Aping yet another Amazon business, Walmart this week announced its own lineup of inexpensive Android-based tablets.
And they are cheap: The retailer’s new Onn-branded tablets start at just $64, and there are three models that cost less than $100. Among the offerings is the 8-inch Onn Android Tablet, which costs $64 and the 10.1-inch Onn 16 GB Android Tablet, which costs $79. A version of the latter tablet with a detachable keyboard costs just $99.
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The specifications are about as low-rent as you’d expect at these prices. Both tablets are powered by a 1.33 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage, and the display in each case is 1280 x 800. Battery life is rated at about 5.5 hours. But they seem ideal for children and their affordability should be appealing to many.
The cheapest Apple iPad is $329. But Walmart is really targeting Amazon here, and the online retailing giant—or etailer, as I call it—offers a variety of inexpensive tablets of its own, including the recently-updated 7-inch Fire 7 tablets, which start at $50. Amazon’s 8-inch Fire 8 Tablet starts at $80, and its 10.1-inch Fire HD Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free is $150 and up.
Stooks
<blockquote><em><a href="#430147">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agreed with the lack of play store for a Fire device. It is not even a consideration.</p>
Stooks
<blockquote><em><a href="#430183">In reply to klhyvcfxe2_vtni56y:</a></em></blockquote><p>It is NOT a simple process for Joe Consumer.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#430225">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, and what about loading via digital cassette as with the Digital Group computer kit circa 1978? Seriously, do many people who buy Fire tablets today have experience loading software from floppies? Besides, your description makes it quite clear that loading the Play Store on a Fire is more complicated than the other methods.</p>
Stooks
<blockquote><em><a href="#430149">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>Buhhh bye!</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#430454">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>I wouldn't have minded a cheap Windows mobile tablet if the app support had been there, but that's a timeline that never materialized. But as far as full Windows is concerned, no, that wouldn't have been a good idea. Tablets just aren't very well suited for productivity work.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#430194">In reply to glenn8878:</a></em></blockquote><p>The idea that a 5 year old is a discriminating consumer of tablet devices seems a little disturbing. </p>