The Chromebook I bought back in 2017 isn’t doing the job anymore, and am thinking of getting one of the 9th generation i-Pads. The last i-Pad I owned was the 2nd generation, and it served me well. Should I pull the trigger?
It really depends on what you’re using it for. Nearly any modern tablet is going to be good (minor issues with mobile browsers and ad blocking) for surfing the web, consuming ebooks and online media, etc.
Personally (YMMV) I don’t like writing/typing on a touchscreen or swyping. So you may want/need to spend a bit more on one of the various Bluetooth keyboards for iPad if you’re similar. And of course, if you need specific non-free apps for work or fun, you’ll need to repurchase them.
But for casual use, again, any modern tablet is fine. I’m not equipped though to evaluate the sale value, as I normally shop for either super cheap tablets (the Kindle Fire line) or more expensive Cellular enabled tablets.
Sheesh. Kindles and Fire tablets have been different things since 2014.
My concern about the 9thGen iPad is the CPU. It came out in 2019. That’s a long 5 years in terms of computer performance at the tablet level. Sure, that iPad debuted in 2021, but the CPU it’s based on is getting on in age. In another couple years it will be ancient.
Depends on what you’re going to do with it, of course. For Chromebook-level stuff, go for it. I own a 9th Gen and it handles everything I need while traveling. If you want to shoot and edit video, it sucks, but I never do that so it doesn’t matter that the CPU is old.
I have a ninth generation that I use several hours every day. I do email, social media, bulletin boards, watch YouTube videos, and read on the Kindle app. It works brilliantly for what I need.
My wife has a 5th generation IPad she uses for websurfing, email, podcasts, YouTube, and puzzles and other non-interactive games. She says she still gets updates for it
I don’t deny it, but with the average age of the board, and talking among my friends who were early adopters of Kindle E-readers it’s useful to describe it as such to distinguish between people who use the term Kindle to primarily mean a dedicated e-reader device (and we’re leaving out people who are puzzled by that whole concept and just ask “isn’t there an app for that?”).
It’s even more useful to not describe it as such so that people are completely clear if you are talking about an ereader or a general tablet.
As has been said, an iPad is not a replacement for a ‘real’ computer in the sense that you’re going to be able to get much of any real work done on it. It’s more of a media consumption device, and for that purpose the 9th gen iPad should work just fine for you. But I don’t think it would be an adequate replacement for a Chromebook-- I’m not too familiar with them, but they are actual laptop computers, if I’m not mistaken.
I again think you’re wrong, because Amazon uses the term “fire” for a wide variety of things, including the the streaming sticks and the tablets, and there’s some proliferation of the kindle term between the e-readers and the app or the browser option.
Really, since my terms was “Kindle Fire Tablet” I think it was very clear. But you do you.
But back to the OP, the Fire tablet (deference to FTG’s sensibilities) would be a poor choice IMHO for the OP’s use anyway because without modifications, it’s locked to the Silk Browser that I cannot hate enough, and has a much narrower array of useful apps.
My kid has a 9th Gen, and I have a 10th Gen. The two main differences are the 9 uses a lightning port to charge, and the 10 uses USB-c, and the 9 has one speaker, and the 10 has stereo speakers. To me, those are enough differences to get the 10 instead of the 9.
For watching videos, the stereo speakers on the 10 are a huge improvement over the 7/8/9 speaker sound and placement. If you watch with earbuds or headphones, then this probably won’t matter.
I know the OP didn’t ask about 9 versus 10, but I do think an important part of deciding if a 9 for $200 is a good deal is looking at what the next step up is. It looks like the 10 is $260 right now, and is what I’d recommend.
As for ipad versus Chrome book, a 15" Chrome book is going to be better suited to viewing multiple windows at once, and other “full computer” type things. It is also much larger and less portable than an ipad. I think an ipad + keyboard is going to be equivalent to a 10" Chrome book for functionality.
$200? How can you go wrong? I bought the original iPad in 2010 and it was around $1,000. It’s still functioning, BTW, but I never use it since I sold my RV two years ago. Guess I should recycle it.