Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Below is a review of several tablets I tried in MY chronological sequence with them, with explanations of why I rejected all but the Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 tablet. I am placing the same review under each model I tried. Background - I am now 65 - NOT a member of the electronic generation! I love playing Scrabble and thought intensive games in general. I know very little about smart phones or tablets. I firmly believe that a company OWES SUPPORT to their consumers and NOT at additional cost! Customer service is VERY important to me! Before anyone accuses me of bias: I have NO connection to ANY of the companies mentioned. I am simply a consumer relating my personal experiences! iPad - first generation - EVERYTHING you do with it is tied to iTunes. When I tried it, there was absolutely NO manual or documentation available for iTunes. Beyond the first 90 days Apple wants to charge for tech support. I found iTunes and the Apple OS to be confusing and difficult to use. The tablet, itself, performed well but I prefer an OS that allows direct folder and file access. Samsung Galaxy 7 inch tablet first generation. This device runs Android 2.3. It is now several years old and STILL functions perfectly. The battery still holds an all day charge with moderate usage. I have never found an app that is "incompatible" with this model. This is an important point in the reviews that follow. I even used it to shoot surprisingly excellent videos of a music/dance presentation in a dimly lit auditorium. Now, several years later, with cataracts growing in both eyes as well as "floaters" in both eyes, I was seeking a screen larger than the 7 inch. Motorola Xoom 10.1 tablet. It is HEAVY. While it worked well, for reasons unknown to me it was not compatible with several of my favorite apps. Furthermore, the screen seems to get greasy very quickly! Asus TF300 Transformer 10.1 inch tablet. While the construction of mine was solid, all the other negative observations of other reviewers were immediately apparent. The tablet would not maintain wi-fi contact even close to my router. The Asus TF300 was also incompatible with many of my favorite apps. Finally, the Asus TF300 (and TF700 mentioned below) has a strange auto-spelling correct system that FREQUENTLY screwed up my typing. To their credit, Asus did answer my question with instructions on how to turn the spelling correction off, but only via email. They have NO telephone tech support. Samsung Galaxy NOTE 10.1 inch tablet. While it offers a pull out writing stylus AND a rear facing autofocus camera, I saw little difference between it and the Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 table discussed below. At roughly $200 more than the Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 tablet, although it performed well, I did not feel it was worth the difference in price. Asus TF700 Transformer Infinity - suffers many of the same problems as the less expensive TF300 model. SPASTIC OS, intermittent wi-fi disconnection. The auto-brightness control also appeared not to work or not to work properly. Perhaps worst of all, possibly because of the increased resolution (the improved resolution was NOT apparent to MY eyes - it appeared to me about the same as all the other tablets) the device is incompatible with MANY apps! Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 tablet. It performed as well as my first generation Samsung Galaxy 7 inch tablet until I tried to download the QuickMark app to scan bar and QR codes. According to the app developer, the app is incompatible with the tablet because the tablet does NOT have an "autofocus" rear facing camera. A phone call to Samsung tech support, and YES - Samsung BELIEVES in customer support at no extra charge, confirmed the absence of autofocus in the rear facing camera! Since I do NOT carry the tablet with me when I go shopping and am NOT likely to scan Bar or QR codes often, I felt I could live without the autofocus rear camera. However, I did find a different QR code app that DOES work on the tablet. I have now had the tablet for a week and am loving it. SO FAR, I have not found any incompatible apps other than QuickMark. I find the screen to be bright and sharp (auto brightness works well), and the contrast to be superb. I have used it to watch Big Bang Theory via the TBS app. The Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 inch tablet maintains strong wi-fi connection both anywhere in my home and at the school where I attend classes. Other than the lack of autofocus in the rear camera and the lack of direct USB connectivity without their proprietary cable (sadly, this lack of standardization is still common amongst tablet manufacturers), I have absolutely no complaints at this time. IF you do not need or can live without a rear camera that autofocuses (it DOES have a rear camera and a front camera for SKYPE and other functions), I highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 tablet. At the current price of $300 for the wi-fi 16GB model (memory is expandable through a micro SD card. I see no need for a 32GB model), it is VERY reasonable! I think there are also cell phone service compatible models at additional cost. Advice to tablet shoppers: 1 - Buy from a source that allows easy returns without restocking fees. Amazon is EXCELLENT for their customer service, but you may want to buy from a local store to avoid shipping time and costs. Buy from a source that does NOT charge a restocking fee AND allows a reasonable time for device trial. 2 - Download as many apps that are free and that look appealing to you. Try each one at least briefly. NOTE any apps that are not compatible with the tablet you are testing. How important are they to you? 3 - Look at each screen under bright and dim lighting. How do YOU find the brightness (usually adjustable, if auto-brightness does not work well for you), the contrast, the sharpness? 4 - Log into your email account and/or create a Gmail account. Type an email to someone. Does the auto spelling correct work well for you? Is the virtual keyboard suited to your style and needs? 5 - Play with the tablet for a whole day, if you can afford the luxury of sitting with it on. See how long the battery lasts.