Tablet.

[LarryUK]

Who uses a Tablet and what do you have?

I have an iPad 2 and since the past few updates it's useless, ios 8 has ruined it. Constant crashing etc. So, I'm after a new one.

Tempted by the iPad Air. But the Samsung Galaxy tad 3/4 look ok. What do you recommend?

[Guest Farnsbarns]

There's no difference functionally between android and iOS really. So, to me, the consideration is whether all the add on hardware available for idevices outweighs all the proprietary connectors, more expensive aps and closed source system as well as the spying. I can see the attraction to iDevices for the musician with iRig etc.

[sg50]

The Air and Air 2 are great tablets. I agree that the iPad 2 is useless nowadays. I gave mine up. I use my phone for most of that business anyway.

 

There's no difference functionally between android and iOS really. So, to me, the consideration is whether all the add on hardware available for idevices outweighs all the proprietary connectors, more expensive aps and closed source system as well as the spying. I can see the attraction to iDevices for the musician with iRig etc.

 

That's like saying there's no difference functionally between Gibson and BC Rich. And the rest of your thinly-veiled propaganda is baseless and without merit.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

The Air and Air 2 are great tablets. I agree that the iPad 2 is useless nowadays. I gave mine up. I use my phone for most of that business anyway.

 

 

 

That's like saying there's no difference functionally between Gibson and BC Rich. And the rest of your thinly-veiled propaganda is baseless and without merit.

 

OK, that was quite aggressive, hey ho. Just some facts...

 

iOS is a closed source system.

 

On average, apps available on both platforms are 50% more expensive on iDevices.

 

The connectors are proprietary on iDevices.

 

None of that is propaganda, it's simple irrefutable fact.

 

There are huge advantages to iDevices, especially for the musician. That is not propaganda, it's irrefutable fact.

 

I thought my response was quite measured and devoid of opinion. For what it's worth, had I made a direct recommendation it would be for the iPad in LasH's case.

 

Perhaps you could explain the functional differences between a Gibson and a BC Rich coz I'm strugling. Just interested, given the analogy you drew. (Don't really, I'm sure LH wouldn't want his thread hijacked).

[Marky Forrest]

I have a Samsung 3 10.1 running 4.4.2 and I like it. Aside from iRig, as Farnsbarns pointed out, there is the issue of the Android OS not being compatible with Flash Player. Adobe stopped allowing their Flash Player to work with Android in their updates quite a while ago. Dolphin browser is supposed to be able to run Flash vids but I didn't have much luck with that. I use Mozilla Firefox and downloaded an old version of Flash which works most of the time. I read that Adobe and Android (Google) are mending the fences, so to speak, and soon there will be Flash updates that will be Android friendly.

[Searcy]

The Air and Air 2 are great tablets. I agree that the iPad 2 is useless nowadays. I gave mine up. I use my phone for most of that business anyway.

 

 

 

That's like saying there's no difference functionally between Gibson and BC Rich. And the rest of your thinly-veiled propaganda is baseless and without merit.

 

Well, there IS no difference functionally between Gibson and BC Rich. It all just depends on what image you want to purchase to make yourself more cool.

[Searcy]

WE have a little bit of everything in our house. I have a small cheap Samsung tablet. My wife has the HUGE 10" expensive Samsung tablet. Mine is a very slow device but her's is a very fast one. I also have an iPhone 5s. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. I like the hardware performance of the iSO gear. It hangs up less and runs quicker with the apps in my observation. However I do NOT like that iSO updates are not reversible. I don't like that there is no SD card slot to expand memory and I don't like that file transfers to and from the device need to run through iTunes

 

The performance of the Samsung Android gear that we have seems to be very much connected to how much you paid for the device. My wifes tablet screams and works well with all her apps. The apps are free or cheap. As Farns noted there is not a lot of the cool art hardware out there for her Samsung Android tablet. I kinda though there would be as it has this huge port on the bottom that looks a lot like the old iSO port.

 

Another reason we bought my wife the 10" Samsung Note2 was that the equivalent tablet from Apple had to have a data plan of it's own where as the Samsung worked only on WiFi and didn't have to have a data plan to work.

 

Which one is best? It all depends on how you plan to use it.

[BobF_]

Well, there IS no difference functionally between Gibson and BC Rich. It all just depends on what image you want to purchase to make yourself more cool.

 

With tablets, I prefer to project the image of an intelligent, free thinking individual. That's the reason I opted for an Acer running Android. 2 years and a couple of major updates later and it still does what it has always done very well.

 

Since my guitars don't connect to the internet (and none have keyboards, soft or otherwise), I prefer Gibson*.

 

 

* For now I prefer pre 2015 model Gibsons. This is subject to change on a whim.

[sg50]

OK, that was quite aggressive, hey ho. Just some facts...

 

iOS is a closed source system.

 

On average, apps available on both platforms are 50% more expensive on iDevices.

 

The connectors are proprietary on iDevices.

 

None of that is propaganda, it's simple irrefutable fact.

 

There are huge advantages to iDevices, especially for the musician. That is not propaganda, it's irrefutable fact.

 

I thought my response was quite measured and devoid of opinion. For what it's worth, had I made a direct recommendation it would be for the iPad in LasH's case.

 

Perhaps you could explain the functional differences between a Gibson and a BC Rich coz I'm strugling. Just interested, given the analogy you drew. (Don't really, I'm sure LH wouldn't want his thread hijacked).

 

Well, if you want to go line by line:

 

Android is not open-source in the way open-source has become vernacular. lousy cnet link It's got some of the tenets, but what you have on your Galaxy is not something one can download and modify. I will agree, however, that Android (Kindle Fire excepted) does make it easy to develop on the device itself.

 

iOS apps aren't more expensive when you consider some metrics: Another lousy link but they are when you consider others: better link. But really, are we complaining about a 19¢ app? If so, I concede. Apps on iOS, will cost several dollars more (maybe as much as five dollars) over the life of the device.

 

Not only iRig and Apogee's line up are boons to musicians, but the proprietary/exclusive Garageband app by itself makes iOS an excellent choice for musicians.

 

The connectors are proprietary, yes. So what? It's not like you can't find a lightning connector out there, and USB adapters are readily available.

 

Google, the corporation behind Android, may be the largest spyware company in the world. What do you mean by "all the spying" in iOS?

 

Functional difference between BC Rich and Gibson? I suppose if you define the function of a guitar as something with 6 strings that makes noise, then they're all the same aren't they? But if we define the functionality by the tone it produces, the weight of the instrument, the feel of it in your hands, and the quality of the materials, then I hope we can agree there's a difference. If not, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[yelf]

As far as I'm concerned, I own an ipad 2.

Even with IOS8, that's not that terrible.

I use Jamup Pro with my Epiphone.

 

As far as Android is concerned, if you want to be able tu use application sush as Amplitube,

you will need an "Android devices that support Samsung Professional Audio technology,

like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 require Android 5 Lollipop."

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ikmultimediaus.android.amplitubese

 

I would love to know what a Windows Tablet sush as the HP stream 7

is able to do with Amplitube 3 or another software.

 

By the way, my iRig work with my ipad 2, my Android phone and my windows netbook.

My Rocksmith USB guitar adapters work with both Android and Windows host USB.

 

Indeed, iOS apps are more expensive than Android'.

[BobF_]

Actually, Android source is available ...

 

BUT, I guess I can't really participate in this for one very important reason. When I'm playing guitar, my tablet couldn't be further away from me (in a practical sense).

 

My phone isn't smart. It's for making/receiving calls. My tablet isn't for anything serious or seriously fun. I had a FB account long enough to realize I don't care all that much about people's smelly, sticky reproductive results, and more importantly, the idea that if you don't pay for a service, then you are the product.

[Drog]

I have an iPad2, yes it does crash while surfing the last update did fix some other issues. Still enjoy my Apple products, though things feel like they have changed since Steve Jobs passed.

Typed this with my iPad, matter of fact I rarely touch my computer these days.

[brc]

I have been using wireless lap tops for years and never gave a tablet a second thought, but my daughter gave me the Ipad Air for Christmas, and so far I am impressed with it.

I did have one of the first Ipads that came out years ago, and it got to be such a pain in the arse to use, I just gave it to Goodwill.

With my Iphone and now the Ipad, I only use my lap top for printing.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Well, if you want to go line by line:

 

Android is not open-source in the way open-source has become vernacular. lousy cnet link It's got some of the tenets, but what you have on your Galaxy is not something one can download and modify. I will agree, however, that Android (Kindle Fire excepted) does make it easy to develop on the device itself.

 

iOS apps aren't more expensive when you consider some metrics: Another lousy link but they are when you consider others: better link. But really, are we complaining about a 19¢ app? If so, I concede. Apps on iOS, will cost several dollars more (maybe as much as five dollars) over the life of the device.

 

Not only iRig and Apogee's line up are boons to musicians, but the proprietary/exclusive Garageband app by itself makes iOS an excellent choice for musicians.

 

The connectors are proprietary, yes. So what? It's not like you can't find a lightning connector out there, and USB adapters are readily available.

 

Google, the corporation behind Android, may be the largest spyware company in the world. What do you mean by "all the spying" in iOS?

 

Functional difference between BC Rich and Gibson? I suppose if you define the function of a guitar as something with 6 strings that makes noise, then they're all the same aren't they? But if we define the functionality by the tone it produces, the weight of the instrument, the feel of it in your hands, and the quality of the materials, then I hope we can agree there's a difference. If not, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

You are FOS. Android is open source and, ironically, what I have running in my Acer (not galaxy) is AOSP source code, downloaded direct from Google and with my own custom kernel. Same goes for my Samsung phone and, amusingly, my iPhone4.

 

I am not an Android fanboy but I bet I'm the only Android developer you've ever tried to argue this with. I was one of the devs who originally rooted android on the G1 and had a lot of input into rooting the memory address protected HTC desire. I had quite a name for myself back in the day as an android hacker. I was also the guy that took HTC to task and won over the flickering screen on the HTC OneX and aided the development of the power control in the screen driver that fixed it. I was in direct communication with Soren Lanskilde of HTC during this time.

 

I like iOS and like I say, I'm not an android fan boy but I'm not gonna be told, in that lovely way you have, that android isn't open source, you can download the source code right now and all the GNU licencing rules apply to it. This isn't a matter of opinion. It is fact.

[sg50]

You are FOS. Android is open source and, ironically, what I have running in my Acer (not galaxy) is AOSP source code, downloaded direct from Google and with my own custom kernel. Same goes for my Samsung phone and, amusingly, my iPhone4.

 

I am not an Android fanboy but I bet I'm the only Android developer you've ever tried to argue this with. I was one of the devs who originally rooted android on the G1 and had a lot of input into rooting the memory address protected HTC desire. I had quite a name for myself back in the day as an android hacker. I was also the guy that took HTC to task and won over the flickering screen on the HTC OneX and aided the development of the power control in the screen driver that fixed it. I was in direct communication with Soren Lanskilde of HTC during this time.

 

I like iOS and like I say, I'm not an android fan boy but I'm not gonna be told, in that lovely way you have, that android isn't open source, you can download the source code right now and all the GNU licencing rules apply to it. This isn't a matter of opinion. It is fact.

 

I'm not arguing that AOSP isn't open-source (Apache license, btw, not GNU). I'm arguing that Android, as used today, is as closed as iOS in practical terms. The distros of Android that hit market are proprietary. The apps on top of it are largely proprietary. You can wave the AOSP around like it's some sort of proof that all of Android is open, but that's disingenuous and I think you know that. What's more, a hacker like you should recognize that if you have to root it, it ain't open.

 

My objection is to your first post:

 

the consideration is whether all the add on hardware available for idevices outweighs all the proprietary connectors, more expensive aps and closed source system as well as the spying

 

This is a misrepresentation of both iOS and Android. The apps aren't cheaper on Android (as demonstrated), the system isn't open source (as demonstrated), and Google's entire business model is predicated on spying on users and learning about their likes and preferences.

 

I'm sorry that you disagree with my tone.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

This is pointless. I have no interest in promoting either but I do like to be factual. You seem to be telling me black is white.

 

Android is open source. Full stop, no slight of hand definitions, the source is open. Rooting has nothing to do with whether the source code is open or not, 2 entirely unrelated concepts. I'm beginning to wonder if this debate is driven by misunderstanding because the things I have said are not debatable....

 

There is no closed source distros of android, or any proprietory ones. Developers are only permitted to encrypt their own 3rd party binaries, as with any Linux distro. These are not part of the OS. There are distros where superuser access cannot be granted to apps without some clever jiggory pokery, effectively hiding root, this is very clearly not the same thing as a closed source OS. There are lots of very strong arguments for this for Mr Average to remain relatively safe, Mr Power-User simply roots his phone and is careful about what and when super user access is granted for. Basically, if you know about rooting and what it is you pretty much automatically know enough to do it. There is also a perfectly valid and strong argument the closed source OSs, therefore, are safer. I would agree.

 

Comparing the average price of all the apps in the apple app store with all the apps in google play is meaningless. Comparing the price of apps available for both platforms, as i first specified, shows us they are considerably cheaper on Android.

 

Back on topic...

 

I tend to think anyone who is left wondering which platform to go with should go with iOS. Throw in that the person asking is a musician and you're nearly there. I think LH would enjoy the "it-just-works" experience of iOS over the techy tinkering offered by Android. I've made an assumption with that last bit but I reckon the iPad is the better option here.

[Jeff-7]

My 2 cents: go try out as many as you can and pick the one that you find is the easiest to use vs. features, apps and price that appeal to you.

 

I'm far from being a programmer, but as an IT guy who takes care of a small/medium business chain and all the evils that entails I love both the Microsoft Surface and Apple iPad. I get to set up and play with all the toys before they make their way to the users in the company, and for what I do either one works extremely well. iPads work great for working on VMs, servers, and dialing into the VPN on the road to work on issues within the company. 4G capabilities make it even easier for working from the road, as hot spotting off my phone can be difficult with the amount of calls I get per day knocking me off.

The Surface on the other hand is superb for those used to Microsoft PCs, and you can treat it exactly as such. On any given day I'm happy with either.

 

I will say that even though I get to use expensive things at work, for personal use I get as much performance as possible for as little money I can spend. If you can find something with good specs for 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the top of the line equipment you will end up better off IMO, as you can upgrade 3-4 times for the same cost and will end up with something that performs exponentially better by the time you get to your 3rd or 4th replacement.

[rocketman]

Got the wife a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. I heard all these bad things about Windows 8, but it's not bad with this computer/tablet hybrid. It basically treats every program like an app. She had a iPad, which isn't bad but the Surface Pro 3 has so many more features.

 

For me, I'm good with my Dell laptop. I don't play games or really need anything that would require a tablet.

[LarryUK]

I went out last night and bought an iPad Air. I used a friend's discount and got it for £272. But when I got home I thought about it and wished I'd got the Samsung Galaxy tab 4 10.1(I haven't opened it). I'll ponder it today and decide later.

[Pin]

I am in much the same position as lashurst (as he was) - no tablet and still pondering.

 

From all that I can gather it seems that the "musicians choice" is the Apple route but that for using a tablet generally then either Apple or Android-based perform equally well.

 

All my studio equipment is run through a PC based Windows 7 system rather than Mac so I am not at all sure that I want to get to grips with a different system. But then Android isn't Windows either.

 

I keep coming back to the question: "what will I use this thing for"? Well, I don't play computer games at all (never), so that's out. I can't stand using the internet on my phone as my eyes just ain't good enough for such a small screen, so internet use (10 inch screen) would be viable I think but what for? Not sure about that one. And then there are things like films which I could load on which would certainly help me re holidays and my fear of flying.

 

But overall, I am not yet convinced that I need a tablet.

[BobF_]

...

I keep coming back to the question: "what will I use this thing for"?

...

But overall, I am not yet convinced that I need a tablet.

 

The answer to that question for me is, "pdf reader, kindle reader, web browser" 99.9% of the time. My studio area is Windows based. I like tech, but I try really hard not to let tech get in the way of playing guitar.

 

The tablet is handy for reading or browsing (forums) when I'm away from my main PC, whether it be The Big Chair, the auto service waiting area, the dentist waiting area, etc. It's easier to carry my tablet than books.

 

Do I *need* one? No, not really.

 

When I have a DAW app running, I frequently wish I had 4 22" displays instead of 2. I can't imagine being restricted to a single, tablet-sized screen. OTOH, I can see where a tablet would be handy in some gigging situations.

 

My 10" Acer is a couple of years old now and I have no desire to upgrade or switch to something different. The value isn't there for me.

[Hoya]

 

I keep coming back to the question: "what will I use this thing for"? Well, I don't play computer games at all (never), so that's out. I can't stand using the internet on my phone as my eyes just ain't good enough for such a small screen, so internet use (10 inch screen) would be viable I think but what for? Not sure about that one. And then there are things like films which I could load on which would certainly help me re holidays and my fear of flying.

 

But overall, I am not yet convinced that I need a tablet.

I would like to have a tablet on a stand to use for song lyrics and chords. I can play so many more songs and sing the lyrics if I have a "cheat sheet" (like a tablet). Currently I have a 3 inch binder with hard copies of sheet music that often spills to the floor with paper going everywhere! I have the same problem, however, of not having good enough vision to see on the small screen.

[Riffster]

I have an iPad mini and like it a lot but do not use it very often, as a family we do use it often.

 

In retrospect I should have bought one with more memory because the more memory it seems better it will hold to software updates.

[surfpup]

In retrospect I should have bought one with more memory because the more memory it seems better it will hold to software updates.

 

And more kid movies!

[turtle]

I have the iPad air 2 and it's nice. It's a tablet not a computer so keep that in mind. I have it only because I use a Mac, iPhone, Apple products. If I didn't, I'd probably go Samsung. If you have a Samsung tv I believe you can use that devise to connect to it just like apple does with its products. Either are good but they make it hard to mix n match those things once you commit to a brand or product. Basterds lol.