Tablet question

[roamer]

Hi

I`ve never owned one, knowledge zero really.:whiteflag:

I don`t really want one but realise could come in handy from time to time.
I`d need one that is both wifi capable and also take a data SIM

It would not get a lot of use, prefer one as light as possible
7 or 8 " screen.
Unlocked to network as I`d travel with it.

Any suggestions please,am I better off buying one in UK or Thailand, have no idea?

Thanks.

:cheers:

[gonzo]

Get an iPad Air mate, before long you'll be using it more than your laptop as it's that much more convenient. Buy in the UK rather than Thailand.

[woodman2]

I got a Nexus 7 about 3 years ago. Wifi and 3G enabled. A great piece of kit for travelling and when I am trucking. Fits snug in my cargo pants pocket. Great build quality, high spec, 8 hour battery life and at £220 a bargain. Apparantly Google subsidised the price to get in on the market.

About 6 months ago the battery wouldnt charge. Before diving in and replacing the battery or charger I had a look online. Pages after pages of people having the same problem. The concensus from people who know a lot more about it than me was that the product had built in obsolescence.

That put me of getting the same brand again. This time I went for Samsung. Very happy with it. So far. As Gonzo says I rarely touch the laptop now even when at home.

[Frankie]

I bought an iPad2 a couple of years ago. I wasn’t sure if it would be used much so I didn’t bother going for something like the iPad Air. Before I bought the iPad2 I looked at reviews on-line, initially I thought that Apple were far too expensive and something less expensive would do the same job. Reviews on-line were critical of almost every Tablet but minimal regarding iPads, so I bought one. My theory was why pay £100 for something that’s crap then have to replace it with something superior and pay twice the price a few months later.

The iPad2 has been great and I really like it. As Gonzo says it can make a laptop redundant. Once this iPad2 packs in, I have had it now for 2 years and no problems, I will replace it with an iPad Air or whatever Apples top spec iPad will be then.

[Taltos]

What about something like Note 4 or a similar size phone?
I have an Ipad Mini and use it a lot more than my laptop and you cold use a keyboard with it.

What are you going to use it for and what programs do you have/want to use?

[ferocious]

I've only owned 1 tablet the ipad2 I bought over 4 years ago it's got 3G too although I just tether it with my phone when no wifi , great bit of kit and survived a fall down some stairs and several other drunken mishaps

[monkeyspanker]

Gave my ipad2 to the missus 10 year old, seemed the best thing for it.
I have the N7 as well, perfect size for travel, can do almost everything on it a laptop can do and the apps are easy to get free. One simple app and an cheap on the go (OTG) cable you can connect a memory stick to it for easy expansion and file swapping. Can do wireless printing.
Only thing with it is its not supported in Thailand so a Samsung tablet will probably serve you better. ( screen cannot be replaced in Thailand unless mega money)

[bazzap]

I remember years ago when Andy Pen mentioned his missus had one of the first Samsung 7" tablets. That tweaked my interest. When Reg showed me his Ipad and what it could do in the resto at the Pacific Breeze, I knew I had to get one.


I am not an Apple person, so about 3 1/2 years ago,I bought an Acer 10" tablet simply coz it was Android, had wifi, a sim card slot and a real USB port. It was Ok and I still have it.


However it was made near redundant once I bought my Samsung Note 2 which does everything I need in a portable mobile device and with its 5 1/2" screen, I can see everything easily. My later model Samsung A7 phone is even better. Lighter faster, better camera and 4G. Use them both for just about everything. Like every one these days, these smart phones have become a near necessity to me.


None of the above can replace my laptops though. Larger screen, larger hard drives where I can store all my photos and it has a mouse!! And best of all it has the right software. Word, Excel, internet browsers, photo editing and many others. Yes they can be done on a tablet but a laptop is far easier to me.


Right now I am typing this on my old Dell 11" laptop with its 512meg ram, 30g hard drive and Windows 7 OS. Works like a charm though the keys are getting a bit sticky. Might upgrade it soon to its modern equivalent.


For me, the perfect combo is my desktop computer at home with large screen and printer/scanner, my laptop for traveling around and my smartphones for everyday mobile use. I have one of each in Australia & Thailand so carry next to nothing now when traveling between both countries. :yay:


I will still keep my tablet as it is worth next to nothing now. Will take it back to Pattaya with me. Still handy to have around to use for browsing the net around home. Will set it up next to my desktop with the VPN and watch my Australian horse racing on it. I tested it here in Oz for that and it works perfectly.


Sorry Paul as I know I have not been much help regarding your initial enquiry. Only relating my experiences.



:cheers:

[bazzap]

And a question for Reg.

Do you use your Ipad2 much since you got your Iphone 6 with the big screen?

[ferocious]

And a question for Reg.

Do you use your Ipad2 much since you got your Iphone 6 with the big screen?

Not as much but I use the iPad mainly for streaming my TV into my Apple TV now ..! never use my laptop now can't even stream my TV on it now as its on XP so bought a refurbished netbook for £45 on eBay which uses windows 7 and can stream my satellite channels while working away

[Taltos]

If you need a keyboard, you cold use something like this
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/07/30/jorno-folding-bluetooth-keyboard-review/

Added this
http://www.trustedreviews.com/best-tablets_round-up

[roamer]

Hi

Thanks for the various answers.

What about something like Note 4 or a similar size phone?
I have an Ipad Mini and use it a lot more than my laptop and you cold use a keyboard with it.

What are you going to use it for and what programs do you have/want to use?

It would mostly be used to look for information that I might need when travelling, so coach/train timetables etc.
Maybe things like restaurant reviews.

A taxi app would be handy.

I`d also use it( and there are mobile apps available ) for a couple of trading sites I use just if I should happen to want to quickly check something whilst out.

Perhaps also use it for reading ( e books )

There`s been some occasions when I`ve been out and stuck for a little information.

I think a smart phone would possibly be too difficult on my eyes so really looking for minimum 7" screen, 8 " would be better.

I`ve glanced at the review site you posted, will look closer at that.

:cheers:

[Frankie]

I might as well add that Apple has a way of sucking you in. I first got an Apple iPhone for no particular reason other than that it seemed the best option at the time (never buy mobiles always upgrade through the network supplier). Once you become familiar with the iPhone and are happy with it then why bother changing plus they store your contacts, there’s iTunes, Cloud and probably a load of other things I am probably unaware of.

So it makes sense to continue with Apple products as they overlap with each other, I would imagine Samsung are the same and once you start down either path you may as well continue.

With regards to screen sizes I just got an iPhone5s this week that has a bigger screen than the previous iPhone4s but the difference is minimal I would imagine it’s the same between the iPhone5s and iPhone6. I did consider buying an iPad Mini and went into PC World to compare it with an iPad but it was far too small for my liking.

Usually these types of threads develop into a slagging match between Apple and Android but for me I am happy with Apple and intend to stick with them.

[Taltos]

I have been looking at Note 3 or 4 with a "5.7 screen and have a Kindle with "6, Samsung clone with "7, Ipad Mini with "8.3, laptops with "9 and "12 and no matter what, I have to use my glasses almost every time. Just a fact of life at our age.
I have friend who uses his Note 3 as a E-reader.

One thing about Apple is that their apps are better regarding size, i.e they scale perfectly up from Iphone to Ipad.

Last time in LOS I was looking at this http://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=Asus%20Fonepad%207%20FE171CG%20%28Black%29 but decided against it as I thought I would not use it back home.