cheap tablet for the grandkids...

So I was looking for a cheap tablet - emphasis on the word CHEAP for the grandsons - we have a 3y/o a 4y/o and a 5.5 y/o - and I honestly think they'll break these at some point, so this is why we're going cheap - and I kept coming back to the Polaroid range of tablets - they're modest and have an MSRP of $150 - but you can find them for $85-95 - I finally found a place with them back-ordered for the PMID705 models - this particular model appears to be step up from the 703 model with a single camera - this has both front and rear facing dual cam setup - yes, it's got a low-res screen - but it comes with Android 4.0 ICS - remember... 3, 4 and 5 y/o users - I ordered 3 at $84.99 each.. what do you think for the money (bearing in mind it is less than 1/3 of an ipad mini).

really odd for OT to not get a few opinions...

What about a Chromebook? It's just internet in a laptop for $250

Originally Posted by wyb

really odd for OT to not get a few opinions...

Hence my reply above.


I think those items are outside of OT members' price range.

I agree these aren't cheap gifts - Mrs wyb is a driving factor here - but they want tablets and I am not buying them anything like an ipad - this is my "compromise" - they already have PCs which I remotely administer - they benefit of having a grandpa who is in IT I guess... OS and software and cheap hardware from retired business PCs are something we have plenty of - I have a storage unit full of stuff that I really need to scrap... but it's hard for me to part with hardware that cost thousands, even when it is 6-8+ years old - with XP and a new HDD - these are excellent PCs for children - and if they ever manage to break it (which I doubt - as they don't have admin rights) - I have spares and can restore everything in only a short amount of time....

The price is OK; what you pay is what you get. 7" is good for kids. During BlackFriday, a local grocery store had a dual-core Android running ICE with 1Gb RAM but a low-res 7" screen for less than $80.

Originally Posted by Griffoun

The price is OK; what you pay is what you get. 7" is good for kids. During BlackFriday, a local grocery store had a dual-core Android running ICE with 1Gb RAM but a low-res 7" screen for less than $80.

that's a good price too - I am sort of peed off because Mrs wyb suggested a tablet and I said we need to get these Black Friday/CyberWeekend/Monday - and she messed around, didn't ask the children if these were the gifts we wanted to buy for the grandchildren and by the time I got a "yes, get these" - the best deals were gone...

I do recall looking at similar tablets and I even think the lower-end Polaroid was $65 from office depot during cyber deals week - THOSE where the ones I wanted to get - at $65 it's a deal - not much more than a brand new game for the PS3.

and yes - I have pointed out that her delay cost us $20x3 - you can't labor the point too hard and remain in a harmonious relationship of course...

Originally Posted by wyb

and yes - I have pointed out that her delay cost us $20x3 - you can't labor the point too hard and remain in a harmonious relationship of course...

Originally Posted by wyb

really odd for OT to not get a few opinions...

http://einkeread.wordpress.com/2012/...-black-friday/

I read the above article and made a mental note not to get the cheap stuff...

Originally Posted by beewang

http://einkeread.wordpress.com/2012/...-black-friday/

I read the above article and made a mental note not to get the cheap stuff...

from your linked article:

Many retailers will be offering “deals” on no-name, knockoff brand tablets this year. I’m not saying that everyone will have a bad experience, and Chinese tablets could definitely be good starters for kids (who don’t use password-protected accounts), but most of the time, it will be worth it to spend that extra $100 for a Kindle Fire HD or Kobo Arc.

This is a polaroid - and yes, it is cheap.

A cheap tablet can be a fun toy, but it’s not really suited for long form reading.

ahem - for 3, 4 and 5.5 y/o.