Tablet suggestions... for mom

[Storm]

For some time now, I've been thinking what is the best way to introduce my mom to computers. On a whim, I checked the out the local Targets around the area this past Saturday and was able to pick up an iPad Air 32GB. It isn't opened because I want to keep my options open and gather as much info before making the best decision.

It definitely seems like a tablet would be the best option because its relatively lightweight and can fit into the many assortment of bags owned by my mom. I would think tablets are also relatively more user friendly to a totally new user.

Below are the criteria I think are important and would appreciate the community to chime in with suggestions and insight. If you feel strongly feel free to express it. Please don't get into a flame war.

1.)Needs to be able to switch between an English language keyboard and a foreign keyboard specifically Chinese. I know with the Ipad mini since my brother owns one it is relatively easy to switch from keyboard to another. It is also important to support hand written input for foreign keyboards.

2.)Do tablets in general support stylus? Again this goes back to being able to write in a foreign language for email or even other documents. Any recommendations for stylii (if that is a word)?

3.)Easy of use and intuitive for a new user who has not used a computer before... opinions on which would offer the best experience? Android or iOS or other?

4.)Ebooks eco-system is there a relative format regardless of iOS or Android that is supported? I would be specifically looking Ebooks in a foreign language like Chinese.

5.)Media specifically foreign language movies and tv shows that originate from outside the US. Does anyone have any app recommendations? For anything in the States, Netflix would definitely work.

6.)Support for Office Suite documents for viewing and editing. I would imagine that all tablets have some sort of app store. Another criteria would have been being able to scan documents but it seems both iOS and Android have pretty decent apps to do this.

7.)Printing documents or emails. I know for the iPads there is the AirPrint isn't that just being able to print to a wifi enabled printer? What is the equivalent for Android?

Lastly what are some of the other useful things, the community's wives, girlfriends, and moms have used tablets for that I may not know about it.

Is the iPad overkill for the criteria mentioned above?

Again thanks for everyone's input it is definitely appreciated!

I'll update if I have more criteria

 

[notposting]

I think a lot of what you mention could be a bit tricky with the content restrictions in various areas. Like, Netflix (more as an easy example) has different content in US vs Canada vs Britain because of licensing issues. This will also apply to different app stores. Just a heads up.

 

[s44]

If you want stylus and handwriting support, you can't beat the Samsung Note series. What you get with most other tablets is basically a stylus-shaped finger input; the Note 8 and 10.1 have full Wacom digitizers built in and a stock keyboard that supports handwriting entry in English as well as other languages (including Chinese).

The issue, I guess, is price: the current holiday sale price of the Note 10.1 (2014) is the same as the Air ($500), but the Note 8 is ~$350 with a last-gen (12*8) resolution. The 8 is a nice size, though, for carrying around. The cheap stylus-support option would be the $200 Tegra Note, which is pretty nice at 7" though again not high-res like the Air or Note 10.1 (2014).

I have no idea what Chinese-language ecosystems for this stuff are. Android has Google Cloud Print for printing.

Looks like you can get an Amazon.cn account to buy Chinese ebooks over Kindle. Cross-platform apps are good...

 

[Storm]

Thanks for the responses. I'll take a look at the Samsung Note.

Good suggestion on the Amazon.cn account to buy Chinese ebooks.

Anyone else have any feedback?

 

[pcsavvy]

As far as streaming services are concerned. Netflix is not the only one around. I use Hulu Plus, it is the same price per month as Netflix and it has all kinds of TV shows from various parts of the world. I watch Korean Dramas, they are subtitled in English which is helpful since I only speak a few words of Korean. Hulu also has Spanish TV shows, Japanese anime (subtitled and dubbed), Taiwan dramas and some movies.
Some English licensees of Japanese anime also stream their videos.
There is Dramafever for Asian TV shows, music and movies.:biggrin: Dramafever is a little bit more but they have various membership plans not just month to month. They broadcast in the native language and use subtitling.
Most if not all of the above have apps for the various operating systems. The ios and android is the most popular but windows is catching up too.

 

[lopri]

iPads are well-rounded and anyone can find use out of one.

The Note 8 is a little late into its upgrade cycle thus I would avoid unless you get it discounted. Both the Note 3/10 got updated and I assume the Note 8 will follow suit sooner or later.

I can't believe that I am saying this, but have you considered a Windows tablet? Does your mom have some experience dealing with Windows PCs? If one can overlook the app situation in Windows platform, it can be the best option for the usage scenario you outlined. (such as PDF, printing, pen input, foreign language/media support)

I would make sure there is no build quality issue if I were to buy one, though. It seems like some are experiencing issues like keyboard malfunction, not waking up from sleep, digitizer acting funny, etc.

 

[BladeVenom]

Android is a lot more popular in China. iOS is losing market share there.

 

[pcsavvy]

If you are considering a Windows tablet:whiste:, be aware of the following:

Microsoft Surface 2 Pro supports and comes with a digitizing pen, supports any software that is compatible with Windows but does not come with Microsoft Office (you have to purchase it). (Desktop/hybrid replacement level)

Microsoft Surface 2 does not support digitizing pens, only supports apps and software available through the Microsoft store, supports capacitive pens, but comes with Microsoft Office 13RT. (Tablet/hybrid level)

Both Surfaces use Explorer 11 so you can access a lot of websites directly rather than thru an app. It would be nice if Microsoft included the keyboard in the price but it comes separate.

There are various Windows tablets out there, do the research on the specs to make sure that it hits all your wants and needs for a tablet. Windows tablets come in various price points, sizes, and quality.

 

[Nec_V20]

If you want stylus and handwriting support, you can't beat the Samsung Note series. What you get with most other tablets is basically a stylus-shaped finger input; the Note 8 and 10.1 have full Wacom digitizers built in and a stock keyboard that supports handwriting entry in English as well as other languages (including Chinese).

The issue, I guess, is price: the current holiday sale price of the Note 10.1 (2014) is the same as the Air ($500), but the Note 8 is ~$350 with a last-gen (12*8) resolution. The 8 is a nice size, though, for carrying around. The cheap stylus-support option would be the $200 Tegra Note, which is pretty nice at 7" though again not high-res like the Air or Note 10.1 (2014).

I have no idea what Chinese-language ecosystems for this stuff are. Android has Google Cloud Print for printing.

Looks like you can get an Amazon.cn account to buy Chinese ebooks over Kindle. Cross-platform apps are good...

I can attest to the efficacy of the stylus and handwriting support of the Galaxy Note 8.0, it perfectly reproduces my handwriting in all its horrendous illegible splendour. I have not been this disappointed since I discovered that twiddling with the brightness knob on my monitor did not increase the intelligence of my posts

Tomorrow I am going go out, buy some breadcrumbs, sprinkle them on my Note 8.0 stand back and watch pigeons walk across the screen pecking at the crumbs. I have the dread that what they produce on the screen will be more legible than anything I am able to produce.

On a serious note (like the jokes weren't bad enough I had to throw in a pun) if the OP wants stylus support I cannot think of a better tablet than the Galaxy Note series and keyboards of all descriptions abound for Android, as opposed to Apple or especially Microsoft tablet products.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Well, windows can easily do all of that perfectly, but the problem is that "a mom" might not be able to do it by herself.

For example, use google/torrents to find the books and chinese movies and such things. Older people would prefer easier and more seamless, even if less powerful, solutions.

Which is why you correctly disqualified it from the start.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

just get ipad, thats what i did, it will save you lots of pestering from your mom, and she will love it. dont even consider anything else

 

[alangrift]

iPad is probably the best route to go, and if she has questions she can sign up for classes at Apple. Also it is designed to be easy to use for everyone, a lot better than an Android.

 

[s44]

Also it is designed to be easy to use for everyone, a lot better than an Android.

Except it's not.

This is the great FUDdy myth.

 

[sm625]

Better = more expensive in yuppie speak. Both operating systems crash when you run certain apps. They both have bugs and epic fails. Neither are as bad as the microsoft obomination. But at least android has budget access, which means it will grow faster in the long run and eventually wipe out the overpriced competition.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Except it's not.

This is the great FUDdy myth.

android has too many stupid bugs that should have been corrected that a mom wouldnt understand. things like the wifi toggle not working from the home page, or the tethering app being sort of janked. and quality control on app is even worse

 

[quikah]

My wife has a few Chinese streaming apps to watch a lot of chinese language stuff on iPad. I have no idea what the app is or what it streams, I will try to remember to look up the apps when I get home. I have no idea about android for this.

 

[Ravynmagi]

1. Both let you change the input languages pretty easily in settings. Google has a settings button right on the keyboard that will take you directly to the language selection for faster on the fly changing if it's something you need to go back and forth with quickly. The iOS keyboard doesn't have a settings shortcut. Android also lets you install third party keyboards if needed.

2. All tablets support very basic capacitive stylus. It's basically a fat soft rubber nub on the end of a pen. Usually barely anymore accurate than your fingertip, sometimes even worse. A few tablets have a digitizer to support more accurate active pens and a big feature with these pens is the ability to tell the difference between the pen and your palm, so you can rest the hand on the tablet screen while writing. The Samsung Note series would probably be among the best in this area since I believe they all have the leading Wacom digitizer and have a slot in the tablet to store the active pen.

3. Intuitive UI. This is a loaded question and the source of endless debate. So in my opinion it's not quite as big of an issue has in the past. However with that weenie answer out of the way, I still feel iOS does have some advantage in this area. I think that big physical home button is important for new users. It's a panic button that always takes you back home. iOS dumps all your apps onto the home screen, while this is often leads to disorganization and difficulty finding some apps if you have a lot, it's still an easier concept for new people to understand than Android that has some apps on the home screen and a seperate app drawer where all the apps are stored alphabetically (which I think is really easier and better, but people get confused). Also iOS has a bright and colorful UI that feels more inviting, while stock Android is dark and black.

And there are also the things Android manufactures do to Android. I think the stock Android experience (aka Google Experience or Nexus) is pretty user friendly. But Samsung and others often add a bunch of stuff to the experience to set themselves apart from other manufactures and I think it's makes the Android UI more cluttered and confusing.

So in my humble opinion it's iOS, Android Nexus (or Google Experience), and the everyone else.

4. This is a non issue. You'll be reading eBooks through apps and both OSes have great apps for this. Kindle, Nook are the leading eBooks sellers. I use Kindle and I do find the Kindle app to be better on Android now (it used to be the other way around). And there are plenty of third party eBooks apps on both sides that are great too.

5. This is a massive advantage for Android. Especially if you have content you've downloaded and want to watch on the tablet. It's super easy to just drag and drop media to an Android tablet and play it with a variety of third party apps. Almost all Android tablets have a wide screen aspect ration that uses the maximum screen spaces for viewing movies and usually stereo speakers. When it comes to streaming media, iOS does a bit better than Android since it's more locked down, content providers trust it a bit more. Both have Netflix and most of the big content streamers, but iOS has Amazon Prime and regional content providers are more likely to have more streaming content for iOS than Android.

6. I think this should also be a non-issue. Both iOS and Android have a nice selection of apps that support MS Office documents.

7. Honestly I've never felt the need to print anything from any tablet. Have no idea. Though I believe iOS and Android have some kinda of cloud printing support.


Under the other useful things category...

+ Aspect ratio. Android's 16:10 ratio is really nice for video watching as I mentioned earlier. However iPad's 4:3 ratio is really nice for web browsing since you can see more of a page at once.

+ Expandable storage. Tablets come with a set amount of internal storage, 16GB, 32GB, sometimes more. Some tablets include a micro SD slot so you can buy an micro SD card and add additional space. Usually you can't install apps onto these micro SD cards (though sometimes there are ways to do it), but they are good for storing your own content like music, pictures, videos, and such. Google Music even now lets you use the micro SD to pin streaming music for offline use. Many tablets don't have this micro SD slot, so if it's something you got to have, you'll need to narrow your selection a lot.

+ Video output to TV. Most tablets have some form of wireless output with the aid of another device. Apple has AirPlay to Apple TV, Google can Cast a very select few apps to Chromecast now, some Android tablets have Miracast support which is a super ghetto version of AirPlay that in my last experience 8 months ago barely worked with the Netgear Push2TV. A few tablets have micro or mini HDMI ports. These are pretty freaking rare too.

There is also other ways. With a $30 adapter you can buy an Lightning to HDMI adapter for the iPad. Nexus tablets have Slimport which also costs $30 for the adapter. Some tablets may have MHL support, which needs an adapter too, but those are usually much cheaper (think I got mine for $5 with shipping).



I think a Nexus 7 would totally fulfill the requirements for $230. Though I don't think money would be wasted on a $400 iPad Mini with Retina because it's a fine device too and I like the extra bit of screen space. If she really needs to use a pen and take notes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be the choice.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Except it's not.

It kinda is.

I mean, what is easier to use than rows of app icons? It is like a modern computer interface boiled down to its simplest concepts.

I mean heck, a McDonald's register is more complicated and it is designed for use by the lowest common denominator:

The only problem is, as my friend once told me, "iDevices give normal people the power of the gods, but don't make them respect that power." When it goes wrong, or you go outside the box, the answer is buy this Apple product or get back inside the box.

Which is perfect for a non-techie mom really.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

Except it's not.

This is the great FUDdy myth.

I have the "privilege" of owning a Nexus 7 and it really isn't. There are so many things in Android that a Mom would see as a huge obstacle.

 

[mkmitch]

apple products are geared toward houswives and teens go with ipad.

 

[jhansman]

Whatever way you go, one note of warning about the Kindle: you cannot listen to audiobooks unless you get them via an Audible acct. We have been trying for a week now to figure a way to get a dedicated audiobook player installed on my mother-in-law's Kindle, and when I finally manage to get one installed (don't ask), it would crash on startup every time. Same one I use on my phone every day would not even start on her Kindle. The poor old gal can barely read, so audio books seemed the next natural step. But, if you go with Amazon, you are locked into Audible, which frankly is a ripoff. I mean, really? $15/mo and $20-30 for books you cannot share among users? So, if you are even thinking of letting her listen to books, get a Nexux 7 and she'll be cruising.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Whatever way you go, one note of warning about the Kindle: you cannot listen to audiobooks unless you get them via an Audible acct. We have been trying for a week now to figure a way to get a dedicated audiobook player installed on my mother-in-law's Kindle, and when I finally manage to get one installed (don't ask), it would crash on startup every time. Same one I use on my phone every day would not even start on her Kindle. The poor old gal can barely read, so audio books seemed the next natural step. But, if you go with Amazon, you are locked into Audible, which frankly is a ripoff. I mean, really? $15/mo and $20-30 for books you cannot share among users? So, if you are even thinking of letting her listen to books, get a Nexux 7 and she'll be cruising.

Have you tried MortPlayer Audio Books? I haven't tested it on the Kindle Fire though. Seems weird you can't get a side loaded audio book player to work on the Kindle.

 

[quikah]

The iOS keyboard doesn't have a settings shortcut.

It does. Globe icon. IMO it is easier to switch/configure iOS for this. For example on my phone, the android keyboard doesn't even list chinese as an option, but the swype keyboard does. It is all just one setting on iOS.

 

[Ravynmagi]

It does. Globe icon. IMO it is easier to switch/configure iOS for this. For example on my phone, the android keyboard doesn't even list chinese as an option, but the swype keyboard does. It is all just one setting on iOS.

I think it was removed in iOS 7. I remember the icon you are talking about, but I think it's gone now.

For Android, I don't think there is a separate keyboard for language, instead you choose a different input language, which has Chinese and others. At least that is how I believe it works.

 

[quikah]

I think it was removed in iOS 7. I remember the icon you are talking about, but I think it's gone now.

For Android, I don't think there is a separate keyboard for language, instead you choose a different input language, which has Chinese and others. At least that is how I believe it works.

It is still there for Chinese input. They might have removed it for the simpler languages, I think you can get all the accents and what not with a long press on the letter.

I remember how I did this on android now. I had to install google pinyin IME from play store to get the google keyboard to work with Chinese. iOS has this much better integrated, but once it is setup it is pretty similar between the two.