case, keyboard, home and car chargers for like $79 free shipping.

 

[NateDN10]

I see what you mean - the kids love to watch videos and such on touchscreen devices.

However, some of the cheap tablets are truly awful.

ArsTechnica did another review more recently of a different cheap Chinese tablet that fared much better, but I can't find it now.

 

[FADEC]

Just checked ebay myself. LOTS of cheap tablets from about $63 on up. Thought about getting one for short trips when you don't want to lug the laptop around.

The question is which one?? They all look pretty much similar.

 

[mpvue]

well, i bit the bullet, just bought THREE of them, so I might be the biggest sucker, or the best Dad, we'll find on in 8-13 business days...

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: daddi
Just checked ebay myself. LOTS of cheap tablets from about $63 on up. Thought about getting one for short trips when you don't want to lug the laptop around.

The question is which one?? They all look pretty much similar.

I choose based on feedback, and I read how many returns they got.

 

[uc50ic4more]

I have an awful, awful, awful off-off-brand piece of garbage. My understanding of them is this:

Some off-brand "brands" will assemble tablets using the cheapest-of-the-cheap components and use generic Android ROM's. Then there are gems like mine, where dubious, fly-by-night manufacturers make knock-offs of the off-brand hardware using even cheaper and often non-standard chips and chipsets and ROM's that are not even remotely tested on that hardware. The results are hit-and-miss software running on inappropriately underpowered hardware.

Mine crashes randomly and often. I'd love to tell you what make and model it is, but it is entirely unbranded. I have found some limited and very specific uses for it, though: It streams internet radio OK as well as plays music fairly well. If I jiggle the cable in the HDMI jack just the right way I can play back some video on my TV. It excels at playing movies and silly games for the kids. The interface is painfully slow and I have yet to find a web browser that works. The screen is of the type where you need to depress a screen onto another screen to do anything and therefore typing and using the GUI is a brutal affair.

I would say that if your needs are very, very rudimentary you can get by with using one of these things as application-specific devices (read: doing one thing at a time).

 

[bepperb]

I got a refurb Acer A500 tablet for less than 200 bucks, and immediately upgraded it to 4.0. I'd take that over an off brand tablet any day, for double the price it's a no-brainer.

After actually using it I really like the HDMI output (for hotels) and if I bought another I'd want something faster, not slower (which is what an off-brand tablet will get you).

Also, my kids love it (ages 3, 4) for where's my water, angry birds... etc. The nice thing about the Acer is that you can get a cheap TPU case for it which protects the screen and camera lenses but doesn't make it horribly thick.

 

[BearZDefect]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
well, i bit the bullet, just bought THREE of them, so I might be the biggest sucker, or the best Dad, we'll find on in 8-13 business days...

If one intended use is in-car entertainment for children, please let us know if any of them have speakers loud and clear enough to make a movie comprehensible in a moving car.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
well, i bit the bullet, just bought THREE of them, so I might be the biggest sucker, or the best Dad, we'll find on in 8-13 business days...


Anxiously awaiting your results - we've been looking at low end tablets as well and I was curious as to how some of the cheapo ones actually work.

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: mpvue
well, i bit the bullet, just bought THREE of them, so I might be the biggest sucker, or the best Dad, we'll find on in 8-13 business days...


Anxiously awaiting your results - we've been looking at low end tablets as well and I was curious as to how some of the cheapo ones actually work.

no problem; I always wonder about things like this and try to gather opinions, but most are just that- opinions. so I figured I'll be the one to try it and share my actual experience, instead of just here say.

 

[2Fast4U]

Don't go cheap it is not worth it. Just look at horrible reviews of cheap tabs on Amazon compaired to good ones. Get a refurbished tf101 or Sammy galaxy.

 

[itguy08]

They are Android which given the [censored]-tastic that my Droid X was I'd stay away like the plague.... Most likely they will never get upgraded and you will be stuck with all the little bugs and mess that is Android... Pony up the $$ for a decent tablet.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
They are Android which given the [censored]-tastic that my Droid X was I'd stay away like the plague.... Most likely they will never get upgraded and you will be stuck with all the little bugs and mess that is Android... Pony up the $$ for a decent tablet.


That's the beauty of Android - you can use it as-is or flash the ROM of your choice. Cyanogenmod breathed new life into my 2-year-old phone that's running quicker and more responsive now than when it was new - it's also available for your Droid X.

For some folks, paying the extra for an iPad may be worth it but not for me... the market for tablets right now is too immature in my opinion.

 

[crw]

There is something to a product that really changes things, that really becomes part of your life. About 4 years ago I took the plunge and bought an iPod Touch. To this day, it's still in my left front pocket and I still use it all the time. You have to compare that to something that's cheap and you just want to get rid of it... and then buying another,... and then finally buying a good one. You'd be money ahead by buying the good product in the first place.

Meanwhile, each member of my family of seven now has an iPod Touch, and my wife and I also have the latest iPad. Sometimes I turn it on simply to be soothed by the amazing colors. Really! I fully expect to still be using the iPad years from now. And I'm fully up-to-date with what each of my 30 nieces and nephews did today...

Some of the "competing" Android devices are probably pretty good, I just can't speak to them.

 

[Cutehumor]

I've seen these cheap sub 100 tablets at places like big lots. they are Polaroid brand tablets with android ice cream sandwich. I thought about picking one of these up just to use while I'm watching tv. (yeah, I know, but I ignore the tv commercials) I have a kindle fire I got for xmas that I never see anymore because my wife is an avid book reader.

here's what I'm talking about: there's another brand called pandigital that I never heard of. seems like big lots is king of the cheap electronics made in China off brands.

http://www.biglots.com/p/d/electronics/p...let-white-black

 

[Vikas]

Has Amazon dropped the classic Kindle Fire price? It is a very nice device.

 

[mpvue]

got them in today! initial impressions are pretty good, the kids took to them right away. functionally, they are just like my friend's new nexus 7 I was playing with the other day.
I'm really not used to the whole tough screen tablet thing, I still prefer a mouse and keyboard so I don't know if I'll get myself one.
but the kids are right at home with them.
time will tell if they hold up or if the battery life is any good.