Another tablet question iPad vs. other

[TheVBs]

Sooooo, really sorry about starting another tablet thread and how general the question is. I would really like to get a tablet, but I'm not sure which direction to go in. I have a friend who LOVES her iPad and another friend who LOVES her Kindle Fire. I would be willing to spend the extra $$ for the iPad if it's really worth it. It would be nice to have something to use when the girls hijack my PC and have something easy to take and use when I'm out and about. I don't even have a smartphone, so I'm clueless about apps and the costs involved with those. What do you have, what do you use it for and why do you or don't you like it? Thanks! :)

[Donald]

I love my I-Pad! I am not one of those tech savvy people and I don't need multi-functioning gadgets...I do enough of that myself!

I feel that the I-Pad is a simple, point and click kind of product.

I have Intercot save to my home screen, so all I have to do is click, and I'm in the middle of Disney friends!

There are a lot of Disney apps. The App Store is easy to negotiate to find them. Type is Disney in the "search" and they list anything you could imagine.

Good luck with your decision!:mickey:

[Disney4us2]

I have the Samsung Galaxy 2. It is the smaller version (similar to the size of the iPad Mini). It used the Android OS and works good. This one has a camera as well.

For Christmas, I will be getting an iPad Mini. Love the smaller size as it is easier to carry around, just like my current tablet.

[PlutoToo]

Be sure whatever tablet you buy has a card slot to make it easy to transfer files and have added storage space.

[1DisneyNut]

The question is how are you going to use the tablet? If all you are going to do is surf the internet, pretty much any of popular ones will work fine.

[TheVBs]

The question is how are you going to use the tablet? If all you are going to do is surf the internet, pretty much any of popular ones will work fine.

The million dollar question! :blush: Well, something mobile for surfing the web would be the primary function, yes. I'd like a larger screen and have things the girls could do on it too. I've read reviews on a site called cnet that say if you're unfamiliar with a tablet, the iPad is your best bet.

Are there apps that you can only use on an iPad? Are the Disney Park apps iPad exclusive?

[Opus X]

Get the Ipad. Apple and especially with iOS 7 just throttles all other tablets..
The user interface and complete flawless operation, is why Id go with the iPad.
I know ALOT of folks that thought they would save 100.00 or so, a few months later....back to Mac. they run.:thumbsup:
Especially, for folks that just want to "surf" Apple has by far, the most user friendly operating system.

[MNNHFLTX]

I've had my iPad2 for three years and it still works as well today as when I got it (and I use it a lot!) As far as apps, iTunes has a ton of them and many are free, as long as you don't mind some ads thrown in the mix. On the apps I use all the time I just pay the nominal upgrade fee (which varies, but I'd say average around $2.99 per app). It's worth it not to have to look at the ads. I also got a bluetooth keyboard that makes the iPad function like a laptop--very convenient when I'm traveling. About the only negative I can think of with the iPad is that there is no DVD drive and (as far as I know), no external DVD drive that is compatible. If you want to watch movies on it you have to download them from iTunes, which costs money and takes up a lot of memory.

My husband has a Nook tablet and I've also tried out my sister's Kindle Fire and neither one compares with the iPad, IMO. As someone else mentioned, the interface of the iPad is just so easy to use, so quick.

[Jeff]

Be sure whatever tablet you buy has a card slot to make it easy to transfer files and have added storage space.

I was initially worried about this issue, but have become a fan of Dropbox, Google Docs and cloud storage! They have made transfer of data between devices and platforms a non issue! Dropbox is especially useful to move things from office and home.

[Lindsey310]

I love love love my ipad!! We take it on vacation with us. I had a kindle but I didn't love it. The apps on the iPhone and iPad for disney are great! :mickey:


27 days!!!! :mpumpkin:

[TheVBs]

Thank you for all the input everyone! :mickey: My husband suggested that I go to Best Buy where I can handle the different tablets and try them out, so I'm going to do that.

[VWL Mom]

If you want to watch movies on it you have to download them from iTunes, which costs money and takes up a lot of memory.


If you subscribe to HBO on your home cable, the HBO To Go app let's you stream shows and movies at no extra cost. :thumbsup:

[MNNHFLTX]

If you subscribe to HBO on your home cable, the HBO To Go app let's you stream shows and movies at no extra cost. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the tip, Lynne. Unfortunately, we don't have HBO at our house.

[GA girl]

I went to Best Buy and checked them out also. I ended up getting the Samsung Galaxy 3 7.0. So far I really like it. I use my Mom's iPad and I like it better, but for my purposes I chose to save the extra money and went with the Samsung.
There are all kinds of free apps available. I downloaded the CBS one and now I can watch The Young and the Restless again, since they took it off of our Soap Net.
All I use it for is internet surfing, facebook, pinterest and checking my email so I don't have to turn on the laptop.

[Hammer]

Thanks for the tip, Lynne. Unfortunately, we don't have HBO at our house.

Beth, actually many channels have apps which allow you to watch shows on your iPad or Android tablet. All the premium channels have them (though Starz may not be live yet) as well as ESPN, Disney and soon all the fox channels. More channels are adding apps ever single month. I know, because testing that you can access them through your cable account login is part of the job of the team I now lead :).

[Janmac]

Almost a year ago exactly I bought DH (then 76) a Kindle Fire wifi for our anniversary. He's not what you'd call tech savvy tho he can text on his phone. He doesn't have anything near a smart phone but it does have a touch screen, which is intuitive for him.

The Kindle Fire wifi has been a good choice for him. He can navigate around the tablet to either browse his favorite web sites or read his current book. (I still locate and load the books on the tablet for him.) Since getting the tablet his reading time has increased enormously, back to reading the 2 to 3 books a month he used to read before his eyes got older.

He doesn't play games on his Kindle but my niece has several games on ours. And he doesn't have much in the way of apps. It's not something he's aware of.

For the price difference between an iPad and a Kindle Fire wifi, and our current needs, I'd buy another Kindle.

As for the Cloud, I didn't think I'd like it much but after doing the music for my niece's wedding and reception - I love the Cloud. Wow.

Jan