[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

So i got an android phone and really enjoy the 3g part. I can do almost everything without having to pay for internet. Its getting me spoiled. But a phone only has so much you can do. Ive got the book thing, lots of apps etc but i am limited. So my birthday is in july and am considering getting myself a tablet. Any particular ones stand out? Any i should stay away from? Any advice at all on purchasing a tablet?

Shopping tips from Consumer Reports

Go big
Unless portability is crucial, go with a 10-inch screen, which better suits such activities as Web surfing, video, and gaming. Larger-sized Android-based tablets also have an OS advantage over smaller ones: Android 3 or Android 4 is available on most larger Android tablets. But Android 3 is also showing up on an increasing number of 7-inch tablets.

Shape matters
We find the iPad's squarish screen is better suited to most tablet uses than a rectangular one. (Two exceptions: Rectangular screens held horizontally offer a wider landscape view that's better for watching movies in something closer to a wide-screen 16.9 aspect ratio, and the shape may make them easier to slip into a purse.)

Make sure the OS is upgradable
Apple provides upgrades for the iPad's iOS. New Android apps may require Android 3.0 or later. Before you buy a tablet with Android 2.3, check if you can upgrade it to 3.0 or better.

Get the right app market
If you choose a tablet with the Android OS, make sure it has access to Google's "genuine" Google Play market and not just a third-party app market such as GetJar. You'll get a wider variety of popular apps, and gain some security against potentially malicious "rogue" apps.

Why spend more on the iPad?
It has the most apps, and many of them outdo Android apps in terms of innovation. Don't forget the iPad's excellent 9.7-inch display for reading magazines and watching movies, as well as its long battery life. Still, if you must have Flash, you may want to consider one of the Android-based models.

Wi-Fi is good enough for most
Choose a broadband model only if "everywhere access" to the Net is critical. If it is, 4G capability, or at least the ability to upgrade to it, is a plus.

Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/t...guide.htm?pn=3

[seeker1950]

I have owned an Ipad and now have a Kindle Fire.
The Ipad was to bulky for comfortable reading, in my humble opinion. I sold it to my sister. I then got a Kindle Fire, and it is "glitchy." Not all things that ran smoothly on the Ipad are available or run well on the Kindle Fire. I also have an Android phone, and I find I can do all the things on it that I could do on either the Kindle Fire or the Ipad! It's a Droid Bionic 4g (though 3g is only available locally), but I can use it for reading, listening to audio books, watching Netflix, Youtube, searching the web, etc. I even use it for photographing, editing pics, and listing on Ebay! The only disadvantage to the Droid is the small size.

[Polykronic]

I had the Kindle Fire, which was so bad it even made a rotten e-reader.

Returned that, got the iPad. LOVE IT. I'm on it more than my laptop now. Mostly because of all the great apps.

Those are the only two I've personally experienced; I think the main question is what you're looking for. I wanted an ereader that did more, and the iPad certainly does a stellar job there.