Get the iPad. The Fire is crap in comparison. Much more laggy, performance is second-rate, screen is not as good. Especially for what you want to do.

Let us clear something up.

Netflix is a networked streaming service. (As is Amazon Prime, Hulu, and a host of others.) The servers for these networked streaming services are located "out there" on the Internet.

You have to be able to connect to the streaming service's host(s) in order to stream from them. Period. How you get from Point A to Point B is inconsequential. But you do have to get there.

WiFi on your own Wifi network, public WiFi, a cellular plan, tethering to your phone via WiFi or USB, using a USB WiFi or Ethernet (hard-wired) dongle, etc., are all just different means to achieve the same end: Establishing a means to access the Internet.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Let us clear something up.

Netflix is a networked streaming service. (As is Amazon Prime, Hulu, and a host of others.) The servers for these networked streaming services are located "out there" on the Internet.

You have to be able to connect to the streaming service's host(s) in order to stream from them. Period. How you get from Point A to Point B is inconsequential. But you do have to get there.

WiFi on your own Wifi network, public WiFi, a cellular plan, tethering to your phone via WiFi or USB, using a USB WiFi or Ethernet (hard-wired) dongle, etc., are all just different means to achieve the same end: Establishing a means to access the Internet.

Not 100% accurate...

Yes, you have to be able connect somehow, but Netflix will allow you to download some shows while connected to watch later while “offline”. On the iPad this works, can’t speak to Android or Fire.

A distinction without a difference. To wit: No Internet connection, no content.

I found this helpful.

From today's Wall Street Journal

iPad Mini...iPad Air...iPad Pro? Here’s How to Pick the Right iPad

An iPad is an iPad is an iPad: It’s a screen, you touch it, the end, right?

And yet Apple launched two new models last week, an iPad Mini and an iPad Air, bringing the total number of iPads to five. (And that’s before you choose color, internal storage or cellular connectivity.)

They differ mostly in size but also through an increasingly confusing set of other details: This one supports some accessories, this one a few others. Some charge with Lightning, others with USB-C.

I’ve been using all five—the 12.9-inch Pro, the 11-inch Pro, the regular iPad, plus the new Air and Mini—in an effort to recommend the right one to buy. After a lot of spreadsheeting and diagraming with twine, like I was piecing together a cold case, I think I’ve figured it out.

All five iPads have fast processors and lovely screens, and capably run anything you’d want from the App Store. At the same time, they are aimed at different users. If your favorite app is Kindle, you’ll likely want a Mini. If it’s Netflix, go iPad Air. If it’s Photoshop, you’re going to want a Pro.

Ultimately, though, there’s one pretty good default choice. Here’s a hint: It’s the only one just called iPad.

New and Old

Apple didn’t exactly blow its R&D budget on the two newest models. The new Mini looks exactly like the old Mini, big bezel and all, and the Air is the spitting image of the old iPad Pro. Both come with big internal upgrades: They run on Apple’s fast A12 Bionic chip, the same one that powers the iPhone XS.

The new iPad Air, with an A12 Bionic processor, has all the power you’d need for practically any app or game.

For the most part, either you’re a Mini person or you aren’t. If you want a small but powerful tablet, it’s practically the only game in town. It even supports the Apple Pencil, though not the new one that the latest Pros use.

If all you want to do is read and watch movies, Amazon’s Fire tablets are perfectly capable—and at $80, dirt cheap compared with the Mini’s $399 price tag. But for gaming, productivity and even entertainment, Amazon can’t keep up with the App Store.

As for the Air, well, do you remember the 2017 iPad Pro with the 10.5-inch screen? It’s back—with an upgraded chip, a lower price and a new name. At $499, the Air is the median-price iPad with a feature set to match. Like the Mini, it supports the earlier Pencil. The Air exists mostly because $500 has long been the iPad sweet spot, and this was Apple’s best candidate.

All five iPads are good tablets but, from screen size to processor to keyboard attachments, each has its own set of features.
Those two join three other recently updated Apple tablets: the $329 iPad with 9.7-inch screen; the $799 iPad Pro with 11-inch display; and the super-duper huge $999 iPad Pro and its 12.9-inch screen. Other than screen size, the lineup’s differences boil down to a handful of features. You could simply choose the ones you want and buy accordingly:

•Design: The Air, Mini and iPad have the same design that iPads have had since the Mesozoic Era. The Pros have a slimmer bezel and a more chiseled, squar•ed design.
•Charging: The Air, Mini and iPad use a Lightning port to charge, like an iPhone, whereas the two Pros use a USB-C jack, similar to the new MacBooks, which can also be used to connect cameras and other devices.
•Pencil: All current iPads now support an Apple Pencil—just not the same one. The Air, Mini and iPad use Apple’s $99 first-gen Pencil. You pair and charge it by sticking it into the Lightning port, like it’s the stick of an awkward iPad lollipop. The Pros have a new $129 Pencil, which attaches magnetically to charge and pair. The drawing and writing experience is nearly the same.
The new iPad Mini now works with the first-gen Apple Pencil. It's a great device for note-taking, but good luck not losing that $99 stylus.


•Storage: The iPad starts with 32 gigabytes of storage. The others offer at least 64GB. The Pros go up to a terabyte.
•Headphone jack: The Air, Mini and iPad have 3.5-millimeter headphone jacks. The Pros don’t.
•Login: The Air, Mini and iPad use Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint reader, while the Pros use the newer Face ID facial recognition to log you in.
•Keyboard: The Mini and standard iPad don’t have official keyboard accessories. The Pros and the Air do. They cost an extra $159 (for the Air), $179 (Pro 11) or $199 (Pro 12.9), but make for a more powerful productivity device.

Decisions, Decisions

If you’re buying the tablet as a drawing tool, or to edit video and play super-intense games, by all means get a Pro. I recommend the largest one, which makes for an incredibly large drawing canvas or just a really big television.
Another case for buying the most expensive models is that the Pros are undoubtedly the most future-proof iPads. It’s possible that Apple will eventually allow any device to connect through USB-C, so iPads could become much more complete laptop replacements. And augmented reality might just take over the world, making you wish you had the fancy front-facing camera that enables Face ID.

In my own experience, though, the Pro’s design, USB-C charging, Face ID login and improved Pencil support felt like overkill for the price. In fact, I’d happily trade them for a headphone jack.
The iPad Mini and 12.9-inch Pro are the two outliers. The Mini's great for reading and portability, and the Pro makes for a great drawing canvas—or load-bearing wall in your home.

The Air is the best value. It offers most of the productivity and power you’d get from the Pros, for a fraction of the price. After ditching my Pro for the Air I’ve been testing, I don’t miss anything about the more expensive device. Besides, the keyboard attachment is the most compelling reason to spend more, and the Air has that covered. (Carrying a separate Bluetooth keyboard just isn’t the same.) Just know you’ll be paying at least $658—plus another $99 for the Pencil.

For most people, the plain ol’ $329 iPad is the one I recommend. It’s plenty powerful and supports all the same apps as the more expensive tablets. The 9.7-inch screen is big enough to multitask or dive into an action movie, but small and light enough to hold in bed. I recommend springing for the $429 model with 128GB of storage—you’d be amazed how quickly you can fill 32GB with games and downloaded movies.

Me? I picked the Mini. It’s not the most functional iPad, but as a reader, a binge-watcher and a doer of crosswords while standing on crowded trains, the size is just perfect.
—For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and headlines, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Instant Message podcast.

Appeared in the March 25, 2019, print edition as 'Mini, Air or Pro: Picking the Right iPad.'

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
You cannot watch any Netflix on a tablet without a WiFi connection. If you have hard wired internet at your house, you can very easily set up a WiFi connection if you don't already have one.

herein lies the problem. i tried it once, a diy, and the project ended in tears (didn't work). i DO NOT want to go through my isp, SUX (aka cox). so, hello square one.

Got any 12-18 year olds in the extended family or neighbors? They can easily set up a wifi network for you. Any computer store or geek store will set one up for $100 or less if you cant find a kid to help out.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
You cannot watch any Netflix on a tablet without a WiFi connection. If you have hard wired internet at your house, you can very easily set up a WiFi connection if you don't already have one.

herein lies the problem. i tried it once, a diy, and the project ended in tears (didn't work). i DO NOT want to go through my isp, SUX (aka cox). so, hello square one.

You tried setting up Wi-Fi at your house, and you failed?


How hard did you try?

If you have internet that goes to your house, you just have to buy a wireless router, plug it in, and follow the setup prompts.

New routers are so user friendly, you don't even need a computer to set them up anymore. You can set it up from a smartphone or tablet these days.

Some come already set up with default security settings and passwords for you, all written on a sticker label on the outside of the device so you honestly just have to plug it in and punch in the password into your devices.

Without doing any research at all, here's a $60 router with nearly 5000 reviews (4.5 stars) on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR...963&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Keying this on a $50 Fire HD. Connects fine. No speed issues. Brings me all the internet and many dedicated apps. Not as refined as an iPad but for $50 who cares.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
You tried setting up Wi-Fi at your house, and you failed?

How hard did you try?

If you have internet that goes to your house, you just have to buy a wireless router, plug it in, and follow the setup prompts.

New routers are so user friendly, you don't even need a computer to set them up anymore. You can set it up from a smartphone or tablet these days.

Some come already set up with default security settings and passwords for you, all written on a sticker label on the outside of the device so you honestly just have to plug it in and punch in the password into your devices.

Without doing any research at all, here's a $60 router with nearly 5000 reviews (4.5 stars) on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR...963&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I could try again.

Does the cable modem ethernet cable go into the router now, then from the router another ethernet cable goes into my pc tower?

When you say follow the setup prompts, is that when the pc is on - so these prompts show up on a program that runs when you hook it up?

I have both a Fire 10 and an iPad. Both are Wi-Fi only. I seldom use either one. They strike me as basically storefronts for Amazon and Apple and both are very good at personal data and online habit gathering. Both very nosy, though some of that tracking can be disabled if you drill down into settings.

To get the most out of the Fire, you need Amazon Prime. Likewise to get the most out of iPad, you need the Apple accounts.

The reason I don't use either one much at all is that I'm retired and mostly use a desktop and laptop running Linux. I like something with a regular keyboard and a device that isn't watching, listening, recording and reporting everything I do online.

I HAD to have the iPad for True Play tuning my Sonos home stereo/home theater sound system but don't need to do that often, if ever more than once except if rearranging the room the sound system is located in. I don't have iTunes or any of that Apple stuff.

The Fire I picked up because I'm pretty tied into Amazon with Prime and Alexa but find I really didn't need it, even for a book reader. I already had a Kindle Voyager.

Bottom line is that if you need a larger more powerful mobile device than a phone but don't require the power of a laptop, one or the other might fit the bill but the lack of keyboard is a deal breaker for me and I find no need to try and cobble something together to get a keyboard for a tablet. To chose a tablet, I'd pick the one whose apps and accounts I might need or use the most. For either one to work, you will need a hotspot or Wi-Fi router or cell service if the tablet you get is spec'd to work on cell service.

EDIT: Your easiest solution for home Wi-Fi would be to get an all in one Wi-Fi/cable modem that works with Cox, instead of trying to add another piece of gear into the mix. NETGEAR for example, offers a couple of different Cable Modem Routers with built in WiFi that work with Cox. Bonus is that if buy your own modem/router, it will "pay for itself" as you won't need to keep paying a modem rental fee to Cox ... if you are doing so and can return their modem to them.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

I have . . . an iPad . . . the lack of keyboard is a deal breaker for me

I grabbed a used Apple wireless keyboard at a good price from a member here. It works amazingly well with my iPad (iPhone, too).

in case you missed it... this is a connectivity question, not a shopping question... i.e. is product a better than product b.

nothing of the sort is being asked.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
I have both a Fire 10 and an iPad. Both are Wi-Fi only. I seldom use either one. They strike me as basically storefronts for Amazon and Apple and both are very good at personal data and online habit gathering. Both very nosy, though some of that tracking can be disabled if you drill down into settings.

Apple doesn't advertise at you with their mobile devices. Any personal data they collect is for your own use. They share nothing with nobody. They don't even use any data they collect for their own use, other than perhaps device and app software performance metrics, for product improvements. Apple actually has one of the best, most unambiguous privacy polices in the tech world.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
in case you missed it... this is a connectivity question, not a shopping question... i.e. is product a better than product b.

nothing of the sort is being asked.

Any of the devices you listed will have to connect to the web somehow.

If your main issue is getting WiFi setup, I would suggest finding someones grandson to "help" do it.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Get the iPad. The Fire is crap in comparison. Much more laggy, performance is second-rate, screen is not as good. Especially for what you want to do.

I agree. My son saved his money to buy a Fire tablet and was disappointed. It lagged when doing simple things like pinching to zoom. Even if it is only $100.00 it is no good if you don't even want to use it.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
You tried setting up Wi-Fi at your house, and you failed?

How hard did you try?

If you have internet that goes to your house, you just have to buy a wireless router, plug it in, and follow the setup prompts.

New routers are so user friendly, you don't even need a computer to set them up anymore. You can set it up from a smartphone or tablet these days.

Some come already set up with default security settings and passwords for you, all written on a sticker label on the outside of the device so you honestly just have to plug it in and punch in the password into your devices.

Without doing any research at all, here's a $60 router with nearly 5000 reviews (4.5 stars) on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR...963&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I could try again.

Does the cable modem ethernet cable go into the router now, then from the router another ethernet cable goes into my pc tower?

When you say follow the setup prompts, is that when the pc is on - so these prompts show up on a program that runs when you hook it up?

Hey F2,

Pardon the delay in my response. The devices are connected in this order:

"The Internet" to Cable Modem (Coaxial Cable)

Cable Modem to Wireless Router (Ethernet Cable)

Wireless Router to All Other Devices (either wirelessly or via ethernet cable*).

*For best results, connect a computer to the router using an ethernet cable
for the set up process.

The router acts as a traffic intersection, directing traffic to and from all of your household devices onto a single internet on-ramp (directing which "route" the data packets will take, so to speak).

For most routers, once you have everything all plugged in and fired up you turn on your computer and insert the disc that came with the router. The disc will run a program that automatically walks you through the router configuration.

If your router does not come with a disc, look for a "Quick Setup" guide--usually a sheet of paper that folds out like a map. Follow the instructions there.

---Read the below only if you don't have actual instructions on how to setup your device---

If you don't have a "Quick Setup" guide, you can access the router's internal software by opening a web browser and typing the router's IP address into the browser. You can find this by searching Google. (Type "[make] [model] default configuration IP address" into google). Common IP addresses are 192.168.1.1 or 10.10.1.1. or 10.0.0.1

Once you find the correct IP address and type it into the address bar of the browser, the browser will access the Router's internal software. The software will almost always have a username and password prompt before it lets you in to configure changes. Look for the default username and password on google. It's usually "admin" and "password". Sometimes the default password is on a sticker on the outside of the router. Once logged in, turn on the wi-fi, give your network a name, give it a password, and then change the default administration password (so other people can't log in and change your settings and steal your internet or lock you out).

Your router is all set up and now you just have to log onto the wi-fi from each of your devices using the network name and password you created.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:

quote:

Originally posted by f2:

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
You tried setting up Wi-Fi at your house, and you failed?

How hard did you try?

If you have internet that goes to your house, you just have to buy a wireless router, plug it in, and follow the setup prompts.

New routers are so user friendly, you don't even need a computer to set them up anymore. You can set it up from a smartphone or tablet these days.

Some come already set up with default security settings and passwords for you, all written on a sticker label on the outside of the device so you honestly just have to plug it in and punch in the password into your devices.

Without doing any research at all, here's a $60 router with nearly 5000 reviews (4.5 stars) on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR...963&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I could try again.

Does the cable modem ethernet cable go into the router now, then from the router another ethernet cable goes into my pc tower?

When you say follow the setup prompts, is that when the pc is on - so these prompts show up on a program that runs when you hook it up?

Hey F2,

Pardon the delay in my response. The devices are connected in this order:

"The Internet" to Cable Modem (Coaxial Cable)

Cable Modem to Wireless Router (Ethernet Cable)

Wireless Router to All Other Devices (either wirelessly or via ethernet cable*).

*For best results, connect a computer to the router using an ethernet cable
for the set up process.

The router acts as a traffic intersection, directing traffic to and from all of your household devices onto a single internet on-ramp (directing which "route" the data packets will take, so to speak).

For most routers, once you have everything all plugged in and fired up you turn on your computer and insert the disc that came with the router. The disc will run a program that automatically walks you through the router configuration.

If your router does not come with a disc, look for a "Quick Setup" guide--usually a sheet of paper that folds out like a map. Follow the instructions there.

---Read the below only if you don't have actual instructions on how to setup your device---

If you don't have a "Quick Setup" guide, you can access the router's internal software by opening a web browser and typing the router's IP address into the browser. You can find this by searching Google. (Type "[make] [model] default configuration IP address" into google). Common IP addresses are 192.168.1.1 or 10.10.1.1. or 10.0.0.1

Once you find the correct IP address and type it into the address bar of the browser, the browser will access the Router's internal software. The software will almost always have a username and password prompt before it lets you in to configure changes. Look for the default username and password on google. It's usually "admin" and "password". Sometimes the default password is on a sticker on the outside of the router. Once logged in, turn on the wi-fi, give your network a name, give it a password, and then change the default administration password (so other people can't log in and change your settings and steal your internet or lock you out).

Your router is all set up and now you just have to log onto the wi-fi from each of your devices using the network name and password you created.

thanks. i'm definitely going to refer back to this if i try my luck again.