iPad or Android Tab for Go

mogosoup · #1

I'm going to China over the summer to play go and I want to get either an iPad or Android Tablet(asus 300 or acer 510). I am having a hard time deciding which one to get.
iPad
Pros:
SmartGo Books(I really use this app on my iphone)
Many Go apps designed especially for the iPad.
Cons:
It's apple. No file management system or sharing files between apps. I won't have access to a computer.
I'll be using it as a substitute for not having a computer, so a lack of flash kinda sucks. It is the least like a computer.
Android Tab
Pros:
KGS client(where i mostly play)
Will be a better substitute for not having a computer
Cons:
Many of the go apps seem to have issues running on tablets where as they run fine on phones.
I don't know if Kgs and Igs work on tablets as well as phones. Does anyone know if these apps work well on tablets?
No SmartGo books

Anyone have any suggestions?
I would wait for a Windows 8 tablet, but I'm leaving in June so I need something now.
Keep in mind, I will be using the tablet mostly for go, but I still need it for other things like surfing the web or managing the photographs that I take on my trip.

Thanks
-Aaron

Boidhre · #2

Are you trying to start a flame war?

I have an iPad and an Android phone, I almost completely use iOS for go study. EasyGo and SmartGo Kifu/SmartGo Books on their own make an iPad superior if given a free choice between them. That said, iPads are expensive and as you say, no flash. KGS would be the big reason to go with Android but if study is your thing it's really hard to overlook the iOS apps I mentioned. I mean SmartGo Books on its own would give you a summer's worth of study material before even considering tsumego.

mogosoup · #3

Boidhre wrote:

Are you trying to start a flame war?

I have an iPad and an Android phone, I almost completely use iOS for go study. EasyGo and SmartGo Kifu/SmartGo Books on their own make an iPad superior if given a free choice between them. That said, iPads are expensive and as you say, no flash. KGS would be the big reason to go with Android but if study is your thing it's really hard to overlook the iOS apps I mentioned. I mean SmartGo Books on its own would give you a summer's worth of study material before even considering tsumego.

I actually have quite a few physical books, but smartgo books makes reading more convenient. Does anyone know if android has a go app equivalent to SmartGo Kifu? I think iPad will definitely be better for go study, but I'll have to the tablet for other things, like management of my pictures from my DSLR and some movies and pdf books that I'll bring. I can only afford a 16gb iPad and that really isn't enough to store all the pictures I will take and pdfs and movies that I want to bring. The iPad won't allow me to copy files to and from a hard drive or large usb drive, Whereas Android will allow me to.

I hope a flame war doesn't start. :grumpy:

Anymore suggestions? I need to decide soon.

balistic · #4

It sounds like an ipad does not meet your requirements. I guess that is the problem solved.

lobotommy · #5

@mogosoup
For files management on iPad: GoodReader (Pdf - viewing/editing, photos, almost all media files, txt editing)

For Flash content: Puffin web browser or iSwifter - (Puffin is much faster, but iSwifter allow you to open movies on full screen. You need a good internet connection for these two apps)

Go soft on Android - not close to SmartGo Kifu or other apps like XGoo HD or EasyGo (but all these apps are for different purposes, ), and SmartGo Books is far beyond anything even on a desktop machine.

KGS on iPad: via AlwaysOnPc app
IGS, Tygem, WBaduk - apps for all these go server are on AppStore

For transfering photos from your camera to iPad - you should get Camera Connection Kit.

So every topic and feature you want should be covered with iPad but 16Gb version is way too small I think.

lobotommy · #6

If your work will heavily rely on USB and you don't want to buy an external WiFi HDD/SDD with USB ports (WiDrive, GoFlex Sattelite, StoreJet Cloud) or some kind USB hub with WiFi then better not to go with iOS.

hyperpape · #7

Why not a laptop? It sounds like you want a traditional computer, not a tablet.

oren · #8

hyperpape wrote:

Why not a laptop? It sounds like you want a traditional computer, not a tablet.

Won't do SmartGo Books either.

I would take a netbook as well though.

Mef · #9

Personally I haven't used any iOS device to a great extent, so I can't really comment on iPhone/iPad capabilities beyond saying I've heard great things about SmartGo's apps for it.

For android I have frequently used KGS on both phone and tablet (10.1 galaxy tab) and it works quite well. I would give you this warning though -- if you're like me and enjoy spectating games, you may want to beef up your "fan list" while you are at a computer, because your options for spectating games are limited to the "active games" tab and your "fan games" tab (for me this was only really an issue when the AGA hosted tournaments on KGS in the "AGA tournaments" room and unless I had the individual players fanned I couldn't watch their games).

Other useful apps I have used for android -

-AnDGS is a nice app for using DGS, and it can be used as an SGF viewer / game recorder as well (Though I personally haven't used those features much).
-Gobandroid is nice on a tablet for recording games.
-GoGrinder is great for tsumego.
-WeGoIgo has a variety of features (tsumego, reviewing your own games, replaying pro games, or browsing files like Kogo's).

If you have PDFs, there are a number of nice apps for reading them (personally I load pdf's into the free Kindle app, because then it treats it just like a book, remembering my spot, etc).

For playing against a bot, there are a few apps that will load GNUgo, or Champion Go is CrazyStone (same app as for iOS).

Another handy phone app I have used on more than one occasion (that I'm sure must have an equivalent for iPhone) is "Go Clock" which functions exactly like you would expect it. I can't say I have tried it on a tablet, but I can't see why it wouldn't work (with just very large buttons to press).

Kirby · **#10**

I had a similar debate with myself, and ended up selecting the iPad. I like it a lot. If you are concerned about the ability to add files, just jailbreak it.

mogosoup · **#11**

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think I'll be getting a 16gb iPad and also getting a small net book to manage files

RBerenguel · **#12**

If it's an iPad 3, or you plan on using it for playing something else than go, pick the 32 one. Retina-enabled games (and apps) eat a big chunk of disk space.

Boidhre · **#13**

RBerenguel wrote:

If it's an iPad 3, or you plan on using it for playing something else than go, pick the 32 one. Retina-enabled games (and apps) eat a big chunk of disk space.

I don't know, I'm having no problems with a 16GB iPad 3. I just stream my music using iTunes Match and only keep the games I'm currently playing on it and don't leave on apps that I'm no longer using and I've over 5GB free. The only reason I can see for wanting a bigger one is if you wanted a large music library and a few films on the iPad too, which I don't need. If he gets a netbook he can use that for storage and just transfer content to his iPad on a as needed basis and save himself some money. I mean do you really need to keep every game you've ever bought on your iPad all the time?

RBerenguel · **#14**

I usually don't want to have games lying around my Mac, and rather have them on the iPad until I finish it or grow completely bored. I have the iPad 1 32 Gb, with only 2 Gb free (of course, having like 7gb of pdf and documents eats quite a lot of space, yes). Don't have any music on it.

mogosoup · **#15**

RBerenguel wrote:

I usually don't want to have games lying around my Mac, and rather have them on the iPad until I finish it or grow completely bored. I have the iPad 1 32 Gb, with only 2 Gb free (of course, having like 7gb of pdf and documents eats quite a lot of space, yes). Don't have any music on it.

Hmm and I hate how the 16gb iPad will only have 14gb usable.

Music-2gb
Movies-2gb at a time
Games-0
Go Applications 500mb
Go pdfs-whatever's left

I think 16gb is enough for me.
I hate how apple charges a hundred bucks more for slightly more storage space, which really costs very little. for $100 I would expect to get 128gb more

RBerenguel · **#16**

Well, NAND is where Apple makes most of the money off an iPad: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12 ... rgins.html

hyperpape · **#17**

I haven't followed those estimates recently, but in the past, teardowns were known for being completely inconsistent with Apple's reported margins. Any reason to believe these?

RBerenguel · **#18**

Not at all, but I can believe that it's the cheaper part, comparing price differences

mogosoup · **#19**

RBerenguel wrote:

Well, NAND is where Apple makes most of the money off an iPad: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12 ... rgins.html

I hate their business model. NAND is so cheap they should just give us 16gb for $500 and 128gb for $600

oren · **#20**

mogosoup wrote:

I hate their business model. NAND is so cheap they should just give us 16gb for $500 and 128gb for $600

Buy a tablet that lets you put in MicroSD. They're not hard to find.

iPad or Android Tab for Go

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