It seems we are in a very similar situation. I am in Changchun and also send my son to a Chinese kindergarten since I am not not one of the rich expats. His mom speaks mostly Spanish to him. At the kinder there are English classes for all of the kids which helps. It might be worth checking if there is a kinder in your area which has this option.
There is a multitude of programs that teach shapes, color, letters and numbers. I normally search for the function I want then check the lists for ones with a large number of downloads with good ratings. We used to do all this carrying around a computer all the time and the tablet has certainly achieved the same functionality with less space and longer life.

Graeme

yep, pretty similar situation. We love our kindergarten, and no intention of changing. Had option of 'english', music or 'montessori' as add-on, and chose the latter -- although our daughter has English class for about 4 hours a week -- but to be honest, her accent deteriorates from that class!

I'm leaning more to the yes camp -- although it will be a month or so before I can get overseas to buy a tablet. Now leaning towards the nexus 7, lack of SD is slight concern, but the only thing that would take up space would be movies, and we can rotate these fairly easily...

On that note: I have "aimersoft dvd ripper" for my laptop -- can I play movies ripped from this format on an android tablet easily? We have a large collection of dvds, that I would prefer to convert rather download stuff all over again.

tb

I loved the N7, mine has 32GB internal & plenty of storage after loaded with various apps, several ripped DVD's and videos to go, with about 10GB remaining. OTG usb dongle is cheap (get the Y splitter one so that it can stayed plugged in for usb charging with thumb drive or portable drive at the same time) for TPAC in case IFE isn't to one's liking.

It's ideal sized although I wouldn't mind the 8" factor or the Mini, Mrs. L has the iPad2 32G model already - "mine" is easy to take anywhere, even with a good protective cover (it is a must due to fragile digitizer/screen glass, prone to cracks if dropped.) One of these days, I'm going to add a BT keyboard for real good old touch typing, habits from the IBM Selectric days are hard to die ...)

N7, depending on installed apps, will playback most popular ripped dvd formats - I use the free MoboPlayer & MX Player & it'll play the ones coming off the iPad and the VLC Media Player format (i.e. YouTubes) - you should be able to play your ripped DVD's directly w/o conversion, saving lots of time in front of the laptop.

It might be 1/2 notch "weaker" vs. the iOS in terms of children or educational apps, but you will find plenty of freebies or at least trial runs before buying. Easily rooted, I am running latest 4.2.2 stock rom with a tweaked kernel - it's throttled back for longer standby & battery life w/o ruining performance, CPU is plenty. Riding the bus, subway or trains - I can hold it in one hand w/o getting tired easily. With no bloatware or extra junks, it seldom if ever freeze or get unresponsive requiring a reboot. Once Android 5.0 is out, it will be the first to get updated - I'm just waiting for Google to release its counterpart for the "Kill Switch" to disable & lock the device in case of theft or lost, already running security tracking on it.

Surely, you can get a generic Android device running 4.x in PEK cheaply for around $100 to $150 USD, but after sales support & software updates/apps could be a problem down the road - N7 will have you covered. Still priced at $250 for 32G, the price is a steal and for an extra $50, you get the 3G/HSPA model, factory unlocked for AT&T and other compatible network - good for many overseas destination network. The Mini is now running at $299 for the 16GB WiFi only model.

I would not waste your money on anything but Apple. Ipads are intuitive and easy to use - even a 3-yr old can get (not to mention 80-yr old grandparents! :)) Plus there are thousands of great free apps for kids.

Just purchased an iPad mini primarily for my kid (see running FT thread) - needless to say she was delighted with the form factor, even more so than with the iPad2 which she had previously used. Though my 6yr old likes the larger screen.

A bargain at $329 for the 16G model.

In this post: Summary followed by rant. Feel free to read one or the other.

Summary:
So we got back the Prestigio from the shop. Too much to fix, but they did a brilliant job of it and they seemed to be the only game in town. Now to find a good solid case (I've looked around, might do the Amazon thing tonight). Maybe it's me, but the screen even looks sharper. They may have installed it upside down, though. I don't remember what end the power button was on before. But that's a non-issue.

Anyway, as the discussion has seemingly expanded to include younger kids: More recommendations for Android apps for toddlers:
AlphaTots: Top marks, Barn the Younger (BtY) loves it. When the prestigio came back this was one of the first games to run. Pick a letter, learn the letter, play a little game. Next letter.
Kids Match'em: Good, simple game of match-the-pictures. Animals, cars, fuzzy monsters, food, other stuff? It took a few plays before BtY got the hang of it and you can see the short-term memory improving constantly. Ad-supported, but unobtrusive. No big problems with accidental clicking on ads. There's a paid version as well.
Kids Jigsaw Puzzles: Another popular game with BtY, farm puzzles with selectable difficulty, 2 to 16 pieces. Australian accent when names read out.
Kids Animal Piano: Ultimately, I don't really like this one. It's a piano with loads of animal sounds. But I'm including it because what I like is irrelevant, apparently. BtY loves it.
TallyTots: Same people who made AlphaTots, I actually haven't run this yet but saw it while making this list and went "oh yeah, I want to get that", but since I wiped the login data from the tablet before I RMA'd it, it's not linked to Play anymore and I can't remote install it on the Prestigio. I'll do that at lunch.

I would argue yes. Go out and get VLC and you should be set. I would think that the standard media player should do it as well, but it's VLC. It should work.

Now the Rant:
That is a completely subjective statement, because I would argue you'd be completely wasting your money to buy anything made by Apple, especially the "we're-never-going-to-make-a-small-tablet-oh-wait-yes-we-are-aren't-we-so-innovative" mini. Sure, you may consider it a bargain at $329, but you can also get a Nexus 7 16GB for $200 which has a much higher resolution screen than the ipad mini (216ppi vs 163ppi), and also has loads of games for kids, both paid and free. There is also some degree of suggestion that Apple charges more in China than in the US. IMO the Nexus 7 is outright better than the iPad mini with the possible exception of a rear-facing camera. And if you're buying this for a kid, do you need a rear-facing camera? Is a rear-facing camera worth $129 and a poorer screen and no customization?

Simple fact: There are child-specific launchers (Armando did a great video on Kido'z) that you can install on Android out of the box (no rooting required) that will allow you to set up what can be accessed by your child, restrict wifi, etc. You can not do this on iOS because Apple does not let you customize your experience and this is not negotiable. Maybe if you jailbreak? Maybe? Android is, on the contrary, built for customization.

Honestly, though, I don't use the kids launchers as there is no way for BtY to buy anything online (password not saved in the Play store) and I would prefer to let BtY get into a bit of a mess on the dedicated tablet, as that will teach more than a walled-garden "don't stray off the path" approach. That's why BtY has a tablet in the first place: to learn computing. And in advance of the inevitable anti-Android FUD: I do not believe for one second that a child could figure out enough to enable sideloading and go find a dodgy Russian app store somewhere so the odds of malware are effectively zero - the same as for an iPad.

I also reject the "intuitive and easy to use" argument outright, especially since android 4.0. BtY had no difficulty whatsoever learning how to use the Nexus, and then immediately adapted to the older (Android 4.0.1) Prestigio. Specifically things like the button for running tasks has moved across the screen and it was just "reach over, tap running tasks, swap to different game". No learning curve. Just did it and moved on. "Easy-to-use" is irrelevant when you have no experience at all about how to use a computer. Kids will pick it up naturally, I've got living proof at home.

So in the end, no. Especially for a child who has a greater chance of breaking the thing and no concept of how to use a computer anyway, buying Apple is a waste of money and, if you're thinking about the Nexus anyway, a waste of money for a less-capable product.

DJB, I'm glad that you managed to get the rant in, before me!

tb

For 2012, Nexus 7 sales: 4.6-4.8 million units. Apple iPad mini sales: 10 million units in Q4 alone, despite mid-Q launch! Enough said.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/19/ana...0m-ipad-minis/

I really don't want to turn this thread into anti-apple or anti-android one, but that just says that apple mini is more popular than a nexus 7 (one of many, many 7" android tablets). To infer from that, that android as an OS is less suitable than apple for children is bizarre in the extreme.

If I countered that more android 7" android tablets were sold than iPad minis, would you concede that android is far superior in every way? If so, then maybe I will take your non-sequitur a bit more seriously. But really, I don't think those statistics speak widely to the point of this thread.

tb

Thank YOU, trueblu, for getting to that one before me.

On the topic of the most suitable tablet for children:
I'm going to revise up my previous statements and say "definitely Nexus 7".

I had a chance to sit down and play with both last night at the same time, getting a few more apps on the Prestigio and sorting it out for its road test. Anyway, for how good a $100 tablet it is, it is no nexus and for an older kid I can see where it would be a let-down if you know the difference. The screen and sound alone are just... not there. BtY, however, is happy with it and will sit and play games on it. We were playing Alphatots last night for a while... good game. Tried out tallytots as well and it's equally good. I have to grab a TF card (apparently) and throw a few movies on there for the upcoming trip. Maybe a couple eps. of Shaun the Sheep. And ultimately, the Prestigio can run them, just not as nicely as the Nexus.

Au contraire, the topic was which tablet was best. Features have been discussed, and another data point is how many people voted with their money (Which is the most meaningful stat) for your product v. mine. I don't expect to convince you that mini is better. Really I could care less whether anyone else buys one. The whole point here is to share opinions. OP and anyone else can make up their own minds.

Why do you think BMWs sell so well? Or that Teslas are selling better than Volts? Is it marketing? Or the fact that people who have the means will pay more for a better product?

I have a very long, detailed post written up where I disassemble this fallacious and common Apple-vs-anything argument point by point, but I think that it would be pure flamebait to post (and I've done enough of that in this thread). So if we can agree that sales numbers are in no way a reliable metric by which to compare two products, then I think I can let it slide.

Better yet, get a used kindle fire from Cowboom (Best Buy's outlet) for $65. That's what I did. Works great!

First of all, the topic is "which tablet is better FOR A YOUNG CHILD." Not which tablet sells more or has stronger marketing moxie. And while $329 may be a bargain for some, it's not a bargain for everyone.

You've made your position known. At this point, it's just turning into another apple vs. android debate which is neither relevant to nor appropriate for this thread. Please just drop it.

Everyone who takes sides in the Apple vs. Android debate:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png

I, myself, use Android phone, but my wife is on iPhone. Last X'mas we were deciding between the iPad Mini and the Nexus 7 for our son. We ended up choosing the iPad Mini and didn't regard it. Here are some of the reasons for picking the iPad Mini:

1) iPad has better parental restrictions. When I install an app on my android, I could install any free app I want without asking me for a password. I thought there must be a setting to restrict it but I could not find it. It will only prompt for password if I need to pay for it.

2) iPad got more centralized app control. With Apple apps, you could control the setting in the General setting area. For example, if you want to turn off notifications for all those free games, you just have to go to one screen and turn them all off. With Play store app, you have to go each app to turn them off.

3) iMessage, Facetime, and Photostream on the iPad. It allows my son to communicate with all my relatives who owns iPhone, iPad, or Mac computers. My son chats with his cousins every weekend. When my family share pictures on Photostream, I have to go to his iPad or my wife's iPhone to see them because I have an Android.

4) iOS is much easier to use than Android out of the box. Android is not bad, but it really requires some user customizations.

The only problem with the iPad Mini is that once you get one for your kid, your wife wants one too. :( :)

Did somebody expire and leave you in charge? :D I knew there was a reason we haven't seen the mods since Tony Soprano passed.