topic Re: Need tablet advice please in Electronics

Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 22:57:20 GMT

Looking for recommendations for a tablet that I can use the iPad Netflix app on and download movies for later viewing offline. Don't want to spend the money for iPad unless necessary as this will be the only use for the tablet. What is your recommendation and how much memory do we need. TIA. S aka Lilysmom

Re: Need tablet advice please

patbz — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 23:30:17 GMT

You can download Netflix app for android on Google. That would open up your options. Google what amount of memory you need for movies. Maybe buy a 10" Fire with smallest memory and buy a microchip (maybe 400) to very inexpensively upgrade your tablet. If you go Fire/ microchip route it'll definitely cost you less than $150, including case and screen protector. If you want, call Amazon Fire help and ask them what they recommend for memory.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Kachina624 — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 23:42:15 GMT

@Lilysmom1. This may be your most inexpensive option, the Amazon Fire Tablet. Its a nice size for viewing movies and has an expandable memory using a SD card that you purchase that can almost makes the memory infinite.

You can download movies on virtually any tablet. It's just called the Netflix app (not iPad) which you download from the Play Store. You can perform most computer functions on this device. There is a monthly subscription to use Netflix which will also cover your TV.

At Christmas QVC and HSN had a version of this tablet for well under $100, but it may have been a different model. It does display some ads.

Re: Need tablet advice please

patbz — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:21:30 GMT

Around Mothers Day you may see the Fire 10" for as low as $79 ( that's what I paid in Nov 2020).

Re: Need tablet advice please

Nuttmeg — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 04:57:46 GMT

@Lilysmom1

You will not be happy with a Fire tablet running Netflix. A Fire tablet only has 23 GB of free storage and 2GB of RAM.

If you decide to buy a Fire tablet make sure you can share the movies with a large TV. You maybe able to use a cable or Bluetooth.

You maybe able to use Firestick or Chromecast to bring movies to a big screen.

The last option is buy a new iPad Air 4.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 09:51:48 GMT

@Nuttmeg @patbz @Kachina624 , thank you for your replies.

I should not have called it the "iPad" Netflix app. I do realize you can get the app via android devices. This is for my brother. He has a summer camp he goes to where there is no internet. He has an iPad that just recently became so old the Netflix app does not work anymore.

He doesn't use the iPad for anything else so I told him to look for a less expensive alternative. He downloads movies and series episodes to watch without internet.

I was hoping for a recommendation from the always helpful electronics forum. If iPad is the best alternative, he will go that route but I was thinking there might be a cheaper answer.

If the Fire tablet does not have sufficient power to do this, I wouldn't recommend it to him. Looking for trouble free viewing. S

Re: Need tablet advice please

Pecky — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:41:09 GMT

I purchased my first tablet the Fire HD 8 Plus and this one has 3GB with 64GB. I watch Netflix and Prime Videos on this and the sound and picture are great. The battery life is great and it also has the fast charging with USBC charge and is wireless charging. You can also add more storage should you need it. I really like it.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Kachina624 — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 20:59:40 GMT

@Lilysmom1. By using the SD card, the Amazon Fire has the capacity of storing more movies than your brother could probably ever download. The memory on iPad is not expandable. Once its full, one must start deleting stuff in order to download new material. I'm sure the quality of the display is much sharper in the pricey iPad but it's quite adequate in the Amazon Fire.

By the way, I had an iPad2 years ago and a small Amazon Fire but currently use a Samsung tablet, which is somewhere between the two cost-wise. It has a great display and an expandable memory. It's my tablet of choice, and I'm on my second one.

Re: Need tablet advice please

patbz — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 05:38:54 GMT

@Lilysmom1 : You didn't specify whether your brother was a camper or a counselor; particularly if he's a camper I'd double down on my rec of a Fire tablet ( It'll do the job and not be a target for theft).

Re: Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 09:07:25 GMT

@patbz , he is a camper. No or few worries about theft. His lake is pretty remote. S

Re: Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 09:09:12 GMT

@Kachina624 @Pecky , thanks very much. I will pass your comments along. S

Re: Need tablet advice please

Pecky — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 16:15:27 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Lilysmom1. By using the SD card, the Amazon Fire has the capacity of storing more movies than your brother could probably ever download. The memory on iPad is not expandable. Once its full, one must start deleting stuff in order to download new material. I'm sure the quality of the display is much sharper in the pricey iPad but it's quite adequate in the Amazon Fire.

By the way, I had an iPad2 years ago and a small Amazon Fire but currently use a Samsung tablet, which is somewhere between the two cost-wise. It has a great display and an expandable memory. It's my tablet of choice, and I'm on my second one.

@Kachina624 Which Samsung tablet do you have? I was thinking of getting one. I really like the google play store apps that you don't get with the Amazon Fire.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Kachina624 — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 17:52:16 GMT

@Pecky. I've got the Samsung A6 lite. @Nuttmeg is very knowledgeable about Samsung tablets and could probably tell you which is best for your needs.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 08:49:28 GMT

@Nuttmeg , now that you see how my brother will use the device, do you think what @Kachina624 recommends will do the job? If not, I will tell him to get iPad I guess. Your advice is appreciated. TIA. S

Re: Need tablet advice please

Nuttmeg — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 13:53:22 GMT

@Lilysmom1 wrote:
@Nuttmeg , now that you see how my brother will use the device, do you think what @Kachina624 recommends will do the job? If not, I will tell him to get iPad I guess. Your advice is appreciated. TIA. S

@Lilysmom1

You brother will like his Fire tablet.

I do not use SD cards. I buy the device with more storage. A 64GB tablet will give him 50.GB.of space.

I alway try to have an extra power plug and a charging cable.

The Fire tablet use USB-C connector. I purchased a. Samsung OEM 15W plug and a separate JSAUX USB-C to Usb-A cable. .

He may want to buy a table top stand for his Fire tablet.

I found these items at Amazon.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Nuttmeg — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:54:16 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Pecky. I've got the Samsung A6 lite. @Nuttmeg is very knowledgeable about Samsung tablets and could probably tell you which is best for your needs.

@Pecky

Samsung makes three groups of tablets.

A series - A budget series similar quality to the Fire tablets, but run Android out of the box.

JMH0, a 10 " tablet at $279 is expensive.

S - 6 Lite this is Samsung mid-range priced and specs device. It has good technology and a fair price. Samsung Introduced this tablet in 2020 with an S-pen. It maybe hard to find this on sale, because it is popular with students. You can look for a 64GB tablet less than $349.

S7 thts is a the best Android tablet on the market, and the most expensive. You can find this device on sale sometimes at a deep discount.

This tablet competitor is the iPad Pro,and

It is difficult to find an Apple tablet anywhere.

The company wants to move inventory so a sale.

Best Buy and Amazon sometimes have sales on the S7. Best Buy does offer open box products for sale. I brought an open box excellent condition chromebook. It came in great shape and I saved $50.

Please avoid the S5e tablet from 2019. It is a poor product.

Re: Need tablet advice please

Lilysmom1 — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 10:29:15 GMT

@Nuttmeg @Kachina624 @Pecky @patbz , thank you so much. My brother ordered Kachina's recommendation today, the version with 64 gb storage. Your advice, as always, is greatly appreciated! 🙏 Thank you! S