Tablet - What are the advantages and disadvantages?

[_Cathy_]

My 80+ year old Aunt called me now because she can't decide if she should buy a tablet - it's 4 am in CA! I told her not to buy anymore since she already has a smart phone (Samsung) with a large enough screen. I forgot the model but it's almost as large as my Note 9. Last year I taught her how to viber and youtube, and it looks like she really enjoyed learning this "new" technology. I have a tablet that came with my Note 9 and I just gave it to my Mom. My Mom does not use it that much because I also gave her a smart phone.

I advised my Aunt not to buy anymore but she told me to list the pros and cons of owning a tablet. I want my Aunt to make an informed decision (I love her to bits!) so please help Here are my list

PRO
Larger screen

CONS
Can't carry around (too bulky or heavy)
Redundant if you already have a smart phone
Additional Payment for Tablet
Additional Payment for Internet (her phone's data is connected to my cousin)

Those are the only points I could think about...

[EQAddict]

Binge watching youtube and netflix is better on a tablet.



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[dr. d]

pro.
large screen.
hey! most things look nicer if they were larger.
i am assuming, the images she will access won't pixelate.

con.
large item to bring around.
but if she's not bringing it around naman,
then i can offer no real con.

money? cost?
since when was that a real problem?

[jut703]

For YouTube, Netflix, emails, reading, and browsing - iPad is much better than a smartphone, even a big one like a Note.

They have different purposes but for any media consumption, a tablet is always more suited because of the screen. Even iPad Mini vs Note is already a big step up in screen real estate.

iPads these days are cheap, you can get one for $300 bnew. For a bit of future proofing, the 11" iPad Air 4 for $600 is a great buy. Specs and features almost like an iPad Pro for $400 less.

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[Egan101]

Best of both worlds - get a tablet laptop. There are some with 10” or 12” screens.


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[_Cathy_]

She's getting a Samsung Tablet because her phone is Samsung. I can't convince her otherwise because she already has a specific model in mind. But I do think the Ipad is better kasi almost everyone I know has an ipad for their tablet even if their phone is android. The Samsung store is really close to her house kasi and I assume she came across a really good salesman kaya napaisip

[dr. d]

She's getting a Samsung Tablet because her phone is Samsung. I can't convince her otherwise because she already has a specific model in mind. But I do think the Ipad is better kasi almost everyone I know has an ipad for their tablet even if their phone is android. The Samsung store is really close to her house kasi and I assume she came across a really good salesman kaya napaisip

based on what she's going to use it for,
does it really matter, ipad versus samsung?

[boybi]

Movies and games are way better on a tablet.

Wala ba internet sa bahay nila? Why mag additional payment pa for internet?

[_Cathy_]

Movies and games are way better on a tablet.

Wala ba internet sa bahay nila? Why mag additional payment pa for internet?

wala siyang wifi e, data lang

[jut703]

She's getting a Samsung Tablet because her phone is Samsung. I can't convince her otherwise because she already has a specific model in mind. But I do think the Ipad is better kasi almost everyone I know has an ipad for their tablet even if their phone is android. The Samsung store is really close to her house kasi and I assume she came across a really good salesman kaya napaisip

We also have a Samsung Tab at home. Good choice naman, it's really like a bigger Samsung phone if that's what she's after.

The new Samsung Tab S7 looks really nice.

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[boybi]

Also, a bigger screen will be better for her eyes

[Walter]

Using a tablet promotes bad posture ... plus not so good for those with arthritis ... best to get a phablet or a very light laptop ...

[Lew_Alcindor]

I always want a tablet for watching videos and reading documents.

I had a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (????) with stylus. 8 inch screen is perfect for me. But nasira din eventually.

That Note 8 costs 20K and I dont want to spend that much for tablet again (even for a phone). I am not rich.

Luckily, I found the Amazon Fire HD 8. I got it for Php3,000++ sa Lazada. Bang for the buck, IMO, although I admit the videos isnt as sharp even on HD 1080p. But serves the purpose well for its price.

One thing though is you have to install Google Play to be able to enjoy some apps from the app store.

[oj88]

My parents, who are well into their seniors, still use their iPads on a daily basis. They don't bring it along when they leave the house (pre-pandemic), but at home, my folks gets some decent use out of their iPads.

Their primary use case is media consumption, browsing the web, ordering stuff online, messaging, and occasionally, to play games. It's ideal for them because of the screen real estate. They do less pinching to zoom than on their phones, but still portable enough to be lug around anywhere they want to settle down around the house.

On the subject of choosing a tablet OS between Android and iOS, I'd choose iOS every time. Android for my phone, iPad as my tablet.

TL;DR: Yes, tablets are ideal mobile devices for most seniors. It beats squinting on phones or firing up the PC or laptop. iPads are also generally easier to use than an Android tablet.

[ice15]

(IMO) for tablets, it's the iPad or nothing (although my last tablet at home is a month old Galaxy Tab)

MacRumors Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy iPhone, Mac, iPad

For me, it's basically to consume media content - Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube

Why I bought an Android Tablet - I was looking for something for Netflix, bought a new (2019) Galaxy Tab 10.1 for S$300 (8 inch version is S$100 cheaper) compared to the cheapest iPad at S$499

iPad has better app quality, longer lifespan (iPadOS will support the iPad Air 2 which was released in 2014!)
iPad also has FaceTime

***
Biggest factor me is the answer to this question... How many times do you open your laptop to check on something... How many hours do you spend on your phone?

A tablet will reduce your phone screen time and (depending on your settings) will make your reading and watching more peaceful. (my tablet has no email and IMs). It also takes the hassle of waiting for your laptop to boot.

[Jun aka Pekto]

I spend a lot of time watching DirecTV on my iPad Mini either outside or in the garage.

Big enough yet still very portable.

[bloowolf]

Between my iPad & computer, I use the iPad more. I think it’s a handy do anything device. I’m not a fan of using my smartfone for watching movies, doing FB or Youtube. I think the screens too small for me. With my iPad, I read the news in different sites like Yahoo, Google, CNN, bing, Inq, rappler & Star; Netlix sometimes, read my mail, do messenger, tsikot, viber & would you believe I also do my power point presentations (specially useful. Since I can just drag & drop from photo lib), word docu, zoom meetings, screen capture & apps related to my profession. It’s on the whole day but it stays home since it’s wifi only. Only drawback was when it crashed & all my work vanished & I didn’t have the foresight to get a bigger memory. My son in Med School has all his books in his bigger iPad & used to bring it as sole gadget to school lectures since he can write notations on it by splitting screen.


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[jut703]

iPad is better for attending video calls, reading, etc - basically anything that doesn’t require creation. For days when I only have meetings as a contributor and not as presenter, I use my iPad.

But since a lot of my work involves making decks and running numbers through Excel, a laptop is infinitely more productive for me. So 80% of the time I’m still on my laptop vs iPad.


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