Tablet or Chromebook?

[Pariah]

We have an uncle in his 80s who's in a retirement home. The place is completely locked down due to COVID-19, of course, so he doesn't get a lot of contact with the outside world. We've been considering using part of our stimulus to buy him a device that would give him some options other than reading the news on his phone (which is kind of making him paranoid, frankly).

 

One idea we've had is getting him a tablet. Amazon currently has a Kindle Fire 8 for under $100. They also have Chromebooks with similar memory (16 GB) starting at around $160, so that's also an option.

 

A Kindle would probably be easier for him to use. But he's pretty tech-savvy; unlike a lot of people his age, he had and made frequent use of a personal computer for a lot of years. I feel like a Chromebook would give him more options, and he has big fingers like I have so an actual keyboard might be nice.

 

So what's the best way to go? Persuade me.

[Bazza]

Tablet with keyboard? 

[Cancer]

Historically, how forward-compatible is each option?  I was given an ipad for Christmas 2012 which is generally worthless now because Apple stopped upgrading the browser in it a few years back, so it can only load only the most stripped-down ancient-style websites these days.

[Duke Bushido]

I don't know if this helps you, but my wife typically goes through two Fire tablets a year.

 

My daughter goes through one a year (not as heavy a user).  The "amazon fire os" is, from what I understand, Android with a large chunk of Android ripped out of it (such as Google services-- not the most important (to me, anyway), but one of the first most people notice).  Allegedly, it's still fine and stable.  Our household experience is "not so much; no." 

 

As an old man, I can't say enough for having an honest-to-God keyboard-- so much so that at my last job, I used to carry one of those holographic keyboards in my pocket for when I had to use my phone as a mobile work computer.  

 

I can't make up your mind for you, but even if I were to opt for a tablet (I really don't like tablets.  Remember netbooks?  Those were just _the_ thing for my use: used actual software that I already owned, had actual jacks for peripherals, etc, etc.  Tablets killed them dead), it wouldn't be a Fire; it'd be a full-on Android tablet.  Given a choice, though, I'm always going to go with a laptop / chromebook: more memory, more processor, and an actual keyboard.  Bigger screen is always a plus for watching videos, but again-- that might just be me.

 

 

[Bazza]

The Surface is pretty much a netbook. 

[Strand]

The Amazon tablet uses it's own store. It does not have as many apps as an android tablet that has access to the Android store (though there is a hack that lets you get access to the Android store from an Amazon device. Note: the more memory you can get on the device the better. If it comes with 8gigs, even with a memory card, it's crap. If you get a tablet, make sure to get a good case. My mom has a 7" tablet and it is loaded up with games and has a large memory card loaded up too.   Note the old saying "you get what you paid for".

 

[Pariah]

The $urface is also more than we have in our budget. But yeah, they're nice. A couple of teachers in my building have them.

[unclevlad]

I'm not a fan of the Fire OS, either.  It was far, far too intrusive for my taste, and IIRC VERY slow to boot up.  AND, I've been a Prime user for years.  I basically deregistered my Fire, tho, and it just sits in a discard box.  However, if you want to go tablet, there's no Android tablet worth a damn, honestly, and hasn't been for some time.  Well, OK, I might be a power user.  But I'd look at a slightly older iPad as my alternative.  Don't go too small on the screen.

 

A Chromebook can be a very reasonable choice.  It focuses around Chrome...not to be pedantic, but that is its focus.  It's not a general-purpose device particularly;  but it is built for running Chrome, and you can then use all the Chrome extensions, like a password manager.

 

Comparing the two, the biggest advantages of the iPad are compactness, and the *easy* option of portrait or landscape mode.  For the Chromebook, the bigger screen, but the orientation is a bit of an issue.  Chrome OS probably makes files management easier, but this might not be that big a deal.  

Either way, I'd consider adding a Bluetooth speaker to the package.

 

[archer]

Honestly, I'm not very familiar with any of those products. I have a laptop which is immobile because I don't trust my grip enough to move it from place to place and an I-pad which I hardly ever use.

 

(Yes, I am losing my grip. ) 

 

I would note that many old people have hands and fingers that shake. And I found that for me, a keyboard is infinitely easier to use than a touchscreen. I can't easily control how hard my finger is touching the surface and when I make solid contact, my finger wants to slide across rather than "touch surface then remove finger".

 

But since I also have trouble holding on to things and balancing things on my lap, items of technology often seem more like Frisbees than they should and fly across the room at random intervals. 

 

If you can call him, go ahead and ask him what he thinks would work best for him rather than trying to surprise him or guess.

 

If he's one of those people who worry about costs and won't give you a straight answer because he's worried about anything other than which item would work best for him (something which accurately describes more than half of my family), flat out lie to him and tell him that they cost the same. And that absolutely the only difference is which would work better for him.

 

If I had to guess...if he knows how to type, he probably learned on a typewriter and would prefer a keyboard because it's more familiar. If he just "hunts and pecks" the keys, he might not have a preference.

[Pattern Ghost]

I'd go with the Chromebook. I have several Chromebooks, and a couple of Kindle Fires. The Kindles are only good if you are consuming Amazon content: Kindle Books, Prime Video, Prime Music, etc. They have the best hardware available at their price point, but that isn't saying much. They run slow, and they have poor screens. The Fire OS is a crippled version of Android OS without the Android store, with the Silk (garbage) web browser instead of Chrome, and the  UI serves you crap to buy over prioritizing showing you the content you actually own. It is not customizable. If you go in knowing what you're getting and why, they're a good deal. For an older user, I'd advise going with the Fire 10 as a minimum, because the smaller ones have crap screens.

 

For Chromebooks, do your homework. Search for reviews on any models you're interested in, on YouTube and on the internet. Make sure you look at multiple reviews if possible. Try to get the model with the best-looking (resolution, brightness and color gamut) screen possible. If you can, look at the model you're interested in in person or buy one from someone with a good return policy. If you have a Costco membership, they have by far the best return policy on electronics, so consider taking advantage. You'll probably want to budget in the $200 to $300 range for a decent budget Chromebook, but you can find decent models for a bit less. Chrome OS has the advantage of being secure, booting quickly, and a good variety of apps available, both native Chrome OS apps and on some newer models, Android apps.

[Pattern Ghost]

15 hours ago, Bazza said:

The Surface is pretty much a netbook. 

 

The $400 one is, pretty much, looking at the specs. The middle to high end ones are reasonably-specced, if a bit expensive.

 

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15 hours ago, Cancer said:

Historically, how forward-compatible is each option?

 

They have about a six year* expiration date, based on Google's Auto Update policy:

 

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366

 

Something to be aware of if buying used.

 

*I checked my current Chromebook, a 2019 model, and it expires in 2026, so this varies.

 

 

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[HeroGM]

I have an HP Stream 14 I bought used. It's HPs version of a chromebook with Win10 on it.

[IndianaJoe3]

I wound up with one of the original CR-48s, back in the day. It was fine for everyday browsing, if you don't mind being tied into Google's ecosystem. I haven't bothered replacing it, though.

[Tom]

What is he most likely to be using it for?

 

My Dad has always been a bit of a technophile and is also into his 80s.  He has both a chromebook and an iPad (and a laptop, and a desktop).  Frankly he has trouble with all of them these days for various reasons.

 

For just sitting back in a chair for casual web browsing (or watching videos or reading books), go with the tablet.  Yeah, my Dad has trouble with touchscreens - he uses a stylus.  But it's a lot easier to balance the tablet in his lap than messing around with the chromebook.  You can switch your orientation on a tablet much easier to accommodate what works best for you (location/personal preferences).  Most of the cases I've seen for a tablet will protect adequately against most mishaps, make it easier to grip the device, fold into one or more positions to make a decent stand -- and still leave you with a less bulky form factor than a chromebook.

 

For typing, there are a variety of keyboards available - I recently saw one that looked near to full sized that was capable of toggling between 3 Bluetooth devices (which I though was goofy, until I remembered the one day where I was working on a project using two laptops, my tablet and my phone because it was easier than toggling between windows/tabs on a single (smallish) screen).  Tablets just aren't that great if you're doing much typing (personal opinion).  I read through the thread originally using my iPad.  I'm typing out the reply on my laptop using a full size wireless keyboard and mouse.  I could have replied using the iPad (or my phone if I needed to), but I prefer a 'real' keyboard when possible.  

 

I'd be inclined to suggest the full tablet for the broadest possible use.  The majority of my experience is with Apple, fwiw, but I have had a couple of Android phones.  Both have extensive app collections for just about anything you might want to use if you're planning to do more than just web based activities.  I'd recommend getting whichever OS he's familiar with from his phone.

[Scott Ruggels]

Chrome book would probably be best. 

[Pattern Ghost]

6 hours ago, HeroGM said:

chromebook with Win10 on it

 

Running Windows rules it out as a Chromebook. HP does make Chromebooks, though.

[Pattern Ghost]

Current generation budget Chromebooks seem to be running a Celeron N4000. The last gens are running an N3350. The N4000 is about 20% faster and the pricing I'm seeing is about the same on both, so if you do go with a Chromebook, that's something to be aware of. Don't go for the Mediatek

 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a pretty popular model that's reasonably priced. (About $260 on Amazon) It's only an 11.6" screen, and the screen flips all the way around to go into tablet mode. It should be small enough to make tablet mode practical. Usually, I say friends don't let friends buy Acer, but their Chromebooks are usually pretty highly reviewed, and they made decent Netbooks back when that was a thing.

 

 

[unclevlad]

One thing to note:  the entry-level boxes have fairly poor performance.  Granted that this won't be a machine tasked to do a lot, but this still shows up in web browsing.  SOO MANY sites dump dozens of ads and graphic after graphic, and auto-playing videos.  (HATE!!!! those.)

 

Altho this made me think:  I'm assuming he's going to use wi-fi for the most part.  FOR SURE you'll want 5 GHz wi-fi.  That shouldn't be a big deal;  it should be common enough.  2.4 GHz is generally much more crowded.  But either way, it's possible his effective connection speed won't be very fast at all, at least at times.

[Cancer]

Echo the immediately above.  The content I wanted wasn't the issue.  It was the ads that broke my old pad's ability to do anything on a new site.

[Pattern Ghost]

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

SOO MANY sites dump dozens of ads and graphic after graphic, and auto-playing videos.

 

1 hour ago, Cancer said:

Echo the immediately above.  The content I wanted wasn't the issue.  It was the ads that broke my old pad's ability to do anything on a new site.

 

The first thing you install on your shiny new Chromebook (and any web browser)  is Ublock Origin plugin for Chrome (or Firefox if you're using it on your Windows machine). Another advantage of Chrome OS over Android/iOS, the availability of an ad blocker and standard browser plugins.

 

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

One thing to note:  the entry-level boxes have fairly poor performance. 

 

This is why I suggested the $200-300 range, and a minimum of a Celeron N4000 CPU. The really bargain Chromebooks just aren't worth it in the long run. Or the short run.

[unclevlad]

But of note is that many, many sites bitch at you when they detect an ad blocker.  

[Pattern Ghost]

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

But of note is that many, many sites bitch at you when they detect an ad blocker.  

 

You can clear their whining pop ups and browse without the ads, or you can suffer through the ads. If you get a site that doesn't load when it detects an ad blocker, you can either do what I do and surf a safer site, or you can disable the blocker temporarily. Ublock Origin also lets you selectively remove elements from the page, including peeling back the upper layers of the Z-axis for some sites that are paywall-locked or subscription-locked. (Doesn't work everywhere, as some sites are loading actual alternate pages instead of putting CSS elements on top of the article now.) The element zapper can also take out annoying ads with flashing or animated text on the page as well. Or eliminate other bad design elements. It's a useful add on.

[Pattern Ghost]

We just ordered this Chromebook from Costco for my wife. She wanted one for a particular purpose. Unlike some other similar models, this one seems to have a better screen, if the Costco specs are to be believed. I'll let you know how it is once we get it. Looks like a fairly decent mid-range model.

[Old Man]

On 1/24/2021 at 1:19 PM, unclevlad said:

But of note is that many, many sites bitch at you when they detect an ad blocker.  

 

Not nearly as annoying as ads, especially when ads can be a malware vector.

 

I'd be inclined to go with the tablet in this instance, unless the user needs to do a lot of file-intensive operations.

[Pattern Ghost]

9 hours ago, Old Man said:

I'd be inclined to go with the tablet in this instance

 

The Fire tablets mentioned in the OP aren't great, and the modded OS is pure garbage. If the goal is working within the Amazon ecosystem, not doing too much surfing (you only get the garbage Silk browser), and the user is savvy enough not to constantly accidentally buy stuff from Amazon, they have their place. Maybe not so much for an 80+ year old, even if they are pretty tech savvy.

 

Once you move away from the Fire tablets, there really aren't any decent Android tablets that don't cost as much as a cheaper iPad, which is what I'd go with in that case. I think you can get into an iPad for around the same $300 range that Chromebooks start getting decent at. Kind of a toss up at that point. The iPads in that price range will have smaller screens but better build quality, and the picture quality may be enough to make up the difference in size.