HP Touchpad question

[kc4braves]

Walmart has a desktop bundle for $349 that gives you the option to purchase the HP Touchpad for $149. I know this deal has been around other sites but we couldn't get the laptop we wanted with this deal for a good price. However, my mother is considering buying the desktop for my dad. So, would the HP Touchpad be a good gift for my 15 yr old son? We are mainly wanting it to be used as a reader and the rest is extra. It would be nice if he could play some games, use email and store a few photos...as well as some surfing. I think it also supports flash which would be a big plus. Would this be a good deal? We were looking at the Kindle touch. Liked the price but.....we will have to buy a light and this seems to do a lot more. Thanks.

[sc98mel]

I have a couple of the Touchpads, and one of them is used by my dd11. The Kindle app is on it, and she uses it quite a bit as a reader. She also goes on the web with it with the wifi. No, it isn't an Ipad, but it works perfectly for the reasons we use it.

[peppysfireball]

They are 2 different devices. The HP Touchpad is a tablet, not an ereader. YOu would have to put an ereader app on it. THe kindle fire is more similar to the hp touchpad. I bought the fire , but for 149, the touchpad would be a great deal. The only downside is that it was discontinued and they are no longer making tablets. It has a different operating system and there aren't as many apps for it.

 

Walmart has a desktop bundle for $349 that gives you the option to purchase the HP Touchpad for $149. I know this deal has been around other sites but we couldn't get the laptop we wanted with this deal for a good price. However, my mother is considering buying the desktop for my dad. So, would the HP Touchpad be a good gift for my 15 yr old son? We are mainly wanting it to be used as a reader and the rest is extra. It would be nice if he could play some games, use email and store a few photos...as well as some surfing. I think it also supports flash which would be a big plus. Would this be a good deal? We were looking at the Kindle touch. Liked the price but.....we will have to buy a light and this seems to do a lot more. Thanks.

[mom2monkiesx3]

The HP touchpad comes with the kindle app already on it, I have a kindle so don't use it for reading much but I could if I wanted too..I think there are plenty of apps for it...but it depends on what you are looking for. I do however have an Ipad 2 and few kindle fires as well

 

Is the touchpad worth the $149 for a basic tablet? Yep. Is it an Ipad? Nope. Would a kindle be better as an ereader only? IMHO yes because of the ink technology, the backlighting on other devices really strains my eyes and gives me a headache....so I love my Kindle with keyboard for reading but it does NOT browse, when I try it freezes almost 100% of the time. (this is the black/white kindle with keyboard NOT kindle fire..so far kindle fire has been awesome)

[kc4braves]

I have been struggling over this decision for a while. I think the Fire is cool but he is accustomed to having several reader apps on his ipod touch . I also didn't want to pay even the $150 that the HP tocuhpad costs because he had not even asked for a tablet or and e-reader. I do realize they are not the same but mainly initially was just looking for a bigger reading screen for him since he reads alot on that tiny ipod screen. We had given up on the idea completely ( unless some discount fell in our laps) but then yesterday ( after BF of course) he tells us he thinks an e-reader would be cool. He still hasn't mentioned a tablet and showed us a Nook Touch when he was pointing out to us what an e-reader was. LOL I know he hasn't investigated as much as ihave, although he thinks we are unfamiliar with them. I don't think he understands the difference in e-ink vs back-lit or has even considered color screen vs black and white. He doesn't even know he could have a choice of and e-reader that he would mostly just read on vs one he could do other things on. So.....since he isn't begging for a loaded device, I was looking for more basic with the idea that if he uses it alot there is always next year. Then the HP Touchpad deal came up and i just don't know what is best anymore. I think he would be so surprised and happy...and might let his sister use the new lap-top they are getting...but...it is still $150 so trying to be certain. if it would good for two years, it would be worth it. He will be 17 then and needing alot of things....like his own laptop, etc.

 

Appreciate the comments.

[peppysfireball]

True. My son has had his own laptop since he bought it when he was 11. He hardly ever touches it. He's on my desktop most of the time since it's easier to use. He watches movies on the tiny psp screen,and since we have a subscription to netflix, i thought the fire would be great for him.

[kc4braves]

We will soon be desktop-less and will have 3 lap-tops for a family of 4. lol Who'd have ever thought 10 years ago that we would even own a lap-top. We too have netflix which can also be played on our phones and his ipod touch. Nobody here wants to use the desk-top even though it has a huge screen. My family prefers portability, i guess, and we are getting a wifi printer to make things even easier.

 

As i reply, my Mom just called to tell me she has changed her mind and needs a stove more. Sigh...guess there is no deal to get an HP Touchpad with a stove....

[debbha]

I actually got the Walmart bundle deal with the HP touchpad...and guess what? I haven't had a need to break out the new laptop. I love the size and convenience of the touchpad. I had to load the new OS on it...but love the thing. I have even managed to figure out how to load a VPN client and can actually work from home on it. It has limited apps...but I really will only be using the e-reader, the facebook app and the internet. For the price....I'd try the bundle. HTH.