I thought choosing an e-reader was tough. Getting a tablet looks like its going to be more difficult. I'd prefer to wait a while for the tablet market to settle a bit, just to see what rises to the top, Perhaps until this Christmas or even January. I prefer second or third generation devices, but the tablet market is very young & I don't see this happening soon. So, on the off chance that I need to purchase one this summer, I'd like to see what the prevailing preferences are for the following criteria.
Availability: Available at The Source in Canada. (because I'm in a small town in Canada) We have a gift card from there, and I would ideally like to purchase this there.
Comics: cbz/cbr, ease of page turning, pinch to zoom, These will be sideloaded, like most other files. Loves my comics, would love to be able to read them without taking up extra room in the car.
Battery life: The more the better.
USB Port: Handy, as I carry multiple jump drives in my pocket with occasionally used files.
SD Card reader: So I can show my mother-in-law the photos I took without having to find things like camera cords, or outputs. Or batteries.
e-reading: Useability of the app and ease of turning pages. With my Sony reader, I simply gesture with the edge of my thumb, about 1/2" or so, and the page turns. Something where I don't have to drag all the way across the screen. I have my Sony reader though, so this isn't much of an issue.
Free lo-cost apps & games: So my son can play with it. I don't really want him buying a bunch of $30 games on it, but I'd like him to be able to kill a few hours.
Movies / TV shows: as with apps and games, a 7" - 10" screen isn't the best for watching things on, but better than my mp3 player.
Music: What are the quality of speakers on these things? Could I use it for background music in my office?
Wireless range & signal strength. I have an aspire one up at my Cabin. My neighbor has wireless internet that she has said we can use when we are there. But the Aspire One 150, while seeing the connection, at 1 bar of signal strength, does not connect to the network (or connection has limited or no connectivity) Would the wireless signal be more or less sensitive using this as a baseline? NOTE: No 3G network exists in that area, this is not an option.
I'm having trouble sorting through all the forum posts and all the reviews online. So I'm asking for info from people who have one, would it work for me? Tell me what tablet you use, and what your experience is with it. Would it be better to wait until the Christmas season?