I am considering buying a tablet with wifi connection only (not cellular) just for fun. I currently use a desktop computer in a a separate room from my comfy chair and TV. I will only use it for email, facebook, web surfing, etc., and maybe streaming sports events or movies. I have received two recommendations, both say iPad: my coworker has one and loves it and my daughter does not have a tablet of any kind but loves her Mac laptop.
I have an android phone (4 years old and next on my list for replacement) and have never used an Apple product. Also, how much memory and mini or not? I am over 50 and have to use reading glasses. I know I am the last person on Earth that doesn’t have one, well except for my daughter, so please excuse my stupidity when it comes to technical things.
eta my question: Does anyone have experience with both iPad and android and can say which he likes better?
I’d recommend going somewhere like best buy where they have tablets on display and trying them out. You can compare the sizes and displays of different tablets and click around on them to get a sense for how easy (or not easy) they are to use.
For what it’s worth, I have an ipad, which I like, but if I were getting another tablet, I would seriously consider other brands. I don’t think there’s anything particularly special about apple, and if I were doing it again, I would take a good look at other options. But I’ve never really been as infatuated with apple as other people are.
If you’re using it just for web surfing and such, you shouldn’t need very much memory. 16GB should be plenty.
Except when a new iOS comes out… You might have no space to download it.
I second the recommendation of trying the actual products. I found that touchscreens on Samsung tablets did not like my fingers. Both iPad and Surface had very responsive screens.
I’d look at CNET reviews and then Google by brand to see user comments and/or issues. See what you can tolerste. I’ve got my kid’s kindle fire hd 8.9. Know that they’re heavier than carrying around a smartphone. Get one big enough to comfortably read books or watch Netflix.
Ps. My D also loves her Mac laptop, which is why she lent/gave me the kindle.
Got to play with son’s Microsoft Surface. I want one! I’ve thought about getting an iPad but after trying the Surface out I’m re-thinking.
Whatever you do get a lot of memory. The new programs/apps take so much memory that you’ll be outmoded immediately if you don’t get enough memory.
Get as much memory as you can afford. On tablets, this cannot be upgraded. I have an IPad Air 32Mb…and I wish I had 64. I have over 250 applications (some work related) and I cannot keep them all loaded on the device at once.
The android application market is catching up, but there are not nearly as many android based applications as Apple.
My SIL had an Android tablet. She made fun of my IPad everytime I saw her…loved her Android. BUT then her employer gave her an IPad. She says she will never go back to the Android.
I have a galaxy nexus 10. Have used Mac at work, but my phone is android andi wouldn’t want to mix the apps! I had no desire for a tablet, but it was a gift for my 50th birthday and I’m totally addicted. Use it on the treadmill, nightly surfing and and sometimes watch TV shows.
I have never considered needing more memory. Performance is great!
I have an iPad mini with 16gb memory and a Logitech keyboard as well as a Windows Surface Pro 3 with a keyboard. I like both but have had the mini longer and find it more comfortable for lounging on the couch and doing simple email and posting on CC (have posted this and most of my CC posts on this mini).
The Surface is cool as well. I’d agree that it’s nice to go to a place like BestBuy where you can try several different devices and figure out which one works best for you. To me, a KEY thing is whether or not you have an attached keyboard. Except for the shortest messages, I hate typing on glass, so much prefer keyboards.
Kindle Fire HD is another option to consider. It allows you to read easily, but I don’t type much on it and consider it mostly a way of viewing books, movies and other media. They do have a help button so you can get technical help with it via a touch of a button.
My kindle doesn’t have the help button (earlier model.) But I needed to call support and they answered quickly, really tried to work through the issue with me, even though it’s out of warranty. That was impressive. (Be sure to register your tablet.) Then the rep called me two days later, to see if the issue resolved.
I have had an iPad mini for years…16GB has never proven to be a problem. You can always uninstall things you aren’t using to make room for something you want, and then put them back. I don’t keep some apps on the iPad unless I’m travelling, for example. My son has a regular size iPad and it is nice if you read, game, or watch video a lot; otherwise I find the mini better for me because it fits in my purse.
If you are accustomed to and like android products, you might prefer something android based. My BIL has a surface, and its learning curve seems steep, to me. My 84 y.o. mom got an Ipad for Christmas and is already a pro. You can get used to typing on glass, btw. If you want a keyboard, just buy a nice laptop! There aren’t a lot of truly bad choices among the big names; just don’t buy a nook, or nook variant. The customer support is just atrocious
If you ever used a PC, Surface is not much different. It is a tablet PC that can run serious software and graphics-heavy games. I just typed up a multi-page research paper on my Surface Pro. The little keyboard is amazingly comfortable. That said, it is an overkill for someone who only needs to do what an iPad offers.
I have a really old ipad, but if I were to buy a tablet now I would go with a Surface. My husband and son have the new ones and they’re really nice. I love the way you can use the keyboard, which is a real downside to iPads or tablets without keyboards. My husband will use his tablet for financial stuff and spreadsheets with the keyboard and then take it off to just surf the net in bed. I’d try it out at Best Buy but probably buy from Newegg.http://www.newegg.com/All-Tablets/BrandSubCat/ID-1149-2557 My other son loves his Nexxus 10 but regrets not having a keyboard. He got one from Amazon, but it wasn’t well made.
If you’re going to be downloading a lot of apps (especially games that are large in size) or you want to load movies onto it or something, then yes, you want more memory.
But if you’re really going to use it just for email, facebook, web-surfing, and streaming video, then the smaller models are fine. If money is no issue, then it never hurts to get a size larger than you think you will need.
I love my iPad. I’ve had 2 now. We use droid phones, but iPads work for us. It was VERY easy to figure out. Next computer will likely be a macbook. But I agree with others. Go check them out to see what feels good. And make sure you get a case, so you don’t drop it and mess it up.
If you aren’t so tech savvy and want a tablet, I’d go with an Ipad.
While android isn’t much harder, the greater variety of apps in the google store and the wider variety of customization options can be bewildering to the uninitiated.
There’s also a greater likelihood of a hardware issue as android is marketed over a wider variety of tablets ranging from the high end Google Nexus to the garden variety low-end no-name tablet in the sub $50 range. I don’t recommend the latter unless you are patient and tech savvy enough to deal with possible issues which may come about.
Except when a new iOS comes out… You might have no space to download it.
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Agreed. This is a common issue with several friends who bought 16 GB Ipads and is only going to get worse as time goes on and newer versions of IOS and apps take up more space.
I’m not so sure about that as the barrier of entry for app makers in the android marketplace is lower from a financial and logistical perspective than for Apple’s IOS.*
App makers need to gain approval from Apple before each app goes onto the Apple app store and pay a fee for each app released into the IOS ecosystem. This is the case even if it's free to the enduser or being used for altruistic non-profit purposes. This is one of the major stumbling blocks preventing free app makers from making Apple IOS versions of their android apps.
I use a PC tablet that l think is only sold at Microcenter. Love it. Negatives are that there are far fewer apps for a PC operating system, and touchscreen is a bit finicky. Positives are that it runs all my Windows programs (OS =Win.8), includes full USB port, cost only $130, and comes in 8" (diag) size. Also comes 10" for more cost, but I wanted the smaller version.
I have an Apple laptop, so an iPhone, and iPad were a natural complement. I share files between all of them, ( work on something on my laptop, and can finish it on my phone)
But if you have an Android phone, I would look for a tablet that allows you to do that with what you already have.
I disagree that you need a lot of space on an iPad, if you have a laptop with iTunes.
You can plug the iPad into the laptop to download the new software.
I have 32gb, have a ton of apps and movies on the iPad and it is only half full.
The newer OS uses data more efficiently, so it doesn’t take up as much room.
If you wanted to try an iPad, I would also recommend that you save money by getting it at Costco, or one of the factory refurbed models.
Thank you all so much. I had planned to go look at them today, but it didn’t happen. I live in a rural town and we don’t have a Best Buy so I will have to drive 30 minutes to get to one. That’s not far, but I didn’t have time today. I really need to try out the different sizes. I get frustrated with my ancient smart phone because it is so tiny and don’t want to buy a tablet and have to hunt for my reading glasses every time I want to do something.
