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Ipad vs. Non-Apple Tablets….
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Okay, question for Doug or anyone else who knows about these things: dh and I are thinking about taking the plunge and getting an Ipad. We have some extra money and think we would get enough use out of it to make it worthwhile. That said, dh wants to explore all the options out there before we buy something and he’s wondering about the non-apple platform tablets out there. (Sorry, don’t know any specific names as I’m only really familiar with the ipad myself). Does anyone have one of these? What do you think? How do they compare? If we do go with an Ipad, will it matter that both our laptops are PCs?
He’s also still a little bit concerned about the cost….is it wise or reasonable to buy a gently used or refurbished one to save a bit of money, or better to just go with a new one (we’re fixing to go overseas soon, so need it to be reliable)? Does anyone know of a place to find good deals? If we buy it, we’d need to buy it fairly soon so we could get it set up to use and get certain things put onto it so we can cut down our luggage weight and such. We move overseas in 2 weeks.
Any thoughts appreciated!
Thanks,
Jen
My current line of thinking goes something like this:
– If you only want a device for reading books then consider one of the black and white Kindle models.
– If you want to do things like run apps, use the internet, or frequently view full-page PDF documents then look to the iPad.
Here are some of the factors that bring me to this conclusion:
– Don’t try to compare the iPad to an e-book reader because they’re totally different. The iPad is more of a full lifestyle device that can in many ways replace a computer.
– If you’re leaning toward more than just an e-book reader you’re probably not going to be happy with a device with a small screen. Somewhere around a 10″ screen size is where it becomes the most useable. So many reviews and studies I’ve read come to the same conclusion that the smaller screen devices are not very practical. The type is too small to read so you spend a lot of your time zooming in and out and panning around the screen.
– When you get up to around the 10″ screen size there is much less difference in price between an iPad and other devices.
– There is a no tablet market. There is an iPad market. Last quarter Apple sold tens of millions of iPads while the nearest competitor only sold a couple hundred thousand. And that was because that competitor got out of the market and dumped their remaing stock at fire sale prices.
– There is a good reason that many of the other tablets are cheaper. They have smaller screens, which is the most expensive part, they’re often lacking in quality, and they’re just not selling, which drives the price down.
– There is no other device that works as smoothly, intuitively, and consistently as an iPad. There is no other device with such a huge library of nice quality apps available. There is no other device with the build quality of an iPad. If you can afford it, the iPad is the one to get.
That said, these kinds of devices are very personal. I always recommend going to a store and trying them for yourself.
If we do go with an Ipad, will it matter that both our laptops are PCs?
No problem. The iPad syncs with your PC through the free iTunes software so it will work just fine.
is it wise or reasonable to buy a gently used or refurbished one to save a bit of money, or better to just go with a new one (we’re fixing to go overseas soon, so need it to be reliable)?
I’d hate to go with a used device and then get overseas and find a problem that needs service. You could quickly use up any cost savings in dealing with that. Refurbs are a little better if you can find one with a good warranty. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to use it for a while before you leave the country in case there are problems, though.
Does anyone know of a place to find good deals?
As a homeschooler you can go into an Apple Store or order directly from Apple online and get the educational discount. Start at the Apple Education Store page. When it asks for your school, select the K-12 option then type “homeschool” into the search box. That should give you a store to choose and you can continue shopping. Unfortunately, it looks like they are not currently discounting iPads. However, if you buy their AppleCare extra warranty coverage it is usually discounted for education buyers so that would be an advantage.
Another option is to buy a refub iPad directly from Apple, which comes with a full factory warranty. And you can buy AppleCare coverage at the education discount price to add on to that if you want.
ONE point, though, about the dominance of Ipad and the effect on the competition’s prices—my two sons went tablet-shopping. They were BOTH able to buy good sturdy functional tablets running Android, they use them as e-readers and also run tons of apps, even play games (OK, I’m not so crazy about that part) and are very very happy with them–and the two of them together cost $100 less than an Ipad. They are both happy and have more money left in their college funds. NONE of these devices is going to last forever, they’ll all (including current Ipads) be obsolete in a short time, and we’ll be out less money in the long run. (Dh and I even have Nook Colors each, and we’ve all paid about $600 dollars–for FOUR devices that do what we want them to do.) Ipads are definitely bigger and sexier, but we’d only have ONE if we’d gone that route, and now four of us have our own devices we all use every day. One caveat: Our two sons are pretty techie and keep everything running and figure out how to do all the more obscure stuff for us. Homes without techie sons need to take that into account.
One concern about you moving overseas soon. If it will be for a longer period of time I would consider buying the product there. I don’t know how other companies handle this but if you buy an Apple Care here in the US you are not covered overseas!
I don’t want to give you any other suggestions because I am biased when it comes to Apple products
. I really tried to be open minded about other products and in this case tablets just because of the price but nothing that doesn’t have an “i” can win me over.Bookworm, would you mind sharing what type of Android tablets your sons got? Most of the ones I’ve seen only run about $50 to $100 less than the Ipads. I’m considering getting a Playbook, since my DH has one and loves it and they have come way down in price. And I like the 7″ screen rather than the 10″ for the portability factor.
I have an Android phone, though and really like the apps, etc. that I’m used to, so if I could find a less expensive Droid Tablet, I’d have the best of both worlds.
I’m one of those contrarians who absolutely avoids anything with an “i” because I’ve been frustrated to no end with “i” products in the past! To each her own.
Joanne
One son has an Arcos 70; one son has a Dell Streak. They chose what they wanted based on features they thought were important, and then we watched sales on about a gazillion places for months–one son looked for five months before he found what he wanted at the price he wanted. So we were pretty persistent, but then we had limited financial means available. Both paid less than $200. We did have one long agonizing couple of days when HP Touchpads were discontinued at a ridiculously low price and the ENTIRE techie world glommed all the websites trying to get them (crashing several sites, lol) when we had days of wondering if any of the many bids we’d put in would pan out. Sigh. Extreme Budget Techno Shopping is not for the faint of heart!
Adding a little more that I forgot before…
As Bookworm mentioned, cost is a factor. That’s why I usually say choose an iPad if you can afford it. The reality is that each person has to decide if any device is a good value and if the differences between devices warrant an increased cost. For me there is no question of the value because I know I would pay for it later in time, effort, and frustration. But I know that won’t be the same for everyone.
I had also intended to link to this review of the Kindle Fire by a usability expert. It’s more than just a review of that particular device because it contains good information about the difficulties of smaller screen devices in general.
. I really tried to be open minded about other products and in this case tablets just because of the price but nothing that doesn’t have an “i” can win me over.
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