Tablet OS choices

In My Humble Opinion
1

So there’s Apple, Android, Windows and Amazon Fire. Have I missed any?

I don’t have anything else Apple, so I don’t know if getting an Apple tablet would be a good idea. I am open to persuasion.

My phone is Android, so I’m used to it. I read that with Android I have to tie the tablet to a Google account, is that correct? Not sure I’m liking that.

I’ve never worked with Windows 10. Is that the OS for Windows Tablets? Does anyone sell them besides Microsoft?

Then there’s Amazon Fire. These are so cheap I assume there are shortcomings but I don’t see what they are. Can you do internet browsing, email and other regular computer stuff?

If it makes any difference, I expect to use this tablet only at home, using my home Wi-Fi. I don’t plan on having cell connectivity activated. I don’t know if that’s normal or weird. I acknowledge I may have some inaccurate pre-conceptions about tablets, because I’ve never owned one before.

So, opinions and advice? Y’all are my go-to for this kind of thing. It’s funny, but when I ask people in real life who know about this stuff, they are always non-committal. I can always count on you folks for opinions, anyway.

2

Thoughts from somebody who has an Android phone and a Windows tablet (Surface).

Windows 10 has a tablet mode, and is quite usable in a tablet. Several makers…make Windows tablets; the Microsoft Surface line is sort of a flagship line. You’ll be able to run all of your familiar Windows programs, just like on your desktop.*
That said, Windows is a “heavier” OS, IMO, than Android. You’ll want to get higher specs to make it run smoothly than is necessary for an Android tablet, and that’ll be reflected in the cost. I’m not as experienced with Android tablets, but it looks like a good, high spec Android tablet will cost considerably less than an equivalent-ish Windows one.
Tablets are, for most folks, a consumption device. My surface is fine for watching movies, whether stored on the device or streamed, but I would imagine that a decent Android tablet would do just as well.
I like the extra versatility of the Windows tablet, being able to run all of my familiar programs, but you may well not find that worth the price premium.
As far as Ipads….well, I despise Apple, so I’m not the one to ask. It’s very much a walled garden, and it “thinks” differently than the other two, so you’d have to relearn some things. Still, they’re very popular, and there’s got to be a reason for that.
*Within reason. Don’t expect to play high-level games on a tablet, for example; it just won’t have the graphics horsepower of a desktop. Office, etc, will be just fine.

3

There’s Chrome OS (Chromebook), though right now it’s only used on laptops and convertibles (Google Pixelbook, Samsung Chromebook Plus, etc). Still, these convertibles are viable alternatives to pure tablets.

Also, Fire runs Amazon’s version of Android. Somewhat different OS interface, but mostly runs the same apps.

Is your Android phone not associated with your Google account??

I think Android phones and tablets can be used without a Google account, but I don’t know why you’d want to, and I don’t understand why you don’t like the idea. I think you need to associate it with a Google account to get apps from the Android app store.

It’s the same situation with other tablets - you need to activate a Fire tablet with an Amazon account, and I think you need to associate an iPad to an Apple account. Windows tablets may be usable without tying it to a Microsoft account, but you’d lose some functionalities (e.g. cloud storage, maybe the app store).

Lots of companies make Windows tablets. Pretty much every company that makes Windows laptops also make Windows tablets.

It’s the same OS (Windows-10) for tablets and conventional PCs. On a tablet it goes into “tablet mode” that makes it more touch-friendly.

Browsing, yes. Email, I’ve never tried but I’m sure there is a way. What else do you consider “regular computer stuff”?

The Fire tablets are cheap because the hardware specs aren’t very high (e.g. low screen resolution), and because it’s mainly a device for consuming content you buy from Amazon. It’s mainly sold as a device to watch Amazon video, Kindle books, Amazon Music, etc.

Most tablets don’t have built-in cellular capability, though some do.

4

My wife and I had two of the first Nexus tablets and recently have wiped them for use by our kids in the car. They’ve be set up without a google account and I’ve loaded specific media players apps and games without going through the Google play store and getting files onto them is a as easy as sticking a usb drive into them and copying them over. So it can be done (or at least could be done)

5

I’ve used a few varieties of Windows 10 tablet - they’re OK, but the OS seems less slick and mature than Android as a tablet offering. In particular, the onscreen touch keyboard typically works better on Android than on Win10 tablet - on Windows, the keyboard doesn’t always appear when you want it, and in the process of summoning it the app you’re using can lose ‘focus’ - and your typed text doesn’t go where you want it to.

6

I got my first Apple tablet as a gift at a time when my phone was Android. I took the iPad out of the box and searched for the instructions, but there weren’t any. I pushed buttons until the iPad turned on and the rest was intuitively obvious. The next time I upgraded my phone I went Apple.

I loved the Android OS and the Samsung Galaxy was a great phone, but I like Apple just a bit more

7

Just want to add a few more words about how Amazon’s FireOS is virtually the same as regular Android.

Note that Google (who controls Android) and Amazon are rivals. The animosity between them is immense. E.g., try buying a Chromecast on Amazon or run a standard YouTube app on a FireTV box.

For example, Google insists that all Android devices come with the Google Play Store installed. Google takes a cut of everything bought via its Play Store which includes a cut of in-app purchases. Such as watching a pay-video via a media player.

Hence no Amazon Video app on the Google Play Store because there is no freakin’ way Amazon is going to give Google a cut.

So FireOS isn’t official Android. But it pretty much is. Don’t let this bother you unless you really, really, really insist on having the Google Play Store on it and you don’t want to deal with the hassles* of installing it yourself on your FireOS device.

The Amazon App Store is pretty well stocked with the important Android apps and if need be you can download and install yourself (“sideloading”) most other Google Play Store apps.

  • Said hassles used to be no big deal. Google upped the ante and now it’s a much bigger deal.
8

I have only really used Android (well, not counting webOS) but that’s mainly because I like having the same apps and content available on both my phone and tablet. Although I haven’t used the FireOS, I have used the Amazon app store for many years. In my experience, Play Store has a much wider app selection than Amazon, though both have the common stuff, and stuff through the Play Store gets updates much more frequently. That said, I’m sure I’d adjust if I has a FireOS device and no one’s going to keep you from watching Netflix or browsing the SDMB.

You connect your Android device to your Google account during setup. I don’t know if it’s avoidable. It’s easy enough to “disconnect” by restoring to factory settings if you want to sell/give your device to someone else.

Assuming you’re using your tablet primarily as a home-based consumption device: reading the internet and emails, watching videos, looking at recipes, reading e-books and playing games, any of the options should be fine for you and I’d worry more about the best screen/speakers you can get for your price point. That’s probably going to be a FireOS (cheap) or Android (lots of options). If you have specific needs for your device then let us know.

9

No. I don’t really have (or don’t use, if it exists) a Google account. I am doing some temporary volunteer work that has a Google account assigned to me for that purpose, and while I’m doing that the phone is associated with that. I will be happy, when that work is over, to dissociate it.

10

Both Google and Amazon (and I have to assume Apple) require you to be connected through their devices at least occasionally so they can ‘ping’ the Play Store/Amazon/Apple Store apps you’re using and be sure that they’re legitimate. So there’s no real disassociating your device from them unless you’re a strange use case who is just sideloading apps without using any of the major sources.

When my younger one got his tablet, we originally had the WiFi turned off. After a couple days, his Amazon-bought games stopped working because they couldn’t communicate with Amazon and prove their legitimacy. Turning WiFi back on immediately fixed the problem but it illustrates my point. I suppose, if you really wanted, you could make a second account just for tablet use but you’re going to need some sort of account. Of course, if you do that, you can’t share any apps across your tablet and phone (assuming you went Android or FireOS)

11

This hasn’t happened with my kid’s tablets. The apps we sideloaded continue to work perfectly well. (both Google and Amazon apps) but of course they are apps that don’t rely on any online communication.

12

I have - and regularly use - all four of the major tablet OS options (ChromeOS is… almost… a major tablet interface). There are pros and cons to all of them. In order to make any coherent recommendations about which would fit your use case, what do you want a tablet to do for you? Emails and web browsing? Watching videos? Reading books? Playing chess? Writing the Great American Novel? Some of all of the above?

Pretty much all tablets require an associated account to use - Apple ID, a Google/Amazon/WindowsOnline-or-whatever account. One can use the device without an account…but not easily or completely. Tablets are part of electronic ecosystems, for better or worse, and it’s helpful to use one that fits with what you use already (or don’t use, in your case).

13

Well, I said that if you’re a special use case who only sideloads apps this may not apply to you. Are yours actual apps from Google Play/Amazon that you just sideloaded the apk or did you get them from some other source? I always assumed the “check home” was to prevent casual sharing of the apk files.

Might also depend on the apps themselves and yours just didn’t care much (on the developer side) to bother coding that in. Both his (legitimately Amazon purchased) Toca Boca and Sago Mini games stopped working after a few days unless they could ping back home.

14

My advice would be an iPad, because it offers the best combination of usability, security, apps, ecosystem, build quality, power, price and support.

But what you should really do is go to a brick and mortar Apple Store or Microsoft Store (or a Best Buy if you can stand it) to check these devices out for yourself. No one here is going to be able to tell you how it feels in your hands or how well you will intuit the experience.

15

I did go to two Best Buys (I could stand it, barely) and they only had iPads and Samsung pads, and some of the latter were out of stock. It did not present a very useful subset of pads to feel and hold. I did try a Samsung and found it similar enough to my phone that I feel confident I could use it.

To answer SuperAbe, mostly looking stuff up on the internet and reading email, for when I’m upstairs and away from my regular PC. I have a Kindle for reading, and if I want to watch a movie or something I’ll figure out how to get it on my TV screen. From this discussion so far, I’ll probably end up with Android.

16

Sounds like you’d be better off with a Chromebook than a tablet.

Who is your e-mail provider? Gmail, some other web mail, or non-web (POP3/IMAP)?

17

The wife has an iPad, I have a Fire. Same-same. Both have their advantages and drawbacks. Pick one and don’t worry about it.

18

It seems to me that there is an Amazon Video app in the Google Play Store.

19

Yes, the Amazon Video app works fine on Android. You can even download video for offline viewing. And of course you can get a Kindle reader for just about any platform.

The opposite is not true, as far as I know - i.e. you can’t run a Google movie viewer on a Fire tablet.

20

I have Android, Fire and Win 10 tablets and it’s hands down Android as my fave, then Win 10 and Fire last. The Android interface and functions are the most mature and stable since the OS was developed for tablets. Win 10 is a desktop / laptop system first and tablet second. As posted above, the Win 10 interface isn’t anywhere near as good as Android. I got my two Fire tablets as a compliment to my Kindle and rarely use them because the majority of apps I want are only available for Android.

I personally think all Apple products are way overpriced. I refuse to pay more than $200 for a tablet and $100 for a phone. I may be a generation or two behind, I paid less than $150 for my second Samsung tablet and less than $90 each for my 11.6" Win 10 tablets (which I use for reading comics).