Kids Xmas, Tablet for Kids

Humphrey10

adelight wrote: »

Don't kids play made up games, draw and stuff much anymore?

In my (limited) experience, children like doing a variety of activities - just because they like playing on an iPad doesn't mean they don't like drawing etc too.

adelight wrote: »

I have been um-ing and ah-ing over buying an ipad for six months. I spend over four hours a day travelling so it would be nice but to me it's still just a very expensive toy that I just can't justify as much as I would like one.

If you would get four hours use from it per day, if you work out the per hour cost over the lifetime of the gadget/toy it will probably work out as quite cheap per hour compared to a lot of other things you own.

mildred1978

FBaby wrote: »

Its about expectations though. My galaxy does all I want so whether the Iphone is marginally better or not is irrelevant to me. Saving £16 a month isn't though! My kids use of the tablet will be such that the benefit of an iPad isn't worth paying more than double for it. I think many people are truly more interested in the brand than the actual functionality of the item, just wouldn't admit to it!

In my case I've always been a mac user by choice. We had them at home over 30 years ago.

As a result there was no point me going for anything else as the easy syncing between my laptops, phone and ipad was key. Even my mac-hating IT consultant husband agrees with me now! :rotfl:

mildred1978

caroline78 wrote: »

My son is 16 months and there is no way he would have an Ipod...he doesn't even understand what a phone does aside from when you push the buttons the screen lights up...lol...

Well, they are all different. My LO was having pretend phonecalls with his daddy at that age. By 20 months he knew how to light up the screen and slide it to unlock (not that I taught him - he just picked it up), and by 23 months could select the game/video he wanted to use.

His daddy is an IT consultant, and I was introduced to computers at a very early age, so it's not really a surprise.

mildred1978

adelight wrote: »

I had no idea that buying something like an ipad for a little kid was so common or people shelled out so much on gifts for their kids. I don't have kids and my friends only have babies/toddlers so I guess it's not something I'm in the loop about! My family and friends have never been the extravagant buy the 15yo a mac book for "college" types anyway. Don't kids play made up games, draw and stuff much anymore? I guess activities change with the times but I've never really thought about it before so I'm quite shocked.

The ipad is only a tiny part of my son's play. He draws hundreds of pictures a week, plays music, plays on his toy phone (and my iphone) and with his toy toolset and tea set, makes his cuddly toys talk to each other, practices jumping from the table to the sofa.........................

adelight

Humphrey10 wrote: »

In my (limited) experience, children like doing a variety of activities - just because they like playing on an iPad doesn't mean they don't like drawing etc too.


If you would get four hours use from it per day, if you work out the per hour cost over the lifetime of the gadget/toy it will probably work out as quite cheap per hour compared to a lot of other things you own.

I'm not saying they don't, I just don't know how I'd have fit it in as I already had so much I wanted to do. I can think of things my mum did but I didn;t.

No it's far more expensive than everything else I own and its currently being subbed for much cheaper/free activities and rearranging when I do things. E.g., I now do all my open university work on the train and have pure relaxing free time at home. If I had no computer at all and had the money spare then I'd be much more inclined but for now it's a massive luxury.

NewKittenHelp

FBaby wrote: »

By then they will ALL want something different because something cooler than the iPad will be out I won't have spent a ridiculous fortune in the meantime!

They can want what they like, but the fact remains that they won't need anything different if they have a fully-functional, fully-supported tablet. And that's not a Blackberry Playbook no matter how you spin it.

I will be seriously surprised if it's used past February. Surely it would be cheaper to spend £260 on an iPad that will be used (and be able to be used) for years to come, than £100 less on something that is essentially useless and superfluous for anything more than awkward web browsing?

NewKittenHelp

zoesmummy_2006 wrote: »

But I actually dont like apple products and have never and will never own one.

Out of interest - why? As you say each to their own, but I'm just wondering why you have such a dislike of them?

wokkies

lallysmum wrote: »

My 5 year old (will be 6 by Christmas) is getting one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007JVDM1W/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

I thought it would be better than an innotab/leappad thingy as he can do more on it. He is very good as using the ipad, but I wouldn't consider getting him his own one yet.

The main plus with the above one is that it is Flash compatible, so can play cbeebies, moshi monsters (not that he plays that one) whereas the ipad doesn't. And the price isn't bad either.

A friend of mine on fb bought one as well, has trialled it to see what works, and she thinks it's fab. About 20 of us have now got them for our little ones.

I bought that one for ds's 8th birthday (was £10 cheaper last month) and for the price we are very pleased with it, he wanted an ipad but is satisfied with the tablet.

FBaby

NewKittenHelp wrote: »

They can want what they like, but the fact remains that they won't need anything different if they have a fully-functional, fully-supported tablet. And that's not a Blackberry Playbook no matter how you spin it.

I will be seriously surprised if it's used past February. Surely it would be cheaper to spend £260 on an iPad that will be used (and be able to be used) for years to come, than £100 less on something that is essentially useless and superfluous for anything more than awkward web browsing?

Well clearly you must earn a lot more than I or we have different priorities because at over £500 (didn't know you could get an iPad at £260 to start with) I much prefer to enjoy a nice week away! My kids will mainly use the tablets to play games, watch films and the communicate with friends. Maybe you can highlight me as to what they will be missing out from having a mean mother not prepared to spend such an amount of money on two IPads!

NewKittenHelp

FBaby wrote: »

Well clearly you must earn a lot more than I or we have different priorities because at over £500 (didn't know you could get an iPad at £260 to start with) I much prefer to enjoy a nice week away! My kids will mainly use the tablets to play games, watch films and the communicate with friends. Maybe you can highlight me as to what they will be missing out from having a mean mother not prepared to spend such an amount of money on two IPads!

I really don't know how much clearer I can be - the Playbook is counter-intuitive - I know, I've used one. All the reviews say the same. And it's made by a company that is failing - seriously failing.

If I were in your shoes I would have researched all available options, and I would have waited until the end of October for the announcement of the iPad mini and had a look at the pricing of those. The main reason being is that an iPad will be able to grow and adapt to your children's future needs and wants, whereas the Playbook won't. The Playbook is essentially a slightly larger smart phone without phone capabilities and user friendliness.

You've obviously made your choice and won't change your mind, but I'm betting that come February, you'll wish you hadn't wasted £350 (or whatever you've paid for the two of them) on two things that are never used.

Surprisingly I'm not so pro-iPad that I can't see the benefits of some Android tablets, but I'm very anti-Playbook because I've never used a piece of technology as bad as it in my life. And I was a PC user until I was 21!