My dh is going to get me a tablet for Christmas. I am not very techy and really have no idea what I should be looking for. I will be using it for basic uses. Reading books, email, camera, etc. What do you love? Is it worth spending a little more and why? Or have you discovered an inexpensive option you love? Thanks@
We are evenly split between Apple and Android devices in our house, and by far the best tablet we have seen is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.
If inweree getting a new one…I would get the IPad Pro.
The IPad (and IPhone) in my opinion are much more intuitive than androids - so I think for a non techy person the IPad is a better choice.
Most people who complain about Androids have not seen a really good Android device. The Android OS has been running rings around Apple iOS for about 4 years now. Once you have spent some time with both you wonder why iOS is so far behind.
My wife is the least tech savvy person around, and has been very disappointed with her iPhone compared to her previous Nexus 5, and even more so compared with my current Google Pixel phone. I keep offering to get her a new phone but she considers that “wasting money”.
My husband has n android tablet. He likes it a lot. But even he says…my iPad is better.
My advice…go and try some different devices. See what you feel comfortable using.
There is no right or wrong here…just different.
And just make sure the applications you want are available on the platform you choose.
I am a PC person but like iphone and my iPad mini, as well as my surface pro 3. We have kindles too but those are the 3 devices I use the most. I agree that you have to play around with different devices to decide on the size and platform you favor. Apple has the biggest store with the most apps.
I love my Kindle Fire.
@HImom: the iPad and iPhone have plenty of selling points in their favor, but a larger App Store is not one of them. There are probably 10 android apps for every iOS app.
I’m a Linux guy, so I don’t have a dog in the iOS / android debate. But if I were buying a tablet for a novice, I would spend the extra money on an iPad. If you can’t figure out how to do something on your iPad, and you want help from a live person, the Apple Store is a great resource. There really isn’t a comparable resource for android users.
My kindle fire does everything I want and is very reasonably priced.
We have all 3, ipad, Kindle, and Android and the Ipad is the clear winner in our house. It’s great at everything in my opinion.
We have 3 iPads. They sync to phones and computers easily.
An individual Android device might be fine, but the universe of Android devices is varied and highly changeable. If you were to ask which will be the tablet I buy after my first one is expired, the answer would be iPad also. Just ask how many people who own and Android tablet how many times they bought the same device. My guess is that the number is very low. Compare that to iPad.
I have an iPad mini that is used more than the regular iPad (which we also have), the kindle, kindle fire or surface. I think it is because I had the iPad mini first among my tablets.
To me, Apple devices are more intuitive than the others, even tho we’ve had PCs and windows in our home since the 1980s. It is nice to be able to go to an Apple Store if you have questions but you can get sone live support on kindle fire as well (tho I have only done the former, not the latter).
Apple helpline is also fantastic. I have had to call several times. It is a pleasure talking to the over the phone. I keep the number in my contacts so it’s always handy.
Ok, it makes sense going with Apple if you need to call for help. We have just never needed to, for any of our multitude of iOS/Android devices.
I am upgrading my iPad Air 2 to a Pro this Christmas. Make sure you get enough memory. Books, music and pictures eat up space.
I have a Kindle Fire HD. I love it, but would NOT get another one. It runs android, but an amazon-modified version. Due to the amazon-google war, amazon blocks you from doing “googly” stuff. For example, you cannot get apps from the googleplay store, only from amazon. And since amazon would prefer that you get your movies from amazon prime, they block access to flixter, where I have all my digital versions of movies stored.
Bought D a Samsung galaxy tablet last Christmas and it’s been perfect, without the pro-amazon anti-google foolishness.
My MSFT Surface is awesome. Kid is thinking about ditching her Apple laptop and iPad and replacing it with one device…like I did.
That said, for simple uses, an IPad will be just fine.
Love my galaxy nexus!
I love my Galaxy Tab A. It syncs perfectly with my Android phone. We got my techy mother a Galaxy tablet (can’t remember the model) about 2 years ago. She had very limited tech experience … no smart phone, very minimal/limited use of my dad’s windows desktop. It took some time to learn how to use it, but it has been worked out beautifully for her.
Things to consider to ease the learning curve:
Do you have a smart phone? If so, I would recommend a tablet of the same OS so that functionality is similar and the devices can be synced.
Does your husband have more experience with Apple or Android products? If he will be your go-to tech support, go with the system he prefers.