Topic: Tablet buying advice?

[TagniK'ZuR]

Hi All,

I'm trying to get my GF a tablet for her to use at University, taking notes, etc. Unfortunately I know next to nothing about tablets, I want to get something that wont break the bank but will still remain relevant for a couple of years (A stylus is not an absolute requirement for her, but I do feel it would simplify her life quite a bit. 3G and phone is not a requirement). Some of the tablets I've had a look at include:

MSI Primo 81

ASUS TABLET, Z2560,MULTI TOUCH,7"

Lenovo S6000

Prestigio 8.0" Multipad Note PMP7880D 3G (seems to have quite a few nice extras)

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 16GB WiFi (Pretty much my budget limit)

Any advice/suggestions you guys can make on the matter, would be highly appreciated.

[Grand Master Lomandalis]

If the primary use is for work at University (ie word processing), I would say go for the Microsoft Surface.  You can get one of the models that has Office already installed and have the software there needed for taking notes.  Also with the keyboards you can get she will find taking notes a lot easier than trying to use the virtual keyboard on all other tablets.  Even though you can put them into landscape mode and type that way, I find that you can cause more mistypes because you don't have defined keys.  With the Surface you can get the keyboard that is closer to an actual keyboard, giving you all the functions of a laptop in a fraction of the size.

If the surface isn't your thing, or outside of your budget, I can't give you much help there.  It may not be a bad idea to go into a tech store and talk to someone to get a professional opinion on what you should get.  But for the love of god make sure it is a place that specializes in selling computers / technology.  Places like Walmart are terrible for getting advice

[TagniK'ZuR]

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately, the surface appears to be about double what my budget is. That's why I'd prefer something with a stylus, but I've also been told that you get some neat cases that come with Bluetooth keyboards.

Unfortunately, I have less faith in our tech store "professionals" than you seem to have in your Walmart employees (Reinforced yesterday when one such employee didn't know the difference between a kettle cord and a figure eight cord)