Re: Tablet from Aldi

Those reviews were from a year ago about a previous model.
This tablet is new and carries a three year guarantee !
I have previously owned a Medion PC and laptop both bought from Aldi and both gave excellent service with no problems at all.
I do not rely on Realist's opinions or anyone else's for that matter, I am a big boy now and hold my own counsel.
The reason I have changed my mind is that I just don't want to go through the headache that comes with learning the ropes with a new computer...I think I must be getting old !

Re: Tablet from Aldi

Malcolm. I also thought that it was an interesting buy. But like yourself, I have 2 laptops of which one I recently bought. Also an iPad and a PC that does not get used much these days.
What attracted me to that was that you could attach external devices.
This is limited on the iPad unless you have the adapters. (Which I have)
I admit that the reviews did turn me off, even if they were a year old.
I can't see there being any changes if they are being discontinued.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

They are not being discontinued !
This is state of the art German technology with the latest Android™ 5.0, Lollipop OS
http://aldi.medion.com/md99282/ie/?refPage=aldi
Why would Aldi sell stuff that was suspect ?
What could they gain ?
Why do they offer a three year guarantee ?
Aldi always give money back on any purchase that a customer returns no questions asked.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

Just for something to do yesterday, I looked at this and downloaded the manual.

At 50 pages long, you didn't hit the interesting bit - like the gadget itself - till page 20!

The word for shutdown is in German, as are some of the apps. So I would avoid it.

I must be like Malcolm, wanting to get my hand on anything gadget like that's released.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

Different if people ask for opinions or advice but me, I'd buy it after a little research and say nothing. I know this is not the forum way but who wants their decisions picked to pieces?

Even the opinions of those who review items are only what they find. Plus it's their job to be precise about testing goods. I'd therefore take even professional reviews only as a guide. You and I might be quite happy with something that doesn't live up to the definition of being a good item according to tests.

It's like the reviews found on Amazon. Lots of good opinions about an item you might want to buy ...apart from those who more or less say, "What a load of rubbish!". There's always one.

As Realist says, just go into a purchase with eyes open (as I'm sure Malcolm did) and get what you fancy. Reliability and/or performance can go either way regardless of the opinions of others.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

Once again, the facts.

The MODEL you are looking at is quite categorically the Medion Lifetab S10346. That's the model it states in the specification you posted, that's the model referred to in all the reviews I posted.

I don't understand therefore why you keep saying it is a new model. If it were new it would have a different model number.

Back in Jan 2015 it shipped with Android 4.4 software. Today, since things have moved on, it ships with Android 5.0.

This is like me wiping my Laptop which had Windows 7 on it, Installing Windows 8 on it and saying, "look I have a new laptop" ! It is kidology.

To answer your questions:

"Why would Aldi sell stuff that was suspect ?"

Because there are numerous mugs out there who will just look at the glossy screen, low price and just go buy without any research. It is easy money. When the devices fail it's not Aldi's fault, they didn't make them. Same would apply if you bought an XBOX from Aldi and it failed. Not Aldi's fault though of course they might take a returned item from you.

"What could they gain ?"

Money. Business. Gets people into the stores so they can sell lots of other stuff.

"Why do they offer a three year guarantee ?"

Aldi don't. Medion the manufacturer is offering that warranty and the devil is in the detail. When the devices fail they clearly have people sending tablets back and forth for months as per the reviews.

Note also that ANY ELECTRICAL device sold in the UK absolutely MUST BY LAW have a 2 year guarantee. So even when you walk into Curry's and see that a device only has 1 year guarantee, they are lying and they are 100% bound by European law and MUST provide 2 year warranty. Not a lot of Sheeple know this of course.

"Aldi always give money back on any purchase that a customer returns no questions asked"

That's great if they do and I shall monitor with interest the reviews of these tablets post Christmas to hear what people say.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

I read the posts in this thread, and I shudder. Not because passing an opinion, here, can easily lead to being criticised, or because of a bicker beginning if it got any worse - not because of those, at all. That happens on all forums, sooner or later.

I shudder because I absolutely DREAD buying a new anything to do with DVD players/recorders, PCs, tablets, laptops and even simple external hard drives. I mean it, too - I'm paranoid beyond belief about faults in things. Since I was 16, I've actually bought 88 faulty electrical or electronic items...SERIOUSLY!

I want to buy a new desktop, for example.

This computer that I'm on, now, is the Medion Cybercom 1571. It's 12 years old. Inside the back, it has a dialup modem. At the front, it has a floppy ("A") drive. It has only 512 megs of RAM and it's the ancient EDO RAM, at that. The slowness is driving me bonkers, but...the spectre of faulty retail goods is always just there, in my sight, itching to match me up with a faulty item. Another factor is my 'houseboundness', which means that I pay people to pick things up for me, if somebody happens to be around to do so, but it's close to impossible to then find somebody to take it back when I discover the fault.

In fact, that's a good point to add: While talking to shop staff, these years, I always say, "When I find the faults that are in it, what are all of my options?" I'm a retailer's nightmare customer.

So, all those really exciting Christmas electronics that we see online, on TV or in magazines?...are lost to me. The retail world simply cannot cater to my paranoid, psychiatric needs and they should not have to, for the most part. I just live this way and try to take it philosophically.

However, know this...I envy all of you who can go out and all of you who get those exciting items and they end up working perfectly. I remember it to have been a really nice time.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

Join the club.
When I purchased an electronic item, I love it when asked by the sales staff. "Do you want extended warranty"?
I ask, "why would I want that, are you saying that this item is going to fail or break down"? That gets them.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

You're not paranoid to be worried about these things. There are specific reasons why this stuff fails.

One reason is that some years ago the laws were changed concerning the make-up of solder that was used to fix all the electrical components on circuit boards. The laws meant they couldn't use lead any more. Lead solder had been reliably used for years and years. Now you can't use it. As a result, EVERY electrical item is now prone to suffering "dry joints" i.e. bits of solder that crack and thus lose the electrical signal.

Another reason is that manufacturers deliberately build in faults so their products are recycled or to force people to move up to the next new model. They call it built in redundancy.

So we must vote with our feet. Just refuse to buy products from manufacturers who deliberately build in limited life spans. That means people like Apple. No iPhones, iPads, iPods for me thanks. Very happy without Apple in my life.

The other thing you do is research research research. Never buy anything electrical without scouring the forums for the views of real people who have had the product and / or who have dealt with the company. The "paid for" reviews by sites like PCAdvisor etc will get you so far but the truth is only found on consumer forums. Just do your research and then feel confident in buying. Keep spend minimal if you are over worried. Good Luck.

Re: Tablet from Aldi

I bought an Aldi tablet in August 2014. Last month it stopped charging up, so I took it back to Aldi and they refunded my money onto my card without even looking at the tablet.

I wanted a replacement quickly, so I bought an Amazon Kindle Fire for £50, only to see it reduced to £35 on Black Friday!

I suppose the point I am trying to make is that Aldi customer service is good, so I think it's worth buying the tablet if you fancy it.