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Official Black Friday TABLET Discussion Thread

Brad

By Brad
in 2013

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gbeenie

gbeenie

Posted
Posted

Of the tablets shown so far, which non-apple/kindle would you recommend? Looking for a 10" preferably.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (here are the reviews on Amazon) is gonna be $299 at SEVERAL places, increasing the likelihood of you successfully getting your hands on one. Also, I would be super-surprised if there weren't multiple online matches of that price.

My husband wants a tablet he can user for work that will run excel/office. I haven't read many positive things about the surface and windows rt. is it worth it to buy him a surface on sale on bf or getting him a surface 2? Or is there another windows tablet that would be better. My budget is no more than $500.

 

You aren't necessarily tied down to a Windows tablet. My ASUS Transformer TF700T comes pre-installed with Polaris Office, a suite that handles, among other things, MS Office file types.

Piggyjinger

Piggyjinger

Posted
Posted

I am interested in getting a tablet but really need it to be inexpensive. I coupon alot and am looking to get one that will run the Ibotta app. Right now I am looking at the 39.99 tablet at kmart (thanksgiving 6 am sale) or the 49.99 tablet at walmart (8 pm sale) Any thoughts or advice as I have never bought one before.

 

Guess I should add that the most I can spend this year is $60.00 on one. Also what about the Polaroid tablet from toy r us?

 

I'm also looking to get a very cheap tablet this year for my roommate. I've managed to find a little bit of information regarding the RCA tablets (like the 49.99 one at Walmart). From what I gather, they really aren't as bad as you might think. Sure, they aren't the greatest tablets, but I'm aware of that going into it, and I think most people are. I fully expect these things to poop out after a while. At this point, I'm just looking for a cheap placeholder until my roommate can afford something better. (I've gone into Black Friday with this attitude before, buying a $200 laptop from walmart, and was never disappointed...even when it stopped working 2 years later.)

 

I've seen multiple people online refer to the RCA tablets as the best of the low cost tablets. The one available for 49.99 is a dual core, so it tends to run faster and multitask better than single core devices (like the RCA tablet available for 49.99 on walmart.com right now). I've also seen it mentioned that the tablet has NO trouble running Netflix and other videos, so I imagine it can run most apps, though I certainly can't guarantee that it can run the Ibotta app. Personally, the main reason I'm in love with the walmart RCA tablet is that it will be guaranteed in stock between 8 and 9.

 

Hope that was helpful!

DeanH

DeanH

Posted
Posted

 they are all USED and not one was even in a condition better than good or acceptable. I will not buy a used product, and I don't buy anything from a 3rd part seller even if it is fulfilled by amazon. I got a book last year that wwas supposed to be in like new condition and fulfilled by amazon, and it didn't even have a cover. IT was falling apart. 

 

Then you're missing out on some excellent deals.  If you're buying from Amazon, even if it's a 3rd party seller but fulfilled by Amazon, if the item doesn't meet your expectations, Amazon simply takes it back and refunds immediately.  Heck, I've had a few "used" items I've bought from Amazon that looked like brand new--most recently a set of Westin running boards for our Silverado.  They were "used" but darned if I could find any signs of them being out of their plastic wrappings.....and the price was half of "new".

 

And the very few times I've had a "used" item not meet my expectations, Amazon's even done a refund before I sent the item back.  They'll even exchange the item for one in your cart and have the new item to you shipped overnight.  Of course, this presumes you're using Prime. 

 

I've had no qualms about buying used from Amazon at any time.  Big savings, ultra easy returns if dissatisfied with what you get, and sometimes you get new for used prices.  Can't beat that, if you don't mind the potential for "wasting" 2 or 3 days' time.

peppysfireball

peppysfireball

Posted
Posted

Then you're missing out on some excellent deals.  If you're buying from Amazon, even if it's a 3rd party seller but fulfilled by Amazon, if the item doesn't meet your expectations, Amazon simply takes it back and refunds immediately.  Heck, I've had a few "used" items I've bought from Amazon that looked like brand new--most recently a set of Westin running boards for our Silverado.  They were "used" but darned if I could find any signs of them being out of their plastic wrappings.....and the price was half of "new".

 

And the very few times I've had a "used" item not meet my expectations, Amazon's even done a refund before I sent the item back.  They'll even exchange the item for one in your cart and have the new item to you shipped overnight.  Of course, this presumes you're using Prime. 

 

I've had no qualms about buying used from Amazon at any time.  Big savings, ultra easy returns if dissatisfied with what you get, and sometimes you get new for used prices.  Can't beat that, if you don't mind the potential for "wasting" 2 or 3 days' time.

I don't have a problem usually if it's fulfilled by amazon, but the book I got was falling apart. I have been cheated several times by 3rd party sellers that weren't fulfilled by amazon. I even got a nice vcr dvd burner for half price, but it still has issues sometimes. 

sdn40

sdn40

Posted
Posted

Just a heads up.

I started doing some research on tablets for my daughters birthday 2 months ago. I stumbled upon the Hisense Sero 7 Pro that Walmart carries. No really - keep reading. Apparently this thing is running under the radar for some reason. Its a very stripped down Android, and thats a good thing. No bloatware. Its very compatible to last years Nexus, plus has cameras and explandable memory. Dont worry about it only being 8gb as all of the music and photos can be dumped on the card. Here's the kicker. Walmarts extended warranty is $15 and gives you full coverage for 2 years including breaking the screen, dropping etc. It will also be updated to the latest software when that arrives. . Anyway, after doing a bunch of reading on forums that have smarter people than me, I purchased the tablet.and my daughter couldnt be more happy. Dont consider the Lite version of the tablet - waste of money, get the Pro. For $129 you are guaranteed a 2 year tablet, with updates, great screen, and its not a buggy $49 peice of garbage that wont ever be used. Dont trust me, do your own research on the forums or even youtube.

Hope this helps someone out.

peppysfireball

peppysfireball

Posted
Posted

Just a heads up.

I started doing some research on tablets for my daughters birthday 2 months ago. I stumbled upon the Hisense Sero 7 Pro that Walmart carries. No really - keep reading. Apparently this thing is running under the radar for some reason. Its a very stripped down Android, and thats a good thing. No bloatware. Its very compatible to last years Nexus, plus has cameras and explandable memory. Dont worry about it only being 8gb as all of the music and photos can be dumped on the card. Here's the kicker. Walmarts extended warranty is $15 and gives you full coverage for 2 years including breaking the screen, dropping etc. It will also be updated to the latest software when that arrives. . Anyway, after doing a bunch of reading on forums that have smarter people than me, I purchased the tablet.and my daughter couldnt be more happy. Dont consider the Lite version of the tablet - waste of money, get the Pro. For $129 you are guaranteed a 2 year tablet, with updates, great screen, and its not a buggy $49 peice of garbage that wont ever be used. Dont trust me, do your own research on the forums or even youtube.

Hope this helps someone out.

The reports in pc mag are iffy. They say it has an aging processor and is a clunkly build. For the price, I will stick with amazons kindle fire I think. Or get a good deal on black friday for one of the name brands . Staples had 99. tablets a few days ago that I would have picked if they hadn't sold out so quickly. 

KBsDarling

KBsDarling

Posted
Posted

OK trying to play catch up as I would typically have charts and spreadsheets already made LOL

 

Looking for 2 tablets this year. My daughter and I both had and LOVED our Kindles. I was a total Amazon fan girl and sang praises everywhere. Then we tried to get them serviced. After a year of fighting with amazon/searching for any one that will work on them the amazon love has ended. They are fully aware of the first gen charging port issues and will only offer the solution of "buy a new one" and I can not find 1 computer guy that will work on them due to proprietary issues. So now with 2 kindle paperWEIGHTS in the house I am not planning to purchase a kindle.

 

Main things we would be using for-

 

For DD13: wifi only needed, Facebook, youtube, browsing, email, netflix, Hulu, music, maybe some limited game playing *would like to have a camera*

 

For Me: wifi only needed, browsing, email, facebook, netflix, hulu, time waster games(angry birds, little alchemy, candy crush), reading, some type of doc program for tracking swim times * would like camera AND video capabilities for recording her meets*

 

 

Size does not matter to either of us. I would prefer to stay away from apple (feel you pay for the name more then anything) and would take a deal from heaven to make me consider a Kindle again. I would like best deal possible but know that the $50 specials are not going to do what I want. So where is my best bang for buck for both of us? Suggestions?

peppysfireball

peppysfireball

Posted
Posted

OK trying to play catch up as I would typically have charts and spreadsheets already made LOL

 

Looking for 2 tablets this year. My daughter and I both had and LOVED our Kindles. I was a total Amazon fan girl and sang praises everywhere. Then we tried to get them serviced. After a year of fighting with amazon/searching for any one that will work on them the amazon love has ended. They are fully aware of the first gen charging port issues and will only offer the solution of "buy a new one" and I can not find 1 computer guy that will work on them due to proprietary issues. So now with 2 kindle paperWEIGHTS in the house I am not planning to purchase a kindle.

 

Main things we would be using for-

 

For DD13: wifi only needed, Facebook, youtube, browsing, email, netflix, Hulu, music, maybe some limited game playing *would like to have a camera*

 

For Me: wifi only needed, browsing, email, facebook, netflix, hulu, time waster games(angry birds, little alchemy, candy crush), reading, some type of doc program for tracking swim times * would like camera AND video capabilities for recording her meets*

 

 

Size does not matter to either of us. I would prefer to stay away from apple (feel you pay for the name more then anything) and would take a deal from heaven to make me consider a Kindle again. I would like best deal possible but know that the $50 specials are not going to do what I want. So where is my best bang for buck for both of us? Suggestions?

I am very surprised, but I have heard others that had problems on amazon. Our advice on the forums was to keep calling until you get a kindle only rep from the us. They give the best service. You just can't call amazon direct. I had 2 replaced with no issues, they had cracked screens. Well, teh first one did, the second one kept freezing. They shipped me a new one immediately and gave me a month to return the old one. No one will work on them yes, even amazon doesn't work on them, but I bought 3 year square trade warranties on all mine for under 20.00. I did it day after xmas when square trade sends out an email for no receipt required and didn't go through amazon . 

allshoppedout

allshoppedout

Posted
Posted

No one will work on them yes, even amazon doesn't work on them, but I bought 3 year square trade warranties on all mine for under 20.00. I did it day after xmas when square trade sends out an email for no receipt required and didn't go through amazon . 

How do you go about getting this email?  I'm interested... :)

sdn40

sdn40

Posted
Posted (edited)

The reports in pc mag are iffy. They say it has an aging processor and is a clunkly build. For the price, I will stick with amazons kindle fire I think. Or get a good deal on black friday for one of the name brands . Staples had 99. tablets a few days ago that I would have picked if they hadn't sold out so quickly. 

They also said that for the price it was hard to beat. Laptop magazine gave it editors choice award. To each their own of course, but I would be wary of a one time sale on a tablet that wont be anywhere to be seen 2 days after Christmas. For me, the 2 year bumper to bumper warranty was priceless. Try getting a replacement on a Staples tablet if a child breaks the screen. Your mileage may vary but it has worked out great for my daughter.

Edited by sdn40
KBsDarling

KBsDarling

Posted
Posted

I am very surprised, but I have heard others that had problems on amazon. Our advice on the forums was to keep calling until you get a kindle only rep from the us. They give the best service. You just can't call amazon direct. I had 2 replaced with no issues, they had cracked screens. Well, teh first one did, the second one kept freezing. They shipped me a new one immediately and gave me a month to return the old one. No one will work on them yes, even amazon doesn't work on them, but I bought 3 year square trade warranties on all mine for under 20.00. I did it day after xmas when square trade sends out an email for no receipt required and didn't go through amazon . 

we had them replace 1 and they were great about it...they sent us a refurb but said it was still covered so no worries...within 6 months refurb had same issue. I really was ready to blame myself (and my kid) and then started researching....it is/was a major issue with them. My step moms went within the yr. Was replaced and replacement went before another year was up...so between just the 3 of us we had 6 kindles ALL do the same exact thing. I have called till i had the # memorized. I have done live chats. The answer is "yes there was an issue with the charging ports. Its been fixed in the new HD one though" basically across the board. I would even PAY to have it serviced but they don't offer it. Honestly a company that will not service its own proprietary hardware is not a company I will continue to shop with

 

Ok the front runner for me so far is the 99$ one at walmart. Tell me why I dont want it LOL  http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridayScans/WalMart/18

 

front runner for DD is $70 from kmart http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridayScans/Kmart/31

 

My question is....to not have to station people at 2 stores is the $29 savings worth it??? is the Walmart one a better deal? am i missing something obvious?

len_mullen

len_mullen

Posted
Posted

I am computer illiterate.  My daughter wants a tablet with a removable keyboard.  This is the first year her school is allowing them to bring their own device.  I know absolutely nothing about computers....have no idea what a surface is.....I can play on my laptop...lol.  Can anyone please help me and tell me which are the better ones to buy, and if you know who has them on BF?  Thanks so much!

 

I think the first thing you ought to do is call her school.  Ask if they recommend a specific tablet.  Some schools provide software or support a specific platform.  If that is the case, she will want to be aligned.

sdn40

sdn40

Posted
Posted (edited)

we had them replace 1 and they were great about it...they sent us a refurb but said it was still covered so no worries...within 6 months refurb had same issue. I really was ready to blame myself (and my kid) and then started researching....it is/was a major issue with them. My step moms went within the yr. Was replaced and replacement went before another year was up...so between just the 3 of us we had 6 kindles ALL do the same exact thing. I have called till i had the # memorized. I have done live chats. The answer is "yes there was an issue with the charging ports. Its been fixed in the new HD one though" basically across the board. I would even PAY to have it serviced but they don't offer it. Honestly a company that will not service its own proprietary hardware is not a company I will continue to shop with

 

Ok the front runner for me so far is the 99$ one at walmart. Tell me why I dont want it LOL  http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridayScans/WalMart/18

 

front runner for DD is $70 from kmart http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridayScans/Kmart/31

 

My question is....to not have to station people at 2 stores is the $29 savings worth it??? is the Walmart one a better deal? am i missing something obvious?

A google search will answer your question. You will get no updates on either of the tablets. From my research, it may be a deal the day you buy it, but will it still be a deal in two months when it becomes a paperweight ? There is an article saying the walmart tablet is in the top 5 to avoid, and the kmart tablet ..... is a kmart tablet.

Edited by sdn40
  • Like 1
KBsDarling

KBsDarling

Posted
Posted

So for what i listed needing it for which one do you suggest? 

 

A google search will answer your question. You will get no updates on either of the tablets. From my research, it may be a deal the day you buy it, but will it still be a deal in two months when it becomes a paperweight ? There is an article saying the walmart tablet is in the top 5 to avoid, and the kmart tablet ..... is a kmart tablet.

Thanks! I did google search and one article says avoid and one says "This would be a great tablet for a child or someone needing a cheap tablet for school."  so trying to know which to trust is mind blowing  :eyepoppin 

 

For the uses i listed which would you suggest?

misstaken

misstaken

Posted
Posted

I got an email from Amazon today, offering any of the Kindle Fires free for 30 days. This might be a good way for someone on the fence to try it out before committing. With Amazon Prime, it ships free too so nothing out of pocket.

peppysfireball

peppysfireball

Posted
Posted

I got an email from Amazon today, offering any of the Kindle Fires free for 30 days. This might be a good way for someone on the fence to try it out before committing. With Amazon Prime, it ships free too so nothing out of pocket.

Amazon has ALWAYS had 30 day money back guarantee. No other tablet will, and if it's bought now for xmas, you hve until january 31 to makeup your mind. you can't beat that. 

misstaken

misstaken

Posted
Posted

Amazon has ALWAYS had 30 day money back guarantee. No other tablet will, and if it's bought now for xmas, you hve until january 31 to makeup your mind. you can't beat that. 

I think this is different than the 30 day money back guarantee because you don't have to pay anything up front. Just put it in your cart, it shows as $0 and you don't get charged unless you keep it past 30 days. I am having the Kindle HDX 7 in shipped to me for my dd. I literally paid nothing. If she likes it, great and we'll keep it. If not, it's going back and we'll pick up the iPad mini on BF.

sdn40

sdn40

Posted
Posted

A google search will answer your question. You will get no updates on either of the tablets. From my research, it may be a deal the day you buy it, but will it still be a deal in two months when it becomes a paperweight ? There is an article saying the walmart tablet is in the top 5 to avoid, and the kmart tablet ..... is a kmart tablet.

I don't want to be too critical, and far be it for me to understand someone else's financial situation, but I will say this. If you buy a doorbuster at a cheap price and it is a pain in the butt from day one, and dies with no warranty support, it's essentially a waste of money and a frustration for your kids. My ex bought my daughter a doorbuster mp3 player and it was a nightmare just to get music on the thing and soon found its way into a drawer, my daughter disappointed. When it comes to a tablet, I wanted my butt to be covered by a warranty and I want the thing to do what its supposed to do. That lead me to the Sero 7 Pro. Plugged it in and my daughter was watching you-tube videos and listening to music in 5 minutes. I paid $129 and $15 for the extended warranty. I am guaranteed that my daughter will have a working tablet for 2 years, even if she breaks it. Now that's a bargain. It will also receive software updates, something your doorbusters will not get. Can you buy a $49 tablet and get lucky ? Sure. Would I bet my money on it ? No. Remember google is your friend, get a warranty, and there is always a good reason why the doorbuster is so cheap and the store doesn't carry the item every day.

  • Like 1
momee2twins

momee2twins

Posted
Posted

saw a samsung galaxy 3 tab that looked decent with ability to expand with sd card and 16 gb already....no adobe flash, but think thats missing on most(?)...would this be okay alternative "tweener" between KF HD and an ipad? reading, streaming, surfing, some game apps, but nothing huge......

  • Like 1
sdn40

sdn40

Posted
Posted

just set up DH kindle fire hd I got refurb from Amazon and it is PRISTINE.....

Are there any proprietary issues with going with a Kindle ?

Ala Apple ?

racerfan

racerfan

Posted
Posted

saw a samsung galaxy 3 tab that looked decent with ability to expand with sd card and 16 gb already....no adobe flash, but think thats missing on most(?)...would this be okay alternative "tweener" between KF HD and an ipad? reading, streaming, surfing, some game apps, but nothing huge......

 

We love the Samsung tablets. Dh had the tab2 he got last year for Xmas. You can do all of the above and more. Highly recommend

AndreaInNC

AndreaInNC

Posted
Posted

I am now more confused than ever!!  I have a e-reader now that can get the internet on it and some apps as it's an android tablet, but it's really slow and I can't stand typing on the teeny tiny onscreen keyboard.  Not sure if I should just suck it up and get the Surface or the iPad mini as I can add a keyboard to either one of them.  

gbeenie

gbeenie

Posted
Posted

saw a samsung galaxy 3 tab that looked decent with ability to expand with sd card and 16 gb already....no adobe flash, but think thats missing on most(?)...would this be okay alternative "tweener" between KF HD and an ipad? reading, streaming, surfing, some game apps, but nothing huge......

I don't know if I'd even regard the Galaxy 3 as a "tweener"; near as I can tell, it's pretty much boxing in the same weight class as an iPad.

 

As for the Flash issue, that appears to be the way of all flesh; it was only after I got my ASUS Transformer pad, which runs Android 4.1, that I made the unpleasant discovery that Google has discontinued support for Flash in all versions of Android above 4.0 (which means no Amazon Instant Video for the time being).

gbeenie

gbeenie

Posted
Posted

Are there any proprietary issues with going with a Kindle ?

Ala Apple ?

Sorry. Amazon (courtesy of the Kindle) has the e-book market by the balls, and they have shown no compunction about giving 'em a little squeeze every now and then. However, you CAN get Kindle apps for lots of other devices, which means consumers can very easily choose devices that will enable them to buy Kindle books AND still read books in other formats (so it's not really like Apple).

 

Also, the Kindle Fire models are Android tablets, with the limitation that you don't get access to the Google Play store, and have to buy your apps through the Amazon Appstore. On the other hand, there's something to be said for having immediate access to Amazon customer service if you have even the slightest hiccup with your tablet.

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