Tablet novice-help needed, please!

[DrSeuss]

My son has asked for a tablet for Christmas. There seem to be lots of affordable tablets about but he really loves apps bought at the iTunes website. Do those run on other tablets? I have no idea! I have no intention of buying a child an iPad but a cheaper tablet would be OK.

Suggestions, please?

I don't think the iTunes apps run on other tablets. Has he got an iPod already? How about a mini ipad? The ipad is marvellous.

No, itunes apps only run on ipad/ipod/iphone. Most of the apps will also be available on the google play store, so you could choose any of the android tablets - Nexus 7 or 10, Samsung Galaxy or the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Nexus and Kindle ranges are a lot cheaper than the equivalent ipads.

Thanks. I think iPads, mini or full scale, are a bit too much right now. I have seen this
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00C95S8FS/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=computers
Any thoughts, please?

I have just looked and it seems ok. Good reviews. What App Store is it using?

Google, I think. Do they have most things?

I don't know anything about google apps, android apps. I know when I tried to use apps for my Samsung it was so complex I gave up. Could you talk to any if the technical people at PC world or John Lewis?

My brother actually does IT help for a University in Scotland. I emailed him two weeks ago with a question, still waiting for an answer, hence me asking here! Will try a big store, thanks.

Any apps already brought via iTunes will not work on non-Apple tablets.

Many of the non-apple tablets are running Android, the operating system from Google. They use Google Store Play.Google.Com or they use their own version of it such as Amazon UK AppStore (links to version for desktop PCs, so you can see some of the things it has and typical app pricing).

Tesco may be launching an Android based tablet very soon... so another one to consider if indeed their press event tomorrow does announce that it is an own brand tablet.

Tablets from HongKong may well be fine, though I would be concerned about returning it if there was a problem.

I would aim to get something with more on device memory, such as 16gb or 32gb, plus as fast a processor as possible, so something like a 1.5ghz or higher Processor, which would be in tablets around the £100 price mark I expect come Xmas. Some tablets can have storage expanded via Micro SD Slot but if they are anything like my Android phone, that additional memory is tricky to get to work with apps, it's more for storage of photos and music.

Amazon Kindle Fire Specs - you will see that on the far right is the first one, which had a Dual Core TI OMAP4 (4430) HS, 1.0 GHz processor. The latest version (far left side) has a Dual Core TI OMAP4 (4470) HS, 1.5 GHz processor. I don't know much about processors but I can tell that the new one is faster.

That's really useful nick.

Rummikub - I have a Samsung Phone, I use Google Play for getting Apps, I don't use the Samsung App Store. Google Play should already be installed on your samsung, it may have an icon which looks like a shopping bag with an > on it saying Play Store below the icon.

Thanks nick, I will check it out.

Pretty much everything available from the iStore has an Android equivalent (well, certainly most of the popular apps) and the tablets running Android are considerably cheaper.

I have an ipad and an android phone and the apple apps and the apps on google play are pretty much the same. My first foray into the tablet world was a cheap tablet from Amazon. The charger wouldn't charge so had to be repaired, the screen cracked a week after the repair and the battery life was rubbish. If at all possible I would spend more on a nexus or fire.