Thoughts and Recommendations

[bluenose1940]

Hello folks, hope you are all enjoying this wonderful spell of weather.

From my membership of this forum, I know that there are many of you who are well versed in computer/internet matters.

I am therefore hoping that someone will be happy to pass on their thoughts and or recommendations in regard to the purchase of an iPad or suitable alternative.

I know that apple have a pretty good share of this particular market but, they do seem to be quite expensive and so it seems, do any repairs that become necessary.

Fellow members thoughts on the merits (or otherwise) of apple versus Android will be much appreciated.  Ease of use is of particular importance to this grey haired 78 year old wrinkley 

Many thanks (and don't forget the factor 50☀️!!)

[Odysseus]

Hi there and yes this weather is fantastic - long may it continue. [emoji274]

With regards to tablets, it would be good to know what you’re hoping to use it for as this may influence recommendations.

I use an iPad Pro with keyboard for work and it’s so accomplished it’s almost a laptop replacement. Your requirements may differ however.


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[bluenose1940]

Hi Andrew, thanks for coming in on this.  My use will be mainly for logging in to the internet whilst sat watching the telly, keeping abreast of sports news (and this forum) and for similar when I'm away on holiday.  Definitely no work involved, other perhaps a little bit of spreadsheet work, plus of course to keep up with my emails and a bit of on-line banking as I'm treasurer of a local club.

[sorcerer]

Forget apple!

I repair computers for a living and can say that yes, apple make some technically excellent stuff - but you are tied into their eco-system and you must do things Apple's way, or not at all.

Quick example - I use an app called WiFi Analyzer on Android and it's great. When I had an Iphone for a couple of months I tried to get it from the apple App Store and I couldn't. After a couple of indignant emails to apple head office, their official answer was that they considered the app to be "too dangerous" for the general public to have and/or use, so they would not allow it - and yet it's freely available to anyone in the world on Android.

I'm not sure if that's still the case as this was quite a while ago, but these are the things that you have to put up with when you buy into apple.

Go for an Android tablet and if anything goes wrong you can get it repaired at almost any shop or market stall that repairs mobile phones; go for an apple and you must go to an official apple shop and get ripped off price-wise. OK, some places do repair them but apple only ever supply spares to apple shops, so you know straight away that any repair done anywhere else is not using genuine apple parts. There were a few cases not long ago where an apple update stopped any tablet/phone/iPod from working if it detected unauthorised parts.

And don't even get me started on their iStupid iNaming iOf iDevices  

[Odysseus]

Hi Andrew, thanks for coming in on this.  My use will be mainly for logging in to the internet whilst sat watching the telly, keeping abreast of sports news (and this forum) and for similar when I'm away on holiday.  Definitely no work involved, other perhaps a little bit of spreadsheet work, plus of course to keep up with my emails and a bit of on-line banking as I'm treasurer of a local club.

Based on your needs something cheap and cheerful sounds like a good place to start. Tablets don’t have any moving parts so are quite reliable in my experience. My wife has an iPad mini which must be at least 5 years old and is still going strong, and is definitely up to light duty in line with your requirements, as would be a similar android tablet.

Have you considered picking up something cheap on eBay?


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[First_Lexus]

As a fellow non-techie I have a full suite of apple (Mac, iPad and two iPhones). Previously I had a Dell laptop running Windows and a Samsung smartphone running Android. I struggled, thinking it was just me being technically incompetent, but then was advised to try apple by an expert friend who described their products as like 'Fisher Price' for tech. He says that 90% of people hardly use most of the functionality on their products so really should go for the simplest option that they can use easily. In his experience that's usually apple.

For me he was right without a shadow of a doubt. Yes, they are relatively expensive, but I'm able to do things I never thought I'd be able to do, finding the way it all works and links together intuitive and simple. Android products just leave me baffled in comparison.

Just an opinion based on my own experience. I know people who love Android but they seem to be more interested in tech and it doesn't work for me at all. All I want to do is surf the internet, pick up emails and watch a few videos and pictures.

As an aside my large multi-national technology specialist employer (glad I'm in a support function!) has just ditched Android devices in favour of apple, which is nice!

[rich1068]

Can ----> Worms

As a committed PC/Android user I heartily agree with almost all of the comments made by @sorcerer regarding apple products. However, I'd say the OP should go for an iPad or iPad Mini. He's not a techie, there's no point trying to turn him into one and at least he'll get manufacturer support for longer than a fortnight. Job done.

[sorcerer]

45 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

Can ----> Worms

46 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

However, I'd say the OP should go for an iPad or iPad Mini. He's not a techie, there's no point trying to turn him into one

I'm not sure I agree with the 'Android is for techies' thing. Yes, plenty of customisations and stuff if you're that way inclined but I set up my current Sony Xperia Z3 phone about three years ago and I've never altered any settings or 'played' with it in that way - it just works and it works well.

Apple's browser is Safari, Android has a choice of browsers but if we take Firefox as an example, both Safari and Firefox do the same job - just open the app, type in the web address and off you go; nothing techie about it at all. It's just like having two Lexus (Lexi?) in the garage and deciding which one to use today - they'll both get you from A to B and both browsers will get you to the website you want.

Same with the Youtube app - whether apple or Android, you just open the app, search for what you want and watch it. Again, nothing techie at all.

[bluenose1940]

Thanks for all the input folks, very much appreciated.

OK, so an iPad is an iPad, but what about particular brands of Androids, are there any that stand out for good or bad reasons.

I use an htc 10 mobile phone and I do find that to be very good.  When I say it's very good, I only make and receive calls and texts with it.  I don't do anything else on it.  I have a contract with Tesco that costs me £7.50 per month.  If I use the internet away from my home Wi-Fi on say an iPad, how is that paid for, do I have to have another contract of some sort?

[Verbout]

Walk into Currys and have a play with their tablets.

They have android and apple of all different sizes. See which you like.

If your a first time user Apple is one to go for. Don’t be swayed by apple haters, it’s a good simply product with a very intuitive easy to use interface.

I have both, a Nexus and an iPad, love them both and use both.

[rich1068]

10 hours ago, Verbout said:

it’s a good simply product with a very intuitive easy to use interface.

Quite. That's why I recommended the apple products.

But...

10 hours ago, bluenose1940 said:

I use an htc 10 mobile phone and I do find that to be very good.  When I say it's very good, I only make and receive calls and texts with it.  I don't do anything else on it.  I have a contract with Tesco that costs me £7.50 per month.  If I use the internet away from my home Wi-Fi on say an iPad, how is that paid for, do I have to have another contract of some sort?

...he already uses an Android phone so an Android tablet might be the way to go. The two devices together could virtually mirror each other and saves the faff of having Google accounts and apple accounts.

Regarding using a tablet away from home, easiest thing would be to see how much data you're allowed on your phone contract and tether your tablet to your phone when you need to use it. Sounds more complicated than it is but we do it with the kids tablets whenever we're out and about. You're basically broadcasting a wifi signal from your phone and the tablet connects to that. I certainly wouldn't sign up to another contract for a SIM enabled tablet but that's just me. The other thing to keep in mind is that there's free wifi virtually everywhere now.

[rayaans]

I'd be inclined to go for an android tablet if you already have an android phone.

People rave about apple - never been into the hype to be honest

[sorcerer]

12 hours ago, bluenose1940 said:

OK, so an iPad is an iPad, but what about particular brands of Androids, are there any that stand out for good or bad reasons.

I've got a Samsung 10" tablet, an SM-T520. It's a couple of years old now and probably been superseded by now, but it's been great and it's done everything I've ever asked of it.

I also have an even older Google Nexus 7, a 7" tablet that, like the Samsung above, has been faultless since buying it maybe five years ago. Anything by Samsung, Asus and LG is usually very good. If I remember correctly, the Google Nexus 7 was made by either Asus or LG for Google.

As long as you go for a known brand and stay away from no-name tabs coming from China, you should be fine.

[Verbout]

Asus made the Nexus 7, I have one, very fond of it.

Missed the bit where the OP said he had an android phone.

25 minutes ago, rayaans said:

People rave about Apple - never been into the hype to be honest

Never understood what this means. 

[rayaans]

Chromebook would be an alternative. Much easier to use with the inbuilt keyboard

Ive got an Acer one - think it was about £199 - can't complain, its dead quick and does whats asked of it

[sorcerer]

59 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Chromebook would be an alternative. Much easier to use with the inbuilt keyboard

Not really a good alternative in my opinion, the internal keyboard being the only good thing about them.

Like apple, Chromebooks lock you in to their own eco-system. They use Google's Chrome operating system rather than Android and they have their own app store because they don't use Android apps, so there's not as many and a much smaller choice. Add to that that a Chromebook is primarily designed to be almost permanently connected to the internet and has very little internal storage because it's meant to be on the internet and store things in the cloud, whereas most Android tablets already come with a decent chunk of internal storage and can be  expanded with an SD/MicroSD card.

[bluenose1940]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.  I think that I am leaning towards getting an android, but of course the big question remains, which one!

Is there a particular site I could visit that does some sort of comparison of these units.  I always find that with this sort of project, such as buying a soundbar or a dashcam or even a bloomin' toaster, the old grey matter becomes fuddled with all of the differing options that are available.

Thanks again folks for all the help.  Have yourselves a great weekend, and don't forget the sun cream. As a victim myself of malignant melanoma, I can't stress enough the importance of taking care ( sorry to veer off a bit, just my little bit of help as I can't offer techie help, well not much anyway).

[rich1068]

Agree with your comment regarding the bewildering choice. I'd just pick one at the price point you're happy with and the latest incarnation of Android.

Purely personal choice but for me that would be about 200 quid and Oreo/8 - 8.1 though Nougat/7 - 7.1.2 is perfectly usable.

[sorcerer]

I also agree with the bewildering choices out there and it's compounded by the fact that unless someone works in a tech shop and has access to all of them, people will only be able to comment about what they personally own themselves and will not generally be in a position to offer comparisons, which is where Google comes in.

Try entering the search string "android tablet comparisons 2018" or something similar into Google (without the quotes) and see how you go on.

One other thing has just popped into my head - stay away from amazon Fire products. They are based on Android but the operative word is based. They use a version of Android that is very heavily customised by amazon and again they lock you in to their own app store, which has very little compared to the Google Play Store.

[bluenose1940]

Yes thank you chaps.  I did a bit of Googling earlier and found some comparisons.  I thought about the possibility of getting a Windows 10 tablet as I use that on my computer but, they are all pretty expensive.

I will get more of a chance to look around at the weekend and so hopefully may be able to make a decision.

[Malc]

5 hours ago, bluenose1940 said:

even a bloomin' toaster, the old grey matter becomes fuddled with all of the differing options that are available.

suggest you go for a brass toasting fork, much simpler even though now Michael Gove is trying to ban log fires due to carbon emissions etc ..........

Malc

[sorcerer]

1 hour ago, bluenose1940 said:

I thought about the possibility of getting a Windows 10 tablet as I use that on my computer but, they are all pretty expensive.

Again, they are locked into their own eco-system and their own app store with very little choice. Mainstream Android is the best way to go in my opinion - plenty choice of manufacturers, literally millions of apps (last count in March this year put it at 3.3 million) covering everything you would ever need, and reasonably priced repairs if needed.

[First_Lexus]

17 minutes ago, sorcerer said:

Again, they are locked into their own eco-system and their own app store with very little choice. Mainstream Android is the best way to go in my opinion - plenty choice of manufacturers, literally millions of apps (last count in March this year put it at 3.3 million) covering everything you would ever need, and reasonably priced repairs if needed.

I've never really understood the fascination with the ability to download from millions of apps. I've got about 10 - YouTube, Sky Sports, BBC, Spotify and a couple of others I can't remember right now. Given the original post I'd guess that access to another x thousand apps isn't going to be a deal breaker whereas familiarity and ease of use will be.

Mind you, I still refuse to use internet banking. I prefer cheques, and still use about three cheque books a year. I don't spend that much time online at all. It was said earlier - cheap and simple is surely the way to go here given the original requirements that were articulated. 

[Guest]

An outside bet might be an amazon fire tablet.


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[sorcerer]

1 hour ago, First_Lexus said:

I've never really understood the fascination with the ability to download from millions of apps. I've got about 10

Quite simply, most of us won't need many and we won't download many, but it's the choice that matters. I don't know about the Apple/Windows/Amazon app stores but with mainstream Android people are encouraged to rate an app when they've used it. If it only gets two or three stars it usually spurs someone else on to create a better app to do the job.