10" Tablet Prices vs 7" Tablet Prices

[Praxus]

I recently bought my Mom a 7" tablet for $130, granted it's not top of the line but for her needs (watching tv in bed and browsing eBay Jewelry in bed) it's good enough. It plays Netflix, streams video from our PC, and plays plenty of games.

So I decided I want one for Christmas, it has to be a 10" though since I've got big man hands and the 7" just really feels way too small.

So I've been looking around and I'm seeing a huge difference in prices for a measly 3 extra inches. Anyone know why it costs upwards of an extra $100 to $250 to go from a 7 to a 10?

I could actually buy two 7" tablets for the price of one low end 10".....Ack!!!

[jft245]

The bigger tablets usually have more memory, of course a bigger screen, better processor etc.. I just bought an Asus with the android operating system. I had an I Pad2 which I sold off in a fit of needing cash (I had won it in a raffle) and after just a few days I think the Asus is almost as good as the I Pad. I had bought a Kindle Fire to replace the I Pad and I think that I will now put that up for sale.

[JB3]

I recently bought my Mom a 7" tablet for $130, granted it's not top of the line but for her needs (watching tv in bed and browsing eBay Jewelry in bed) it's good enough. It plays Netflix, streams video from our PC, and plays plenty of games.

So I decided I want one for Christmas, it has to be a 10" though since I've got big man hands and the 7" just really feels way too small.

So I've been looking around and I'm seeing a huge difference in prices for a measly 3 extra inches. Anyone know why it costs upwards of an extra $100 to $250 to go from a 7 to a 10?

I could actually buy two 7" tablets for the price of one low end 10".....Ack!!!

Because the screen is significantly more expensive, as is the hardware necessary to drive that larger screen.

If you want a 10" tablet, get the new Nexus 10 from Google. It is $399, comes with a killer screen and CPU, and uses Google's play store for apps.

[Praxus]

$399??? That's about $250 more than we can afford!!!

I really can't see how a difference in 3 inches of screen size costs these companies so much more $$$, at these prices I'll end up stealing one before paying that much...

[JB3]

$399??? That's about $250 more than we can afford!!!

Then you're frankly better off not getting one. Anything thats $149 and has a bigger than 7 inch screen is a waste of money.

If you REALLY need a tablet and that's your budget, stick with the Kindle Fire, Nook, or Nexus 7. Do NOT waste your money on the no-name branded tablets, because they're not worth it.

Take a look here for the Nook tablet:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook...ble/1104687969

I really can't see how a difference in 3 inches of screen size costs these companies so much more $$$, at these prices I'll end up stealing one before paying that much...

Follow carefully:

1) Bigger screen itself has more pixels, and bigger screens are more difficult to manufacture, especially as resolution gets higher.
2) Big, high resolution screens require more powerful CPUs, GPUs and batteries to be able to power the screen and make sure it lasts for more than ten minutes.
3) Add both one and two together, and you have the reason why 10 inch tablets are more expensive.

[Praxus]

Why would you need more cpu for a slightly larger screen? I can see how it might need a touch more battery power, but I don't see why a screen would affect cpu.

I'll probably end up with a generic no name tablet, the local discount store just had an ad for $89 models, and since battery life is meaningless to me, it'll never be outside my house, the specs seem ok for what I'd need. These are really low end tablets but better than spending big bucks on things I don't really need like dual processors, long battery life, cameras, and more than basic storage. Just as long as it'll do internet and netflix I'll be happy. Only problem is waiting in line for hours on black friday...

[JB3]

Why would you need more cpu for a slightly larger screen? I can see how it might need a touch more battery power, but I don't see why a screen would affect cpu.

Bigger screen=more pixels. More pixels require a more powerful CPU.

I'll probably end up with a generic no name tablet, the local discount store just had an ad for $89 models, and since battery life is meaningless to me, it'll never be outside my house, the specs seem ok for what I'd need. These are really low end tablets but better than spending big bucks on things I don't really need like dual processors, long battery life, cameras, and more than basic storage. Just as long as it'll do internet and netflix I'll be happy. Only problem is waiting in line for hours on black friday...

Seriously. I wouldn't waste your time. The Nook Tablet, at $159 for 8 GB is a GREAT deal. It has a fantastic screen, all of the entertainment apps you could use, and is really well built. Yes, its more expensive, but its well worth the extra money.

[Praxus]

To me that makes no sense. I wouldn't need a more powerful PC if I got a larger monitor. I'm not getting why a tablet is any different. Works essentially the same way doesn't it, plugs into a battery and shows what the processor's doing.

Doesn't really matter anyway though, I simply can't afford a name brand tablet anyway, so the cheapo ghetto version will have to do. I checked again and it's cheaper than I thought, $79, 9", Pandigital brand. LOL so totally low end but better than nothing.

[JB3]

To me that makes no sense. I wouldn't need a more powerful PC if I got a larger monitor. I'm not getting why a tablet is any different. Works essentially the same way doesn't it, plugs into a battery and shows what the processor's doing.

If that monitor has a significantly higher number of pixels, then yes, you would. Also, the processors mobile devices use are a fair bit different than ones you use in your PC. Generally, PCs have a bit of horsepower to spare, so adding a higher resolution monitor shouldn't affect performance. (to a point) When you get to HiDPI displays, though, then you have no choice but to increase system power.

A good example would be that of Apple's new 13" Retina MacBook Pro. In order to accommodate that Retina display, Apple had to push the processor and graphics units to the brink. Performance took a hit, especially with graphics, because powering those super high resolution displays is extremely processor intensive.

Doesn't really matter anyway though, I simply can't afford a name brand tablet anyway, so the cheapo ghetto version will have to do. I checked again and it's cheaper than I thought, $79, 9", Pandigital brand. LOL so totally low end but better than nothing.

Why don't you save your money for a really nice one then? (I'm not trying to be condescending, so if it comes off like that I apologize) A more expensive tablet will last you longer, and will be worth having to save up for a bit.

[TitaniumSky]

What do you need a tablet for? A 10" tablet is something used more for semi-productivity. If you are just getting one for the sake of having something entertainment wise, at least get a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD, it gets updated and has a good HD screen. Don't sacrifice your money on something that won't function well enough to accommodate the newest apps. You would be stuck with a tablet you won't want to throw out and have spent $100. A cheaper tablet would definitely have a weaker processor and would probably freeze a lot, die, or break early with no warranty. A Nexus 7/Kindle Fire HD will most likely not break and have a warranty. The Nexus 7 will probably be the most updated though, so also take that into consideration.

I think you will get used to the small size of a 7" tablet after having used it for a while.

[Praxus]

Well it's a Christmas present, to me, from my Mom. So what we can afford is the cheap-o $79 one, not one double the price.

As far as apps go, I've been looking at google play and I really don't think I'll be an much of an app user, I haven't seen anything on there I'd ever really use. As long as it has a working internet browser, can play netflix & Plex, and can read my downloaded epub's and comics then that'll be enough for me. I don't do facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr/youtube etc, so wether it can run apps like that doesn't matter at all. And I don't really intend to game very much with it either, maybe Angry Birds and some board games like Monopoly.

Size wise, I have used her 7" a bit and I honestly don't care for it, it's just way too small for my hands/fingers, plus I keep dropping it. A 9" or 10" would be much better suited to me physically.

[T-Rexx]

Doesn't really matter anyway though, I simply can't afford a name brand tablet anyway, so the cheapo ghetto version will have to do. I checked again and it's cheaper than I thought, $79, 9", Pandigital brand. LOL so totally low end but better than nothing.

There is a lot you can do with the cheapo tablets. They can be great fun. There are, of course, trade-offs at the extreme low price end of the tablet spectrum. But, depending on how you use your tablet, the trade-offs may not be so difficult to live with. And the cheap tablets do many things much better than many very expensive brands.

I have a 7" Polaroid PMID701i tablet that I bought at Big Lots for $100. It has a 480x800 resolution screen. I upgraded the stock 4 GB memory storage to 36 GB with a 32 GB micro SD card (4 GB internal + 32 GB on the card). That brought the total price up to ~ $130. Compare that to a 32 GB iPad mini, which sells for $429.

I have found the tablet good for reading e-books. I have apps installed for reading books in each of the 3 most common e-book standards (Kobo, B&N, and Amazon Kindle - many of the proprietary, expensive tablets cannot do all three!). You can get many tens of thousands of books free (and legally) for your tablet. I have War & Peace, Moby Dick, A Tale of Two Cities, and many, many classics on my cheapo tablet and I am re-reading them after many years.

Despite the low resolution screen, my cheap Android tablet is a surprisingly good video player. I play lots of videos for people which I have taken myself, as well as lots of videos I have downloaded from YouTube and other internet sources. I just upload the videos from my camera to my desktop computer, then download them from the desktop to the tablet. The cheap tablets actually make this process easier than you would experience with an iPad. The tablet shows up as a "drive" when you plug it into your desktop. Just use your computer's operating system to drag and drop files to the tablet. No need to go through iTunes. Once the files are on the tablet, just use the Android file manager to navigate to where you put them, and play or view them. The cheap tablets also work with Linux, which the iPad and Microsoft tablets do not. So, not only are they easier to use, they are also more compatible than many expensive alternatives. Also, my cheapo Polaroid has a high-def video out port, so I can play videos from my tablet on a big screen TV, if I want.

My tablet is a great platform for Angry Birds and some other games I play. The 7" screen seems almost the perfect size for games. I'm not a big game player, but my cheap Polaroid does a surprisingly good job with this.

As far as apps go, I've been looking at google play and I really don't think I'll be an much of an app user, I haven't seen anything on there I'd ever really use.

This is bad thinking. The app store is a wonder. You will find many things there of interest, which you would probably never have imagined before you got your tablet.

But, what you find interesting will depend entirely on you, of course. I have found a number of apps that I like to use on my cheap tablet - advanced scientific calculators, note-takers, e-book readers, multiple browsers, a decibel meter, multiple email readers, multiple office suites, multiple media players, Skype, a flash card app for study, language translators, newspaper readers, a program that listens to songs being played and identifies them, a radio tuner to listen to any FM station in America (and many foreign countries), wifi analyzer for your location, a voice recorder, phone books, comic books, etc., etc., etc. Your tablet may be cheap, but that does not mean it is not a useful and capable computer.

You should be aware, however, that app stores in the Android universe are complicated. Apple and Microsoft allow their products to connect ONLY to their single, designated store and NO OTHERS. You are limited to only those programs Apple and Microsoft believe you should want. You are forbidden to install porn. You will be limited to particular map programs. You will be spoon-fed only what Apple and Microsoft want you to have.

Stock Android allows you to connect to any number of diverse stores. "Google Play" is Google's own store, but there is also Amazon's Android App store and many others. There are app stores that only offer porn and app stores that specialize in games. App stores for software developers and app stores for home shopping. I emphasize, however, that "stock" Android allows multiple app stores. The particular implementation of Android on your tablet may restrict you to certain app stores. The Amazon Kindle, for example, blocks Google Play and tries to force you to use the Amazon store. If I recall, Pandigital defaults to the "Get Jar" app store. I believe Pandigital also tries to block Google Play. (These cheap manufacturers sometimes get paid by the app stores to only offer their stores on the tablet. Because the price at this end of the market is so low, their profit margins are thin, and they will attempt to exploit whatever revenue source they can find). It is often ridiculously easy to override the blocks they impose, but I cannot guarantee you this will be easy for your particular model of Pandigital. I can try to talk you through some techniques to get alternative app stores up and running on your tablet after you get it, if you will start a thread requesting so in this forum, after you get your tablet. The techniques which work vary from tablet to tablet, however - no guarantees.

The app store does make a difference. For example, both Google Play and the Amazon Android store offer tens of thousands of apps, covering most anything you might want. However, to download a free app on Google Play, you just download it. To download a free app on Amazon Android store, you need to have a credit card. You get billed $0.00 to your card for every free app you download. It is ridiculous and annoying.

As long as it has a working internet browser, can play netflix & Plex, and can read my downloaded epub's and comics then that'll be enough for me.

There are many Netflix apps for Android, so I don't anticipate that you will have a problem with that. As I said above, my own cheap tablet is actually a rather good movie player.

I don't do facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr/youtube etc, so wether it can run apps like that doesn't matter at all. And I don't really intend to game very much with it either, maybe Angry Birds and some board games like Monopoly.

You may not be interested in any of these, but your Pandigital Android tablet should do them all reasonably well.

Well it's a Christmas present, to me, from my Mom. So what we can afford is the cheap-o $79 one, not one double the price.

You don't need to spend a lot to get a great, useful, and fun tablet. If you live near a Big Lots store, check out their tablet section. Big Lots is the king of ultra-cheap tablets.

I have one final piece of advice for your cheap tablet. Buy some kind of a case for it immediately. You don't need anything fancy, but these cheap tablets really are more flimsily constructed than the more expensive tablets. A drop to a carpeted floor can crack the screen. Keep it in the case, and take reasonable care, and it should last for years.

[JB3]

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy another Pandigital. The company is being liquidated, and the warranties for all of their devices has been voided.

http://www.androidcentral.com/pandig...ties-cancelled

[Praxus]

Just an update, Christmas has been officially cancelled for my family this year, so no tablet for me for the forseeable future. Social security fucked up somehow, claiming they gave my Mom more money than they should have over the year and they sent her a letter saying that they're withholding her December check, so we'll barely have enough to buy food and pay bills, so no Christmas for us this year...Ugh.

Anyway, thanks for the info everyone