What is a good tablet for my Father for $300 or less?

CyberCecil

Limp Gawd
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I'm thinking about getting my elderly Father a tablet so he can play games. He likes keno and bingo type games and I'm sure he would enjoy other casino games as well.

I needs it to be at least 7" because his eyesight is not the best, but I would prefer bigger. I am looking at the 8.9" Kindle Fire, but I am concerned with the lack of apps that he would enjoy.

Any suggestions? There is no need for 3G/4G access or a camera. And the lighter, the better.

Thanks
 
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" that you mention should do well, as long as Amazon has the games he wants to play. I would look on Amazon to check. If so, I don't think you can do better for the price. Otherwise, the Nexus 7 should have plenty more games, though the device is smaller. I have the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" and really like it myself.
 
iOS has better games than Android right now. Check out a used iPad mini.
 
I would normally recommend a Nexus 7, but with the eyesight issue I would opt for something larger. The kindle fire 8.9, the new LG 8" tablet, or even a last gen ipad mini would probably work better.
 
My eyesight is fine and I consider the 7" screens kind of small, they feel more like a Phone to me. 8" screens are a surprisingly better experience.

The new LG 8" looks very nice but it is a little over at $350.

You could look for a Samsung Galaxy tab 8". They list for $300 and go on sale all the time. I wouldn't buy it for me, because of the low res screen, slower processor but for someone with less than optimal eyesight, it should be fine:
 
Look for a Nook HD+ if you want something bigger than 7" and want access to Google apps

They should be dirt cheap and at 9" are surprisingly light.
 
My eyesight is fine and I consider the 7" screens kind of small, they feel more like a Phone to me. 8" screens are a surprisingly better experience.

The new LG 8" looks very nice but it is a little over at $350.

You could look for a Samsung Galaxy tab 8". They list for $300 and go on sale all the time. I wouldn't buy it for me, because of the low res screen, slower processor but for someone with less than optimal eyesight, it should be fine:

The iPad mini is an 8" screen. 7.9" to be exact.

And it's 4:3, so it's easier to hold in landscape for gaming.
 
The iPad mini is an 8" screen. 7.9" to be exact.

And it's 4:3, so it's easier to hold in landscape for gaming.

Agree. Old iPad Mini is a good choice too, watch for a refurb and you would get essentially a new one for sub $300. More games on iOS as well.

I would like top Android players to do a 4:3 tablet. I prefer fatter aspect ratios for tablets.
 
The Nexus 10, the new version is meant to be out this month as well, so you might be able to get the current version at discount.
 
The Nexus 10, the new version is meant to be out this month as well, so you might be able to get the current version at discount.

I'd caution against a 10" tablet for gaming. 7-8" models are easier to hold in landscape and usually allow you to reach everything on the screen using both thumbs in landscape mode. The Nexus 7 would be a better choice than the 10 for playing games.
 
Agree. Old iPad Mini is a good choice too, watch for a refurb and you would get essentially a new one for sub $300. More games on iOS as well.

I would like top Android players to do a 4:3 tablet. I prefer fatter aspect ratios for tablets.

More games, but most of the good ones are on android anyway ;), so that's a moot point.
 
Look for a Nook HD+ if you want something bigger than 7" and want access to Google apps

They should be dirt cheap and at 9" are surprisingly light.

That looks really good. I hadn't realized they have the Google store on them now.

Lots of good suggestions here, I'm going to have to do some comparisons and see what I can maybe snag on Black Friday.
 
That looks really good. I hadn't realized they have the Google store on them now.

Lots of good suggestions here, I'm going to have to do some comparisons and see what I can maybe snag on Black Friday.

If you look around right now I think they are about $150 but if you find one refurbed you're looking at under $100 for one.
 
Yeah, Climber's spot-on: ~$150ish is pretty easy to find for the Nook HD+ 9" tablets right now and it's well-known as light, and it has the google play store now too.
 
You can get the Nook HD+ 32GB model for around less than $20 on Amazon with free shipping if you're a "Prime."
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
He meant $200. Its $169 now.

I recommend you take a look at what games you want him to play. Also he can use the tablet for lot more than games, thinks like email and web browsing are perfect for tablets.

Depending on your budget, also consider a used/refurb iPad. best thing to do would be to let him try both and buy him what he likes best.
 
New Nexus 7 or if you can wait BF Ebay 230 for the 1st gen Mini iPad
 
So far, the Nook HD+ is my top contender. I am going to try to see as many tablets as I can in person to get a feel for them as my hands on experience is limited.

As for games, he is mainly interested in the casino type games: keno, bingo, video poker, video slots and the like. Email and web browsing are not really on his radar.
 
Wait for BF, or be on the lookout, as they start dropping deals left and right
 
Wait for BF, or be on the lookout, as they start dropping deals left and right

I am going to wait for BF. I'm in no rush.

Costco is going to have a $100 off coupon on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1" that would push it well under $300. I am looking around for other deals too.
 
7" is fine for games. Catch the Nexus 7 2013 16GB when it pops up on sale for ~$179-199.

Avoid the iPad Mini since it's obsolete with only 512MB DRAM, the display is poor and the WIFI only version lacks GPS.
 
For that cash? Nexus 7. Avoid the Galaxy Tab 3 line like the plague; it's neither the fastest for the money nor the lowest-priced, and Samsung likely won't offer OS support for much more than a year.
 
Since your father does not have good eyesight, I recommend the 2012 Nexus 7 which does not have a 1080p screen. It has a 1280x800 resolution screen which will make text much easier to read on a 7" tablet verse 1920x1080 on a 7" tablet. I bought 32GB version back in January or December.

Below is a Groupon deal, the 16GB versions are sold out. The 32GB version is selling for $150.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-goo...GPN&utm_medium=afl&z=skip&utm_campaign=200958
 
It has a 1280x800 resolution screen which will make text much easier to read on a 7" tablet verse 1920x1080 on a 7" tablet.

Lower resolution doesn't make text easier to read for anyone.

Higher resolution just makes for better quality text.
 
Lower resolution doesn't make text easier to read for anyone.

Higher resolution just makes for better quality text.

So you are saying it is not easier to read text on a 7" 1280x800 resolution screen compared to a 7" 1920x1080 resolution screen? Take zooming in out of the picture. Text will be smaller on a 1920x1080 resolution 7" screen compared to larger text on a 1280x800 resolution 7" inch screen. This can be compensated by zooming in, but does that kinda defeats the purpose of a having a larger resolution screen? On the 1280x800 resolution it may not be necessary to zoom in at all or just not as much.

The main purpose of the tablet per the OP is for playing games casino type games. I highly doubt those games are designed for a 1080p screen in which case the graphics will be scaled up to fit on a 1080p screen tablet. If those are are actually designed for a 1080p screen, then the graphics will be scaled down.

When scaling is involved there is usually some loss in quality. Scaling up imposes a greater loss in graphics quality than scaling down. This is pretty evident when trying to watch a DVD movie on a 1008p monitor with the movie stretched to fill the screen as opposed to watching a Blu-Ray movie on a 1366x768 resolution monitor. The loss in quality for the DVD movie will be so apparent that a blind person can see when compared to a Blu-Ray (1080p) movie on a 1366x768 screen.

Graphics on a 1080p 7" screen will generally look pretty much the same on a 1280x800 resolution 7" screen, but it might not look as sharp if the graphics were stretched to fill that resolution. Hence my suggestion to simply buy the older Nexus 7 vs. the newer Nexus 7. The OP's father will not notice much difference in the casino games and the OP does not have to spend as much money.
 
I think I am going to need 10" tablet. The rest are just too small for my Dad to use. So any suggestions on larger tablets other than the Galaxy Tab 3 would be great.
 
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