Keep This Nexus 7 For My Kids? Or iPad Mini?

[Husker Z]

Okay, honest opinions here please. I bought two Nexus 7's a couple weeks ago for my kids for Xmas, but now I'm having a bit of buyers remorse. My kids play with my wife and my iPads quite a bit, but I'm not going to spend the $500 each for them to have iPads, it's just silly. My kids's ages are 8 and 4 and they basically have the iPads mastered. Here is a brief list of +'s and -'s.

Nexus +'s
Size
More free apps
Processor
Ability to message my wife or I with Google Talk
Price

Nexus -'s
Apps not as advanced/refined
Kids not as familiar with them out of the box as the iPad
Lack of accessories, docks, etc.
Only front facing camera

iPad +'s
Ease of use
Accessories
Camera

iPad -'s
Price
Dumbed down processor (rumor)
Lack of retina display (rumor)
Low storage vs price point
More costly apps, very few free


That's a brief list I've come up with. Right now I think I'm just going to hang onto these until at least the iPad mini is released so I have a more true comparison. But, does anyone else have any glaring things I'm missing either for the Nexus or against it? I've played with the Nexus a little bit and from what I can tell it's a pretty bad a** tablet and I love the size, but I have to remind myself this isn't really for me.

 

[KitN]

Umm, there has been no announcement of any iPad Mini, only speculation. So you are asking us to make a judgment call on which you should buy or give to your kids using imaginary or completely nonexistent specs??

I would highly suggest waiting until a real concrete Apple announcement is made about specs before deciding to buy a device that hasn't materialized or may never materialize. IJS...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(847090)]

Mini has not announced yet. its still a rumor and who knows when it comes out.
it might take months and Apple has no announcement event anytime soon. also Cost of mini could be somewhere from $350- 400. its apple.

 

[Husker Z]

Umm, there has been no announcement of any iPad Mini, only speculation. So you are asking us to make a judgment call on which you should buy or give to your kids using imaginary or completely nonexistent specs??

I would highly suggest waiting until a real concrete Apple announcement is made about specs before deciding to buy a device that hasn't materialized or may never materialize. IJS...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah, I know, I guess I was also looking for advice from anyone who has had the 7 for a while and maybe had kids that have played with it. I've put a few apps on these, but have not sat and really put it through its paces.

This is always a great resource for information, so I guess I was just looking for more of it. I understand the mini is a rumor at this point.

Just looking for more in depth opinions from actual 7 owners I guess.

 

[Praggles]

My 9 year old was offered a choice of Kindle Fire iPad 2 or Nexus 7 by Nana.. without hesitation he chose Nexus 7. He really likes the apps/games and size but he also likes going against the crowd...also Nexus 7 plays YouTube better than our iPad 2 he is really into YouTube ...and it was twice as much!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

 

[Husker Z]

My 9 year old was offered a choice of Kindle Fire iPad 2 or Nexus 7 by Nana.. without hesitation he chose Nexus 7. He really likes the apps/games and size but he also likes going against the crowd...also Nexus 7 plays YouTube better than our iPad 2 he is really into YouTube ...and it was twice as much!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

Cool. I recently took my 8 year old to a Husker game with a buddy of his and we traveled up from Kansas City. I had my iPad 3 for him and his buddy had a Kindle Fire. As the trip wore on, it felt like they both gravitated towards the fire more than my iPad.

Thanks for the info, I was hoping someone's kid had one who could comment from user experience.

Thanks again.

 

[KitN]

I have a Kindle Fire and (two) Nexus 7. I was initially thinking about holding out to see what Apple would do with any iPad Mini but I'm so happy I didn't wait any longer. The N7 is near on perfect and a great bang for the buck.

My friend has 2 kids (6 & 4 y/o) and was asking me about which tablet to get them: a refurbished iPad 2 for them to share (like they'll share it?!? GTFO!) or something else. I showed him my N7 and let him browse the PBSKids website he intends his kids to go on... All flash. I opened up my xScope browser with flash and he was shocked that everything played nice! Ha! He even admitted he wasn't able to do that on even the new iPad 3, lol.

I also made him aware that he could buy TWO Nexus 7's, one for each child, for the price of ONE iPad 2. So no kids fighting over who's turn it it to hold it or what website or game to play... Peace and quiet with their own separate tablet that they can play games with or against each other on too!

So he's sold on the Nexus 7 for his kids but I told him to wait a few weeks just in case Apple does actually release an iPad Mini and see what the specs and pricing are.

I would suggest the same for you and yours.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(680971)]

Personally I think keep the Nexus 7. I have a hacked Nook Color and my kid loves a game called Sheep & clouds. He knows that if he drags the notifier bar to drag it back down, to click the menu button if he exits his wanted app and the image of the apps he likes. The kids books on the Play store are interactive, he loves Cat in the Hat and the Little Critter series. We got him an Innotab 2 so he could have what he liked such as Team Umizoomi and others but he still goes to the Nook Color. My mom has been on an Ipod touch and I got a galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for free so I gave it to her and from the standpoint of ability, she is worse at computer stuff than most 11yr olds and she has grasped it well along with being able to do things she couldn't before with the iOS software. Between her and my son I can leave them for periods at a time without a question or something happening that they weren't trying to do.

BTW my son is 2 and a half.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Android Central Forums

 

[Husker Z]

Thank you very much, exactly what I've been looking for!

In the meantime I've discovered the VTOK app for iOS, which is still in beta mode on Android, but works great on my EVO LTE. I would like to be able to have the kids use their Nexus 7's to video chat with their grandparents (who are Apple users) but also be able to send my wife and I messages on Google Talk, and the VTOK is perfect for that, so that's pretty cool I think. However, it's not available for the 7 yet, but I can't imagine that won't change relatively soon. It works fantastic from iPad to Android phone!

 

[natehoy]

Right now I think I'm just going to hang onto these until at least the iPad mini is released so I have a more true comparison.

Why hang on to them? You're looking at Christmas presents, right? That's months away and we're on the edge of a huge change in the tablet market.

Between now and then, Google will likely lower the price of the Nexus and/or come out with a different model. Google has basically made tablets relevant to a whole bunch of consumers that have ignored them for a long time. Competitors, including but not limited to Apple, will not take the shot across the bow that is the Nexus 7 sitting down - they're all going to come out with something this Xmas that competes with the Nexus 7.

If they are returnable/resellable, I'd do so. Let the announcements all come out, then evaluate your options in mid-November. You'll either get the same model of tablet you have now with all the manufacturing issues all worked out at the same price or less than today's pricing, or you'll find something even cheaper, more awesome, and/or more kid-appropriate that isn't even on the market right now.

 

[Husker Z]

Why hang on to them? You're looking at Christmas presents, right? That's months away and we're on the edge of a huge change in the tablet market.

Between now and then, Google will likely lower the price of the Nexus and/or come out with a different model. Google has basically made tablets relevant to a whole bunch of consumers that have ignored them for a long time. Competitors, including but not limited to Apple, will not take the shot across the bow that is the Nexus 7 sitting down - they're all going to come out with something this Xmas that competes with the Nexus 7.

If they are returnable/resellable, I'd do so. Let the announcements all come out, then evaluate your options in mid-November. You'll either get the same model of tablet you have now with all the manufacturing issues all worked out at the same price or less than today's pricing, or you'll find something even cheaper, more awesome, and/or more kid-appropriate that isn't even on the market right now.

Decent thought, although I wouldn't want anything that isn't "Pure Google" like the Nexus. I had the Xoom and while it was a great tablet, especially for the first generation, nothing touches the Nexus line of Androids in my mind.

I don't see another Nexus hitting the shelves by the holiday season, especially considering that is basically a month away or less. The one thing that could definitely happen is a price drop, but I'm not all that concerned about that as I don't see the 16gb version dropping more than maybe $50 or so at most.

Thanks though, a little different angle and I will think about it as well.

However the more I play with these things, the more I like them more than my iPad. I guess I could sell it!!

 

[Koshnix]

Apple is supposed to send out invitations to an iPad mini event today, if that happens I'd hold off and see what the iPad brings if not most likely wont be an iPad mini this year.

 

[natehoy]

I don't see another Nexus hitting the shelves by the holiday season, especially considering that is basically a month away or less. The one thing that could definitely happen is a price drop, but I'm not all that concerned about that as I don't see the 16gb version dropping more than maybe $50 or so at most.

True. Though there are some rumors of a thinner version maybe coming out soon. On the other hand, priorities for a tablet for a kid should be durability and battery life, and thinning it out isn't going to do either feature any favors.

Overall, if you like the Nexus 7s well enough that you intend to keep them, I'd get a nice case for each of them and call it a Christmas present.

Of course, I lack the disposable income to buy my daughter a Nexus 7 (she's currently using a Pantech Digital e-reader that I got for $20 and hacked Eclair on it), so in my case I certainly wouldn't be waiting for the iPad Mini, because no way in heck is Apple going to be able to release a 7" tablet in the $200 range. I'm pretty certain that the Nexus 7 or future variants of it will represent the best price/performance ratio for a little while - unless there's something about the iOS infrastructure that makes it more valuable to specific consumers (large invested sum in iOS apps, need for specific apps that are iOS-only, or simply a preference for the iOS approach).

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

If they are returnable/resellable, I'd do so. Let the announcements all come out, then evaluate your options in mid-November. You'll either get the same model of tablet you have now with all the manufacturing issues all worked out at the same price or less than today's pricing, or you'll find something even cheaper, more awesome, and/or more kid-appropriate that isn't even on the market right now.

I agree if he can return them without a restocking penalty but I'm also the type of person who doesn't buy a tech device as a Christmas gift before Black Friday.

 

[Husker Z]

I agree if he can return them without a restocking penalty but I'm also the type of person who doesn't buy a tech device as a Christmas gift before Black Friday.

I'm the type of person that will pay an extra amount of $ to avoid leaving the house on Black Friday. Ha!!

 

[Husker Z]

And yeah, Nate I have full intentions on getting both a case as another gift and hopefully a damned durable one, but there is no otterbox out yet unfortunately. But, I have time. I'd also like to get them some sort of inexpensive docking station to listen to music on, for their rooms.

 

[tabletnovice]

My grandchildren (9&5) are really into the iPad; their Dad has one and their mom has an iPhone. So they are used to iPads and especially like using FaceTime. Most of their friends have an iSomething-or-other.

I was with my grandchildren for about a week so they had time to play with my N7. I downloaded a few games and they really seemed to enjoy it. Don't think they cared one bit that it wasn't an iPad.

Like the original poster, I've been thinking about getting them an iPad mini for Christmas if it materializes this year. Then I ask myself, why must it be an iPad?! It'll probably cost at least $100 more than the N7 and the main benefit for them will be FaceTime. With Skype, etc. they can live without FaceTime

I will not get each one their own tablet at this stage of their lives. They'll get one and will need to learn how to share it. I don't want them becoming hooked on the tablet.

I will be visiting them soon again and downloaded them some game and a few fun books. But I've also downloaded educational apps such as NASA, Hubble Space Center and Be A Martian. In my opinion, a tablet can be a great educational tool for children...and should not just be a game machine.

 

[natehoy]

And yeah, Nate I have full intentions on getting both a case as another gift and hopefully a damned durable one, but there is no otterbox out yet unfortunately. But, I have time. I'd also like to get them some sort of inexpensive docking station to listen to music on, for their rooms.

I got involved in the 10terra Kickstarter project for their bamboo-based slipcover for the Nexus 7. The pictures look stunning. A little spendy for my budget at $50, but I couldn't resist. Plus, tablet + slipcover was about $300, which is less than I ever expected to pay for a tablet with this much concentrated awesome.

 

[bitseeker]

> Kids not as familiar with them out of the box as the iPad

I wouldn't worry about that. They grew up with tech. They had to learn the iPad. They'll probably be up and running on the N7 faster than us and then tell you you're doing things wrong.

 

[Husker Z]

> Kids not as familiar with them out of the box as the iPad

I wouldn't worry about that. They grew up with tech. They had to learn the iPad. They'll probably be up and running on the N7 faster than us and then tell you you're doing things wrong.

Very good point!