Tablet / Netbook - help please (1 Viewer)

Minxy

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I love my laptop (using it now! :Smile: ) but it is obviously quite large being a 17" model, and although I have internet on my phone the screen is small and it is slow, so I hardly ever bother to use it for that, emails etc. I am therefore thinking of getting a tablet PC to tote around with me on a 'day to day' basis, when I'm out in the UK, and for surfing when abroad using free wifi rather than roaming, unless I could get cheap internet access (ie foreign sim, tethering etc). We used to have an HP 10" netbook but sold that when I got the laptop as it hardly got used then and was still fairly bulky to carry around anyway.

So, can anyone recommend a good not too expensive tablet of some sort - either new or second hand which would do what I want? Or alternatively a good netbook? ::bigsmile:
 
Feb 27, 2011
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I am in exactly the same situation.

I am looking at either a Blackberry Playbook which is probably not for everyone. Or the new Google/Asus Nexus 7 which has received rave reviews everywhere.

I am also looking at the new Asus Transformer 700T.

With the combination of the two I could use the little tab for day to day stuff and boot up the large one when back at the van. The battery charge on the transformer with keyboard is untouched by any other device I have seen.
 
Mar 22, 2011
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I have a Blackberry Playbook. Its a neat tablet. I bought it for £160, so it was a bargain. A couple of issues with it, especially for travelling. Its doesn't have Skype and the battery life is pretty poor. Maybe 6hrs max, important if your using it away from a power source.

On the plus side the screen quality is excellent and by using a small app from apple, I've managed to get a selection of my iTunes music loaded.

If you can still get it for £160, its certainly worth a look at.

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GJH

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I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in May which I find very easy to use. Jill was so impressed that 3 days later she bought one to replace here Storage Options Scroll. We find that a 7 inch screen is perfectly adequate and less bulky to carry about than the 10 inch models - but each to their own.

Having been used to proper keyboards for 40 odd years I find editing of text a bit awkward with a touch screen keyboard but otherwise no problems. I still take the netbook on my travels and use a laptop (as now) at home as well as the Galaxy but to an extent that is because I need to use software running on Windows, not Android.
 
Mar 22, 2011
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Google are releasing this next week:

Nexus 7

Dimensions (in)7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41
Weight (lb) 0.75
Display size (in) 7
Display resolution 1,280 x 800
Pixels per inch 220
Front camera Yes
Rear camera No
Battery life Eight hours
Price £159-£199
 

hilldweller

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From Aug 2007
So, can anyone recommend a good not too expensive tablet of some sort - either new or second hand which would do what I want? Or alternatively a good netbook? ::bigsmile:

We did this to death a couple of weeks ago. Someone bought an Android 4 tablet off ebay pretty cheaply. Find the thread and ask how they are getting on with it.

Nexus 7 has a cracking price/spec, though more expensive than the 10" Chinese tablet above.

Your first decision is 7" 8" or 10", similar performance but do you want one that might fit a pocket.

For browsing, the ease of a tablet is pretty amazing. For typing not as good as a keyboard. You can get bluetooth keyboards tablets for serious typing.

Tablets do not have much storage so a laptop/netbook is still needed if you want to back up your travel pics.

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Terry

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We did this to death a couple of weeks ago. Someone bought an Android 4 tablet off ebay pretty cheaply. Find the thread and ask how they are getting on with it.

Nexus 7 has a cracking price/spec, though more expensive than the 10" Chinese tablet above.

Your first decision is 7" 8" or 10", similar performance but do you want one that might fit a pocket.

For browsing, the ease of a tablet is pretty amazing. For typing not as good as a keyboard. You can get bluetooth keyboards tablets for serious typing.

Tablets do not have much storage so a laptop/netbook is still needed if you want to back up your travel pics.

Hi Brian twas me that bought the Chinese tablet ::bigsmile:--IT WAS £180 which is dearer than the Nexus £169,which was /would have been top of the list :thumb: but the Nexus is only 7 ins and the Chinese was 10 ins so Chinese it was :thumb:
I have very little knowledge on tablets and nothing to compare it with until I get to see my mate who has bought a Samsung 10ins tab which again was on short-list :thumb:
As to the Ampe it flies but does keep coming up with Browser not responding and asking if you want to shut it down or wait-I press wait and almost immediately the page comes up --I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS DOWN TO THE TAB OR NETWORK ???? Also when I am on the net I can only find the back button in the bottom left cnr - is there a way of going forward to a page recently visited ? If I ever learn how to drive the thing I think it will be OK certainly my grandson (age 6) loves the games which came with it :thumb:In the couple of hours playing my highest score on one game was 12,000 which I thought was good but he proceeded to trounce this by scoring 68,000 and seemed to be looking around picking his nose etc, in general making it look easy :winky::Sad::Doh: Guess I need more practice ::bigsmile: Btw It runs as smooth as silk on games etc-just the browsing that it stutters on :thumb:
terry
 

hilldweller

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Hi Brian twas me that bought the Chinese tablet ::bigsmile:

Btw It runs as smooth as silk on games etc-just the browsing that it stutters on :thumb:
terry

It was over a week ago and I've done mud since then, no chance of me remembering.

Is it all sites ?
Does a laptop on the same WiFi do the same ?

FUN in particular is very hit and miss, it regularly goes to sleep and needs a nudge to load a page, Firefox waits but the tablet might be less patient and give you an error message.
 

Terry

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Hi Brian I have tried it on the new myfi thingy and my home wifi and it does the same on both.It sometimes loads instantly and slides along effortlessly (pretty slick) then it struggles on both Fun and ebay -not all the time -but annoying all the same -will have to see my mate and see how his Samsung gets on :thumb:I will take mine down to his and do a direct comparison :thumb:--I have found how to bookmark sites but no IDEA where to find the book marks :ROFLMAO::winky:
terry

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hilldweller

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Hi Brian I have tried it on the new myfi thingy and my home wifi and it does the same on both.
terry

That more or less homes in on the tablet.

I wonder if you have anything "phoning home" ? Given half a chance it will be sending all sorts to Google.

Go into settings ( maybe in your apps page ).

Accounts and Sync - I've got everything turned off. Thought this might not suit you.

Look in settings for anything that might be running that you do not need.

Look for Task Manager and see what is running.
 

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