[Noah98]

I've been trying to decide on an Android tablet to compliment my ipad 2 (can never have too many gadgets) and I've settled on getting a 7 or 8 inch model. I've also decided that I don't want to spend too much money ($300 or less if possible). So, I need advice from my good friends at Mobileread, especially those that own a 3g original Galaxy Tab. I can buy a used Sprint one in great condition (Android 2.3.4) + accessories for $260. My question is, is it still worth it in light of the current and upcoming competition?

I've ruled out the WIFI only version, so that leaves the following:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (coming soon) ***This one looks perfect, but there is no way this is going to be cheap. Unless somebody can tell me different...

Blackberry Playbook ***limited apps

Acer Iconia A100 ***Slightly over my budget ($330), poor battery life, bad viewing angles

Lenovo Ideapad A1 ***Seems very promising at $250 (I don't think the $199 model is coming to the U.S) but I don't see any advantages over the Galaxy Tab besides the extra SD card slot. Am I missing anything on this one?

HTC Flyer ***Slightly over budget ($299), strange rubber grips on the back

Nook Color ***Had one and loved it, but I'm not in the mood to hack anymore, and the form factor is not as nice as the Galaxy Tab

Vizio Tablet ***Had this in my Amazon cart and almost bought it. I like the 8 inch 4:3 screen and remote control functions +HDMI, but don't like that it has some poor viewing angles on the screen, is slightly sluggish, and doesn't have a rear camera. Also, at 8 inches is it too much a "between sizes" tablet?

Amazon Kindle Tablet ***Probably designed nicely with a cool UI. But, it seems like this will lack many of the functions that the Galaxy Tablet has. What possible advantages could this have over the Galaxy Tab besides the integrated ecosystem? I could still run Kindle and the Amazon app store on the Galaxy Tab.

And, I think those are the only options that aren't cheaply constructed, or have low resolution screens. So, with that in mind, is it safe to say that the original 3g Galaxy Tab is still the best 7inch tablet for the price I can get it for? Those that have one, are you still using it? How is it holding up? Thanks in advance! I'd like to purchase it in the next day or so, but would like some feedback first (I don't usually spend that much on a used item!)