Need recs for a tablet for young adult

[mickey'sbud]

I'd like to give a tablet. Use will mainly be Netflix, Youtube, social media, and perhaps some pictures. Currently own a Mac computer and a android phone. Would a android tablet be sufficient or would an Ipad Mini be better to link with the Mac? What is your preferred brand and why? Would you buy different from what you purchased? Thanks!

 

[J.Casto79]

Id personally go with an iPad mini. Android tablets just aren't on the same level as iPads. Android phones on the other hand in many ways surpass iphones.

 

[Hikergirl]

If the young adult uses both the Mac and an Android phone I would ask them their preference before I purchased anything. I'm and android girl, and own a Samsung Tab S and its just as good as an iPad.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would go with a regular iPad; a mini is too small.

 

[J.Casto79]

If the young adult uses both the Mac and an Android phone I would ask them their preference before I purchased anything. I'm and android girl, and own a Samsung Tab S and its just as good as an iPad.

Look, it's not a problem with the hardware, it is the apps that aren't up to snuff. That is a deal breaker. More and more are being tailored for a tablet format, but there are still tons of apps including popular ones such as Facebook that are just a stretched phone app.

Part of the problem is the shear number of android products and their various screen sizes and resolutions whereas Apple has control and limits it.

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...-and-its-high-time-to-fix-android-tablet-apps

 

[havaneselover]

I would go with a regular iPad; a mini is too small.

I've had both and much prefer the mini. Both my kids love their minis. And my sister switched to a mini and said she'd never buy the regular one again.

 

[Hikergirl]

Look, it's not a problem with the hardware, it is the apps that aren't up to snuff. That is a deal breaker. More and more are being tailored for a tablet format, but there are still tons of apps including popular ones such as Facebook that are just a stretched phone app.

Part of the problem is the shear number of android products and their various screen sizes and resolutions whereas Apple has control and limits it.

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...-and-its-high-time-to-fix-android-tablet-apps

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I prefer Android products and one of the big reasons is because of that "control" Apple has. I never said their products weren't good, just that my Samsung tablet is just as good, and it is.

 

[SureAsLiz]

I'm a fan of the Microsoft Surface. It sounds like it may be a bit more computer than what you are looking for though.

The Surface 3 starts at $500, so definitely more than an iPad or most android tablets, but it has the option to be used as a basic computer if needed. It runs a full OS rather than a limited tablet version meaning that it can almost replace a laptop or desktop (it does not have the power to be a full replacement, and for me it is too small for permanent use). I used mine (the original and the pro) throughout college as a laptop replacement in class. It was easy to take notes on, not intrusive, and easy to transport. It has a full web browser, an app store, (Facebook can be accessed online or in the app depending on their preference) and the ability to run programs like the office suite, some photo editing software, etc.

 

[wenrob]

Hmm, I think I'd ask someone close to them if you want it to be a surprise. I love my ithings but if they have an Android phone they could very well be tied up in that eco system and Android tablet will be more compatable. Then again, they have a Mac and could very well be happy with an iPad. Lots of people (especially younger males) tend to go back and forth between the platforms to the next latest and greatest.

 

[J.Casto79]

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I prefer Android products and one of the big reasons is because of that "control" Apple has. I never said their products weren't good, just that my Samsung tablet is just as good, and it is.

Read on the web, there are multiple reviews by multiple tech bloggers about how most android apps, especially popular ones like facebook and twitter, were simply not designed (ie optimized) for use on a tablet and are simply the phone version of the app stretched out for the larger screen.

The only sentence in what i said that was an opinion is that I said the above is a deal breaker. It is for me. I'll admit my phone is an iphone and I have an ipad mini, but I'm seriously considering a Galaxy S7 for my next phone. I'm not a fanboy by any means or stretch of the imagination.

Another example: http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9869980/google-pixel-c-tablet-review-android

An excerpt "One big problem is that most of the apps I use on Android tablets still aren’t truly optimized for tablets. Most apps are comprised of wide, wasted expanses of open space that are technically designed for any screen size but actually aren’t utilizing all this screen real estate. That’s problematic with third-party apps, but it’s unforgivable from Google’s own apps. Hangouts, the perennial forgotten child of Mountain View, is a mess on this device. Even Google Docs (presumably the app best suited to this keyboard) feels more like a phone app than something I can do real work in.

It gets worse with third-party apps. The Pixel C wants to be used in landscape mode, but too many apps assume that they’re on phones. Popular apps like Slack, Twitter, and many more toss you into portrait mode even when the keyboard is attached."

 

[dreiwhit]

Santa Claus brought my 8 year old daughter a 7 inch Kindle Fire tablet last Christmas. It was only $49, so if she breaks it (like she did the other one), we're not out of pocket that much. So far, its held up fine.

For the movies she likes to watch and the games she likes to play, its perfect for her.

Even though Amazon blocks the Google play store with their version of Android, you can download the apks of apps that aren't on the Amazon store and install them from the download.

 

[MariMama]

My mother has an android based tablet and I have an ipad air. Compared to mine, hers is junk. Get an ipad mini or ipad.

 

[RitaE]

Part of the problem is that there is no one "Android Tablet" brand the way there is one iPAD. Android runs the gamut from junk sub $100 machines to top of the line that can cost more than an Apple iPAD. I have a couple of Android tablets, a few Kindle Fire tablets, and a large iPAD and an iPAD mini. My go to tablet (that I carry in my bag and use to read and goof around on) is usually the iPAD Mini. My "laptop substitute" is a Samsung Android. I would say that for the Apps I use, Android actually has a bit of an edge over the iTunes store in availability and design. The Kindle Fire tablets are used for at risk use because they are so economical and yet run well--- give them to the kids and take them places where there is a high risk of breaking or losing.

It's really a personal preference. The iPADs seem to have much better battery life.

 

[danielw888]

I would not go out and spend a ton of money on an Ipad before you know for sure that your young one will use it at much as you think.

If you already have amazon prime, I would look at a fire tablet just for all the free movies/tv/content that would be offered. You can get all the main social media apps on a fire, just like any other tablet.

 

[mickey'sbud]

Thanks everyone! Still undecided.........

 

[Rhie]

Ah yes the eternal Apple v Android debate

I'm a Google fangirl, so that's where my rec comes from.

I have a Google Nexus 7 and a Samsung Tablet. I love them both for movies and internet. I watch them before bed every night and have them on while studying, too. The battery lasts a long time. Its also far cheaper than an iPad. The picture quality is great. I have my Samsung through my phone company for an extra $5 a month, and can upgrade it once a year. That's nice because I can use the 3G connection when I can't find wifi, so its great for watching TV in the car.

Personally, I've found that more than half the price of an Apple product is just for the name alone. But that's me