Kindle Fire, no. Samsung Galaxy Tab, yes.

Kindle Fire, no. Samsung Galaxy Tab, yes.

Previously I discussed the Amazon Kindle Fire as a potential tablet for our kids. Now that they are a little older and have managed to keep their Nintendo DS devices in working order for more than a year, we went back to the market to pick a tablet. And the best part; the kids are using their own money to make the purchase.

Two Galaxy Tab 2 devices are on the way from Amazon.

Here's why we went with the Samsung:

1. Android OS is more open than iOS
2. Plenty of games from Amazon or Google Play
3. Amazon movies, we have a Prime Membership, and Netflix movies are an option
4. Standard browsers - no "Silk" to get in the way 
5. Expandable storage

The kids have had time to play with my Toshiba Thrive. They are familiar with Android 4, how to download games, and the basic functionality of the tablet (taking pictures, playing music, etc.). 

At 12 ounces the Tab is much lighter than the 1.6 pound Thrive. They might notice the lack of a docking option, but the form factor is perfect for portability.

~Tot1

As a footnote: I have a Microsoft Surface RT, but the kids are just not interested. The game selection is not yet up to speed, and I have not turned on the XBOX Smartglass. As soon as I do, I think they might be more interested.