[Discuss] Attaching an external USB drive to a tablet

[tmetro-blu at vl.com (Tom Metro)]

Jerry Feldman wrote:
> ...she also wants to preserve her pictures and stuff from her HD. 
> To attach a standard USB drive to [a tablet requires] a connection kit.

I'd consider a bunch of options before attaching a USB drive to a
tablet. Such as:

-uploading the photos to a cloud photo site or general purpose storage
service;

-transferring the files to a high capacity micro SD card (32 GB cards
are pretty cheap and will hold a lot of photos);

-making the drive accessible over the network - using a router with a
USB port, a NAS controller[1], or NAS enclosure.

1.
http://www.amazon.com/Pogoplug-POGO-B01-Media-Sharing-Device/dp/B004TDY924/


> My recommendation to Sybil is either a Galaxy Tab 10.1 or Asus
> Transformer Prime or possibly the latest Moto Xoom.

The Transformer Prime seems to be considered the top performer of the
Android tablet market (actual sales haven't been that great). However it
has had some well documented problems with its GPS and WiFi reception,
and shortly after it was released ASUS announced replacement models
would be coming out soon.

ASUS recently released one of the successors to the Prime, the
Transformer Pad TF300[2], which has most of the same innards (quad core
processor) in a plastic enclosure and a lower price.

2. http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/22/asus-transformer-pad-tf300-review/

I don't think Motorola still makes the Xoom (though you can still buy
new ones through Amazon, Motoroloa's site only shows refurbs). Their
latest family is the Xyboard[3], which comes in several sizes, including
some that are waterproof. Reviewers like it better than the Xoom, but
you don't really hear anyone saying it is their favorite.

3.
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Tablets


Except for the Note product line, the latest Samsung models appear to be
cost reduced (low-end specs) versions of earlier models. The not yet
released Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1[4] will likely be the closest
competition to the Transformer Prime.

4. http://www.theverge.com/products/galaxy-note-10-1-wi-fi/5263

At the lower end, there are a bunch of choices under $250 now - mostly
7" tablets (with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2[5] possibly the best), of
off-brand models without Google Market (Play) support. It's rumored
Google will be releasing a Nexus branded tablet made by ASUS in the $150
price range.

5. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-7-Inch-Wi-Fi/dp/B007P4VOWC/


I recommend figuring out a few things about the user's requirements
before you get into specific model recommendations. The biggest one is
wither you want a 7" screen, a 10" screen, or something in between. This
is hard to answer without spending some time using a device for a while.
Ideally borrowing one from a friend. You may find that a 7" screen is
big enough, and results in a far more portable device that gets used more.

The next attribute that greatly narrows choices is whether you need cell
data service, and if so, with which carrier. Obviously any device will
work with WiFi, so if you only care about that, any device is an option.

Once you have form-factor and radio type sorted, the next consideration
is special features. There is little to distinguish most tablets (minor
differences in CPU, battery life, and screen), but there are a few
things that will be important to a minority of people, such as the
stylus on the Samsung Note (you can get a stylus for any tablet, but
they don't work as well), the keyboard dock on the ASUS Transformer
(Bluetooth keyboard will work with any tablet, but the dock is superior
if you expect to use it a lot), or being waterproof (there are actually
a handful of models that claim this feature now from Pantec, Motorola,
and others).

This should narrow choices to a model or two. It's worth checking out
the models at a store, but if you aren't already familiar with tablets,
you'll get a feel for the weight, screen, and other physical attributes,
but not the software. (The experience of interacting with an iPad and a
similarly shaped Android tablet is hardly distinguishable for a casual
user spending only a few minutes with them in a store. Distinguishing
different Android tablets is even more challenging.) ideally, by this
point the user has had an opportunity to borrow a tablet and become
familiar with the OS and an app or two, which they can use as a point of
reference when comparing models.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/