Recommendation for non-iPad?

[Sandman1969]

I know there are quite a few of these threads. I rarely start threads, but didn't want to get lost in the other threads and it is for my son, so...

Anyway, my wife and I love our iPad 2s and our son and daughter for that matter love them as well. But not wanting to spend 500+ for Christmas. Well probably will with everything, but not on one item.

My son, 8 year old, was asking for a Nintendo DSi or a 3DS. He said mainly since it has a camera (he likes pictures). However, he has my old 3G right now, and will be getting a 3GS to use as an iPod when my wife upgrades to the 4S in a week or so. So he already has the ability to take pictures with that.

I was looking at the Nintendos and they run for around 169. He already has a DS so he doesn't really need a new one.

Talking with the wife I thought about getting him a Kindle Fire. He loves to read and I think this would motivate him to read more. We have Amazon Prime already, so that is a plus.

My Sister-In-Law just got one. I didn't have much time to play with it, but it seems to be pretty decent and she likes it.

I did some looking online and I couldn't get over the number of cheap Droid Tabs out there. Anywhere from 75 to 200. I realize almost all of those are crap.

I would like to keep it around 200 maybe 300 tops.

How about the HP TouchPad?

I would have gone and created an account on a Droid forum, but just couldn't bring myself to do it.

So what say you?

 

[miles01110]

If you want to encourage reading, avoid the Kindle Fire and go for the Kindle or Kindle touch.

 

[Sandman1969]

If you want to encourage reading, avoid the Kindle Fire and go for the Kindle or Kindle touch.

Thanks, I should have put more detail on what I want to get him..

He reads fine on his own. I want him to have something he can play games, listen to music, watch some movies, and have the ability to read.

 

[doboy]

Thanks, I should have put more detail on what I want to get him..

He reads fine on his own. I want him to have something he can play games, listen to music, watch some movies, and have the ability to read.

Few things to consider:

Not sure if there is any parental control on the Fire. Also I heard there is no password verification on the Fire so your son may be able to freely purchase apps and other contents on the Fire.

 

[Sandman1969]

Few things to consider:

Not sure if there is any parental control on the Fire. Also I heard there is no password verification on the Fire so your son may be able to freely purchase apps and other contents on the Fire.

I am not too worried about parental control, would be nice, but not a huge deal. Though, that may be more important later...

However, I will need to look into if it needs our password to order apps/books like with the iPhones now.

Thanks!

 

[ll PiStoNs ll]

I tried out the blackberry playbook today and I was really surprised. You can get it for 200, same as the others you said you looked at, but it has dual cameras that shoot video and pictures in HD. Yes the downside is the app store, but there are still plenty of free games, which would really increase once it can run android.
Plus it seemed very durable and solid, which would be useful if he is 8.

Overall, the software is very solid, you knock out the camera, book, game, etc. issues all for 200, and once it runs android, the possibilities will only increase.

 

[Defender2010]

I have to question the attitudes and parenting skills of those who give an 8 year old a 3G and 3GS iPhone and now wants to get them an iPad alternative such as a Kindle Fire etc.... Perhaps books would be fine, all by themselves?
Not you of course, just a passing comment......

 

[aneftp]

I have to question the attitudes and parenting skills of those who give an 8 year old a 3G and 3GS iPhone and now wants to get them an iPad alternative such as a Kindle Fire etc.... Perhaps books would be fine, all by themselves?
Not you of course, just a passing comment......

Just a sign of the times. Especially for parents in the higher tax brackets.

My friend has a 9 year old and she has her own brand new iPhone 4s and the 9 year old gave her 4 year sister her "old iPhone 4"

The 9 year old also has a 3G iPad 2 (with the data plan)

But she gets all As and is well rounded kid with normal school activities.

 

[Hawkeye411]

I bought my son a Blackberry Playbook for $200 this past week. They are on sale at $300 off!! He's going to be happy at Xmas!!

 

[porcupine8]

I have to question the attitudes and parenting skills of those who give an 8 year old a 3G and 3GS iPhone and now wants to get them an iPad alternative such as a Kindle Fire etc.... Perhaps books would be fine, all by themselves?
Not you of course, just a passing comment......

I'm sure in the 80s people said that about parents who bought an NES or a Commodore 64. Technology is a big scary demon that will eat our children and paper is morally superior to a screen.

 

[bufffilm]

from what you've described, it sounds like the KF would be a good fit for son. i'd avoid the touchpad unless you can score one for <$100.

 

[GeniusJon]

Keep in mind, the Kindle Fire's display isn't e-ink so it might (in the long term) damage the kid's eyes. Since he already has an iPhone and a DS, just get the Kindle touch. Better for the eyes and has a great selection of e-Books. Any book he buys from the kindle can be synced to the iPhone too, with the Kindle app.

 

[jsh1120]

from what you've described, it sounds like the KF would be a good fit for you and your son.

I agree. However, you may want to take a look at the Nook Tablet as well, depending upon your son's reading level. Although the selection of children's books for the Fire is growing, B&N has a huge headstart in that area.

As far as controlling purchases on the Fire is concerned, just set up your son's device with a separate account linked to a (pre-paid) credit card or Amazon gift card.

 

[IllIllIll]

Keep in mind, the Kindle Fire's display isn't e-ink so it might (in the long term) damage the kid's eyes.

BS. There is NO evidence of this whatsoever. And even if it were true, it would apply to any other device with a backlit LCD display - iPads, iPhones, Macbook Pros, whatever.

 

[jsh1120]

Keep in mind, the Kindle Fire's display isn't e-ink so it might (in the long term) damage the kid's eyes. Since he already has an iPhone and a DS, just get the Kindle touch. Better for the eyes and has a great selection of e-Books. Any book he buys from the kindle can be synced to the iPhone too, with the Kindle app.

So your suggestion is that he download e-books from Amazon and then display them on a backlit iPhone which isn't an e-ink display and in addition is tiny compared to the 7" Fire?

 

[Sandman1969]

I have to question the attitudes and parenting skills of those who give an 8 year old a 3G and 3GS iPhone and now wants to get them an iPad alternative such as a Kindle Fire etc.... Perhaps books would be fine, all by themselves?
Not you of course, just a passing comment......

Excuse me? How about before you get up on your pedastal, you think before you type?

Our kids are two of the most wonderful kids I know. They are in the top of the class in regard to manners, grades, among other things. Our son has ton's of books already that he reads, some many times. He has received the "Good Citizenship" award every year he has been at school. That is for all of K-5.

Yes our kids like technology. You do realize it is everywhere nowadays? They both have their own computer as well. Though, he has to do his "First in Math", "Reading A to Z", among other educational games, before he gets to play his "fun" games. Our daughter has to work on her spelling and counting before she can play any of her fun games.

When I was growing up D&D was going to drive all kids to the devil and suicide...

I guess my parents weren't good parents since they bought me the hard back books of Christmas one year...

I didn't ask for anyone's parenting tips... Just Tablet tips...

 

[Sandman1969]

The blackberry playbook does look nice. So it will run Android and not their OS in the future? or is it just you can run android apps?

Buddy at work was picking one of those up... Not sure I am comfortable putting my money in a failing company?

We have a kindle reader already that my wife uses that my son could use as well. However, think he would really like something that does more than just read.

I am not worried about the screens destroying my son's eyes. There is nothing to back that up. At least anything definitive that I have found. They were thinking the same thing about DS's and especially the 3DS. Now Ophthalmologists think the 3DS will actually be good for their eyes and catch any problems earlier.

 

[palpatine]

I know there are quite a few of these threads. I rarely start threads, but didn't want to get lost in the other threads and it is for my son, so...

Anyway, my wife and I love our iPad 2s and our son and daughter for that matter love them as well. But not wanting to spend 500+ for Christmas. Well probably will with everything, but not on one item.

My son, 8 year old, was asking for a Nintendo DSi or a 3DS. He said mainly since it has a camera (he likes pictures). However, he has my old 3G right now, and will be getting a 3GS to use as an iPod when my wife upgrades to the 4S in a week or so. So he already has the ability to take pictures with that.

I was looking at the Nintendos and they run for around 169. He already has a DS so he doesn't really need a new one.

Talking with the wife I thought about getting him a Kindle Fire. He loves to read and I think this would motivate him to read more. We have Amazon Prime already, so that is a plus.

My Sister-In-Law just got one. I didn't have much time to play with it, but it seems to be pretty decent and she likes it.

I did some looking online and I couldn't get over the number of cheap Droid Tabs out there. Anywhere from 75 to 200. I realize almost all of those are crap.

I would like to keep it around 200 maybe 300 tops.

How about the HP TouchPad?

I would have gone and created an account on a Droid forum, but just couldn't bring myself to do it.

So what say you?

i don't have kids. i am only speaking from my experience. tablets and other gadgets distract me from reading. they have ever since i was a kid and my parents bought me my first computer.

i am not saying this is a bad or good. no judgment here on me or my parents (or you). it just is. i still love reading, and do it more than most people, but that is self-discipline and my own inclinations--games don't appeal to me as much as they do to others.

if you want your kids to read more, i would strongly recommend a kindle e-ink reader. i read considerably more since i purchased it. it is a true joy to read on those gadgets. a tablet will probably not increase their reading (in my opinion).

i don't have the kindle fire, but i think that would be a great gift for a kid. it seems like fun, and with a prime account, i think they could get a lot of use out of it. i wouldn't expect them to do much reading on it, though.

 

[jsh1120]

The blackberry playbook does look nice. So it will run Android and not their OS in the future? or is it just you can run android apps?

Buddy at work was picking one of those up... Not sure I am comfortable putting my money in a failing company?

We have a kindle reader already that my wife uses that my son could use as well. However, think he would really like something that does more than just read...

All in all, I think the Amazon Fire or the B&N Nook Tablet are your best bets. Each has its strengths. (Laptopmag has a comprehensive comparison of the two devices.)

http://blog.laptopmag.com/face-off-amazon-kindle-fire-vs-barnes-noble-nook-tablet

As for the Playbook, my initial impression is that it's a nice toy and playground for techies but I doubt that it's the optimal choice for your 9 y/o.

 

[Sandman1969]

i don't have kids. i am only speaking from my experience. tablets and other gadgets distract me from reading. they have ever since i was a kid and my parents bought me my first computer.

i am not saying this is a bad or good. no judgment here on me or my parents (or you). it just is. i still love reading, and do it more than most people, but that is self-discipline and my own inclinations--games don't appeal to me as much as they do to others.

if you want your kids to read more, i would strongly recommend a kindle e-ink reader. i read considerably more since i purchased it. it is a true joy to read on those gadgets. a tablet will probably not increase their reading (in my opinion).

i don't have the kindle fire, but i think that would be a great gift for a kid. it seems like fun, and with a prime account, i think they could get a lot of use out of it. i wouldn't expect them to do much reading on it, though.

I appreciate the opinion. I can see where that could be a problem. Though, everyone is different. Myself, I hadn't read much in ages. I bought the iPad2 recently and have already read several books in the past month or so.

I would get him the Reader, but we already have one. I want him to have something he can do more than read on. Our son really enjoys reading and I think this will actually make him want to read more. He loves reading before bed in the dark with a mounted book light on top of the book.

I can see him wanting to play games on it as well. We are truly blessed with our children and I trust them and they trust us. We give them rewards of game time once homework is completed, once their rooms are clean, once their projects is done...

All in all, I think the Amazon Fire or the B&N Nook Tablet are your best bets. Each has its strengths. (Laptopmag has a comprehensive comparison of the two devices.)

http://blog.laptopmag.com/face-off-amazon-kindle-fire-vs-barnes-noble-nook-tablet

As for the Playbook, my initial impression is that it's a nice toy and playground for techies but I doubt that it's the optimal choice for your 9 y/o.

I was just reading up not the Nook, everything looked good with it. Until I read this

"As with the Fire, around 2 to 3GB are monopolized by OS-related content. A full 12GB of the Nook's storage, meanwhile, are devoted to content downloaded from B&N, like books and magazines. That leaves a paltry 1GB of storage for non-B&N content..."

Is that true? If so, that is a show stopper...

 

[Hamburger]

I know there are quite a few of these threads. I rarely start threads, but didn't want to get lost in the other threads and it is for my son, so...

Anyway, my wife and I love our iPad 2s and our son and daughter for that matter love them.
He loves to read and I think this would motivate him to read more. We have Amazon Prime already, so that is a plus.

So what say you?

Yes, we live in a technology era, but I reckon that especially kids should value a real book first. Even better if your son loves to read, so an e-reader isn't really a necessity.
Maybe mix it up via the iPad. My nine-year-old daughter loves the Charlie Brown Christmas Story app, but that doesn't stop her from reading real books. Charlie Brown and playing games on the iPad are for every now and then, not more. I would say that an e-reader can wait, and after all, your children call quite a few gadgets their own.
If you insist, however, a Kindle would be sufficient.

 

[jsh1120]

...

I was just reading up not the Nook, everything looked good with it. Until I read this

"As with the Fire, around 2 to 3GB are monopolized by OS-related content. A full 12GB of the Nook's storage, meanwhile, are devoted to content downloaded from B&N, like books and magazines. That leaves a paltry 1GB of storage for non-B&N content..."

Is that true? If so, that is a show stopper...

But the next sentence in the Laptopmag comparison says...

...Though the 1GB amount is disappointing, the Nook Tablet comes with a microSD card slot, which allows you to add up to 32GB of additional storage, something the Kindle Fire doesn’t have..."

BTW, I haven't used the Nook Tablet so I can't tell you if there are restrictions on the use of the micoSD storage. For example, on my Android phone some apps can be loaded on the microSD while others must be loaded into the phone's internal storage.

So that may be something to explore more fully if you're considering it.

 

[doboy]

I appreciate the opinion. I can see where that could be a problem. Though, everyone is different. Myself, I hadn't read much in ages. I bought the iPad2 recently and have already read several books in the past month or so.

I would get him the Reader, but we already have one. I want him to have something he can do more than read on. Our son really enjoys reading and I think this will actually make him want to read more. He loves reading before bed in the dark with a mounted book light on top of the book.

I can see him wanting to play games on it as well. We are truly blessed with our children and I trust them and they trust us. We give them rewards of game time once homework is completed, once their rooms are clean, once their projects is done...




I was just reading up not the Nook, everything looked good with it. Until I read this

"As with the Fire, around 2 to 3GB are monopolized by OS-related content. A full 12GB of the Nook's storage, meanwhile, are devoted to content downloaded from B&N, like books and magazines. That leaves a paltry 1GB of storage for non-B&N content..."

Is that true? If so, that is a show stopper...

Yes, B&N stupidly decided to leave only 1 GB for user content. However, you can use a microSD to help alleviate the issues.

 

[Sandman1969]

Yes, B&N stupidly decided to leave only 1 GB for user content. However, you can use a microSD to help alleviate the issues.

Yeah I should have added the next sentence. But that in itself seems crappy IMO.

Leaning towards the Kindle.

All the cheap Tablets... look well.. cheap...

 

[jsh1120]

Yeah I should have added the next sentence. But that in itself seems crappy IMO.

Leaning towards the Kindle.

All the cheap Tablets... look well.. cheap...

I agree. I've been impressed by the Fire. By the time one pays a $50 premium for the Nook AND add an SD card you're close to a $100 price difference. Can't see the advantage.