Help with tablet purchase please

In My Humble Opinion
1

I want to buy a tablet. We have no smartphones and want to keep it that way, so a tablet seems to be a good option for travel, maps, restaurant recces, and so on.

I am… not smart about this kind of stuff. So a couple questions. If we are driving around, can I use a tablet to access online info the way people use smartphones?

And, two, what should I get? I am a PC user, not super fond of Apple user experience in general, but if the iPad is head and shoulders above the rest I would buy one.

Thanks in advance, kind Dopers.

2

The Nexus 9 or Nexus 7 2nd generation Android tablets would be the way to go if not into Apple. Having said this while Apple is not leagues above the rest it does have a more sophisticated overall tablet experience and is a bit more expensive. What I’ve found is if you are using an android phone try an Android tablet and if you use an iPhone go with the iPad. You can occasionally get Nexus 7 2nd generation like new refurbs on sale for just a little more than 100 dollars online.

3

If you want to use your tablet while driving around, (i.e. with no Wi-Fi service), you will need to get one with a cellular radio so it can communicate via 3G or LTE, whichever service is in your area. And of course this means you would need to sign up for a cellular plan to be able to use said service. I don’t know what your reason is for not wanting a smartphone but if it’s because you don’t want to sign up for a cellular plan, then you’ll have to do with an Wi-Fi only tablet, in which case you’ll only be able to “actively” use it when you are within a hotspot area. I say “actively” because you can download maps and data beforehand and use it while you’re out and about. You just won’t be able to look up stuff until you get to a Wi-Fi area. BTW, the Nexus 7 that astro suggested, I believe is not cellular compatible.

As for which tablet to get, if you’re “not smart about this kind of stuff”, I would suggest an iPad. It’s more expensive, but I find the closed ecosystem to be easier to use for beginners. Everything works out of the box and the overall user experience is very high. Android is fine as well, but the multitude of customization option it offers, not to mention the varying differences between models and manufacturers, often confuse and make things more than necessarily complicated for beginners.

4

I brought home a Nexus 7, 2nd generation (also know as the Nexus 7 -2013 model) when it first came out. My wife took one look at the device and I haven’t seen it since. Great tablet for cruizing the web (or so I hear). Inexpensive way to get into tablets. Recommended. Note: I bought a new Kindle Voyage recently. That’s gone too…

5

As Saturn Dreams mentioned, if you want it to have internet connection (almost) anywhere, you need cellular data service (Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/T-Mobile). You need a tablet has a cellular radio for a specific carrier plus a data plan on that carrier.

Another way to go is a discrete WWAN (wireless wide area network, i.e. cellular) adapter that connects to multiple WiFi devices. WiFi is short range (300 feet line of site to internet connected radio). WWAN is everywhere there are robust wireless data networks.

WWAN adapters are usually called MiFi or mobile hotspot devices. Many smartphones offer hotspot service as an add-on service for extra cash. All tablets have WiFi of some stripe. A MiFi or hotspot device is something you would probably want to get from your cell phone provider and will require a data plan, but prepaid devices exist too. They send and receive WWAN data over cellular networks on one end and WiFi data to mobile devices like tablets, laptops, mobile phones, etc. on the other end.

Basically, to connect to the internet, you need a path. In your home, you most likely have a cable or DSL modem that may or may not have a WiFi router built in. Assuming it has WiFi, you can connect a tablet at home. The path is from tablet to WiFi router to internet via your modem to the internet provider. If not, you will need a path from your tablet to the internet at home, too. A wireless router attached to your modem or a MiFi/hotspot device attached to your cellular provider.

If you want to take your tablet away from home, you need it to connect to another path. Someone else’s WiFi (public, hotel, etc.) or have a tablet with a WWAN radio to connect to Verizon, AT&T, etc. Or have a hotspot device that connects to the same service on one end and your tablet on the other.

The WWAN/cellular radio, whether it’s built into the tablet or a discrete device that can provide connection to multiple WiFi devices, is going to cost money up front and money in a service agreement, whether monthly or prepaid. Built in to the tablet is more convenient, wireless hotspot is more versatile as you can use it with anything WiFi capable.

Hopefully, this has been more informative than confusing.

6

I just got myself a Samsung Tab4 a few weeks ago, and I really love it. It was $180, and has been very smooth and reliable.

7

WiFi or WWAN? Where and how do you use it? I think this is the kind of info the OP is looking for.

Me? I have an iPad 2, WiFi only, that I only have because I won it in a contest. I use it rarely, mostly as an e-reader or browser when I travel, which is not frequently. I used to have my android phone rooted to run a mobile hotspot without paying $30 a month for something I might use a few weeks a year, but I haven’t bothered since I replaced the phone. If I need Yelp or Restaurant Finder, I use my phone. Not an option for the OP.

iPads are iPads and Android tablets are all over the place in terms of features and price points. Samsung is at the top of the Android game in phones, so I’m sure their tablets are equally high quality. I would guess that $180 was subsidized by a two year contract, for example. If so, who’s the provider? What’s the monthly charge? Is the usage capped or slowed after x number of GB per month?

I’m not trying to pick on you. I’m just pointing out that “Tab4 is great” doesn’t address the relevant questions of the tread.

8

I have an iPad Air 2 w/ 4G LTE (network access). Love it!

I also had a Galaxy Tab (Android) and greatly prefer the iPad. Much better experience.

What’s your budget?

9

I have a Galaxy Tab and two Samsung phones (gifts). I like Android. I love tinkering with that OS. I will install Lollipop on my Tab and phone soon.

If I were buying it for you, it’d be a Nexus. If I had lots of money, it’d be whatever iPad has the most RAM.

10

I guess I’m the outlier; I’m just waiting for Windows 10 with Cortina before I get a windows tablet.

11

I’m not sure any Cortina is compatible with Windows 10, but you can always try, I suppose! :smiley:

To the OP: I strongly recommend the Nexus 7. It’s small, lightweight and has a relatively long battery life. I’m biased towards Android in general, but my SO has an iPad and loves it, and it eyeing up an iPad mini as soon as she can save up the cash.

12

Yeah I screwed up, it’s cortana :smiley:

13

So you plan to drive with one hand on the wheel and the other hand holding the tablet?

:smiley:

14

Thanks all. I can afford an iPad, but if I can find something that works just as or almost as well for less dough Ima cheap yankee after all. Thanks for the nonsnarky answer to my naivete around connecting on the go. Much appreciated.

Two more questions: people are referencing the different experiences between android tablets and the ipad. Could you be more specific? I have used friends’ ipads, and one frustrating thing is the touch interface. You know how it sometimes won’t follow the link or put the cursor in the address bar no matter how you try? Is that an android thing too? Any other observations about user experience would be great.

Lastly, what are my options for purchase? Do I do big box stores, Apple stores, Amazon, something like Tiger Direct or Newegg? Thanks again.

15

Um, I’m not sure what you’re talking about when you say “it won’t follow the link or put the cursor in the address bar”. Sure, sometimes you’ll need to tap twice or so to get the cursor where you want, but that goes for both Apple and Android machines. The only other comment I could make about the differences in user experience between the two platforms is that depending on which Android tablet you get, the UI and functions will differ, whereas an iPad is an iPad is an iPad, (apart from whether it has cellular support or not).

As for where to buy it, I don’t think it matters much, although the big box and online stores tend to be a tad less expensive than the Apple store in the case of Apple products. Warranties are honored by the manufacturer as long as it’s purchased through a trusted vendor, (i.e. not on the black market). I would buy it wherever is closest/cheapest.

16

Something to possibly keep in mind:
T-Mobile offers a totally free 200 MB/month data plan for tablets. If you’re judicious and use WiFi whenever possible, 200 MB may well be enough to cover the gaps when on the road. You’ll need a tablet with a 4G modem that handles T-Mobile frequencies, of course.

17

Where to buy? If you’re interested in a Nexus 7 (16 gb version) it seems Staples has been clearing them out and they can be had for around $100 and some people are even reporting finding them for $50. Use this
Inventory Checker to see if there are any left in your area. The SKU to use on the checker is 215186.

18

Is that an older Nexus 7? There is a 2012 version and a 2013 version. The 2013 version is vastly superior. The 2012 version is bound to be ultra slow by now.

19

Hey, thanks, Smell. Can I call you Smell? Looks like around here the price is 229, if available at all.

20

2013 version according to this thread over at FatWallet. Even if you can’t get it at that price it’s a great tablet.