Official Black Friday TABLET Discussion Thread

[Ajshope]

At least with Samsung they do update. Acer seems to just drop their product whenever. My Tab2 will be a 2nd tablet to take with me out. My main will be the Asus 10". I have the Samsung Galaxy S3 and love it even though I dot have Jelly Bean yet As I said I did like the Nexus tablets, and I would have gotten it over the Tab 2 if it had a rear facing camera and the microsd slot. 32gb is not that big when you are doing a lot of video recording... I like having the option to expand with the sd cards. THis is one of the reasons I really don't like Apple, and even the Kindle Fire. I don't want to buy something that I am limited if I want to do something.

I wish HTC would try to get back into the tablet game. They have great build quality and they are pretty good with their phone updates. I guess with the likes of Samsung, Asus, Apple, and Amazon, they just don't see much room left. It's a shame though because Samsung's build quality isn't the greatest, Amazon has limitations, and Asus (minus the Nexus 7) and Apple are pricey.

[beccasbank]

2Nd question: do the Kindle Fires come with a protective or do I need to purchase 1-i mean screen protector film

Mine did not come with one. It did come with the charging cord, but not the plug for the wall. However, my cell phone has the same charger, so I didn't have to buy the plug!

[Ajshope]

I have 2 questions..part one: aside from

debating the 1 or 2 camera and the expandable memory/No SD card slot factors, is there anything that the Samsung Galaxy Tab can do that the Google Nexus 7 cannot? I am still thinking I want to pick up the

Nexus..unless someone tells me FOR INSTANCE "The Samsung can do this fantastic thing but the Nexus cannot"

2Nd question: do the Kindle Fires come with a protective or do I need to purchase 1

For number 1) No, they are both mainstream tablets that can access everything equally. The main difference is the processor, which is actually better on the Nexus 7. If you are looking for an everyday tablet that you want to be fast and get updates as soon as Google puts them out, then get the Nexus 7. There are some drawbacks with the Nexus 7 though as since it will always be on the cutting edge in terms of software, there may be some minor quirks every once in awhile if Google missed something in the software update. I'm fine with that type of stuff as I like being on the bleeding edge, but to some people it would drive them nuts.

[allshoppedout]

Thank you both for your very quick replies

[Ajshope]

At least with Samsung they do update. Acer seems to just drop their product whenever. My Tab2 will be a 2nd tablet to take with me out. My main will be the Asus 10". I have the Samsung Galaxy S3 and love it even though I dot have Jelly Bean yet As I said I did like the Nexus tablets, and I would have gotten it over the Tab 2 if it had a rear facing camera and the microsd slot. 32gb is not that big when you are doing a lot of video recording... I like having the option to expand with the sd cards. THis is one of the reasons I really don't like Apple, and even the Kindle Fire. I don't want to buy something that I am limited if I want to do something.

Also, there is no guarantee that Samsung will always update. I mean the Motorola Xoom is a Google experience device (meaning Google pushes the updates not Motorola even though now they are one in the same) and Google just said that they are no longer supporting it past 4.1.2. A company always has to determine what will result in the best user experience for the customer. Sometimes an update will actually make things worse.

[allshoppedout]

Ok one more KINDLE question (the Kindles are gifts, I am trying for the Nexus for myself) if I take the Kindle out, charge/turn on and just "look about" and see what it is like (because I never have and I want to) Can the recipient tell that I have turned it on/looked stuff up?

 

Is there a better kind of screen protector that works better than others for the Kindle, I'd like to get that with the gift?

[shopping4my3son]

Ok one more KINDLE question (the Kindles are gifts, I am trying for the Nexus for myself) if I take the Kindle out, charge/turn on and just "look about" and see what it is like (because I never have and I want to) Can the recipient tell that I have turned it on/looked stuff up?

 

Is there a better kind of screen protector that works better than others for the Kindle, I'd like to get that with the gift?

 

They will be able to tell you took it out of the box. I'll try and post a pic before my kids get home in 15 minutes.

[shopping4my3son]

Picture below is the Kindle Fire in it's box.

 

[ATTACH]7003[/ATTACH]

 

 

This picture is where it says to open it. So that part of the box gets pulled off like some of those cardboard envelopes, if you know what I mean?

 

 

[ATTACH]7004[/ATTACH]

 

 

My plan is to open both, get them charged for Christmas, put the cases on, and maybe download some books and movies for the kids so it's ready to go Christmas Day.

 

 

Sent from my AS740 using GottaDeal while sitting on the couch. Usually.

[kharliesmom]

Quick question - for a tablet with the slot for memory card, do you purchase a card just like the ones that you buy for digital cameras?

[Ajshope]

Picture below is the Kindle Fire in it's box.

 

[ATTACH]7003[/ATTACH]

 

 

This picture is where it says to open it. So that part of the box gets pulled off like some of those cardboard envelopes, if you know what I mean?

 

 

[ATTACH]7004[/ATTACH]

 

 

My plan is to open both, get them charged for Christmas, put the cases on, and maybe download some books and movies for the kids so it's ready to go Christmas Day.

 

 

Sent from my AS740 using GottaDeal while sitting on the couch. Usually.

I was able to open the Kindle box without using the pull tab. I just pulled the seam apart at the top (where the clear circle sticker is in your photo).

[Ajshope]

Quick question - for a tablet with the slot for memory card, do you purchase a card just like the ones that you buy for digital cameras?

No, they all use microSD cards which are the same as what phones use.

[kharliesmom]

No, they all use microSD cards which are the same as what phones use.

Thank you!

[allshoppedout]

I still have some more work to do. If someone has a suggestion for a screen protector I would like to hear it. I don't want to pay like 10 or 12 dollars for it and then find it at 5 below for 3 dollars or something...

I'm may open it after all don't think they would mind if I opened it to load some stuff/be nice and charge it.

thanks everyone : )

[IceQueen]

Where are you hearing problems with the nabi 2? I've heard nothing but good things about it and am hoping to get the walmart deal on it for my kid.

On their facebook page there seem to be some people having issues with it...also a few amazon reviews, and a couple of other sites

[tyreejames]

Picture below is the Kindle Fire in it's box.

 

<img src="http://forums.gottadeal.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7003"/>

 

This picture is where it says to open it. So that part of the box gets pulled off like some of those cardboard envelopes, if you know what I mean?

 

<img src="http://forums.gottadeal.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7004"/>

 

My plan is to open both, get them charged for Christmas, put the cases on, and maybe download some books and movies for the kids so it's ready to go Christmas Day.

 

Sent from my AS740 using GottaDeal while sitting on the couch. Usually.

I always set up electronics prior to giving them to kids. DD9 and DS5 are both getting Fires; they will have books, movies and apps ready to go Christmas morning I'll also give gift cards so they can add to it.

[beccasbank]

I bought a Toshiba Thrive 10.1" 16gb for my ds. Does anyone have any insight, reviews, helpful hints or tips for this model?

[racerfan]

Friends that have the Thrive like it. It comes with Android 3.2 that is upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 on select models. Something nice about it is that it has full size USB 2.0 as well as a mini usb.

 

I would get a SD card so that he can increase the memory. He will have a ball watching and playing on it. Last year when we got my DS the Asus Transformer, the Thrive was in the running also.

 

I bought a Toshiba Thrive 10.1" 16gb for my ds. Does anyone have any insight, reviews, helpful hints or tips for this model?

Edited November 17, 2012 by racerfan

[Ajshope]

I bought a Toshiba Thrive 10.1" 16gb for my ds. Does anyone have any insight, reviews, helpful hints or tips for this model?

The Toshiba is a pretty good tablet. Honestly you can't go too wrong with any name brand. The big players are Samsung and Asus, but Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba are also computer manufacturers so their tablets are quality tablets.

[beccasbank]

The usb ports were my main reason for choosing the Thrive. Also the size. It is bulkier than most, but I didn't want it to be paper thin (with no ports) or super light. When comparing it to my dd Kindle 7" it seems so much bigger! I know it's 3" bigger, but wow! I didn't really think there would be that much of a difference, but you can tell. Now of course my dh wants a 10" tablet as well. He likes the keyboard on the bigger one. He's a big guy, so his fingers have trouble with the little keyboards on cell phones, Kindle, etc.

[Jenn_A]

NM it says it is out of stock! Sorry! Edited November 17, 2012 by Jenn_A

[bluebear]

I bought a Toshiba Thrive 10.1" 16gb for my ds. Does anyone have any insight, reviews, helpful hints or tips for this model?

I bought my son a Thrive last year for Christmas. It has been great, he loves it, and it has held up very well. Which is really good for him because he is rough on things.

Like racerfan said, one thing I liked about it was the full-size usb. He has plugged in a keyboard to it and used it for note-taking in class.

[peppysfireball]

No they arent useless. I bought Pandigitals. Cnet reviews says they are the best of the los price tablets. My grandson buys plenty of apps and stuff and it has an ereader and we put tons of music on his. He gets on the internet. I bought 2 more for his sisters because he had so much fun with his,

 

Just be careful with those under $100 tablets. Some won't let you access the Google Play Store. Kinda useless if you can't.

 

Sent from my iPhone using GottaDeal

[peppysfireball]

If you want it in 2 boxes you have to put that its a gift, otherwise they put the shipping label right on the kindles box.

 

For those that have purchased a Kindle Fire from Amazon, is there a box inside of the black box or is the Kindle right inside? I don't want to open it and have it be the box I need to wrap. Thanks!

 

Sent from my iPhone using GottaDeal

[shopping4my3son]

I ordered 2 Kindles. One as a gift, one not. They each came inside another box.

[Jen8112]

If you want it in 2 boxes you have to put that its a gift, otherwise they put the shipping label right on the kindles box.

 

 

Ahh. I did not know that. I will just wait till closer to Xmas then take them out and put cases and stuff on them and wrap them in shirt boxes. That way they will be more of a mystery anyway. Lol

 

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[Cinnamonhuskies]

I ordered 2 kindles and they each were shipped seperately in their Kindle black cardboard box with a label stuck on the outside of it. I expected them to be inside a regular amazon box. Good thing I got them at the Post office before any of the gift recipients came home!

[starbeck96]

My kindle came in the mail today!!

 

We were getting it for my boys, but they are really wanting a smart phone. So, I told my husband they really don't need a tablet.

 

We were planning on getting my daughter a Nabi 2 tablet. But since I already have the Kindle and I was able to use 75.00 worth of gift cards (that I got doing surveys and stuff), I really only had to pay 55.00. Do you think that the Kindle would be ok for my daughter. She is 6. I loved the Nabi 2 because of all the parental controls. I know that the Kindle is supposed to be getting some kind of parental controls (not sure if they have or not yet). Is there a way that I can lock the Kindle to keep her off websites that I do not want her on and is there a way that I can keep her from deleting things that we have downloaded (since this is a common problem that I keep hearing about).

[peppysfireball]

The new kindle updates have pretty good parental controls. You can go to amazon.com/kindle help forums and read about them.. I bought my 6,8 and 10 year old grandkids tablets, they already have them in their school. As of next year, our school district is going all tablet. There will be no textbooks. I think they need to learn to use them and the fire is the cheapest, quality tablet to do that on.

 

My kindle came in the mail today!!

 

We were getting it for my boys, but they are really wanting a smart phone. So, I told my husband they really don't need a tablet.

 

We were planning on getting my daughter a Nabi 2 tablet. But since I already have the Kindle and I was able to use 75.00 worth of gift cards (that I got doing surveys and stuff), I really only had to pay 55.00. Do you think that the Kindle would be ok for my daughter. She is 6. I loved the Nabi 2 because of all the parental controls. I know that the Kindle is supposed to be getting some kind of parental controls (not sure if they have or not yet). Is there a way that I can lock the Kindle to keep her off websites that I do not want her on and is there a way that I can keep her from deleting things that we have downloaded (since this is a common problem that I keep hearing about).

[starbeck96]

The new kindle updates have pretty good parental controls. You can go to amazon.com/kindle help forums and read about them.. I bought my 6,8 and 10 year old grandkids tablets, they already have them in their school. As of next year, our school district is going all tablet. There will be no textbooks. I think they need to learn to use them and the fire is the cheapest, quality tablet to do that on.

Yeah, I know our local elementary school uses ipads. I will definitely check out their help forums. I think that it will be fine. I am going to take it out of the box today or tomorrow and go ahead and charge it and add some apps to it. I also am going to get her a good case for it. Even, if I have to pay 20.00 for a good case (I don't know how much they are) I will still come out better than paying 129.00.

[Jen8112]

 

Yeah, I know our local elementary school uses ipads. I will definitely check out their help forums. I think that it will be fine. I am going to take it out of the box today or tomorrow and go ahead and charge it and add some apps to it. I also am going to get her a good case for it. Even, if I have to pay 20.00 for a good case (I don't know how much they are) I will still come out better than paying 129.00.

You can get a cheap case for $20, expect to pay around $50 for a good one.

 

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