iPad vs Tablet

Will_Thrust_For_Candy
Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
Hey all!

So I'm looking to purchase either an iPad or a tablet however I'm not horribly "techie" and I'm having difficulty making the decision.

My company just launched our new platform and our system is compatible with both however I have heard that with the iPad the screens can't be scrolled up and down although I'm not sure how accurate that is.

I would like to use the tablet for this platform as well as have the ability to modify/view documents from Word and Excel (and PowerPoint if possible).

I would also like to be able to print from the device via a wifi printer and the ability to use a microSD could really come in handy.

The ability to use the device for pictures and video would also come in handy, but it's not the main focus for the purchase of the device.

I have an iPhone which I love and the apps and such are great, but from what I understand there are many apps also available for android.

I have colleagues that are using both the iPad and the Galaxy and both are happy with their choices. Right now I'm leaning towards the Galaxy due to the OS as well as price.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    my vote is the ipad.
    all depends on whether you are sucked into the macworld. everything i have is mac... just makes things easier when everything is compatible imo
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    i prefer android. apple's control freakery means less control for the user.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    my vote is the ipad.
    all depends on whether you are sucked into the macworld. everything i have is mac... just makes things easier when everything is compatible imo

    I am a PC lol

    Although I do love my iPhone.....for my phone but I'm really not crazy about the Apple OS on other products.
  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
    I'm used to PCs. My son has an Ipad he uses to communicate and even though the interface is devastatingly simple, it's frustrating there isn't a lot I can do to with the system to personalize it for his specific needs. By that I mean it's rigid. I also have an android tablet and I can freaking do anything I want with that.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    I love my ipad mini. However, I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Apple because of the compatibility issues. If you need to use microsoft products then another tablet might be better.
  • KardioKim
    KardioKim Posts: 160 Member
    i'm all Mac. I love syncing the phone, pad and computer.
  • Trueray
    Trueray Posts: 1,189 Member
    How tech savy are you?
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    I prefer droid .. Apple makes money on their exclusivity in cords and other things.
    We have earlier and current iPods but the cords are different so if one breaks, we
    need 'that' specific cord with is more $$ for Apple.
  • CheekyBrahette
    CheekyBrahette Posts: 441 Member
    I have an iPad and love it! I use it for fun, games, and books. I also use iPhone, so I can link the two and have all my apps accessible wherever I go. I wish I could replace my home PC with a MAC! I find Apple products easy to use. IMO.
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 509 Member
    my vote is the ipad.
    all depends on whether you are sucked into the macworld. everything i have is mac... just makes things easier when everything is compatible imo

    I am a PC lol

    Although I do love my iPhone.....for my phone but I'm really not crazy about the Apple OS on other products.

    And iPad is just a bigger, more powerful iPhone essentially. So that should help you make your choice.


    (I have an iPad2 and an iPhone 4..and I love them)
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
    I have an iPad mini and I haven't found any issues with compatibility. My work computer is a PC and my home computer is a Mac, and I think I transition easily between them as well.

    The one downside is that iPads do tend to be more expensive than other tablets. I would say you should definitely find a store like Best Buy or an Apple store where you can actually play around with several different models to see which best suits your needs. I never buy electronics without test driving them in person.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    i usually suggest ipad/iphone for older less tech savvy people.

    android and the like for the rest.
  • abelthephotographer
    abelthephotographer Posts: 127 Member
    I love my ipad mini. However, I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Apple because of the compatibility issues. If you need to use microsoft products then another tablet might be better.

    This^. iMac and iPad Mini at home, but MS at work. I prefer Apple's Office equivalents but the conversion, especially Keynote->Powerpoint, is often problematic. For example, you will find that slides are reformatted so that bullet points are placed over each other - or that bullets are added where you did not want them.

    Your OP suggests you want to use an SD card (although you may find that iCloud suits your purposes). You also seem to need to use MS Office. Perhaps you're better off not getting the iPad, then ...
  • abelthephotographer
    abelthephotographer Posts: 127 Member
    Another thing I have found - and this could be an education issue - is that if you are doing a lot of presentations, your iPad mini (or indeed iPad) will only readily hook up to the latest projectors. And if you have to work tethered, the cables are not that long!
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    I have the galaxy note 10.0.. love it.
  • wwhite72082
    wwhite72082 Posts: 36 Member
    I have an iPad and a Google Nexus 7, they both have their place. The iPad is pretty heavy and not something I would want to be lugging around all day. It is great for surfing the web, watching video, and editing documents (I do a lot of blogging - using a bluetooth keyboard makes this a snap). The Nexus is light and is fantastic when it comes to reading (Kindle, Barnes & Noble, etc have apps). The Android OS is very customizable and seems more versatile.

    If you use your iPhone heavily, you may want to consider the iPad. Syncing the devices is a snap with iCloud.

    If you aren't too tied into your iPhone and use a lot of Google Services (GMail, Calendar, Drive, etc) Android might be the OS for you.
  • YvetteCP
    YvetteCP Posts: 9 Member
    I am in love with Android, you can do so much more with them.... in saying that there are some cheap nasty devices out there so make sure you stick to something good like Samsung if you go that way.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    At this point, both systems are well supported from the app perspective. My GF was thinking about an e-reader, but we went with a tablet because she can do everything on there (games, surf the web, listen to music, email) plus use it as an e-reader with the apps through Google Play Books, Kindle app, or Nook app. Plus that lets her shop around for the best price for e-books.

    The price will be better on an Android device. We picked up a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and is was $300 versus $500 for lowest version of the iPad. Plus the Galaxy Tab includes an SD card reader which is awesome because I can add way more memory for cheap compared to what they charge for the higher memory versions of tablets.

    If you go Android, stay away from the really cheap generic ones. It should have Android 4.1 at a minimum. I personally vote Android because I HATE the walled garden model of Apple.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Thank you all so much for all of the feedback!

    I should have also clarified that my home computer is a PC and that is what I do all my work on currently, and will continue to use for presentations and such so from a compatibility standpoint I need the device I purchase to be compatible with my PC, not my iPhone.

    I think that the Galaxy might be the way to go. Plus I can save at least $300 which never hurts :smile: