Anonymous wrote:I am thinking of getting my first tablet. (I just retired).

I will use it to read the New York Times, and email.

Perhaps take movies or ebooks on trips.

I am used to an iPhone, but otherwise use pc’s (not MACs).

What should I get?

iPad 9th gen - $200 (64gb)
iPad 10th gen - $250 (64gb)
iPad Air - $500 (128gb)

Go with the one you can afford. I personally went with the iPad 10th gen.

Anonymous wrote:Ipad Air 11 inch M2 my DH got is amazing. Better screen than my Samsung. About $1000 with the overpriced cover.

The base ipad Air (M2) is selling for $500 now.

Anonymous wrote:Nope. I completely disagree with everyone else. I pads are expensive, and you can run internet, netflix and angry birds on almost any old tablet for hundreds of $ less. If you need it to be connected to all of your other accounts then yes an Ipad will be easiest, but if you really just want it for what you said, save some $ and drop $150 on a android tablet. it will get the job done and you can save the rest of the cash to upgrade your pc/phone.

You must be from 2012. The latest iPad (Gen 10) is $250. One gen before that is $200 (and has been at this price for 3 years now). Either will last you years without worrying about Android versions or battery optimization. To get a comparable battery performance and screen you'll have to spend at least $400 for an android tablet that will be unusable in 3 years.

Ipad Air 11 inch M2 my DH got is amazing. Better screen than my Samsung. About $1000 with the overpriced cover.

Costco has iPads for 199 and 249 on sale now. I’d go with a 10 inch for reading. You can get a compatible pencil on Amazon for less than $20 but you may never use it.

Another vote to spring for the iPad and I say this as a PC and Android user. Mine is a 6th generation and still going strong. My kids and mom are Apple and I'm able use it to facetime, see their location, and track my air tag. I tried to buy a new lenovo tablet and I already prefer my old screen crackled iPad.

You can get an older model pretty cheap.

Be aware that most tablets that are marketed towards consumers are basically disposable, since the batteries are glued into the device (for waterproofing and ingress protection) and not user-replaceable. It is possible to make IP-rated tablets with user-replaceable batteries, but it is harder to do so, and most manufacturers do not bother. If you actually want one of the latter, you need to look at devices that are marketed and sold for industrial and/or military use.

This is distinct from laptops, where most (non-Apple models, anyway) have batteries that are easy enough to replace for anyone who can use a screwdriver. Actual swappable laptop batteries are mostly dead, unfortunately, outside of a few specialized models.