Tablet recommendation

[Mountain_Mama]

I have friends who are amature musicians who are wanting a Tablet to put their written music/songs on to use at their performances rather than on paper. She was asking me to help her watch for a good deal for them for Christmas. I really don't know any bands to watch for that will do what she wants & not break the bank. We were discussing my iPad mini but determined it's screen would be too small & she could get something larger & less expensive if she went with a brand other than Apple. I would think battery life would be fairly important so it would last thru their performances. Suggestions?

[8_1_Van]

The 128GB iPad Air would be great for that .

[1492]

Though not involved with music myself, all the composers and musicians I've been fortunate to work directly with in the past, including a few Grammy and Academy Award nominees, have all used Apple. In this case, I'd recommend sticking with the full size iPad.

[tatest]

You may need to find the app before figuring out what platform.

If it turns out that what is needed is an iPad, then they could look for used, for a decent price. Every iPad from iPad 2 forward is capable of handling the current operating system release. Prices will depend on how new, and how much storage.

If the platform for the app is going to be something else (most likely Android, there is not so much software like this for Windows tablets) then you have to make sure the particular tablet has the right version of the operating system and adequate resources (storage, working memory, battery life, processing power) for the task. There is a wide variation in price of Android tablets because there is great variation in capabilities. If the job requires the power of a Galaxy Tab, a Kindle Fire is probably not going to work out so well, even though Amazon sells that one really cheap.

Again, you can get a lot more Android tablet if you buy last year's model, with little difference in capability when it is at the same original price level. As soon as the new model comes out, people are trading in or selling the old one, and vendors are trying to close that out.

If the application does not need phone connectivity (i.e. WiFi is enough) that saves money. In Galaxy, that means a WiFi only Tab, rather than a Note. Not having a phone running saves battery life. Turning off WiFi when not needed helps as well.

Most of the (bar) musicians I've known are still using paper, except for piano men with big repertoires, and for them the platform has usually been a MacBook, not cheap. I don't know what application. Even some of those guys are working with a 4-6 inch thick notebook they've been building for twenty years.

[Tom_M1]

First and foremost you need to determine what software you are going use. This will determine which hardware will work. Your hardware choice will either be Apple, Android, or Windows.

I have a Winbook TW100 tablet with a 10" screen. This is a Microcenter store brand which sells for $179.99. It comes with Windows 8.1 which I upgraded to Win 10.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/437498/TW100_101_Tablet_-_Black?ob=1

[creeper]

The wife is a musician, but she plays by ear and doesn't need a tablet. Some of her band mates use iPads for various reasons. They say there are better apps for musician on the iOS / Mac platform. IF your friend doesn't want to break the bank there are plenty of older iPads for sale on the cheap.

[KrowNB]

I bought an Asus TF101 a few years ago. At first it was OK but now is so slow I'm thinking of tossing it. I bought my wife a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 a year ir two ago. Works and displays wonderfully! If I get a replacement fur my Asus it will be a Samsung.

[Bill_Satellite]

Love my ASUS laptop/tablet convertible but I have no idea how that applies to musicians if the music has a platform specific requirement. I bought a 13" ASUS convertible tablet/laptop and I did not make a mistake. I hated my wife's 10" (which she loves) and I wanted to get rid of my 15" laptop. This ASUS is totally awesome. I use the tablet for reading and surfing and I connect it to the keyboard if I need to make lengthy posts or answer emails (like now). It's not required to have the keyboard but I have been using one for about 30 years and I just can't do what I do with an onscreen keyboard.
As always, YMMV!
You should be able to test the specific program you plan to use on either format in store. If you find that one works better than the other....you have found your winner!

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

I personally prefer android. I have a Samsung Note 10.1 tablet which I like, but thinking about getting a Note Pro with a 12.2"screen. ipad also I beleive just came out with a 12" screen.

Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

[MrWizard]

for tablets

look LG, Acer, Asus

these have really good display screens
come in 10 inch sizes or larger
and have excellent battery life, like 10 hours

[the_bear_II]

Most music producers and musicians use MAC computer products. Like the MAC Book Pro http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/

I have a Video production company and sometimes edit/record music for my customers. I have always used PCs mostly because they are cheaper than the MAC products and so far have met my needs. It's really the software or music editing App that is important so they will need a good laptop, computer or tablet but also a good music editing software. There are some free editing software programs that can be downloaded from the internet.

I purchased and use SoundForge by Sony. It's a little tough to learn but is very robust for professional editing and music production.

[Chris_Bryant]

iPad is really the standard for this application. I just bought a refurb iPad 3, 64 gb, Verizon 3G (I don't use that), for $220 on sale, but normal for a refurb is still under $300.

[tropical_ron]

I did a search for "laptops used by professional musicians to read sheet music" and got many results...give that a try.

[2oldman]

Rare to find musicians who read, except at the symphony. I'd use a laptop.