a little advice on a tablet thingy plz

lovegrabbit

thinking about getting my daughter (9) an android tablet thingy but since i dont know anything about them thought I might ask here for advice.

I like the idea of them as they seem to do everything she wants to do online and wp and the like and i take it i can get more memory for it and that she can download apps I have seen one on Amazon JSM-Touchscreen-Netbook-Android-Notebook/dp/B003L5QAAU, sorry cant post links yet

Is this one any good? bear in mind she is 9 i dont want top of the range although I dont want a rubbish one also £100 max but to be honest the cheaper the better lol.

Also one more question and it probably is a really stupid one .... how do you get connected to the net does it just latch onto my existing orange wifi connection?

Hope someone can give me some help thanks in advance:o


Ocht do you think she is too young for one ???? Im thinking she is too young?

Mobeer

It has wi-fi networking built in.

Reviews suggest it is cheap and not so good, see:
http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/eken-m001-android-tablet-review

or short comments:
http://notebookcomputer.me.uk/jsm-m001-white-7-touchscreen-netbook-google-android-notebook

The reviews suggest a fair bit of frustration that perhaps can be worked around given time and knowledge; not sure that is right for a 9 year old.

As regards whether a 9 year old should have their own wireless internet access, only you can judge.

hmd1987

shes 9? are you kidding, no way should she be allowed on the internet, not unless you know what you are doing with internet\parental controls

im all for kids knowing how to use computers, but not for IE use

dispossessed

I wouldn't be against a 9 year old having a net connection but I would want to be in the same room as them when they went online. Even then some fairly strong filters would seem to be in order.

I'm just wondering why you were considering an Android rather than a more conventional Netbook or similar ?

In reply to your original post - yes it should detect your Wi-Fi signal but you will need to enter the WEP / WPA key in order to browse the net.

Trevor

MentalDesigner

There are things like dizeo.com, zoodles and Net Nanny for kids safety online. In regards to the tablet an iPod Touch cant go a miss, I reckon you could find a 3rd Gen one for sub £100. With Android you need to check the version, I had a HTC Magic phone that was stuck on Android 1.6 - utter nightmare.

kwikbreaks

I read up on those cheap Chinese Android tablets a while ago. They are usually on Android 1.6 and don't have access to the official Android market. My advice - buy something else and that is just on the technical issues never mind letting a 9 year old loose on the web without supervision.

lovegrabbit

Thanks guys, never really thought about the ipod touch will look into that.

With regard to letting my kid loose on on the net unsupervised that is certainly not be the case in my house, she already uses my laptop under supervision and so would be the case with this. I am fully aware of the dangers and so is she, none the less point taken! One part of me is saying dont thinks so and the other is saying how much she's love one! Ho Hum decisions to be made!

MentalDesigner

Be careful if you get an iPod Touch the latest one has a camera which is maybe a bit of an issue. Infact it has two of them.

For the internet safety I really recommend the site https://www.dizeo.com, i posted it in the freebie section as they are offering a free trial period just now and really think it is an excellent solution to grooming and cyber bullying. Worth a look.

kwikbreaks

To effectively filter WiFi devices it needs doing at the router level - maybe by using OpenDNS filtering although I'm not sure how good it is...

http://www.opendns.com/familyshield

gaztop_3

http://direct.asda.com/eTouch-7ins-Portable-Media-Tablet-–-Web%2C-movies%2C-music-–-10gb-storage/000504956,default,pd.html

Elonex 7" e-Touch Tablet: £97 from Asda

Android 1.6 will be fine for what she'll be using it for.

lovegrabbit

Oh Well I done it I bought the Asda one! Dont feel so bad buying one for my 9 yr old saw a post on grabbit someone wanting to buy an ipad for her 5 year old !

Thanks for all the advice