The best for low budget almost year ago was snagging an HP TouchPad, the best deal now is a Nexus 7 which is so cheap Google doesn't profit financially from it.
What I would do if I didn't like iPads and if I was on a lower budget and didn't like the size of a Nexus, would be to wait a few more months. Windows 8 is going to cause the tablet market to explode, and several Android tablets are going to be crazy cheap.

