tony0204 wrote:@ JCB
Thanks for that – appreciated.
I think one of the main uses my daughter as is to read her course material from the Open University, this is .pdf files. So I guess your point on the screen size is very valid
I have the Excel 7” running Gingerbread, which she as used.
Think the two main issues with that, apart from screen size, is that there is sync issues with BBC iplayer.
Is that resolved with the Engage ? Also is Google play ok, or do you have trouble downloading apps ?
Thanks again
I rarely use iPlayer, and would be more likely to use it on my PC, but I have expoerienced stuttering with it on the Engage. I never tried to resolve it, it wasn't an immediate concern for me. YouTube stuff is OK. From what I have read, I think it is a wider issue than these tablets, but I cannot remember the details. Someone else may know.
It has the Google Play widget and the vast majority of stuff can be downloaded, odd ones declare themselves not compatible. Sometimes I think it is arse covering by the either the app author or Google. The only one that did specifically bother me was the Tumblr app. Play said it was incompatible. Tumblr support gave me a generic customer support type reply. I wanted to use it and I came across it elsewhere as an APK and sideloaded it. It runs without any apparent problem.
If her course material includes diagrams and pictures of any complexity, I think she will find the extra resolution useful. In terms of pixels, the Engage is roughly equivalent to two Excels side by side. I have not used a tablet of that resolution. I think I would be comfortable with e-books on an Excel and reading a book in bed a lighter device is desirable. Having used the 8in screen I think I would be frustrated trying to read my magazine or newspaper on the smaller device.
Personally I would not find a screen larger than 8in useful, unless it actually had more pixels. My tablet is for purely personal use. If I wanted to display stuff to other people, then a larger screen with the same resolution might be useful. I wouldn't want the extra weight. Even 400g approx is enough on a good reading session. A 10in tablet is typically about 600g
John