I was looking to do the same, to play and generate some expertise on a 'droid.  


I ended up buying an ACER Transformer.  It comes as a standard tablet, or with an additional attachable keyboard, which is really handy when you have fat fingers like mine.  ACER also released a version of ICS, so it looks like their activly developing on it.  Haven't rooted mine yet.

 
I ended up paying ~$700 for both parts.   The tablet alone was $399 and the keyboard was $299.  


--- 
Wayne Johnson,                         | There are two kinds of people: Those 
3943 Penn Ave. N.          | who say to God, "Thy will be done," 
Minneapolis, MN 55412-1908 | and those to whom God says, "All right, 
(612) 522-7003                         | then,  have it your way." --C.S. Lewis



>________________________________
> From: Jason Hsu <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com>
>To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org 
>Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 12:53 PM
>Subject: [tclug-list] WANTED: advice on buying an Android device
> 
>I'm in the market for a basic Android device.  My main reason for buying one is for learning to develop mobile apps.  While the Eclipse IDE offers a virtual Android device for testing apps, it's not the same thing as a real Android device and won't put me on the same wavelength as Android device users.  (The most obvious example: Visibility is poorer in a bright outdoor environment than indoors.)
>
>Some questions:
>1.  Is a tablet PC the type of device I should get?  I get the impression that it's more versatile than other devices.  I don't need a smartphone, because my dumbphone works well for me, and I don't even use it that much.  And I HATE the idea of being locked into a specific wireless provider.  I'm not interested in ebooks, because I still like books on paper better.
>2.  In addition to wifi, what else should I look for?
>3.  Are there any brands/models I should avoid?  I remember hearing that the Packard Bell PCs were the most unreliable.  The Yugo was a terrible value.  (An old Oldsmobile Cutlass clunker was a better value - at least as reliable but MUCH cheaper to buy.)
>
>-- 
>Jason Hsu <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com>
>_______________________________________________
>TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
>tclug-list at mn-linux.org
>http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
>
>
>
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