[geeks] tablets?

[gsm at mendelson.com]

I am about to come into enough money (back money from disability) to buy
a digital device to improve my "quality of life". 

Currently I spend most of my time sitting in front of a netbook, which I use
for email, watching videos and some chatting/facebook/skype.

I have had a series of hand-me down mp3/video players, all of which would not
play 360p avi files. Some could pay that resolution, but it needed to be
reformatted.

I currently use an old classic iPod (4th gen touch wheel) because someone gave
me a bunch of audiobooks that could not be converted to mp3's and I was able
to scrounge this by asking around. I just replaced the battery and it should
run 18 hours on a charge. It only plays audio files. I kind of like it.

I don't leave the house, so device with GPS location, maps, etc is not needed.

I have a first edition nook and an original kindle. The nook was imported just
before the nook color came out, the kindle was a hand me down from someone 
who had a new one.  Both are comfortable to read the screen, but the slow page
flips, misplaced (for my hands) buttons, and lack of PDF support (rotate,
change contrast and zoom/shrink) make them difficult for me and I end up
using them in bed and being woken up when I drop them, having fallen asleep
reading. 

I've used an original iPad and it's PDF display is perfect for the books I
read. But I don't read many of them and could just as easily print out the
page (the PDF's are reference texts) or look at them on the netbook. 

Since I don't go out, portability is not an issue.

My options seem to be:

1. Get an iPhone. Not likely as they are $1200 up here. I already have a cell
    phone (motorola) which works fine for calls, I don't text, etc. 

2. Get an iPod touch. My kids have them and they love them. Would work for
    everthing except videos. I tried to use one as a terminal in a pinch,
    and I could not type on the keyboard, my fingers are too fat, and not
    dexterous enough.

3. Get an iPad. Better display, more keyboard as it were, still has the video
    problem (wont' play a random downloaded avi file). Relatively large and
    heavy.

4. Get an iPad2. None available here.

5. Get a 7 inch Galaxy tab. Same price as an iPad. I know nothing about it.

Any other options or suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Making your enemy reliant on software you support is the best revenge.