Kids Tablet - Help me pick one

[Jerseymomof2]

Santa is going to be getting my 2 boys, ages 5 & 7 tablets for Christmas.
They keep needing my laptop to do their homework and play games and with 3 of us using it I can never get on.

I suggested to my mom (santa) that we get them something cheaper like a KURIO or a TABEO. But she thought it might be better to get them the IPAD.

Help! I need them to be able to get on the internet to do their homework. Almost everything is on there from their school. But they are also young so I'm afraid they will no be as gently as they should be.

What does everyone else have?
Thanks for the help!

 

[klitteral2009]

My two oldest have iPads. While we love them, I've opted for a Nabi for my youngest for Christmas. My kids have been careful with them but they both have cracked just from accidents. They are still useable and the cracks can be seen from certain angles only but I feel that the Nabi is a better choice for DD. Especially when it does all the things she'd use an iPad for at half the price.

 

[Alexle2007]

My DS6 has an iPad Mini and an iPad. His Mini went crazy on us a few weeks ago and took it to the Apple store and got a free replacement since it was still under warranty. Wouldn't have happened with a low end tablet. Plus he loves it and love being able to share apps.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would not get a "kid" tablet. Get an iPad or iPad Mini and get a good case (Otterbox, Gumdrop, etc.).

Keep in mind that a tablet is not a replacement for a laptop. Make sure you get them what they really need.

 

[excitedfamof4]

We just got an Ipad mini on Friday and love it! We love the size and the portability of it. My DH has an Ipad and while it is bigger, I think the Mini is a perfect size for a child. We got the 16 GB for $299 at Walmart. We are going to get another one soon, but going to wait and make sure the 16 GB is a good memory size for us. Having two is a lot of fun b/c you can play games with each other too!

There are also good options for a laptop for a child too. Just recently we purchased a 17" HP laptop for $399 and it has been great too. For that price it didn't have much as far as the pre-downloaded programs on it, but for our purposes (surfing the web, email and picture storage) it has been perfect.

 

[DawnM]

If they need it for homework, I would get a tablet AND a keyboard. I use the Apple wireless keyboard with my ipad.

If ipads are too pricey, I would look at the Nexus 7, an Android tablet that is a direct Google product, meaning you will get Google updates as soon as they come out. My 7 year old has a Nexus 7 (32gb) and loves it.

Dawn

 

[aprilgail2]

I would get the ipad and a otterbox type case for it!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would get the ipad and a otterbox type case for it!

This...and educate then on the proper care of it and storage of it and family rules you may want to set. Its a good investment.

 

[mj333]

If your already an Apple house and have a bunch of money invested in Apple Apps then and iPad may be the way to go.

I have been debating about switching myself to some type of Android tablets for the kids to save money on hardware. It really adds up when you are purchasing multiples.

Nice link comparing the three minis.
iPad mini vs nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HDX.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ipad-mini-2-vs-nexus-7-vs-kindle-fire-hdx/

You can get the old version Kindle HD for as low as $139. This compares with the $99 no name tables.
http://amzn.to/18PZDZY

Or if you want the newer HDX with the mayday button it will cost a little more, but still way cheaper than the iPad.
http://amzn.to/1al8Tpp

 

[Egdisney]

My two oldest have iPads. While we love them, I've opted for a Nabi for my youngest for Christmas. My kids have been careful with them but they both have cracked just from accidents. They are still useable and the cracks can be seen from certain angles only but I feel that the Nabi is a better choice for DD. Especially when it does all the things she'd use an iPad for at half the price.

We have a Nabi jr. It works great and they have larger ones as well. You can get 2 for the price of 1 iPad and won't have to worry as much about cracks, etc.

 

[ktlm]

Don't get a TABEO. DD got one last Christmas. It was pretty much a waste of money. They don't work very well. Most of the apps that supposedly run on it don't. The SD card slot isn't secure, so the card falls out and gets lost. It's slow. The screen isn't very good. She doesn't play with it much, because there are very few things that actually work on it. I know they have a new version coming out and maybe it will be improved, but there is absolutely no way I would buy another one, unless it had been out a little while and all the reviews on it were great. You'd be much better off spending more money for something that actually works and gets used.

 

[Aliceacc]

Last year Santa brought each of my kids a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.7 tablet. They got the student editions, but I think they're only available in August/September.

They LOVE them!!!! So very much that I got myself the 10 inch version (student edition again, it comes with a keyboard) this past summer. I love it as well.

I did lots of research.. it boiled down to a choice between the Samsung and the Nexus. I chose the Samsung for both the 2 way camera and the expandable memory. Both get great reviews and are a good bargain for the money. http://versus.com/en/google-nexus-7-8gb-vs-samsung-galaxy-tab-2-7-0-p3110-8gb

Oh, and the BEST was Christmas morning!!!! My then-9 year old asked me what a "tablet case" was. Her brother overheard and went searching through his pile, knowing that Santa wouldn't get one of them a tablet without getting all three the same thing. It was so very funny to watch!

Walmart has it for $169 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-G...b386f655f402&bucket_id=000&findingMethod=p13n -- or refurbished for $30 less.

 

[bjgonzo]

My kids have iPads and Griffin Survivor cases. They aren't easy on them, but the cases are awesome and so far nothing has happened to them and they've had them for over a year now. I had an Otterbox and unless they have changed, I would not buy another one. The case cracked and there is no screen protection where the Griffin dos protect the screen and the case is just much better made. I have an Otterbox on my phone and love it.

 

[DJT]

I just read that Staples will have the Kindle Fire 7" 16 GB for 79.00 reg. 169.00 on Thanksgiving. Great price but would it be good for an 11 year old and an 8 year old who like to play games? Thinking it would be a nice gift for my two grandsons.

 

[garnetandblack]

DS received the Inntotab2s for Christmas last year when he was 2. DH and I received a Kindle.

The Innotab was a complete waste of money and the Kindle quickly became his. He also uses our iphones all the time and we are thinking of buying him an ipad for his birthday in February (he will be 4).

We have had the kindle in a cheap, leather case and it has been dropped many times. It still looks new if you take it out of the case. No scratches or anything. There are many cases for ipads to protect them.

The great thing about the kindle is free time - I really wish apple would add a feature like that to it's products.

 

[cari12]

My two oldest have iPads. While we love them, I've opted for a Nabi for my youngest for Christmas. My kids have been careful with them but they both have cracked just from accidents. They are still useable and the cracks can be seen from certain angles only but I feel that the Nabi is a better choice for DD. Especially when it does all the things she'd use an iPad for at half the price.

We have a Nabi also but I found if you are already using Apple products, it is way easier to just stick with them and just get a good case like an Otterbox just in case they drop it. Adding an android product into an Apple mix can be just plain frustrating. Getting their music etc. onto the Nabi was a pain but so simple with their iPod touches.