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Best tablet for language learning?

  Tags: Gadget
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion Post Reply
16 messages over 2 pages: 1
stifa
Triglot
Senior Member
Norway
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 Message 9 of 16
21 January 2014 at 10:15am | IP Logged 
I've got a Sony Xperia Z tablet and it's good at everything I need it for: Kindle*, web
browsing, emails and nintendo emulators (with games in German/Japanese ofc).

If you're going to use an ebook reader app of any kind, try to get a tablet with an HD
screen resolution, as that'll make reading more comfortable.

*The newest OS update caused some weird antics on the Kindle app: some formatted text
disappears (chapter titles in some books, special formatted text in others), and the
small popup dictionary window is now unreadable.


Edited by stifa on 21 January 2014 at 10:18am

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nicozerpa
Triglot
Senior Member
Argentina
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 Message 10 of 16
21 January 2014 at 10:17pm | IP Logged 
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 version 7.0, but most low-end or mid-range tablets of
any recognized make, with a recent version of Android or iOS should be fine.

In Android, there are many apps, both free and paid, that will help you to learn
languages. I've never had an iPad, but I imagine there must be plenty of useful tools in
its app store as well.
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Julie
Heptaglot
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PolandRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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 Message 11 of 16
27 January 2014 at 12:16am | IP Logged 
I use my (Android) tablet to read PDFs and Internet websites mostly, which is why I didn't want a typical panoramic screen. Mine has roughly the same proportions as an iPad and a high screen resolution, which makes it good for reading purposes. (I use an ebook reader for ebooks, though - the tablet is for magazines and comic books, so basically for anything where the graphic layout does matter). I find panoramic screens much less suitable to my needs.
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I'm With Stupid
Senior Member
Vietnam
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 Message 12 of 16
27 January 2014 at 3:28am | IP Logged 
I haven't got one myself, but if I did, I'd get an Android one. I think my main two features would be to be expandable memory (SD card slot) and the ability to read PDF files well while listening to audio at the same time, so you can carry fully digital versions of things like Assimil around with you. I also love the fact that you can now download dictionaries for Google translate, so that you no longer have to be connected to the internet to do a quick translation. Obviously Google translate isn't perfect, but it's helped me more than a few times since I got it.

Google's own Nexus series comes highly recommended, as do the Sony and Samsung offerings. It's also a question of what size suits you best.

Edited by I'm With Stupid on 27 January 2014 at 3:31am

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Ogrim
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Senior Member
France
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 Message 13 of 16
27 January 2014 at 11:28am | IP Logged 
It is really a matter of personal choice whether you prefer Android or IOS, both systems have their pros and cons. There are a lot of apps for iPad that can be used for language learning, some are good, others are rubbish.

Personally I have an iPad, which is great for video and for reading magazines or even websites, but I prefer the Kindle for reading books, although I can read Kindle books on my iPad as well.

I recently got a Kindle Fire as a present, (from earlier I have the basic e-reader), and while reading for a long time on the Kindle Fire is more tiresome, it has the advantage of being a tablet rather than just an e-reader, so it is great for storing audio as well. I guess the issue with both Kindle and iPad products is that you get kind of locked into Amazon's and Apple's systems respectively, but if you are OK with that then both are good.

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Jeffers
Senior Member
United Kingdom
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 Message 14 of 16
28 January 2014 at 8:04pm | IP Logged 
Julie wrote:
I use my (Android) tablet to read PDFs and Internet websites mostly, which is why I didn't want a typical panoramic screen. Mine has roughly the same proportions as an iPad and a high screen resolution, which makes it good for reading purposes. (I use an ebook reader for ebooks, though - the tablet is for magazines and comic books, so basically for anything where the graphic layout does matter). I find panoramic screens much less suitable to my needs.


The brand name would be helpful.

As many people say, there are loads and loads of options. It would be useful in this discussions for people to mention problems they have had with particular tablets. For example, on my daughter's Kindle Fire HD PDFs don't work properly. Some special characters just come up blank, so it isn't very useful as a general language-learning tablet.

Edited by Jeffers on 28 January 2014 at 8:06pm

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maucca
Diglot
Senior Member
Finland
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 Message 15 of 16
30 January 2014 at 6:10pm | IP Logged 
For several months I used my Android phone for reading French e-books, but last week I finally decided to get a proper tablet for that purpose (spurred on in part by this thread). I'm really not a big Google fan, but I decided to go for Android anyway, mainly for the somewhat better perceived configurability. Once that choice was made, the rest was fairly easy, since Asus Nexus 7 has been getting very good reviews. The only drawback I can think of at the moment (in addition to the Google search bar which apparently can't be removed) is the lack of a memory card slot. Be sure to go for the 2013 version!
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BartoG
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
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 Message 16 of 16
01 February 2014 at 9:55pm | IP Logged 
I have the original Nook Color and the new Kindle Fire HD. If you're focused on European languages, a basic reader/tablet can be good, but for languages with their own script (i.e. Dari), I find the new Kindle can display things that the old Nook Color can't. I've also used the iPad mini. Of these, I like the Kindle the best overall - it handles almost all kinds of media well, can display a broad range of fonts and, if you enable non-Kindle apps, you can side-load a lot of Android offerings while getting the feel of a Kindle for the purposes of reading.


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