Tablets forum: Best Tablet or phone for 2 way video skyping?

I don't want to try something to see if it will work. I want to know what I buy will work before I buy it. That is why I am asking questions here. When I said best, I was talking specifically about Skyping. I could care less about anything else. The Ipad cost $500. That seems just a little high for the singular purpose I need this for. That is why I suggested maybe a smart phone.

I'm still seeing the ubiquitous netbook do this well. I have a few android systems to use as our office is porting our apps to android and you are right they (skype) still feels like beta. I think they need a little more time unless you put it on the newer 500 dollar dual core androids. Which makes me think the iPad is the choice if you can't test it on your android under consideration.

Dogging this discussion is that the churn in the android tablets means that any unit I note may be upgraded, changed or discontinued by the time you go looking for it or Skype may change a little and what I tested will not work as well for you since something changed.

The iPad 2 is not suffering from those issues and why it may be today's "best."
Bob

that the tablet market is still to volatile at this point to trust anything. ARRG!! Technology for me is a love hate relationship. If the whole tech industry would just slow down for a while maybe we would see some well thought out and refined products. But we are stuck spending hundreds on half baked gadgets that promise to be better and less glitchy but never live up to that promise. And instead of fixing the problem with existing equipment, they just release a new model and promise it will fix the problem. Which it never does. Sometimes I wish a solar EMP blast would hit the earth and fry every micro circuit on the planet. It sure would make life more simple.

Forget it then. I will just take my old XP laptop. At least I KNOW it works. Thanks for the help.

After being in this biz for decades, the change to "we'll fix it later with an internet update" means the makers are rolling out product that may not be completely free of issues.

You see that with Skype on android and other things.

There's a classic movie film maker saying that I can't find attribute for that sounds appropriate.

-> "We'll fix it in post. Next scene."
Bob

What about the iPhone with no service or the Touch?

it is an iPod Touch 4th Generation.

I bought two devices to see which one would fit the bill. I bought an Acer ICONIA Tab A500 and an iPod Touch 4th generation. Both of them will do skype. But as far as portability, cost, functionality, market support and price are concerned, the iPod Touch 4th smashes the A500 to pieces. Basically the iPod Touch gives you 95% of the functionality of the Acer ICONIA Tab A500, at half the price and 1/10th the size. The Acer ICONIA Tab A500 is a fun toy, but is too big and heavy to be carried in anything other then a dedicated bag (big purse, backpack, special case etc.) Aside from that you can get an ultra portable or a netbook for about the same price, with a real keyboard and a few extra ounces in weight. I am not sure what niche market the larger tablets could fill, other then the "I have gotta have the latest device just because it is cool" market. Android looks like a good OS, but many of the apps that I wanted to install on my A500, were still in alpha or beta stages. I do hope it continues to grow in popularity and overcome apple and windows, but it is not at that stage yet.

Historically, I have avoided Apple products and software with a hatred. But I am sad to have to admit that at least in the category of the iPod Touch, I could not find anything in that came close to it even for substantially more in price. Now I know many will read this and want to point out many android smartphones. I do not consider a smartphone to be in the same category as the iPod Touch 4th. Even though they are similar in size and function, there is one major difference, one is free to operate and the other locks you in to an outrageously overpriced monthly data plan, or the fear of paying $10 per megabyte if you don't have a data plan. I personally refuse to pay $70 a month for a data plan when there are so many free wifi hotspots all over the place.

The iPod Touch 4th cost $199 and there is no android devices (that are similar in size in any price range) that can match it feature for feature. Sadly, apple wins this round. My hope is that android users will demand that device makers start to compete more aggressively in the IPod Touch category. It would be nice for people like me who have a phobia of overprice data plans. I don't really understand this nations obsession with mobile data plans. I have known many people that could not afford a car or rent, but could aslways find a way to pay $150 a month for their cell phone plan. They might be homeless and freezing because they could not afford a coat, but at least they could post a facebook update before they went into deep hypothermia. LOL! Maybe those cigarettes (they could some how afford as well) will keep this from dying!

Do we really have our priorities straight?

Noted widely. Also at http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/11/22/kindle-fire-review-5-things-amazons-new-tablet-is-missing/