Which tablet for a 16yr old?

[Miggs]

Our eldest daughter is 16yrs old at the end of April and is looking for a tablet as her main present. She also leaves school soon after and is looking forward to going to college in the autumn and its this she wants the tablet for. It's mainly for college work and she tells me she needs "Word and "excell" and an organiser of some description. We have been looing at an Asus vivo smart tab, it gets good reports as well. I have about £350 max to spend, any other ideas would be helpful as well.

Thanks.

 

[bigboss]

If you want proper Microsoft Word and Excel, look at Windows tablets like Surface 2, or Nokia Lumia 2520, or Asus Transformer Book T100 or Vivo TabSmart.

 

[Miggs]

I have been told by others on another forum I visit to stay away from anything with Windows RT, as its not the full version of Windows. Have been told to stick with Windows 8 or 8.1. I really don't know that much, hence me asking for advice.

 

[simonlewis]

AFAIK windows RT is for mobile devices like tablets and windows 8 and 8.1 is for pc's and laptops.

 

[bigboss]

For a 16 year old, for the functions you've described, Windows RT will work just fine. Ideally Surface 2 Pro is the one to go for, but that's beyond your budget.

 

[Miggs]

Thanks for the help lads, thats fine by me.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Android tablets may be suitable. Kingston office (free) is Word/Excel compatible. A small laptop may also be appropriate since (imo) any seriois 'report writing' needs a proper keyboard. I would check with the college to find their needs. A tough one. I offer my thoughts for consideration rather than advice but as an ex teacher (ICT) my choice would be laptop at home since college facilities should be adequate at college.

 

[ukdavej]

I would tend to agree with the above. Tablets are brilliant things but I wouldn't use one for my main interface to Word and Excel. Perhaps it's just me but I prefer a laptop/desktop for that level of stuff. I have Pages and Numbers on my ipad which are OK for viewing and simple editing but not too much else. Rob (or Robin can never remember which) is quite right in that colleges have an abundance of IT facilities to offer their students and I'm sure they will have been asked by other parents what the best options would be.

Also, and please don't take this the wrong way, but it may be worth finding out if your daughter really does want it mainly for college work or is just using that "ace in the hole" to tip the balance (I've got 3 grown up kids and have heard every argument in the book ). If it's more for surfing the net, playing media files and simple note taking etc, for the money, I don't think you can go wrong with the Tesco Hudl. My son bought one just after Xmas and whilst it is marginally slower (and I mean marginal!) than my Nexus 7, it compares very well in all other departments and for £119, I reckon it's a bargain for a teenager.

 

[Xanderzdad]

Google now offer QuickOffice as a download - giving a free office program that reads and writes both Word & Excel as well as integrating with Google Drive for cloud based storage.

I think a Nexus 7 running this would be a lot cheaper and slicker than any of the Windows tablets.

More expensive than the Hudl but from experience (I have both) the Nexus is a lot better for serious usage.

 

[Big Aura]

as someone who works a lot with Word documents, I have to say that a tablet is entirely the wrong tool. Tablets are for consuming media, not creating them. If she wants to create on it - i.e. paraphrase her lecturers' thoughts into essays (!), then something with a keyboard will be an absolute must, but I'd personally prefer a laptop for that sort of endeavour.

 

[Xanderzdad]

as someone who works a lot with Word documents, I have to say that a tablet is entirely the wrong tool. Tablets are for consuming media, not creating them. If she wants to create on it - i.e. paraphrase her lecturers' thoughts into essays (!), then something with a keyboard will be an absolute must, but I'd personally prefer a laptop for that sort of endeavour.

Very good point - perhaps consider a bluetooth keyboard with a tablet? They are small and fairly cheap.

 

[John Duncan]

Which tablet for a 16yr old?

A laptop.

 

[rs6mra]

If you buy her a tablet it will not be long before you have to get her a laptop.

My 9 soon to be 10 year old has a tablet but she uses the PC for homework and everything else creative she wants to do.............

 

[RobinKidderminster]

I can only help with a tablet for yourself..Paracetomol..

 

[bretty]

I bought a hudl for my stepson and a kindle fire for my missus for Christmas. The hudl performs pretty well but it doesn't have a quality look or feel, for me. The 8.9 kindle fire, on the other hand, was so good that I went out and bought myself one straight after Christmas. Brilliant screen and smooth operation. Also, it has a really good dual band wifi. I can't get a signal upstairs at home on my smartphone, but I get full bars on the kindle. The speakers are fantastic, too, best on any tablet. They have a virtual surround quality (possibly due to the on-board Dolby), where sounds appear to come from all over the place, including behind your head.

I was anti tablet before crimbo, I didn't see the point in them. Now I'm a proper convert. I'm never off the thing. It's completely replaced my laptop.

 

[bigboss]

Just a couple if points:

1) No other compatible software is as good as the real thing: MS Office. I have found it impossible to open password protected files on Quick office or Documents to go or Polaris.

2) Remember we're talking about a 16-year old here, who belongs to a generation far more adept than us at touch screens than keyboards.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Agreed BB. Kingston Office opens passworded Excel files. In fact, before an upgrade, it ignored the password and just opened the file. I think u need a mouse for accuracy in Excel - touchscreen dont do it. I love my tab but for work ...... laptop.

 

[DandyCobalt]

I've got three teenage children. They use laptop for homework and ipad for browsing whatever makes them giggle so much.

I'd go for laptop to get them working, and tablet if they do well in the exams

 

[Miggs]

This is the thing you see, it is meant to be her main present as she will be 16yrs old. It is also meant to be a treat for doing well in her GCSE's and a new piece of kit for her when she go's to college in September. She already has a Dell laptop, its nearly 5yrs old. It was bought for her when she went to high school and the tablet is for when she go's to college. Her younger sister will get the Dell. The new tablet we buy will be bought with a good quality keyboard, as someone said earlier. I would not buy it without it to be honest.

 

[John Duncan]

Buy her a new laptop then. I can recommend an Asus, which I bought for my daughter for the same purpose at Christmas, for £270.

 

[bigboss]

I'm sure you can.find some touchscreen laptops for your budget, or slightly above. Best of both worlds. This one costs £389, add £80 for touchscreen function.

http://www.sony.co.uk/buy/vaio-fit-14e-15e

 

[bigboss]

Check this out. As big as a tablet at a great price:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00FC55SVO/ref=mp_s_a_1_31?qid=1391734524&sr=1-31&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

 

[Miggs]

Buy her a new laptop then. I can recommend an Asus, which I bought for my daughter for the same purpose at Christmas, for £270.

Ok John, which one?

Another plus for the tablet is the one's we are looking at come complete with Office, you have to purchase it as a stand alone system with a laptop.

 

[bigboss]

Check the Asus one I've linked. You'll have plenty of spare cash to buy MS Office. Your daughter should get the University version at discounted rates.

 

[alex_bro]

For Word and Excel and to get the feel of a laptop, I would consider Windows Nokia with the power keyboard, which has built in battery for extra use time. See http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/lumia-2520-power-keyboard-first-review-of-the-accessory-that-completes-nokias-tablet-9077235.html

Or the Surface 2 with the Type 2 keyboard. We have the Surface Pro 2 and a Type 2 keyborad. Feels just like using a laptop. But granted it's not the lightest tablet in the world.