Tablet information overload - please help (1 Viewer)

[shuke]

I'm looking to get a tablet for the kids. I want one of the larger displays. $200 would be ideal. My kids are just turning 4 and 9 so I imagine this thing being destroyed within 18 months.

Microsoft Surface RT is on sale for $200.

I've been seeing Kind Fire HD (not HDX) 8.9" at less than $200.

Best Buy has Nook HD+ at $180.

Are these all comparable? I'm guessing the plus for the Surface is that it runs windows, but if my son needs to do something in word or excel for school, we have a desktop and laptop at home. Does the Surface run all the android apps?

This tablet will mostly be for games, books, educational stuff, occasional skype.

 

[shuke]

Just saw that the Nook does not have a camera. Would not be the end of the world but I'd pay a little more to have one. I know the larger Fire HD has only the front facing camera, which is fine. This wouldn't be for taking photos.

 

[Abraham]

iPad mini.

 

[belljr]

kindle fire ... only issue is not all apps hit amazon appstor

 

[shuke]

iPad mini.

I want one of the larger displays.

 

[shuke]

kindle fire ... only issue is not all apps hit amazon appstor

What do you mean by this?

 

[Abraham]

Surface is a nice machine at that price. I'm a Mac guy but I sell a #### ton of surface and it's a good machine. The Rt is lighter than the pro and I actually like the hardware better.

 

[belljr]

kindle fire ... only issue is not all apps hit amazon appstor

What do you mean by this?

if an app is released to google play store it is not guaranteed to be on the amazon appstore.

most are but its not a "open android" device

 

[KCitons]

what do you consider a larger display? Is the 8.9" of the Fire the smallest you are considering?

 

[belljr]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

 

[Fennis]

I'm on a surface rt right now. I like it.

 

[Abraham]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Disagree. It's really well built.

 

[shuke]

what do you consider a larger display? Is the 8.9" of the Fire the smallest you are considering?

From what I've seen, the smaller tablets are 7" and the larger are 8.9" and up. Is there something a little smaller than 8.9?

 

[belljr]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Disagree. It's really well built.

i didnt mean fragile but in general...maybe i am overthinking that part

 

[shuke]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Do you mean it is too fragile for kid use? Or the interface is too sophisticated?

 

[Abraham]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Disagree. It's really well built.

i didnt mean fragile but in general...maybe i am overthinking that part

You are. A sub $300 tablet isn't a piece of fine china at this point.

 

[shuke]

kindle fire ... only issue is not all apps hit amazon appstor

What do you mean by this?

if an app is released to google play store it is not guaranteed to be on the amazon appstore.

most are but its not a "open android" device

What are the open android devices?

 

[Abraham]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Do you mean it is too fragile for kid use? Or the interface is too sophisticated?

If you are going yo let them throw it around and toss it to the bottom of the toy box it will break. They all will break.

If you are going to make sure they take care of it, I think iOS is by far easiest with windows next.

 

[KCitons]

I bought my parents the Acer Iconia 7.9" tablet last night. Here is the Staples link For a $100, I like the specs. My wife and I both own Acer Iconia's in the 10" versions and they have been trouble free for over a year.

 

[Abraham]

kindle fire ... only issue is not all apps hit amazon appstor

What do you mean by this?

if an app is released to google play store it is not guaranteed to be on the amazon appstore.most are but its not a "open android" device

What are the open android devices?

Pretty much anything other than the kindle. Galaxy tab, Asus, etc.

 

[belljr]

also i think the surface is "too nice" for the kids...

Do you mean it is too fragile for kid use? Or the interface is too sophisticated?

i could be overthinking it as i only messed with a surface in store but i just dont know if kids will like the interface... still not sold on the "windows" thing.... and i am/was an MS ... just my .02..i like the Amazon/google eco not sure how ms is

 

[Abraham]

Iconia for $100 is really solid. Dell 8" is $150 I think.

 

[shuke]

10.1" Asus for $180 ??

 

[KCitons]

If you want to go even cheaper. TechWoot has refurbed 7" Asus Memo Pad for $80. The resolution is lower. But, for that price, they are all most disposable.

 

[Dentist]

i got my tech dumb mom the google nexus 10, and not only is she doing great with it, it's a freakin' fast awesome tablet.

they have a 7" as well

 

[shuke]

i got my tech dumb mom the google nexus 10, and not only is she doing great with it, it's a freakin' fast awesome tablet.

they have a 7" as well

I want one of the larger displays. $200 would be ideal.

 

[Abraham]

Shuke , you are overthinking it. Find one that is the size you like and a good brand (google, Asus, Samsung, dell, toshiba). Purchase.

 

[McGarnicle]

If you're looking for a smaller tablet, iPad Mini 64GB runs about $500.

 

[shuke]

Shuke , you are overthinking it. Find one that is the size you like and a good brand (google, Asus, Samsung, dell, toshiba). Purchase.

I don't know what the "good" brands are. Also want to make sure I'm not missing out on functionality. For instance, that 10.1 Asus does not have an SD slot. Big deal?

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Don't get a kindle, they suck. My nexus is a piece of trash as well, I just use it for jacking off.

The ipad air is obviously the Cadillac but if you can get the Microsoft surface for cheap it's nice.

1)ipad air but over the $200 budget

2)Microsoft surface, but probably $300?

3)some android tablet other than the nexus

4)kindle if you like a completely worthless piece of ####

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Nexus

 

[belljr]

Nexus

love my 7

 

[Abraham]

Shuke , you are overthinking it. Find one that is the size you like and a good brand (google, Asus, Samsung, dell, toshiba). Purchase.

I don't know what the "good" brands are. Also want to make sure I'm not missing out on functionality. For instance, that 10.1 Asus does not have an SD slot. Big deal?

It's for your kids. No, you don't need an sd slot.

 

[KCitons]

Unless you are going to drop a bunch of movies or other files on a memory card, then you don't really need a sd slot. I believe the Asus comes with an adapter allowing you to plug in a usb thumb drive, if you need to move things to and from the tablet. If it's just for the kids, you can always use cloud storage, or keep stuff on a shared folder on a home pc. There's a bunch of apps that will allow you to access media on your home network.

I originally wanted an Asus, but the SD slot was a deal breaker for me. I keep my music library and a bunch of DVD rips on my tablet when I travel. I will also offload pics from my DSLR if I want to view them on the larger screen.

 

[shuke]

So I don't think that Asus I linked to is HD. What scares me is no reviews. I tried checking Amazon but they don't have the ME102, just the ME302 which is HD but is $70 more.

 

[tommyGunZ]

stop being a cheapskate and get an iPad. by far the best tablet for children. easiest to use and has the most content.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

iPad is overkill here. Easy choice when Gunz checks in trying to boost his stock portfolio. Shamefull really.

 

[tommyGunZ]

iPad is overkill here. Easy choice when Gunz checks in trying to boost his stock portfolio. Shamefull really.

good stuff Rude.

 

[shuke]

iPad is overkill here. Easy choice when Gunz checks in trying to boost his stock portfolio. Shamefull really.

His post pretty much finalized my decision to go with an Android.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

iPad is overkill here. Easy choice when Gunz checks in trying to boost his stock portfolio. Shamefull really.

His post pretty much finalized my decision to go with an Android.

YepNo brainer

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Don't get a kindle, they suck. My nexus is a piece of trash as well, I just use it for jacking off.

The ipad air is obviously the Cadillac but if you can get the Microsoft surface for cheap it's nice.

1)ipad air but over the $200 budget

2)Microsoft surface, but probably $300?

3)some android tablet other than the nexus

4)kindle if you like a completely worthless piece of ####

What's so bad about the kindle?

 

[Mario Kart]

If you think the tablet will get messed up, go for the iPad 2. Its a good jump start into the tablet market, is the bigger screen and has a good eco system for apps.

 

[Abraham]

Don't get a kindle, they suck. My nexus is a piece of trash as well, I just use it for jacking off.

The ipad air is obviously the Cadillac but if you can get the Microsoft surface for cheap it's nice.

1)ipad air but over the $200 budget

2)Microsoft surface, but probably $300?

3)some android tablet other than the nexus

4)kindle if you like a completely worthless piece of ####

What's so bad about the kindle?

Nothing. It's a fine device.

 

[Mr. Ected]

One thing that is driving me towards the kindle is the FreeTime app that limits where the kids can go and how much time they can spend on varying programs. Nice for a parent. Is there something that the regular Androids have that does that?

 

[shuke]

One thing that is driving me towards the kindle is the FreeTime app that limits where the kids can go and how much time they can spend on varying programs. Nice for a parent. Is there something that the regular Androids have that does that?

Same here, and I was just about to pull the trigger but Staples is now sold out online. Lowest I can find is $230 on Amazon.

####, Meijer had it for $189 yesterday and it came with a $50 store gift card.

 

[Mario Kart]

Best Buy might still have Kindles for $99. They are the 7" version but can get two of them for the $200 price point.

 

[ebcpastor2004]

Just bought 3 of these today for 5, 8, & 13 year olds. Cheap with good reviews.

http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix#ip/Proscan-7-Tablet-8GB-Memory-with-Bonus-Keyboard-Case/29017591?type=search

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Don't get a kindle, they suck. My nexus is a piece of trash as well, I just use it for jacking off.

The ipad air is obviously the Cadillac but if you can get the Microsoft surface for cheap it's nice.

1)ipad air but over the $200 budget

2)Microsoft surface, but probably $300?

3)some android tablet other than the nexus

4)kindle if you like a completely worthless piece of ####

What's so bad about the kindle?

Nothing. It's a fine device.

Ok, was thinking about getting one for my wife and toddler, wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious. This will be our first tablet so I'm going in blind and like OP I'm a little overwhelmed with all the information and competing opinions... I think I'm overthinking it.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I've had the Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10. In terms of hardware specs, they're all fantastic for the price. In terms of operating system, I much prefer the Nexuses to the Kindle, but I'm sure that plenty of people would be indifferent.

For me, the Kindle's inability to get along with Google was a pretty big handicap. The Google Play Store was inaccessible without rooting, and even ordinary Google apps like Gmail, Google Voice, Google Maps, Google Drive, and so on -- all of which I use heavily -- took some doing to install. You had to find a work-around because Kindle wouldn't allow any of those apps otherwise. (That was a few years ago; maybe things are different now.)

 

[jamny]

Anyone have a chance to check this one out yet?

I'll be getting it for free so the price is right. Seems like a good tablet.