8 Best Tablets For The Regular Student On A Budget

8 Best Tablets For The Regular Student On A Budget Image via Siddartha Thota on Flickr We’ve all been there: you spy someone in lecture whipping out their handy-dandy tablet in preparation for class, and you sorely wish you had one to bring to class too, instead of that massive 15-pound monstrosity of a laptop. Well, look no further (but really, please do), because I’ve done the research for you and found 8 tablets that I think strike the best balance between quality and frugality. So read on, spend on  and save on! 8.)  Dell Venue 8:  $109.90 Image via Amazon.com Like youll soon see with the others on this list, the Dell Venue 8 is what critics like to call a “bargain tablet,” but don’t think that means it’s a piece of junk. On the contrary, the Venue 8 appears to be a very average, solid tablet. That being said, nothing about it really stands out, but then again, what do you need something flashy for when you can receive stable instead? Cnet.com provides a review of the Dell Venue 8  here. 7.)  Acer Iconia A1-830: $149.99 Image via Amazon.com The Acer Iconia A1-830 might be a bit of a mouthful to say, but trust me, its functionality is simple and solid. Its design is also eye-catching (Cnet.com calls it “fetching”), while its responses are equally attractiveâ€"they earn the titles “swift” and “smooth.” Unfortunately, it seems that reading small text can be a bit of a chore on the Iconia, so one of the other tablets on this list might be a better choice if that’s your primary objective. Cnet.com’s review of the Acer Iconia A1-830 can be found  here. 6.)  Lenovo A10: $199 Image via Shop.Lenovo.com If you’re looking for a larger tablet, look no further than the Lenovo A10; this bad boy delivers 10 inches of screen for your viewing pleasure. However, the screen resolution is said to be poorer than some other similarly priced tablets, but if you’re willing to take the risk, the Lenovo A10 has a strong base to make up for that. What’s really got people raving about this tablet is its sound quality. Dual front-facing speakers apparently deliver crystal clear, rich depth, which is made even better by its handy Dolby app that lets you customize your music/sound settings. Cnet.com has a helpful review of the Lenovo A10  here. 5.)  Asus MeMo Pad 8: $180.49 Image via Amazon.com First of all, the Asus MeMo Pad 8 is impressive right off the bat due to its thin and light frame. On the other hand, here’s a word to the wary: this tablet does run on an Android operating system, so if you know that’s not for you, then you should skip this one. However, users have commented that Asus provides a number of easy, useful tutorials to get new users used to the tablet, so don’t let this scare you off. Cnet.com promoted this tablet as “approachable,” and I’d have to agree. You can check out Cnet.com’s review of the Asus MeMo Pad 8  here. 4.)  LG G Pad 7.0: $119 Image via Frys.com At just over $100, this tablet is definitely a steal. However, the relatively small 8 GB of internal storage may not be enough for more dedicated users. That being said, the LG G Pad 7.0 does have some cool features not often seen in tablets in this price range. For instance, you can multitask with dual windows, meaning that you can, for example, watch Youtube videos while reading your emails, if you’re so inclined. And while the dual window function is described as pretty limited, I still think that’s a really awesome feature to throw in. Overall, this tablet is ideally suited for a casual user. For a more detailed review, check out Cnet.com’s analysis of the LG G Pad 7.0  here. 3.)  Barnes and Noble Nook HD+: $169.99 Image via Amazon.com Like the Asus Memo Pad 8 (#5 on this list), this 9-inch tablet stuns with its light and thin body. The Nook HD+ then continues to shower you in good things by being one of the best tablets on the market for reading (if you’re anything like me, that just made your mouth water). In fact, Cnet.com notes that the Nook HD+ “implements magazines and catalogs” better than any other tablet out there. One main drawback is that the tablet doesn’t come equipped with a camera, but if you’re like me and don’t intend to use a tablet as your main camera anyway, then that doesn’t matter much. Cnet.com’s review of this great tablet is  here. 2.)  Google Nexus 7: $189 Image via http://ecx.images-amazon.com At $189, this tablet is one of the more expensive ones on this list, but I’d like to think that its performance more than makes up for its relatively steep price. For instance, aside from being the lightest tablet on the market, the Nexus 7 also has an impressively full and deep picture quality that appears to dominate other tablets even of higher price ranges. On top of that, the Nexus 7’s generous battery life (beaten only barely by the much more expensive iPad Mini) and its ultra-fast, super-sensitive responsiveness make this tablet hard to beat. The main drawback of this tablet is that it’s significantly more expensive than the #1 tablet on this list, the Amazon Fire HD 6, and everyone knows that any extra cash a student can hang onto is cash well saved. Cnet.com’s review of the Google Nexus 7 is  here. 1.)  Amazon Fire HD 6: $99 Image via Amazon.com If we’re looking solely at price, you sure can’t beat this tablet. Even better, Amazon delivers quality along with this monetary steal, so this tablet can go head to head with much more expensive ones, as well. The great screen resolution that you get with this undeniable bargain deal seems to be what’s impressing most buyers, along with its immediate responsiveness and decent battery life. And at a 6 inch screen size, everyone seems to agree that this tablet is the perfect sizeâ€"neither too big nor too small, just like Goldilocks. After all, not having to lug around a laptop-sized item is exactly the purpose of a tablet, right? Finally, a surprising yet reassuring fact about this tablet is that a great number of buyers have recommended this one over Amazon’s newer version, the Amazon Fire HD 7. While you can look up reviews yourself, the Fire HD 7’s poorer screen resolution and significantly higher price speak for themselves. My conclusion, you ask? The Amazon Fire HD 6 is exactly the tablet to snap up this year. If you don’t want to take my word for it, you can read Cnet.com’s review of the Amazon Fire HD 6  here. Note:  If you’re willing to shell out a little more dough (maybe because you’re saving so much with the Amazon Fire HD 6, perhaps?), the  Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7  ($179.99) is touted by Cnet.com as one of the top 3 best tablets for your bucks. It’s similar to the Fire HD 6, but has some extra bells and whistles. You can find out more from their review of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7  here. Image via https://bizlaunchblogdotcom.files.wordpress.com Now that you know which tablet youre going to get, you also need accessories! Thats where my article, 8 Cheap Alternatives To Your Favorite Technology Accessories, comes in. Check it out and discover which tech accessories your life is missing (besides that tablet, of course).