Tablet for Christmas

[Pat Barry]

I am looking for input. Here are my three choices for a tablet computer. Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Jelly Bean, Ipad Air Retina, I Pad Mini Retina - OK its four I guess, I just can't decide. I have flip flopped back and forth and my personal favorite is the Samsung Galaxy Tab, not the Note, the Tab.
Details - this is for my wife to use in place of a laptop - uses are for web surfing primarily. She is artistic and I envision she could use the touch screen as a drawing tablet. I don't forsee a lot of heavy duty gaming taking place - maybe the angry birds whatever that is. She doesn't have an I Phone and neither do I. I am on the fence with regard to using something like Verizon wireless 4G for data transfer - That might be a good thing for travel usage. If she has actual typing to do then we always have the laptop with a real keyboard.

So, for those of you making a similar decision now or who have made a similar decision recently, what did you opt for?

Again, here are the choices: Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Ipad Air, Ipad Mini

So, which one of these is your personal favorite and why?

Thanks for you help

[John McClanahan]

My wife got me a iPad2 a couple of years ago. When it is replaced, it will be with another iPad. I'm typing this from my 27" iMac. Next to it sits my 5th gen. iPod. Somewhere I have an original iPod Shuffle. I could keep going..........

John

[Pat Barry]

John, is yours a wifi only version or a 4G version?

[Jim Matthews]

Got the Nexus 7.

It's ideal for my needs, and inexpensive.
I don't use it on a phone network. No need for it, if there's a WiFi hotspot nearby.

[Matt Meiser]

iPad Mini because I also have an iPhone and they play nicely together. We're a 3 iPhone and soon to be a 3 iPad house (shh... ) I just have the Mini with Wifi because my phone can act as a hotspot if wifi isn't available--one of the few places that seems to be true anymore is the car on trips. I posted here last week from 10,000 feet above Lake Erie using Southwest's wifi (where I couldn't legally have used 4g anyway.) I really like the mini for my use because I can hold it like a book, its lighter, and smaller. I wasn't using the full size one as much as I use the mini because its easier to take the mini. I'm just using it for an occasional video, e-reader, some music, web surfing, and light email use.

Also, this situation has gotten somewhat better but when I bought my first iPad, an iPad 2 there were probably literally thousands of accessories for the iPad. The other options had generic options for say a 10" tablet or whatever the manufacturer made.

[Dick Latshaw]

My wife is getting an iPad Air to replace her iPad 1, which has no camera. She can then do FaceTime on a large screen with the kids. She has loved her iPad (and her iPhone).

[Mark P. Miller]

If you plan to do a lot of text entry or typing, I think that Android-based devices are really a lot better at this point. The predictive text features just work, and the Swype approach can really make things go much faster once you get used to it. I truly get VERY annoyed on my IPad when I discover typos and have to go back to correct them. It is not as simple as you would like. Much easier on my Android device.

All of this is moot if you plan to use an external keyboard with good cursor positioning controls.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Samsung galaxy guy here. I'm on my second tablet now, the one you mentioned. It's very good, but I find that having the galaxy phone in your pocket all the time makes the tablet feel redundant. I'm using an S4 now, and it is just as capable as a tablet for the vast majority of the stuff I need. Probably just how I use it, but... Personally I love android, it plays nice with everything. Some of the others don't.

[John McClanahan]

Pat, mine is the older 3G model. You need the cellular option, but only for the GPS, if you want to using mapping apps. The wi-fi only model does not have a GPS.

John

[John McClanahan]

Keep in mind that the competition touts a "real" keyboard, but they fail to tell you how much extra that will cost. There are plenty of "real" keyboards for iPads, just not sold by Apple. Besides, that makes it a netbook.

John

[Bobby O'Neal]

iPad. Because iEverything. The brand has proven itself to me.

[Mark Bolton]

If she is artistic you may consider the galaxy note 8 with the stylus. Great for drawing with I forget how many levels of pressure sensitivity.. Drawing with your finger is not great in my opinion. I have drawn on a first gen HP tablet PC with gimp for years and while it's slow without a keyboard it has a lot of functionality.

I like the note 8 a lot. Played with a lot of iPads (iphone user) but not a fan.

I do like, and don't oppose, that apple takes a lot of control away from the user which makes their stuff more stable. Going to the android brings me back to the days of riffling through menu after menu of settings and features and can be a bit daunting but it's working for me.

[Art Mann]

I have used the older version Nexus 7 for a year now and I have been mostly very satisfied. It has a GPS but no 4G. I bought a $10 app called "Co-Pilot", which includes map data for the entire USA and I much prefer it over the more expensive Garmin GPS I also own. I have a Samsung smartphone and Verizon cell service with which I can generate a wi-fi hotspot anywhere there is 4G service. That eliminates the need for 4G. The one drawback I have found is internet browsing. The 7 inch screen simply isn't quite large enough for my bad eyesight. When I replace it, I will get a model with a 10 inch display.

[Dune Crane]

I have the original Kindle Fire, an IPad (3rd gen), and a Microsoft Surface Pro. I still use my Lenovo Laptop here more than anything. I think that the Kindle Fire was and the newer ones are a great value, but the IPad is the tablet I use the most. While the 7" form factor is definitely easier to hold, and possibly better for book reading, for everything else I prefer the 10" ff in a tablet.

[Larry Browning]

I have the Nexus 7 2013 model and really like it. One thing that no one has mentioned about the Nexus line of tablets is that the latest version of Android will most likely be available for them, where as other brands may not and you will be stuck with whatever version comes on it. For instance, mine came with 4.2 IIRC and just this morning I was notified that 4.4.2 (kitkat) was available for download and install.
also, I really like the size of the Nexus 7, it is much easier to carry around than the 10" versions. It will fit into a coat pocket or other large pocket. I find the display plenty large enough for reading and using as a GPS in the car. Speaking of GPS, this is one of the primary features included in the NEXUS 7 which is not in many of the other tablets. I would make sure that any tablet you are considering actually has a GPS radio built into it. I too have co-pilot and like it better than the Garmin.

BTW: I cannot comment on any of the ipad products as I am dedicated to never owning any "i" products. (this is not open for discussion!)