My wife is going back to uni and wants a tablet to do bits of work on, the Galaxy Tab A 10.1 comes highly recommended.

Will only be used for basic internet, word processing, youtubing on the train and at home, nothing special but needs to be foolproof.

Ignoring the fact that Prime day doesn’t start for a few hours and that a tablet may or may not be the best for her I wondered if anyone had any other suggestions.

Got the 10A, can’t really fault it, for typing paired with a bluetooth keyboard it will be as good as a tablet goes for that stuff, slightly more widescreen profile than some but it does make it nice to hold in portrait.

Apple iPad 2018 is good/great value at £319 imo.  You can even use it to take notes using the Apple pencil (obvs at additional expense).  As a once was Apple-phobe I don’t really know why anyone would buy an Android tablet currently.

As a once was Apple-phobe I don’t really know why anyone would buy an Android tablet currently.

Because Android is superior in every way ?

lol

Apple is out of budget.

As a once was Apple-phobe I don’t really know why anyone would buy an Android tablet currently.

Because they do the same stuff?

Because they do the same stuff?

Pretty much, just got my first apple product – bought a 6s to replace my S7Edge when it died last week.  Not really that much difference – hey it’s a little (amazing) computer, you press stuff and stuff happens.

However the Tab A won’t ever receive a software update ever again, has a weak outdated CPU and will in all likelihood be a paperweight before Ms thepodge leaves university.  The iPad will still have the latest iOS and still be supported by Apple, the A10 chip will still be competitive.  Even Google have given up on Android tablets.

However the Tab A won’t ever receive a software update ever again,

I have an 18 month old one and it’s been updated twice now

has a weak outdated CPU and will in all likelihood be a paperweight before Ms thepodge leaves university.

For the uses asked for if it does that now it will still do the same things in 2-3 years time.

The iPad will still have the latest iOS and still be supported by Apple, the A10 chip will still be competitive.

And overkill for the needs and more expensive.

Even Google have given up on Android tablets.

Yep because they are just big phones, it still doesn’t change what it does or how it does it though.

I have an 18 month old one and it’s been updated twice now

And that’s your lot.

For the uses asked for if it does that now it will still do the same things in 2-3 years time.

Yes, slowly and jankily, but it will do the same stuff. And if it lasts that long my first Samsung S2 lasted 6 days, my second 5 months.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not an Apple fanboi but other than price there are zero arguments for buying an Android tablet over the iPad especially in the education sphere.

Which is about as usefult as saying “other than price, there are zero arguments for buying a Vauxhall Zafira over the Audi Q7 especially in the moving things and people about sphere”.

I have the Amazon Fire HD8, bought for £50 at Christmas, mate of mine has the HD10, both are great, can run standard Android apps (takes a 5 minute faff following youtube instructions). The HD10is £99 today on Amazon, £10 dearer if you don’t want ads on the lock screen (again, you can follow a youtube vid to get rid of these too).

If productivity and possible note taking etc are factored in I don’t think those Amazon tablets, (well the HD8 because that’s what I’ve used) would even be a Vauxhall Zafira in that comparison, more like a Honda C90, economical but you couldn’t get a chest of draws in one.

Mrs has the HD8  they are not “great”, although tbf Amazon were great when I returned it when the charging port died.

But y’know, whatever, I’m not fussed what Ms thepodge gets for university just think that bang for buck at £319 the IPad 2018 is an absolute steal (as is £50 for the Fire) and will, gods of consumer electronics willing, still be a useful device in 5 years time.  The HD8 will most likely be landfill/responsibly recycled.

the IPad 2018 is an absolute steal (as is £50 for the Fire) and will, gods of consumer electronics willing, still be a useful device in 5 years time. The HD8 will most likely be landfill/responsibly recycled.

What are you basing this on? What does “most likely” mean? My experience of these things is that the battery holds less and less charge and the software upgrades reduce the battery life for improvements I am not even aware of. After five years these devices just sit in a drawer having been superseded by one a bit newer, whether they cost £50 or three times that.

What are you basing this on?

The A10 chip in the iPad is an absolute beast and will still be usefully useable 5 years from now.  The iPad will also have OS updates for a few years anyway. The iPad mini 2 released in November 2013 is a supported device on the forthcoming iOS12

The Fire HD8 by comparison still runs software based on Android Lollipop (released in 2014) and a CPU released in 2013.

I know it’s not a tablet, but if you’re going to pair with a keyboard, why not just a touchscreen foldable Chromebook?

Other than being a slightly larger form factor it’ll be easier to work on than a tablet?

Because she wants a tablet… She ended up going for a Lenovo TAB 4 10