Is seven inches enough?

Martin Jameson · 20 July, 2012, 04:26:40 PM

I have just been given some vouchers at work - a bit like a commission type thing. So far I have £340 with another £220 to come.

Now, I want to get a tablet. I'm thinking iPad because of the larger screen but something like the Nexus 7 is half the price.

But is that screen at 7 inches enough? I want it for comic reading, drawing and web stuff mainly. Basically, do you think an extra £200 for an extra 3 inches worth it?

I know a lot of you get the prog digitally and I'm pretty sure I remember some of you use one for sketching etc. which is why I reckon you're the best people to ask for advice!

IndigoPrime · 20 July, 2012, 04:36:51 PM

My recommendation would be to go to some stores (larger PC Worlds/Comets, etc., and, if you've one nearby, an Apple Store) and check out the devices. But I would also spent a little time exploring the ecosystems of the two platforms (iOS/Android) for the kinds of applications you're interested in. Personally, I'd say that for reading comics and creativity, the iPad wins out, primarily due to its larger screen size, but also because there are far more—and often better—creative and consumption applications available for it. Currently, the iPad also has a significantly better screen than its rivals, making it superior for reading comics (it's very close to paper quality, versus lower-res screens, which still feel like computer displays.) However, YMMV, and so look at the devices in the flesh and check out the respective app stores before you buy.

Martin Jameson · 20 July, 2012, 05:10:34 PM

Thanks Indigo. My intention for a while has been to go for the iPad but then this new Nexus came along at half the price and it got me thinking. I am more used to android, having never used ios, so I have a pretty good knowledge of how it works BUT the screen on the iPad does seem a better size for what I want. Sometimes I hate my indecisiveness! I shall go and have a play with them both in the shop over the weekend.

Pyroxian · 20 July, 2012, 05:20:47 PM

There are 10'' Android tablets about - The Asus Transformers are pretty good.

I'd recommend 10'' for comic viewing, as that's about the correct size for US comic pages.

IndigoPrime · 20 July, 2012, 05:36:48 PM

Quote from: Light Surfer on 20 July, 2012, 05:10:34 PMBUT the screen on the iPad does seem a better size for what I want.

I'd say it's not just about the size but also the resolution. The iPad display is 2048 x 1536, but in a 9.7-inch screen. The quality isn't quite smartphone-sharp, but it's not far off. That makes the reading experience far better than any currently competing tablet. (It's more or less like comparing current high-res smartphones to the ones you use to get a few years ago.) Also, judging by an article I read today, Android devices are still all over the place in terms of screen quality (colour output and also consistency); iPads are not entirely consistent, but they're far better, presumably in part because Apple's not involved in a price race to the bottom.

For what it's worth, I wasn't terribly fussed about comic viewing nor reading on my old iPad (an iPad 1), but I did end up using it for lots of other stuff (writing, surfing the web, games, video); the new iPad, however, has a good enough screen for reading PDFs and comics, too, without it being really obvious that you're looking at a page built from pixels.

On your shopping trip, maybe upload a page from a PDF comic that you can then access in the store to see how it renders. Ensure it's a high-quality image, so the displays can show themselves off to their fullest.

Martin Jameson · 23 July, 2012, 07:06:42 PM

Ipad it is. Had a good play with it and the Google nexus 7. I must admit the nexus is lovely and if I didn't have my phone I might have got one but it's pretty much the same only a bit bigger. The ipad screen is certainly a fair bit better and more suitable for what I want. I do really like the openness of Android and I am more used to using it but the Apple wins on just enough counts for me to get one. Thanks for your advice.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

Proudhuff · 23 July, 2012, 07:27:45 PM

depends on the circum... oh sorrry different question

IndigoPrime · 23 July, 2012, 07:56:11 PM

@Light Surfer: I hope you enjoy the iPad once you've got your mitts on one. Feel free to ask if you want any app/game recommendations.

Martin Jameson · 26 July, 2012, 08:53:29 PM

Ok, got a 32gb iPad last night - any recommendations would be welcome. So far downloaded the tapatalk app but this forum doesn't seem to be updated for it, which is a shame as it's the only one I use it for! although it looks great in safari. I'm looking for a good art app (sKetchbook pro maybe?) and something for reading the prog in. Anything else you could recommend would be very appreciated.

Very happy with it so far but I can already see I've got a fight on my hands keeping the rest of the family off it!

Beeks · 26 July, 2012, 08:59:05 PM

45rpm is all you'll ever need

vzzbux · 26 July, 2012, 10:09:16 PM

I bought this for the missus a few weeks ago (on good recommendation) and she seems very happy with it.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/motorola-xoom-2-1045975/review

V

Misanthrope · 27 July, 2012, 02:05:40 AM

Quote from: vzzbux on 26 July, 2012, 10:09:16 PM
I bought this for the missus a few weeks ago (on good recommendation) and she seems very happy with it.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/motorola-xoom-2-1045975/review

V

I hope you kept the receipt. It's cracked.

Colin YNWA · 27 July, 2012, 08:50:13 AM

Quote from: Pyroxian on 20 July, 2012, 05:20:47 PM
There are 10'' Android tablets about - The Asus Transformers are pretty good.

I'd recommend 10'' for comic viewing, as that's about the correct size for US comic pages.

This has made for really interesting reading. I've been avoiding getting a tablet as after ya standard surfing stuff (and I'm fine with our old skool laptop for that right now) the next most important thing to me will be as a comics reader. When I decide there's a good platform I'd like to more to getting all my new comics digitally and only collecting back issues. The thing is I'm still feeling that everything I get would be a compromise. To justify shelling out £500 or there about's reading comics on any device would have to be a pleasure not a compromise of the best out there and that transformer fella seems to be a step closer.

People say the new iPad has such a high resolution that reading is a delight. This fella seems to the size down pat but not quite the resolution... we're getting there though...

SmallBlueThing · 27 July, 2012, 11:05:22 AM

HMV are currently selling some kind of tablet for £128, or thereabouts, in a promotion at the front of the store. Any opinions?

SBT

IndigoPrime · 27 July, 2012, 11:23:19 AM

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 27 July, 2012, 08:50:13 AMPeople say the new iPad has such a high resolution that reading is a delight. This fella seems to the size down pat but not quite the resolution... we're getting there though...

The resolution is the most important thing when it comes to comics. It's the difference between reading pixelated art on what's obviously a computer display and, well, reading a comic. The iPad display isn't as sharp as that on the iPhone, but it's close. Also, bear in mind that while 7 inches doesn't conceptually seem that much smaller than 9.7 inches, the difference in scale becomes very apparent when you have two tablets together. Essentially, the iPad is a bit smaller than a US comic, but very usable for reading them. A 7-incher requires more arsing about with zooming or swiping, which can pull you out of the story.

The negative aspects of the iPad are that it's not cheap (although, comparatively speaking, it's also not pricey for a 10ish-inch tablet), gets a bit warm (although not uncomfortable—and Android tablets have similar issues) and it would be lovely if there was some kind of magic component that could make it lighter (bearing in mind the iPad is essentially a massive battery with a tiny circuit board welded to it). So, yes, it's a compromise, but the iPad as a device is still far and away the best option, especially when you consider the ecosystem that surrounds it. For me, Apple's device has also totally replaced a laptop in non-office environments, and even on short breaks. During a holiday last year, I for the first time left without a computer, and just used the iPad and free Wi-Fi hotspots to update websites, deal with email and do the odd bit of writing for magazines.

Quote from: Light Surfer on 26 July, 2012, 08:53:29 PMOk, got a 32gb iPad last night - any recommendations would be welcome.I'm looking for a good art app (sKetchbook pro maybe?) and something for reading the prog in. Anything else you could recommend would be very appreciated.

Comics—if you get PDFs, try iBooks first (you can sync via iTunes or sent to iBooks via the Dropbox app easily enough). If you want MOAR POWAH, go for GoodReader for iPad (£2.99), which also happily deals directly with remote storage. For CBRs, Comic Zeal (£2.99) is your best bet.

For art, SketchBook Pro (only £1.49 now, for some reason) is the app I'd start with. There are others for sketching and note-taking (like Paper) and vector art (such as Adobe Ideas), but SketchBook is the one most people go for.

Other apps I find useful/interesting (and I won't be linking to all these, so you'll have to search the App Store for them!): Weather Pro HD (weather), XE Currency (currency conversion), Animoog and GarageBand (music creation), Dictionary.com, Dropbox, iA Writer and Byword (text editing), Photogene 2 (image manipulation), Tweetbot for iPad (Twitter client), Instapaper (read it later system), Reeder (RSS), Air Video (streaming system—pulls/on-the-fly converts video from a PC/Mac, and can also send to an Apple TV via AirPlay), BBC iPlayer, Flixster (movie listings), Netflix, Remote (for the Apple TV), TV Guide, TuneIn Radio, eBay for iPad, Guardian Eyewitness (lovely pics), TVCatchup, Find iPhone (tracking system if your device gets lost), AppShopper (good for setting up wish-lists, to be informed when apps drop in price or become free), TED (inspiring talks), Soulver (fantastic calculator/spreadsheet combo), 30/30 (time-management app).

And then there are games. Lots and lots of games! My favourites include Bit Pilot (avoid 'em up), Hero Academy (asynchronous online fantasy chess. Ish), Osmos HD (contemplative physics-based absorption warfare), SpellTower (Tetris meets Boggle—maddeningly addictive), Trainyard (fantastic logic puzzler), ZooKeeper (gem-swapper, as per the DS version), Beyond Ynth HD (cute platform puzzler), Blueprint (sort of reverse billiards), Halcyon (music instrument meets match action), Helsing's Fire (light-based puzzle game), Joining Hands (logic puzzler), Labyrinth 2 (modern interpretation of tactile rolling-marble games), Monsters Ate My Condo (oddball Jenga/match hybrid), New World Colony (asset manager, like a stripped-down Civ), Par Out Golf (line-drawing memory test), Plants vs. Zombies, Quarrel DX (Risk meets Scrabble), Rat on a Snowboard (one-thumb survival game), Space Invaders Infinity Gene (beautiful modern take on Space Invaders and subsequent shooters), Space Junk (modern take on Asteroids), Super Stickman Golf (2D golf on bonkers courses), World of Goo HD (beautiful and surreal physics puzzler), Infinity Field (twin-stick shooter), Zen Bound 2 (tactile game where you wrap rope around sculptures—doesn't sound like much, but it's great), Pinball HD Collection for iPad, Gridrunner (old-school shooter), Flockword (sweet touch-based action-puzzler), SpinUp (strange DJ-style platform game), Mos Speedrun (time-attack platformer), Match Panic (Whac-a-Mole), Forget-Me-Not (retro-style maze game, like Pac-Man meets Rogue), Saucelifter (modern take on Choplifter), Asphalt 7 (insanely fast racer), Minotron (arena shooter)... Yeah: loads of games!

Note that you might want to also check out Tap!, the iOS mag I write for. Every issue (we have an iPad app), we curate the App Store to try and unearth the best apps and games.

Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 27 July, 2012, 11:05:22 AMHMV are currently selling some kind of tablet for £128, or thereabouts, in a promotion at the front of the store. Any opinions?

I'd have to see it, but the general rule with tablets is: you get what you pay for. Very cheap tablets end up being the equivalent of trying to run modern applications on a ten-year-old PC. You might get things running, but the user experience won't be up to much, and the screens are often pretty poor, as are the touch inputs. For anyone who, for whatever reason, can't bring themselves to buy something from Apple, Samsung's the best bet until Amazon gets its arse in gear and brings the Kindle Fire to the UK. (That said, the new Samsung stuff actually betters the Kindle Fire, if not the iPad.)