Am going to buy a tablet but am undecided on which one. I have and iPhone and was going to buy an iPad mini (£219 with a Voucher Cloud code, including delivery). I'd be using it for Internet browsing, Facebook, Twitter, various (non game) apps and I'd also like to download and watch films etc on it.

But, being Apple (and no Firefox) would I be limited in what I could access/download for free?

I've used my son's iPad and his dad's Samsung Galaxy and I find the iPad much quicker and more user friendly than the Samsung (which would drive me mad in no time). I'm not a massive Apple fan - I used to have an Android phone but I much prefer my iPhone (5) as it's much more reliable than my HTC ever was and the features I use it for are so much better with this phone - so I'm not averse to getting an Android tablet. I just want to get the right one to suit my purpose.

Thanks

For the applications you have described, it sounds like either would do what you want.

Not sure what you mean by access/download for free? Are you talking about torrent sites? If so I don't think the iPad will allow that, and not too sure about android.

However, on both you can take files from your PC and play them.

Sorry to be thick but how could I do this? I really don't find iTunes very user friendly at all, that's the one thing putting me off the iPad. I'd like to be able to download my DVDs to watch on the go (I didn't realise I couldn't download things for free).

DVDs are encrypted and you cannot just dump them anywhere!

To make them play at their best you are going to have to rip them and transcode to a suitable format and quality for your device. For an iPad to play them natively (with its built-in video player) this will be MP4. There are stacks of (free and paid for) software packages to do this.

iTunes may not be pinnacle of user friendliness but it really isn't THAT hard to get the hang of it!

If you just have video files on your desktop then,as I said, the IPad can play some formats which match its player. There are lots of other Apps which can be installed to play most other common unencrypted formats without the need to transcode.

You can import DVD's into iTunes, but the DVD needs to be ripped first, although some DVD's do allow you to download a copy to play on a portable device.
Check out a piece of free software called Handbrake.

I have an Android a Blackberry and an iPad. I like the 4:3 screen on the iPad, I prefer it to the 16:9 ratio most Android devices use.

The most suitable device really depends on which side of the tech line you fall.

If you are a techy person who is likely to do more advanced tasks and get right under the hood tweaking things then Android is the better platform for you. This greater freedom comes at a little bit of a disadvantage in that it does hinder performance a bit but those who like tweaking aren't usually as bothered about things being as slick. The different manufacturers can really bloat the OS as well which is fine if you are willing to mess about with it (perhaps even going as far as rooting it to stick core android on) but that's not something many would feel comfortable doing

If you aren't really that techy and you will really just be using it to consume content then the iPad is more user friendly, harder to break and slicker at the expense of the freedom

Then you have Amazons kindle fires that kind of sit in the middle. They simplify things for the less techy people but are a little bit more open than Apple but no where near for Android level

16:10 actually. If you are watching video as the main use then its certainly better than Apples 4:3.

4:3 is much better for most other content especially websites

I think the apps on the ipad are generally more polished and there's more variety than on Android - at least for the things I like to play/use as I've found quite a few things I want are ios only (and before I get accused of being an Apple fanboy - I have a Nexus 7 tablet and HTC One mobile and so far have only tried Apple apps on an ipod touch).

I have an iPad 2 and a Nexus 7 (2013). The iPad is easier to use, especially the on screen keyboard due to the bigger screen size but it's quite heavy which was why I went for a 7" Nexus as a second device.

Price wise you get more tablet for your money with an Android. Have you considered the Tesco Hudl? My friend has one and it works well for what he uses it with. It has the advantage of an SD card slot so you could copy video files onto the SD card then download and install VLC media player which can play most media files.

We had a computer deal at work and I have just got my iPad retina today. I could have got an air but that would have meant a delay and I've been itching for a tablet for ages. I'm not that tetchy so I doubt I would have noticed te difference tbh. This is my first tablet and I'm finding it really easy to use. My requirements for it are web browsing games and although I've not done it yet watch films. I'm really happy with it. I like the keyboard better then my laptop as I find laptop space bars stick and I don't find it heavy as it sit very comfy on my thigh as I type

I have an ipad mini and a Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1. The iPad is the easier device to use, it is smoother, faster, more reliable and has better apps and content available to download. My Samsung tablet is more customisable and has the added benefit of having an SD card slot so I can load it up with tons of movies and TV shows. Whilst the 4:3 aspect ratio on my ipad is great for Web browsing and apps in general, the 16:10 aspect ratio on my galaxy tab is much better for watching movies. I think both operating systems have their advantages and disadvantages and it can be tough picking one over the other which is why I have given up trying to. I use a Samsung galaxy s4, an ipad mini, a Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and an ipod touch. I feel that with that combination I can get the best of both worlds.

If you already have an iPhone there is a logic in getting an iPad to make cross-device syching much easier without needing to use 3rd party apps.

I know that being able to sync all my stuff is added value that I factor into purchase decisions.

I always think the "4:3 is better for websites" logic a bit old fashioned as even most monitors these days are 'widescreen' meaning that most sites are better geared up for landscape viewing on tablets.

If you insist on holding in portrait the 4:3 might be better I suppose, but generally for web browsing I would suggest that 16:9 / 16:10 is better for that too.

But its all down to opinion I guess maybe people dont like holding iPads on their sides ??