End of story for me: I did get a cheap tablet.

[thetonestarr]

For those interested, here's the device RichardHutnik got:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12429602

though it's cheaper on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-SYNET7LP-7-Inch-Tablet-Black/dp/B004GKM60W


As for iPad vs Other Tablets, there's absolutely nothing that any type of iPad can do that one of the dozens of Android tablets out there can't do, but there ARE things that some Android tablets can do that iPads cannot.

For instance, how many iPads out there have removable storage? How many iPads have 128GB storage? How many first-party iPad keyboards are there?

If you want full-featured tablets, you're going to want to go with a high-end Android tablet. You'll pay about the same as an iPad, but you'll get more features.

But if you don't want those features and maybe instead want a larger community with a wider spectrum of third-party accessories, then iPad's for you.

But if you don't want to pay a billion dollars and are willing to sacrifice some relatively minor features (front camera, screen size, screen resolution, possibly a little power, or (on the ultra-cheap models), multitouch screen), then a cheaper Android tablet will be for you.