Tech: Buying a tablet advice

Subject: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 04:13 AM

I am going to buy a tablet. I am not very up to date on technology so I would appreciate some help . I want it mostly for music and access to you tube. Also want to be able to download and listen to podcasts.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 04:31 AM

I've had a couple of Kindle Fire tablets. They've been OK, but sometimes a bit sluggish. Nonethless, I've used them to store things I've wanted to read (especially magazines in pdf format), and lyrics. They're great for maps, and for watching movies. Oh, and as alarm clocks, they're amazing.


My sister is unable to talk, so she types what she wants on her iPad, hits "enter," and it speaks for her in a male or female voice, with or without a British accent.

My stepson is a pilot, and uses an iPad for navigation.

But I'm hoping to get something better and don't want to buy into all that iApple stuff, so I ordered a Samsung Galaxy Tab A. Hope it's my dream tablet.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 04:34 AM

Once you've got a tablet you are liable tp find you use it for all kinds of things you hadn't imagined. For example, controlling your television, taking pictures of the price tags and details of something you are thinking you might buy, watching catch-up TV, checking spellings of words without getting up and hunting for a dictionary.. And of course posting here.

So don't limit yourself in advance.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 04:51 AM

I have two, a Google Nexus 7, and a Tesco HUDL 2. I can't recommend either, the first because of charging issues, and the second because they have stopped making them and they are now fetching silly prices on the second hand market. If you are in the UK (or maybe Germany or Australia) keep an eye out for the next ALDI Medion offer. All Android of course. My wife has an iPad, nice but very expensive.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 05:32 AM

iPads are great, only down side really is that storage space is limited, and you can't expand memory, and no USB port. Expensive, but worth it. There may be other tablets out there which are as good, new ones keep coming out which sound great.

I've got a Hudl too, but it feels very slow and clunky after an iPad - but it's conveniently small. But mine is very demanding of a good wifi signal. Won't work in rooms away from router in my house - but that's not really a problem since it's alright in hotspots, which is where I'm likely to use it. But I wouldn't buy another without checking that point.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 05:53 AM

No USB port , could you explain that for me ? What limitations are a result of on USB port. Also, can I download music from computer to an I pad?

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 06:15 AM

"No USB port , could you explain that for me ?"

A USB port is, essentially, a sort of socket which you use for attaching other devices to your tablet. For example, memory sticks can be plugged into USB ports and used for storing files on. In addition, you can buy wireless keyboards and mice - but they come with little WiFi 'dongles' which you need to plug into a USB port. Digital cameras can also, theoretically, be attached via a USB port - although photo files might be a bit big for a tablet. Lots of devices and gadgets come with USB connectors, these days, but you need a port to plug them into.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 06:17 AM

Thank you. Now I see.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 09:25 AM

You say you want it for music? Tablet speakers are very small, and range in quality from poor to sucky. Plan on getting a pair of headphones and (if you don't want to be tethered to the tablet) make sure the tablet has 'bluetooth' capacity and you get bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth is a short-range transmission (ie, radio) system. Good headphones, especially with bluetooth, can be pricey. There are also both bluetooth and wired speakers designed for tablets.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 10:01 AM

You might like to look at Microsoft's 'Surface' line of tablets, HiLo. They run Windows 10 and they all come with a USB port. The most basic model is the Surface 3 which came out about a year ago. Then there is the 'Surface Pro' line - which are tablets with the capabilities of 'full-fat' computers. I believe that the Surface Pro 3 line is still available - although probably not for much longer as the SP 4 came out in the US last month and in the UK this month. I should explain that the SP 3/SP 4 models are available in different variants graded according to how powerful they are (more powerful = more expensive). The basic models are probably perfectly adequate for the sorts of things that most of us do day-to-day (web browsing, e-mails, documents and probably music files). I'm not sure, without checking, how they stack up cost-wise with i-pads etc.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 10:17 AM

iPads (and all apple devices) have Airplay, which allows you to send sound, video, etc to a device connected apple tv or smart tv--not sure its compatible with similar devices

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 10:49 AM

I don't have WiFi problems with my HUDL, its better than the Nexus to be honest. I have a pair of bluetooth headphones, £19.99 from ALDI, that work really well with both tablets.

The HUDL is fast enough to play Vega Conflict, which the Nexus wasn't. That drains its battery quite rapidly though. I don't have anything else as demanding as that, probably everything else is limited by WiFi speed.

My problem with iPAD is it seems to be compatible with other devices as long as they are Apple ones. And I don't like Windows of any variety, so I havn't even looked at Surface.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 12:33 PM

iPads are well designed and built, reliable, secure, and easy to use. But expensive, limited in what they can do (though they'll do what you want) and largely incompatible with non-Apple devices. If you get one you may end up buying other Apple stuff. (My wife has two ipads ... and an Apple TV.)

Android tablets vary enormously from very cheap to as expensive as iPads. Unlike iPads they vary in features too. Androids are more flexible and capable than iPads, but as a result are more complicated to use. They are easier to connect to other computers and devices than iPads - though it's not always simple to do so. I have an early Nexus 7 which is very good. (Nexus are Google's 'flagship' brand - the Nexus 9 is current.) Reputable manufacturers include Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, Sony, etc.

I agree that Microsoft's 'surface' or 'surface pro' are worth considering. Transferring stuff from a Windows computer will be easier than the others. I don't have one, though I might get a surface pro if my 10 year old laptop fails.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 02:47 PM

It's a bit misleading to say that iPad has no USB port, although it's true. Most of the Apple devices, iPad included, have ports that will take a USB adapter, with an Apple connector on one end and USB on the other. But I can't say much. I paid for the iPad in our house, but I rarely see it. I will say that it has a "coolness factor" that's about a thousand percent over my clunky Kindle Fire.
And when I go into Apple stores, I'm overwhelmed by "coolness factor." Those little gadgets really look terrific.
-Joe-

Added later, now that The Stepson is awake: My stepson's iPad Mini 2 has a "fire" port. It looks almost like a micro USB connector, and it connects to a cable with a normal-sized USB connector on the other end. It looks much sturdier than the micro USB connectors I have on my phone and Kindle, and I've had connection/charging problems with those micro USB ports. Maybe that's why the iPad has a different style of port.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 03:16 PM

iPad Mini 2s are reduced in price now and are just brilliant. If you can push the boat out a little and get the 32GB one, rather than the 16GB, so much the better. They have the amazingly good retina display screen, great cameras front and back, access to the best apps and you can FaceTime people who have iPhones, iPads or Macs.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,CupOfTea, no cookies
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 03:26 PM

When you say you want it for music, how do you mean that?

listening to recorded music as MP3 files you have?
watching music on YouTube?
access to online radio broadcasts?
storage of sheet music or lyrics?
all or part of the above?
recording music or video?
something I haven't even considered?

This summer I became happy owner of a beat up, used, but still mostly functional iPad with a majorly outdated OS (5.1.1) and no camera, and no ability to sync with my computer for my iTunes files that I use on desk top and sync with an even older iPod. Even with it's limitations, I cherish it.

What I wanted it for was storage of music and songbooks. I have them in a couple ways - PDFs of books and a wonderful app called "The Craic" - which was the only tool available in an early version for this old iPad to function as a holder of tunes in ABC format, that can play them back, vary speed and edit them. Very useful for playing along learning new tunes, or finding out what the dots sound like if you can't sight read to speed.

I found myself doing most of my email on it, using it for web browsing, and for taking along to meetings for notes. I do not have a smartphone, and some of the things people will do with that you can do with a newer iPad. I love it, and if I could afford a newer one, I would get that rather than a smartphone.


Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 05:37 PM

For the last several weeks, Amazon has had its 7-inch Kindle Fire on sale for fifty bucks. If you don't have money for a bigger, faster tablet, this one will do a lot for you at a very good price.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 06:35 PM

True, you can connect an ipad to a computer USB port, for syncing the contents, or backing up the ipad, but you can't move individual files back and forth with it as a kind of external hard drive, which is a bit of a pain, which is what people mean when they lament the lack of a USB link, which would mean a USB at both ends. And you can't access the files you have backed up, they are just there for restoring the ipad if you need to.

The ipad is a brilliant machine, and I wouldn't be without it, but it's designed in ways to push you to buy stuff from apple and rely on apple for everything. I've never bought anything from apple apart from the ipad, and that works out all right, but you're constantly at odds with the machine in some ways.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 07:02 PM

Thank you all do much for the advice and info. It really has been a great help. Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 08:19 PM

Kindle Fire is very cheap and useful for the needs you have explained.

I dispise Microsoft and hate Apple ... in any other context they could be prosecuted as extortionists.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

The lack of an EASY access to reveal source and codes in modern architecure will not be something you would fret about.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: EBarnacle
Date: 25 Nov 15 - 08:51 PM

Rather than either iPad or Kindle, consider Nook, made by Samsung and able to deal with most other systems in addition to being a very good reader. I am prejudiced because I was given a Kindle Paperwhite, which is locked into Amazon to provide readable content. Amazopn, of course is as much an evil empire as the others.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 02:01 AM

I have a couple of older ipads, one I use for song lyrics on stage, & the other I use to check email when away from home. As a tablet for music I would stay away from anything Apple, the whole system for loading ANYTHING onto your ipad is so proprietary(sp) I gave up a long time ago. Much better with a Samsung or Kindle tablet & just drag & drop anything/everything from your desktop computer. Make sure you get something which takes an SD card, for extra storage. Good Luck.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 03:49 AM

Madame got an iPad in our establishment when her laptop motherboard gave up the ghost. She uses it mainly for email and for storing photos sent to her by friends and family. She also has the BBC iPlayer app and similar for watching TV programs in quiet mode with earphones.

I use it now and then for two excellent music apps - iRealPro and Capo. iRealPro allows you to access a database of tunes and play along with the chords displayed on screen, at various tempos, in any key, in various styles and with rhythm accompaniment - a very sophisticated and useful program for practicing. Recommended to me by guitarist Chris Newman who used to practice daily.

Capo is also an excellent program which allows you to import a tune into the app and have it analysed for chords. It's very good - just the odd harmonic quirk here and there - but good for revealing chords for more complex tunes.

As for importing tunes - my iTunes library is in iCloud and the iPad is synched to iCloud as well. The tunes required are simply downloaded from iCloud to the iPad.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 03:50 AM

guitarist Chris Newman who used to practice daily.

should read: guitarist Chris Newman who uses it to practice daily.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 04:38 AM

As the posts here illustrate, if you buy into the Apple world - iPad, iPhone, iMac, iTunes, iCloud - it all works seamlessly. Depart from that - hold your music on a non-apple shared disk drive, say, which Microsoft (and Linux) can do easily, and Android can do with a bit of fiddling, and you may hit a brick wall. I speak from experience here - it's why I bought my Nexus 7.

Android tablets are not like iPads, which are all similar. There is a huge variety. The best are higher-spec than iPads. The worst are junk.

The Hudl has been mentioned. It was a cheap Android tablet customised by the UK Tesco supermarket. It was bought by many people as their first tablet, or for their children, and has become a de-facto standard here against which others are compared. Apart from its low price and pretty good spec its best feature was that it was not much modified by Tesco - it was very like a Nexus. Such tablets are often called 'vanilla Android'. If you're not sure whether you'll get on with Android an own-brand one promoted by a big store might be a good bet.

Most big makers of Android tablets - Samsung is the biggest - customise the basic Android system as seen on a Nexus, adding their own apps (programs) to match their target audience. The important thing is that these manufacturers will update the software (for a while) - though not as quickly or for as long as a Nexus.

You can buy Chinese Android tablets amazingly cheap. If they work at all they'll be fine to get the hang of Android but they will never be updated - and they may contain malware.

The Kindle Fire is not technically an Android tablet - that appellation is reserved by Google for brands that license their software - but it's built on the same android software. It's even more heavily customised by Amazon. I've never seen one, but I assume is works similarly to a proper Android tablet.

Any of these will do all or most of what you want, and most will be a lot cheaper than iPad.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 08:16 PM

Tried to post a longer message here last night but ironically my Hudl 2 ran out of power just before I submitted! Been happy with the Hudl2 good screen and fast response though it takes longer to turn on since recent android update. Recommended if you can stii get one but a bit heavy. My other half finds it too awkward to hold

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Zhenya
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 12:25 AM

I've been happy with my iPad. My number one use is for music. I use iTunes on a Windows computer and that's worked out fine for syncing music to the iPad. I've used a Bluetooth speaker in the past with this iPad, and currently use a Sonos speaker system with the iPad. Both have worked fine for listening to music. I also use a music practice program on the iPad. I use the iPad to watch YouTube videos as well.

There are apps that you can use to listen to podcasts and even a USB app that will work with some but not all programs to transfer files back and forth to a computer. Recently, on Amazon, I came across a new product - a wireless flash drive to use with Apple devices without USB ports. This could be used as an external hard drive for storage or to transfer files between the iPad and other devices. I don't know how well this works though.

Example of a wireless flash drive for iPad use

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: John J
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 12:43 PM

As Joe G menioned above, Hudl2 is good but has slowed down since the recent update. Otherwise I'm more than pleased with mine.

I bought one for the Mrs JJ too, she's very happy with it.

Only problems I've encountered are battery life if it's hammered, and low memory.

Apparently memory is expandable with a memory card but you need to frig around with the thing to get it to be recognised.

Teenagers manage to do such things with ease.....I'm just bit beyond being teenage!

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 01:47 PM

Thank you all so much, I am very thankful for your advice.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 06:42 PM

The cost is low.

Secure, and use anything. Just do it. (paralyisus through analysius) sic

The world is rapidly moving from G-4 to a G-5 system.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

cheap speaker connections via Chrome or Roku abound.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 08:01 PM

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 08:12 PM

This offer is so outrageously cheap...I suggest you go on-line...and button up your overcoat.

Raspberry Pi

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

5.00 usd...look for the catch...but I see none yet.....source Financial Times of London - Black Friday

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 08:44 PM

I don't really think so, gargoyle. Unless guest hilo is a great deal more geared to technology than I am, which wouldn't be too hard. But I agree with "just do it".

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: EBarnacle
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 10:59 PM

There is a catch, Garg. The Pi computers are very minimal devices which can generally only do one or two simple operations, such as being light switches or operating cameras. In general, they are best adapted to being used as teaching devices.
Having sat in seminars about them, I would say their biggest selling point is that they have a large "cool" factor. For example, the radio control panel on a multichannel analog model airplane or drone unit is much more flexible when installed, even if it is more expensive.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 02:08 AM

Fire, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB upgradeable to 128G, two cameras

34.99 Amazon ships December 19

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

no instructions but it is highly intuitive

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 02:08 AM

Fire, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB upgradeable to 128G, two cameras

34.99 Amazon ships December 19

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

no instructions but it is highly intuitive

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: mg
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 12:42 PM

Yeah..i say go with the cbeap google fire. I just got one. Works great...might not hold a charge too long...

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 01:26 PM

Worth googling if those cheap amazon fire's can be easily and safely hacked back to a more standard android ???

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 03:52 PM

Raspberry Pi is a nice machine, and can do lots of things in the right hands. It can run at least two flavours of Linux and RISCOS. But it is as removed from a tablet as its possible to be. I have no doubt that its possible to interface a touch screen to one, and people have probably done so, but as advertised its a computer to which you need to interface all of your own peripherals, including I/O devices such as keyboards, screens and mice.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 04:52 PM

Oooh, interesting question, punkfolkrocker. My Google Search turned up all sorts of interesting ideas. I happen to have an old Fire I can try to hack...

My Galaxy Tab A arrived yesterday. Took a while to download apps, but it's working very well. And it's very fast. It's more-or-less like a Samsung Galaxy phone, with a 10-inch screen, that doesn't make calls. Everything about it works well.

Since this tablet uses WiFi, I wondered how I can access maps when I'm out of WiFi range. For that matter, I really needed a map on my cell phone when I was lost in the wilderness south of Mount Rainier last month and out of cell phone range. So, Google Maps tells me I can save a map before going into the wilderness, and then I'll be all set. Here's how (click). The general idea is that you view the map ahead of time when you're someplace safe and warm, and then you go to the menu and choose "save offline map."
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 05:07 PM

XDA Developers Forum is the place to look for tablet hacks:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/amazon-fire

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 05:13 PM

maps.me is good for offline maps.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 28 Nov 15 - 08:02 PM

Just bought and am now returning an iPad Mini. Had great hopes for it, but it is incompatible with my MacBook. It may seem unbelievable that an Apple device is incompatible with another Apple device, but it seems to be the case-I spent nearly two hours on the phone with Apple support, and they couldn't help.

The issue is that my MacBook runs system 10.6.8 because I have, and use a number of music programs that don't run on any later OS. The Mini doesn't even show up on the desktop when I connect it and I can't transfer files from one device to the other. And no, I am not installing a second operation system on the laptop, or any of the other work-arounds because it's not worth the extra trouble.

Also, it is not as quick as my iPhone, and the apps(particularly the third party ones) are slightly different, which is a pain.

Subject: RE: Tech: Buying a tablet advice
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 29 Nov 15 - 03:51 AM

GUEST,Stim wrote: Just bought and am now returning an iPad Mini. Had great hopes for it, but it is incompatible with my MacBook

You also need to be very careful when letting iOS (the operating system on iPads and iPhones) update to a new version if you are relying on connectivity to old devices. In this case Apple have not updated iTunes on OS X 10.6.8. So don't update anything to iOS 9.