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gmanist1000

macrumors 68030
Sep 22, 2009
2,833
824
My son will be 7 years old in 1 month and I wanted to give him an iPad. He will only be using for reading books and using educational apps and some kids games as well. Should I get an iPad Mini (non retina and smaller display but lighter) or should I get him an iPad 4 (retina and bigger display but heavier)? I would be getting the Wi-Fi 16gb so the difference in price from $329 to $499 would not be an issue in my decision. Tks for any help.

Mini.

-Lighter
-Cheaper
-I doubt he will care about a retina display
 

pheenix11

macrumors regular
Jul 13, 2010
105
9
I love people with their smart ass comments about kids using iPads. Using their logic, don't let the kids use indoor plumbing, they might get spoiled.

In this age of technology any exposure a child can get to technology just makes them that much more comfortable with it when they go to school. I wish I had more experience with computers when I was in school.

My son is 3.5 and he has been using our iPad 2 since he was 2 and he loves it. It has helped his motor skills, counting, learning his letters, solving puzzles. He's an expert at it now. We sit every night before he goes to bed and read books or play games like stack the states.

I definitely think the Mini is the way to go, the regular iPad is great but the lightness of the Mini will be perfect for little hands.
 

UltimateSyn

macrumors 601
Mar 3, 2008
4,812
8,836
Massachusetts
If you get him an iPad mini, he will throw it down in anger and say: "What is this ****? You think I want a 1024x768 display? Is this 2004? And really, an A5? 756 GeekBench? I'm not 6, dad."
 

Harrycooke

macrumors 6502
Oct 10, 2012
417
438
London
Neither, there are more appropriate things for a 7 year old.

It's not appropriate to comment on what other people choose to buy their children though, is it?

Why would they create apps for 3yo+? Apple have even said how useful the iPad is for education of all ages.

Anyway, my 4 yo sister has an iPad 2 and she loves it. Tbh I think the mini may be too small to fully engage them that young, but for a 7 yo I reckon a mini.
 

thedarkhorse

macrumors 6502a
Sep 13, 2007
662
0
Canada
iPad 4 64gb LTE, pretty much a necessity for a 7 year old who wants to be ballin.

Really though just get him the cheapest mini
 

ItsWelshy

macrumors regular
Jul 31, 2012
215
0
Neither, there are more appropriate things for a 7 year old.

Why do we always get posts like this? It has nothing to do with you how peoples children are brought up.

I'm guessing you don't have kids, or your children are pretty dull, stupid and bored. it's been proven that children learn faster when they have balanced learning including interactive applications, like found on iPad.

OP - I'd go with the mini, my son is 5 and uses my iPad 2, but he finds it heavy
 
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medi.freak

macrumors regular
May 26, 2011
221
0
I got a phone (Nokia 3210) when I was 13....but I guess times change?

I also think young kids should be familiar with technology, so it is not a bad idea to give him something like that... but what good does it do if he'll only play games on it?...

I don't have kids (yet), so maybe I'm not in the position to be commenting, but I'd really think about it before giving him that...
 

ItsWelshy

macrumors regular
Jul 31, 2012
215
0
I got a phone (Nokia 3210) when I was 13....but I guess times change?

I also think young kids should be familiar with technology, so it is not a bad idea to give him something like that... but what good does it do if he'll only play games on it?...

I don't have kids (yet), so maybe I'm not in the position to be commenting, but I'd really think about it before giving him that...

How old were you when you first had a games console?
 

wrkactjob

macrumors 65816
Feb 29, 2008
1,357
0
London
I'm guessing you don't have kids, or your children are pretty dull, stupid and bored.

Yeah bored and stupid because they don't use an iPad, right.

Bored and stupid doing sports, being outside, climbing trees, hillwalking using a map and compass, canoeing, playing team sports interacting with others, learning about and watching wildlife, visiting museums and experiencing things first hand.

Not sat at home nice and warm and safe tapp tapping on an iPad.

A 7 year old should be out and about starting to learn about real world experiences not looking at virtual worlds on expensive technology.

I was always up some tree as a 7 year old, playing on a small boat, making bows and arrows, getting grazed knees, playing, fighting and learning with friends about how to have an adventure or at least believe we were having one.

Dull bored stupid?.....I don't think so tappety.
 

gpat

macrumors 68000
Mar 1, 2011
1,870
5,047
Italy
Mini.
Also, use the restrictions to block Safari, the App Store, Youtube and personally choose which software and games will be installed on it.
It has to be mostly educational software, and fun games which turn boring over time.
I think that's the ideal solution.
 

jbromer

macrumors 6502a
Jul 13, 2008
612
7
MD, USA
Agree with Mini too. My 4 year old holds it in his lap and it's perfect. Full iPad is too big and heavy, the iPhone is too small, and most of the good educational apps are iPad only. Mini is perfect.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
When I was 7, I was sitting in front of a computer browsing the internet with Netscape under Windows 3.1. :rolleyes:

Personally, I recommend the Mini. It's smaller and more portable. Don't use the iBookstore if you're going to buy books and instead use Scholastic's Storia as it has really cool features as reading out words, a dictionary, note taking, and it pops out activities between random parts which help to understand what is going on. Plus, it's multi-platform and it pretty much will have all the books being read at school.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
The mini seems great. Can you use those Apptivity apps on it? For a 4 year old I bet that stuff is cool.


Though I kind of want the hot wheels one. :eek:
 

weas

macrumors member
Nov 4, 2012
49
0
Seville, Spain
I my opinion, an iPad (mini or not) is way to much for a 7-year-old. First he wouldn't apreciate. Second he could break it the first day. Thrird he should be playing with other kids.
If you want him to do educational stuff you buy him a book... And read it to him yourself! :)
 

Roy Hobbs

macrumors 68000
Apr 29, 2005
1,860
286
I'm getting my 6yr old a mini. I have a iPad 3 and a mini and she loves the size/weight of the mini.
 

ItsWelshy

macrumors regular
Jul 31, 2012
215
0
Yeah bored and stupid because they don't use an iPad, right.

Bored and stupid doing sports, being outside, climbing trees, hillwalking using a map and compass, canoeing, playing team sports interacting with others, learning about and watching wildlife, visiting museums and experiencing things first hand.

Not sat at home nice and warm and safe tapp tapping on an iPad.

A 7 year old should be out and about starting to learn about real world experiences not looking at virtual worlds on expensive technology.

I was always up some tree as a 7 year old, playing on a small boat, making bows and arrows, getting grazed knees, playing, fighting and learning with friends about how to have an adventure or at least believe we were having one.

Dull bored stupid?.....I don't think so tappety.

You clearly don't have children, so butt out.

I'm sure the OP, like every other parent on this planet allows their children some TV,Games console, DVD, iPad, Reading time.

My son is alocated 20 minutes on the iPad every couple of days... He's learnt a lot about planets and the human body from the iPad, and its a fantactic learning tool.
 
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