Kindle v Nook v Tablet for seniors

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Grandma is open to playing games on a Kindle etc. now that a fellow senior showed her theirs. I am doing some research and wonder if any one has thoughts on Nook vs Kindle and how those compare to a tablet, mini or large.</p>

<p>Is it better to use the small 7’-8" screen for holding in their hands or is a larger screen tablet better?</p>

<p>This would be for games only, but I am thinking that I should get something versatile so that if she does not end up using it someone else in the family can use it.</p>

2

<p>My 74 yo. Mom has a Kindle Fire. She plays games, reads and checks email on it.
She is not techno- phobic -but she certainly doesn’t have extensive tech experience
If you get a Kindle I would recommend the cover that turns it on when you open it and turns if off when you shut it.
There are many games available for Kindle -but I think even more would be available for I-pad. There are some games that are out -that I have not been able to get for my Fire (for example Plants vs. Zombies 2)
Do you know which games she is interested in? You could check their availability ahead of purchasing</p>

3

<p>There are two types of Kindle - the e-reader, which is mostly for reading and works beautifully in bright sunlight as well as indoors, and the Kindle Fire, which is a tablet made by Amazon. You can get the Kindle Fire in a 7 inch size or an 8.9 inch size. We’ve all got variations on the Kindle Fire and have found it very easy to use. Bear in mind any tablet will not be easily seen in bright sunlight.</p>

<p>I would shy away from the Nook, as its future is a bit uncertain.</p>

<p>If you go for a non-Kindle android tablet, then Samsung makes several great models.</p>

<p>The iPad is also an option, although the initial purchase price is higher. My in-laws are never far away from their iPads, and these are folks who struggle with email.</p>

<p>I believe you can load the Kindle app and read books purchased through Amazon on any device, including the iPad. For the iPad you purchase the games through the Apple App store. For the Android tablets, including the Kindle Fire, you go through the Google Play store. There is a larger number of free apps for the Android tablets.</p>

<p>I like my 7 inch screen since I carry it in my purse all the time, but if your giving this to someone who needs reading glasses, they may like the larger screen. DH also has a 7 inch screen, and when he doesn’t have his glasses handy he sets the font so large there’s only about 2 sentences per page - a larger screen would be better for him.</p>

<p>You’ll also need to think about whether they have ready wi-fi access. If they do, you can buy the wi-fi only model, which is much cheaper. If they don’t, then you start looking at a more expensive model and the need to purchase a monthly data plan.</p>

<p>If she’s got friends with the Kindle Fire, I’d go with that because the friends can show her the ropes. The price is very reasonable for these tablets.</p>

4

<p>I think for a senior (or a technonovice) the Mayday button on the new Kindles would be invaluable.</p>

5

<p>I buy my apps through Amazon. Not Google play. I will have to check that out </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

6

<p>If grandma is playing the kind of basic games you get on a kindle, then any tablet offers more than she needs. I doubt she needs or wants a tablet that can do full on racing or shooter games.</p>

7

<p>Why shouldn’t grandma play Solitaire on a tablet?</p>

8

<p>I like my Kindle Fire. Downloading games/books from Amazon is so easy.<br>
My sister (61) has both a Kindle and an IPad and says she uses the Kindle more for reading because the Ipad gets too heavy after awhile/</p>

9

<p>My aunt (81 years young) has an IPad and loves it. I know that she uses it for email, facebooking with the relatives (one cousin set her up with a closed group so her list is manageable), and reading e-books. I would not be surprised to learn that she also plays games!</p>

10

<p>H prefers the light weight of the kindle over the iPad mini or the netbooks or laptops. He is old enough to be on Medicare and he could be a grandparent, if we started our family earlier and our kids started theirs. ;). My dad (nearly 90), likes his ipad and iPhone. Had us return the kindle and mom (in her 80s), gave hers to lucky H. She gave her ipad to her SIL. </p>

<p>I like the low prices in the nook, but am also wondering about their future with B&N closing stores and losing market share. </p>

<p>D so far likes her Kindle fire; S wasn’t interested so gave it to her. I like the iPad mini.</p>

11

<p>My parents have an iPad, which I got my dad when he was recovering from chemotherapy (he loves it.) They also have a Kindle Fire, a regular Kindle, and a Kindle PaperWhite. My mom had issue with the Kindle Fire – she tends to fall asleep while reading, and I don’t know if her hand would slide over the screen, but she always lost her place. My dad got her a regular Kindle and she likes that much better. Then my dad got himself the paperwhite Kindle. While he still uses the iPad for everything else, he likes the small, lightweight Kindle much better for reading. The iPad can get very heavy. He had even built himself a stand for it to rest it on while in bed propped on his knees.</p>

<p>So bottom line is the Kindle Fire gets the least use of all of the above.</p>

12

<p>I am thinking of buying a tablet for my mom so that we can skype and she can write emails and look at facebook. i see some cheap tablets (less than 90$) with android 4.2 operating system online, and wonder if those. would work. Does it matter if hey are not the latest system? I use an ipad, but don’t want to spend $4-500 to set her up with one if she ends up not liking it. Any suggestions? I think she would want a keyboard…</p>

13

<p>Grandma is nearly 90, claims to have no interest in emails or computers, but was introduced by a friend’s Mom, so not a person to show the ropes, but not a young person, therefore the viability of a senior and a game machine was okay. She plays Mahjong all the time on a laptop, but does nothing else, at all.</p>

<p>I like that idea of the cover that turns it on and off, the simpler the better. I have gotten her to do Pandora radio, bought her a Roku, but she has not yet tried to navigate anything else. One step at a time.</p>

<p>I wonder about buying an older model iPad since she does not need the latest and greatest anything. She does read books from the library, large print, I am not sure if she would try it on the tablet or not, but we could see!</p>

14

<p>We got an iPad for my inlaws. My FIL found it too heavy to manage (he was quite ill at the time but it is true that it is a heavy device). My MIL how is not techno-savvy took to it and loves it. It’s never far from her. We hadn’t expected that she’d take to it so quickly.</p>

15

<p>We got my mom, a total tech newbie, the iPad with the 3G cellphone connectivity with a $10 account on our share everything verizon account. She doesn’t have wifi in her house and she can still access the internet through the 3G there and wherever she happens to be and is not dependent on wifi avail.</p>

16

<p>I agree with above posters on the advantage of the kindle being lightweight. My H noticed it right away as much easier than holding up a book (or iPad). He has the paper white and loves it. He only uses it for reading. I also like that he can read in bed late at night without having to turn on the light.</p>

17

<p>You can set the font on the Kindle really large -so it would be like having large print books. </p>

<p>I think the Kindle paperwhite is just for reading. No games. It is supposed to be great for reading outdoors -no glare on the screen</p>

18

<p>If Grandma is just playing games, I’d just get an inexpensive Android tablet for under $100. If she damages it by sitting on it or by dropping in tub, or if she loses it…just get another one. </p>

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