Help! I'm Looking for a Tablet

[Alex]

Howdy there folks, it's Christmas time and I've come into some cash and have been considering picking up a used/refurbished iPad or something.

 

What I want to do is have easy portable access to writing code and working on the game. I looked and there are several apps for iOS that are text editors and let me use FTP (I don't use Dreamweaver or whatever, just notepad++, so all I need is a text editor). Many are ridiculously expensive, but there's Textastic which is like $6 or something and looks pretty popular (with built in FTP support).

 

If I go the iPad route (which would be convenient because I use iTunes, have a lot of music on there and have an iPhone already) I want to know what iPad is worth getting (Is the iPad2 bad? Is the iPad Air significantly better? And I'd like 32gb+ of storage, which I'm not sure I can find with an iPad2.) Also I'm going to need a nice keyboard with it too, something that works bluetooth with it or whatever. I don't know how a lot of that shit works I've never owned a tablet before.

 

Now, I'm not strictly looking at iPads either, I know there's a million different tablets out there (Windows, Kindle Fire, Android, etc.) Basically what I want applies to any and all tablets:

 

• Attachable keyboard (wirelessly is fine, like if it works through bluetooth or whatever) that is easy to type with (I do a lot of typing)
• Text editing and FTP app/software (something reasonably cheap, I won't pay an extra $70 for that)

Good battery life, a nice display, easy to use functionality for other stuff, etc. etc. are also nice but not as much of a priority. A laptop would work too, I'm just thinking a tablet would be cheaper. Basically, my budget is around $200. Used/refurbished is perfectly fine with me, as long as it's not something old and sluggish. I like fast and responsive when I'm using technology, I don't want to be waiting 30 seconds to open up an app.

 

Alright tech gurus, hit me with your best shot!

[Reagan]

Interesting. $200 is a tight budget.  I don't trust refurbished, personally.  Kindles are limited, and I'm not a fan of Apple, so I would recommend an Android device for options and flexibility and trying to stay in your budget.  Otherwise, I'd go with a laptop with Windows for broader functionality and ease of use, but then you would need to double your budget.

[Lambdadelta]

On that kind of budget, probably your best bang-for-buck is a Nexus 7.

 

I've seen case/bluetooth keyboard combos for these too, for somewhere in the vicinity of $30 (example).

[Alex]

The Nexus 7 looks nice but I'd prefer something larger (screen wise). This Sony Xperia Z looks amazing, but it's too expensive. If I could find a used one I'd be oh-so-happy, or something comparable but cheaper.

 

http://store.sony.com/gsi/webstore/WFS/SNYNA-SNYUS-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProduct-Start;pgid=umZMGP0uqvxSRpKeiJvzc8u700001A8syJkZ;sid=mAuKp3kVixz3oyuvZKkpo-Ufh_587qmCWdVZ-I_C?SKU=27-SGP312U1%2FB

 

Fast processor, large storage capacity, large screen, decent battery life, keyboard are all that I'm looking for. I wish eBay had search options like that.

[Lambdadelta]

The Nexus 7 looks nice but I'd prefer something larger (screen wise).

Well, the next step up would be a Nexus 10, which is still reasonable bang for your buck - but it is neither as modern nor as cheap as the current-generation Nexus 7 (it's also above your budget, but not as much as the Sony Xperia).