CLoud? YOu mean ethernet support otr wifi-support or what?
I would have thought that every of these tablet with wifi support can do these things. (if they dont have some glitches. Even Ainol Aurora, I read, had some wifi disconnecting problems, so you had to take it appart and wrap some alu-foil around some wifiantena part to get it working properly. Ainol supposedly forgot to implement that part properly So, whats better than little DIY on your tablet to get it working. Priceless )
And that I would be able to connect it easily to my router (or any other), and also when on the way, to connect it to the internet, via cell-phone (over wifi connection with phone), if there is no internet hotspot nearby.
If you mean some more advanced method oof sharing files, its not so important to me, I can always copy some file, wireless or not.
What I mean is that these devices will often be used for purposes other than what they were originally purchased for. Therefore, compatibility with the android ecosystem is a more valuable asset IMO than the minutia of HW specs. IOW, I’d rather have an “outdated” tablet where everything works than a new one which is buggy.
Sometimes what I will do when getting into something new to me is buy an ultra cheap version of what ever it is and use it as a way to educate me as to the pros and cons of the more expensive versions. This usually works out very well for me because it enables me to make a wise choice on my eventual purchase. By being an educated consumer I can stay away from expensive mistakes and get just what I need. The total cost of the first ultra cheap item and the ultimate purchase is usually lower than if I just went out and bought something. Besides, I am able to get excited twice this way and able to fully appreciate the difference of the good versus the cheap one.
So if I don’t know what to do, I will “buy cheap and figure it out later”
I have an Ainol Aurora I and an Elf II (replacement from DinoDirect for the Aurora I - taking the insurances for $1-2 certainly paid off). The Aurora I has the superior screen (IPS - viewing angles), but the touchscreen functionality has problems on the edges... it works but I have to touch the area multiple times until it registers where I want to... many Aurora I+II seem to have that problem depending on which screen is built in (hitachi/LG). The Elf II has only a TN-display, but together with the DarkElf 1.1 Rom it works pretty well.
If I would have to buy now my checklist would be:
7-8" inch tablet
capacitive IPS screen with at least 1024*600 resolution better 1280*800
MicroSDHC slot (Google Nexus and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 don't have that -> expensive memory upgrades)
HDMI port (Google Nexus and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 don't have that -> the Chinese tablets are also awesome media players for the living room... just connect a wireless mouse)
USB OTG for mouse/keyboard/USB-sticks/USB-HDDs conectivity
1 GB RAM.
8-16 GB flash memory.
Bluetooth -> connect it to your smartphones and surf on the larger screen. BT mice/keyboards
Dual or quad-core based on the ARM Cortex A9 technology. AML8726-M6/MX or RK3066
Android 4.0 or better 4.1
The new upcoming Acer Iconia seems to be what I'm looking for.
TN vs IPS (tablets should have an IPS-screen for better viewing angles.(7:30) standard TN-TFTs often have very narrow viewing angles, resulting in weird effects ... like each eye is seeing different colors etc. )
resistive vs capacitive (capacitive is pretty much industry standard right now and way better than resistive)
For US buyers, the cheapest tablet I would get is the B&N color nook and root it. They pop up on ebay for <100. I assume these were being sold at a loss because they surpass the quality of equivalent products from 2nd/3rd tier manufacturers.
Unless you’re buying a first class (:money_mouth_face: tablet, OS support from the factory is basically useless. For the best user experience I would look for the cheapest thing you can get that’s supported by cyanogenmod/AOKP or similar.
something with a 7-8 inch high res screen is a must IMHO. The large tablets are too heavy and awkward to hang onto and handle as e readers for more than a few minutes.
I have a Galaxy 7.7 and an Acer Iconia A500. The galaxy gets used a lot, the A500 not so much.
The smaller form factor is perfect book size and much lighter. I have a good convertible case cover for it so it props up in bed perfectly for a late night read or early frosty morning lay in.
My phone is an HTC One XL and is great as an EDC device. I do a lot of browsing and reading here on it too, when I am out. The phone gets the most use of the three. I have been very happy with HTC devices, this is the latest in a string of smartphones I have had from them. Number six I think.
I did look at the Galaxy Note but thought it a bit too big for EDC.
Generally though, I much prefer my Macbook Air to any of them. I really like a good keyboard for text input. Great screen. It’s small, light and very portable and I got it as a runout model for only slightly more than an iPad.
Now if they only made the Air with a rotating touch screen …
The original poster of this thread listed some ultra cheap tablets in the <$100 range . So even the $150 Chinese tablets I posted are already stretching his budget probably. But I feel that the sub $100 price range is too limiting these days. If you are really tight on money and don't want to spend $150 and don't need BT.... the Ainol Novo 7 Crystal looks promising. I would not buy tablets with single core SoCs anymore. BTW I said it before that I have trouble spending money north of $200 for a throwaway item. (batteries can't be changed) I have a Huawei Ideos X3 smartphone and while they are one of the nicer Chinese manufacturers, I think I would go with a different brand for that kind of money.
My pont is that smaller and higher resolution screen and size is for me the deciding factor on how usable the device is.
Unfortunately, the tradeoff is price. I doubt that ultra low end devices will fulfil their function well.
I love a bargain as much as anyone, but practicality eventually wins out over low cost. Some things you just have to spend the money on if you use them a lot.
Not trying to brag, just share my experience. I have probably spent more on cheap low end gadgets than on good ones. Now, I look around and compare very carefully. Sometimes budget wins and sometimes the quality difference is so great high end wins.
Either way, choose carefully. There is some merit in buying a cheap one until you establish how much you really need or will use the item. If you use it a lot then a high quality example may be a worthwhile investment. Just sayin.
Its easy to get wowed by big tablets until you try holding one to read for a while and get hand cramps after five minutes.
But something small with a low res screen will give you eye strain and maybe headaches too.
Small and high res usually, at least at this time, with tablets means more expensive. You need to consider the type of usage you need the device for and spend the most money on that feature.
If you want it mainly for reading e-books, then get a Kindle or similar and save the bucks. If you want an all in one, then I doubt a cheapie will cut the mustard.
The Nexus 7 is the best tablet you can buy for the price ratio.
It uses a quad core 1.3 ghz processor with 1gb RAM. Latest Android 4.1.2 software. (updated a few days ago). With the Nexus you can very easily unlock, root and install custom OSes.
I have one of these and highly recommend it, a 32gb version is coming out soon, and rumoured 3G.
There is a rumoured iPad Mini, though I don’t like how expensive Apple products are for what you get and I absolutely hate their business practices.
You can buy direct from Google Play Store or find one at an electronics retailer near you.
EDIT: I believe most electronic retailers have usable display models. Go try the tablets there.
Samsung Tabs are only dual core vs quad core Asus tablets. (Nexus 7 is manufatured by Asus)
And also I have my Nexus 7 overclocked to 1.7 ghz and it is glorious, the dynamic frequency clocking is great for battery too.
The nexus feels “faster” due to the UI optimizations 4.1, not because of quad core (or anything > 1 core) or any amount of ram. The android system isn’t designed to take advantage of any of that.
That’s why the intel android single core chips beat any of the ARMs.
Well, while the Nexus 7 might be great for playing complex games at home, the lack of 3G makes it less practical for its intended function: being transportable.
Quadcore is (currently) overkill for most people. Anything except for games runs perfectly on dualcores.
It’s very unlikely anything > 1 will ever be useful in mobile space (which is power constrained). Even on desktops, with far more sophisticated apps, single thread performance is most critical.
What’s not true? Everything in android was designed for 1 processor on a phone. Is that difficult to believe?
But there is a noticeable difference between single, dual and quadcore. These mobile cpus work different from those in desktops.
I dont know about RAM though, but I'm sure Android will be adapted to better hardware.
Android might once have been designed for one CPU, but we are up to 4.1 now. Just compare a dualcore Samsung tablet with an Asus quadcore tablet side by side.
While performance on a single core is important, the thing with these tablet processors are that the quad core processor here and the single/dual core processors are around the same clock speeds. They also perform quite similar per core.
I use my Nexus 7 for book reading, internet browsing with WiFi at home and heavy 3D gaming. I have a dual core tablet and that lagged on some games that run perfectly on my Nexus 7.
Android can and does take advantage of multiple cores and GPU rendering. The UI smoothing in 4.1 is very noticeable and it works, but if you compare it to iOS products the iOS ones are smoother because Apple coded the UI to be atop level process, this means that UI is processed above everything.
Lack of 3G does make a dent in portable usage for some people. But why not buy a pocket WiFi device with a data sim card? I use my phone for portable internet usage. You could also tether your phone to your tablet.
So, whats better than little DIY on your tablet to get it working. Priceless 
)