topic Re: Tablets in Community Chat

Tablets

isaboo — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 20:59:26 GMT

What is the difference between an Amazon Fire tablet or an I-Pad other than the maker?

Re: Tablets

Mindy D — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:14:09 GMT

@isaboo wrote:
What is the difference between an Amazon Fire tablet or an I-Pad other than the maker?

There's really too much information to answer here. The iPad is made by Apple. It uses Apple's technology and it uses Apples's programs. There are different iPad versions. You can use the iPad for browsing the internet, texting friends on on other Apple devices, taking photos and videos, watching Netflix, Directv, Amazon Prime Video. You can download thousands of apps that have different functions from the Apple Apps Store. This includes word processing apps, resume making apps, cooking apps from popular recipe sites which have thousands of recipes and videos, timer apps, calendars, calculators, cameras, photo editing, voice recorders, games, books, newspapers, magazines. You can listen to music and can store music for later use. You can tell time, organize appointments, pay bills, get and send emails. You can use it as a flashlight, a stop watch, a phone or video phone..this can be limited to other Apple device users, it's called FaceTime, unless you get an app which allows you to do more. You can visit your doctor on it. You can post here or anywhere. You can use maps to get directions or find locations. You can draw on it. You can do research on it including professional research. You can file internet pages on it. You can scan documents on it. You can work with others in your office as a group on it. You can get the weather on it, including alerts for hazardous weather. You can listen to radio, podcasts or watch and hear YouTube with it. You can synch it with your smart TV and control the TV with it to select Netflix movies and other media to play on your TV. You can shop and order to your heart's content. You can access your hospital medical files if your hospital has this. You can read the news on it. You can write letters, create documents. You can send things you want printed to your printer from it if your printer has AIRPRINT capabilities. You can sign documents and deposit physical checks into your bank account if you have your account set up for this. You can set up vacations on it. You can use it with your Alexa. There's so much it's just too much to put here. Many things you can do use apples own apps. My iPad is an iPad Pro. It has a terrific picture and I can do drawing projects with it. There are less costly iPads in the line. They are all great. I use mine instead of my computer, which is just lying around getting no use. You can get a keyboard for it but it is not a necessity because you type right on the screen. It's much less cumbersome than a laptop. You can also use social media such as Facebook or Instagram on it. The apps I have are downloaded at the Apple App Store but they can be Google apps such as YouTube, Microsoft apps such as Word and Excel, Amazon apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Alexa and Kindle. If you do a lot or take a lot of photos get as much storage as you can afford. If you like to watch TV and movies get one that's at least 10." You can also buy extra storage in the cloud for dirt cheap. When on wifi you don't pay to use the internet on it. Most of the time you are on wifi so it's costing you nothing, there are iPads that you can use out of wifi range. For these iPads you pay a fee to your mobile phone provider. I don't have one of these but if I was in a business like real estate I would get this feature to show clients homes.

I hope someone else takes over for what Amazon Fire can do.

Re: Tablets

fthunt — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 21:47:43 GMT

The ONLY experience I've had is with amazon fire - I'm stuck with the stupid thing from years ago. Games were all kiddie types - chase the squirrel - - impossible with nails to type on the thing - - etc. I'll admit I'm not very smart but, to me, they just try to get you to rent - buy books and movies. I don't have time for b & old movies.

There must be something better out there than Fire.

Re: Tablets

SilleeMee — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:48:47 GMT

Apple uses their App Store for iOS.

Amazon use their own Amazon Appstore.

Android devices use Google Play Store.

Of those three, Amazon's store offers fewer apps. I had an Amazon Fire and I didn't like that I couldn't use the Google Play Store on it. Now I have a Chromebook which converts to an android Google tablet...a true hybrid device with both android and windows in one device by 'flipping a switch'.

Re: Tablets

sunshine45 — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 22:10:25 GMT

i just recently upgraded my tablet to a SAMSUNG GALAXY and love it.

it can do a lot and has a good amount of memory and i have it attached to my ATT account so i can use it anywhere with free wifi.

Re: Tablets

Porcelain — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 22:39:35 GMT

I have both. They have different apps. I use my Fire tablet much more often than my ipad. I side loaded the Google Play store onto my Fire tablet, so I have access to all the Android apps. The Fire holds a battery charge for so much longer, and it seems like there are a lot more apps for Android than ipad.

One purchase I'd recommend along with the Fire is to get an official charging cradle for it. I just set the tablet in the cradle and it turns into an Echo Show while charging.

Re: Tablets

patbz — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 22:48:13 GMT

I'm a Fire fan and have been since the beginning. Its very inexpensive and does its own version of what Apple does but its not as advanced; its also about 20% or less of what a comparable I pad cost wise. As a retiree who is computer literate ( used one at work for 25 years) it works well for my current needs (FB, Gmail, shopping, banking). You can read all the specs on Amazon. DH uses a Galaxy, which is a bit more advanced. Many swear by Apple and we used that exclusively for years but now we are anti Apple ( too much money for our needs). Son is studying computer science and still chose a Galaxy ( all our phones are Galaxy). Over the last 15 years I'm sure we've saved over $10,000 as a family by our choices. Hope I never have to spend $1000 plus for a tablet or smart phone. Btw, better then 95% of what Mindy D mentioned you can do on my $45 Fire 8. Bottom line: its a personal choice.

Re: Tablets

chrystaltree — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 22:53:29 GMT

My husband has an I-Pad, I have an Amazon Fire. His cost many times more than mine and he has had it for years. I have upgraded my Fire a few times. Sure there are differences but for me they don't matter. I can do everything on my Fire tablet that he can do on his I-Pad. Everything. The only thing I can't do is brag about my I-Pad.

Re: Tablets

Zhills — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:06:45 GMT

The difference is who makes them and the operating system!

Kinda like the difference between a Ford and a Chevy!

I would like to know what the I-Pad can do that the Amazon Fire can't do.

Re: Tablets

Annabellethecat66 — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:38:03 GMT

I remember when QVC was giving away 2 of those fire one's at same time.

I have those things all over my house. My daughters found them when they were 'reorganizing' my house!

I have one of the very early large Apple Ipads. It works great.

I also had the apple small size ipad with the keyboard, etc. I bought it through QVC years ago.

I never used it so I gave it to my daughter because she's always flying everywhere and she uses it to download movies.

I'd like now to have a new small ipad as the old large one I have is too heavy to take places.

But I looked on QVC and Best Buy they are quite expensive. If I want something I usually just buy it but maybe I'm wising up (?) because I just can't justify buying one (of the small ipads).

I guess maybe in my pea little brain I feel guilty of buying an Apple Ipad when I have so many of those fire tablets around the house.

I have quite a few of those and Amazon fire sticks too. I have so far found 3 of those things.

I thought those Fire tablets were mainly for reading books?

Re: Tablets

Zhills — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:40:30 GMT

Tablets are just small computers that you can hold in your hand and sit in your easy chair to use instead of in the office chair using a keyboard and looking at a big screen!

Re: Tablets

Zhills — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:54:52 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

"I thought those Fire tablets were mainly for reading books?"

Amazon makes a Kindle that has an adjustable screen light made for reading!

Amazon changed the Tablets to Fire7, Fire 8, and Fire 10!

I have 2 of the new 10" and I love them. Why 2? One battery doesn't last as long as I am up and use it!

I also have 2 of the 8" and a 7" and an older 8.9". Can't image life without a computer (tablet). I've been using one since 1973! Couldn't have imagined one you could hold in you hand back then. They were huge but they did the same things they do now and then, along came the Internet, that "great information highway!"

Too bad so many do not see the convenience of using one.

Re: Tablets

Zhills — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:20 GMT

Correction - - Too bad so many people do not realize how easy they can make your life.

I often compare a computer to a hammer! Imagine how many things we would not have if we didn't have a hammer.....whether that hammer is a 'rock' or one of the new computerized ones that can even find the nail for you! Some even hold the nails!

Did you ever see a hammer pick itself up and hit anything?

A computer is a piece of equipment and every move it makes has to be programmed by a human! They are just metal and chips (collections of metal)! Can't bite you!

Re: Tablets

froggy — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:17:55 GMT

I have only ever had Fire tablets - the 10", the 8" is too small for me. They are way, way cheaper than an iPad. I use mine for everything that I use my desktop for - surfing the web, shopping, reading my favorite blogs, email. I do not play any games so I cannot speak to that. I use very few apps also but the ones I use work fine.

If you are a prime member you can get one on Prime day - tomorrow - for $79.

@Re: Tablets

patbz — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:20:28 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 : You are confusing two different Amazon products: the Kindle (reading only) and the Fire (reading plus all other tablet functions).

Re: Tablets

mspatmac — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:27:32 GMT

It's all in what you will use it for. I'm an Apple person iPad, iPhone MacBook Pro. They are all linked so if I get an email or text it comes and I can respond on any one of my three. I can do just about anything on my iPad and phone that I can do on my computer. If I take a picture with my phone it's on all devices. This all works for me. Just my choices so I would say research for the way you are going to use it. All devices are good, it's all in your priorities.

Re: Tablets

Sooner — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:47:56 GMT

@mspatmac wrote:
It's all in what you will use it for. I'm an Apple person iPad, iPhone MacBook Pro. They are all linked so if I get an email or text it comes and I can respond on any one of my three. I can do just about anything on my iPad and phone that I can do on my computer. If I take a picture with my phone it's on all devices. This all works for me. Just my choices so I would say research for the way you are going to use it. All devices are good, it's all in your priorities.

What @mspatmac said. If you have an IPhone you would benefit from an Apple device because it is all the same platform and they connect to and update on another. Your data is shared across the platform.

That holds true for about any "family" of devices.

It depends on what you will use a tablet for, what your needs are, and how many applications, books, etc. are available for the device you choose.

You need to do your research and figure it out. Make a list of what you expect to do on your tablet. Read, and call the stores for people to help explain to you. Maybe a friend or family member can help.

Re: Tablets

Kachina624 — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 02:22:30 GMT

Do Amazon Fire Tabs still have advertising all over them? I had a 7" and ditched it for that reason and I hated the off Android os. My best tab was a Samsung. I'm now using a 10" RCA that I got at HSN around last Christmas. Not thrilled with it.

Re: Tablets

Zhills — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 02:34:17 GMT

Mine does not.

Re: Tablets

patbz — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 02:34:52 GMT

@Kachina624 : If you are bothered by Fire tablets ads (only show when you start up, you can pay a little more($10?) and buy it without that. Doesn't bother me. What I like is that you buy the one with smallest memory and buy a microchip (they've really gone down in price) and have a very powerful tablet. The Prime Day price for a "10 is $79 ( amazing).