Help choose 8-inch tablet under $200

chay03

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Im looking at ASUS Memo Pad 8, Acer A1-810, or Dell Venue 8.

I recently bought the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 but wasn't happy spending the $270 for it. That was a nice tablet for size and felt good in hand but this is for my wife. She does alot of youtbuing, netflix in the car for the kids (via mobile hotspot).

So what do you all think??? Im kinda leaning towards the Asus. By the way, LG Gpad 8.3 is nice but out of budget.

Thanks
 

B. Diddy

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I don't have direct experience with those tablets, but judging from the specs, I'd lean towards the Asus or the Dell. The Acer has poorer resolution (1024x768 vs 1280x800), and only 8 GB of storage (vs 16 GB). Remember that microSD cards are useful only for storing media files, not for installing more apps.

The Dell has slightly better specs than Asus--the Dell has 2 GB of RAM, compared with 1 GB for the Asus (which means faster app switching/opening). The two things about the Dell I'd be a little hesitant about are (1) it has an Intel Atom processor--in the past, there have been occasional compatibility issues with some apps, but supposedly it's a lot better now, and (2) Dell doesn't have as much of a good track record as Asus when it comes to Android devices, so I'd wonder about how long the Venue will be supported (especially if it doesn't sell well).
 

Geodude074

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I don't have direct experience with those tablets, but judging from the specs, I'd lean towards the Asus or the Dell. The Acer has poorer resolution (1024x768 vs 1280x800), and only 8 GB of storage (vs 16 GB). Remember that microSD cards are useful only for storing media files, not for installing more apps.

The Dell has slightly better specs than Asus--the Dell has 2 GB of RAM, compared with 1 GB for the Asus (which means faster app switching/opening). The two things about the Dell I'd be a little hesitant about are (1) it has an Intel Atom processor--in the past, there have been occasional compatibility issues with some apps, but supposedly it's a lot better now, and (2) Dell doesn't have as much of a good track record as Asus when it comes to Android devices, so I'd wonder about how long the Venue will be supported (especially if it doesn't sell well).

The Asus has an AMD E Series processor. If you're worried about Intel being bad, AMD should downright scare you.
 

B. Diddy

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The Asus has an AMD E Series processor. If you're worried about Intel being bad, AMD should downright scare you.

From the specs, I see that the Asus has a Cortex A9 quad core processor, which is ARM based, not AMD. So it should be fine. Where do you see it's an E series?
 

JRDroid

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I did not like that Dell strips out the multi-user profile feature on the Venue 8 to try and upsell you to a Windows 8 tablet. I was planning on buying a Venue 8 until I found that out. I got a Tegra Note 7 instead (not 8" I know), though I almsot got the MeMO 8

- - - Updated - - -

Seriously! Check this out, I found the Amazon listing for the Asus MeMO Pad 10 HD where they describe it having a "16 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive" (in the comparison table).

Amazon.com: ASUS MeMO Pad FHD 10 ME302C-A1-BL 10.1-Inch 16GB Tablet (Blue): Computers & Accessories

I can't remember which laptop it was for, but when I was shopping for laptops last August, Amazon listed the processor of one as an Apple A10.
 

B. Diddy

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I did not like that Dell strips out the multi-user profile feature on the Venue 8 to try and upsell you to a Windows 8 tablet

Good bit of info to know, thanks! How do you like the Tegra Note 7? I hear it's quite a gaming beast.
 

JRDroid

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Good bit of info to know, thanks! How do you like the Tegra Note 7? I hear it's quite a gaming beast.

I LOVE it. I actually had the Nexus 7 (2013) for about 2 months while I waited for more stock to the Tegra to be available, and I am so glad I sold the Nexus. If you are okay waiting a little longer for updates and the 720p screen doesn't bother you, the Tegra Note 7 is the best tablet you can get for the money.
 

chay03

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I've been reading that the Dell was updated to 4.3 and now has multiuser support. Conflicting stories about it. I found this on another site :

f your brave enough to update it on your own here are the instruction on how to get it to 4.3

01. Connect your tablet to your pc

02. Download the update zip file from xdajunkman's post xda-developers - View Single Post - 2013 Dell Venue Tablet - root progress

03. Copy the zip file to a microsd card inserted into your tablet

04. Press the Volume down + power button to boot into droidboot mode. (you would see the Dell Logo and then the Droidboot screen).

05. Use Volume down to select the third option and press power button to boot into recovery mode.

06. In recovery mode, press the Power button + Volume up to display recovery mode menu.

07. In recovery mode use Volume down to select update from external storage

08. Select the zip file from xdajunkman's post xda-developers - View Single Post - 2013 Dell Venue Tablet - root progress

09. Wait for it to finish

10. After it completes press the power button to reboot

11. Enjoy 4.3

No warranty implied or even thought about, try this at your own risk. it worked for me though
 

JRDroid

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I've been reading that the Dell was updated to 4.3 and now has multiuser support. Conflicting stories about it. I found this on another site :

I didn't realize they had updated it and added support. I had already purchased a tablet by the time they did. Though, I'm only seeing scattered reports that it adds multi-user profile support and this screenshot on Androidpolice makes me wonder if it really does. The Users section of the settings is usually right under the Backup & Restore section and, as you can see, it isn't there in that screenshot from an updated Venue
 

chay03

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I think Im going to pull the trigger on it. Found it for $139 so we'll see. Its for my wife anyways. If it updates and gets multi-user, ok. If it doesn't, ok. Price is good for me.
 

Mathew Miller

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Before you shop for a tablet, consider your priorities. If price and portability are tops, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab with Wi-Fi. If access to the largest selection of apps is high on your list, choose the iPad. Other factors to consider when buying a tablet include the availability of a 3G version, the existence of built-in ports, and the operating system. If you're looking for information about tablets and comparison of different tablet then visit website Tablet Compare
 

johna2u

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I have a dell venue 8 and love it. Yes with the 4.3 update it does have multi. User support. A 4.4 update should be coming soon. I have had no comparability issues. The tablet is fast and responsive. WiFi is super strong and locks on instantly. Something rarely mentioned but important to me is the sound quality. The venue has a single speaker on the bottom edge and it is loud and clear. I love this tablet. I have had dozens of various brands over the last few years.

Sent from my Venue 8 3830 using Tapatalk
 

Geodude074

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Yep, I also bought a Dell Venue 8 for the six year old. For $150 it's the best 8 inch tablet you can buy for the money. It does have multi user support. Performance feels similar to the Tegra 3 on the 2012 Nexus 7, if not a little better. 64 GB micro SD card is great for storing tons of movies to keep the six year old entertained.