How on earth does one choose a tablet?

googler

A 3G iPad would appear to do what you want and need. EE/Orange do/did a Sim card deal where you paid only for data usage, as you use it. 5p per 100Mb, I think. Don't use the data, don't pay.

If you're near WiFi, you can easily switch the 3G off to save on usage

The whole idea of the tablet, though, is not to have the faff with keyboards, and hence it's an on-screen touch keyboard. I feel that after you've faffed about juggling two devices on your lap, have had to carry both a number of times, etc. that you'll drop the external one and just use the on-screen.

bundly

googler wrote: »

I feel that after you've faffed about juggling two devices on your lap, have had to carry both a number of times, etc. that you'll drop the external one and just use the on-screen.

Thanks Googler for these tips. My idea is to use the tablet on its own while travelling and only get the small keyboard out of my suitcase when in a hotel or at a friend's house etc, where I have a proper table or desk to work at and write long emails etc.

schrodie

How much you want to spend notwithstanding I would suggest 2 tablets viz. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or if you can wait a bit longer the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 or the iPad but given that Apple has now brought the dreadful iOS7 "upgrade" which looks like a primary school design project as far as the UI is concerned and is very buggy (which you would expect) I'd concentrate on the former of the two tablets unless you can get a new iPad running on iOS6.

bundly

Thanks Schrodie. I am happy to wait as I am not going to need it till after Xmas. (I can use my laptop till then!)

bundly

I have another question. As most of these tablets are wifi and have no 3G, would it not give me a bigger choice if I buy one with wifi and then use a dongle?

JJ_Egan

bundly wrote: »

Thanks Schrodie. I am happy to wait as I am not going to need it till after Xmas. (I can use my laptop till then!)

Keep an eye out Samsung dropped the price of the Note 10;1 and had a £50 cashback offer in the run up to last Christmas .


Factor in the cost of a dongle if you are going down that route
jje

prowla

As far as tablets go, you can have an iPad, or something else.

iPads all have WiFi access which allows you to connect to your home internet and "public cloud" WifFi networks which you have access to (many pubs/restauranst/coffe shops/libraries have free connections), and also are available with the option of putting a mobile phone network data SIM in them, to allow Internet access whilst out and about.

I've never got on with netbooks, but they should be considerably cheaper than an iPad.

Humphrey10

bundly wrote: »

"If you really really need a keyboard then you might like to look at the Microsoft Surface tablets "

They don't have 3G.

You are correct - they don't, I didn't know that. How odd that they don't have 3G! See what they annouce on Monday, maybe the next version will have 3G.

Humphrey10

schrodie wrote: »

the iPad but given that Apple has now brought the dreadful iOS7 "upgrade" which looks like a primary school design project as far as the UI is concerned and is very buggy

It's strange - every review I've read has said "love the new design! Much nicer looking, gets rid of all the nonsensical skeuomorphism". I don't think your view is shared by the majority.

Monkeysees

Have you thought about getting a new phone too. or maybe yours does it. I have an android phone and using that to connect my tablet is so easy. When I need it I hit one button. Most of the time I don't use it. android has it built in. Then any tablet will do, with only one phone contract to pay for.