Recommend a Tablet pc please

[cbrdave]

Looking to replace the laptop with a decent tablet, Don't know enough about them to know what to choose, not too keen on ipads due to what seems to be excessive pricing, but may be convinced,
The needs I have are

Good battery life
Good camera
Wifi and 3g
Between 7-10 inches
Able to be used with some sort of tough case protection as will be used on site.
Being able to charge in the car if needed would a bonus.

Price range would be between £150-£250.
Thankyou in advance for any advice.

 

[British Red]

My suggestion is not to bother with 3g. Get a mifi unit that is 4g enabled. This is a little box that turns a 3g or better signal into a WiFi signal that any device can use. Then you can buy cheaper tablets and toss them when they go wrong. They are all pretty limited, including the iPads, but there are plenty around under £100, so, if the worst happens, you aren't much in the hole. We use Hudl, Kindle Fire and iPad. Not much between them tbh.

 

[cbrdave]

Thanks Red, will google the mifi in a sec, I got given a cheap £90 tablet from argos a while a go but haven't really bothered with it due to not being able to use it on site without a wifi signal, that mifi gadget sounds like the way to go.

 

[British Red]

It is very handy. Plus it works for your phone, your kids tablets in the car etc. Breaking the tie between getting data to the device and the device itself let's you be much more choosy.

 

[cbrdave]

Definitely sounds the way to go, i'd rather spend a little on one of those units and get a pay as you go sim and top up when needed, seems better than paying out a large wad on an ipad or similar with a sim and then having to top it up or pay a contract.
Thanks for the help Red

 

[bilmo-p5]

Thanks Red, will google the mifi in a sec, I got given a cheap £90 tablet from argos a while a go but haven't really bothered with it due to not being able to use it on site without a wifi signal, that mifi gadget sounds like the way to go.

Can't you use your phone as a portable wifi hotspot?

 

[British Red]

Very good point Ian. You can on most smart phones.

 

[cbrdave]

Didn't think of that, will have a fiddle and see if it can, hopefully I can link them without others piggy backing the WiFi,
Thanks bilmo(Ian)

 

[cbrdave]

Success, had a play with my htc, managed to find the hotspot widget and linked the cheap tablet, works great, it even allows a password so no one can piggy back the signal,

That will save a fair few quid,

Many thanks for all the advice my forum friends,
Much appreciated.

 

[British Red]

No worries, check if you have a data limiter app to avoid a hefty bill .

If you use it a lot, shop aroundfor the best data deal on a Sim (often, but not always, from three).

 

[cbrdave]

Thanks red, I have 1 GB of internet usage per month on my contract, it warns me when I get down to 150gb, will keep an eye on the usage and if its high I'll get it bumped up, locked into a contract til next April so will see how it goes,

Thanks again bud.

 

[ZEbbEDY]

windows tablets all the way, much better than android imo having had both

ive got linx7 but 10 inch has 2gb RAM and longer battery life
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O636WPY

cant get 30 quid cashback if you trade in any old working tablet

 

[cbrdave]

Thanks zeb, if this cheapo turns out to be naff then I'll take a look at the lynx.

 

[rik_uk3]

Your price range will limit you but a Hudl 2 at £129 is super value for money; I got one for my grandson xmas and the got one for me...some collect kit...I'm a bit of a tech geek (as in I have a Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3 but your budget won't stretch to them). Hudl 2 is a really sharp bit of kit for the dosh.

 

[ADz-1983]

I love Android OS but if you're wanting to replace a PC then you should get a Windows tablet like a Surface Pro. On the Pro you can install normal Windows apps. Don't get one of the older Surface tablets (Window RT) as you can only install/use the store apps. You will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 once it's released. In mean time install Classic Shell to get a decent start menu.

 

[cbrdave]

Thanks Rik & Adz, will keep both lots of advice in mind for my future purchase, this cheapo argos one turns out to be fairly good, will use it for a week or so and get an idea if its any good for what i need.

 

[Gaudette]

Bear in mind using your phone as a hotspot on a lot of contracts is classed as tethering for which there is an extra charge. Tethering isn't always included in your data usage and usually incurs an extra charge.I would suggest you check your contract first just to make sure. I believe that Three is the only network that offers free tethering it used to be unlimited but is now restricted to 2 gb on new contracts and ungrades. Worth checking!

 

[British Red]

Its free on EE

ABOUT TETHERING

Using your phone to connect a laptop or tablet to the internet is called tethering.
It's a bit like using mobile broadband, but instead of a dongle you connect your phone to a laptop or WiFi tablet using Bluetooth, a USB cable, or portable WiFi hotspot.
You can only tether on some 3G and 4G devices, such as Android phones and iPhones.

How much does tethering cost?

Tethering is included in your plan as part of your data allowance.


The plan you purchased will have a data allowance which you can use to access the internet on your phone, use apps on your phone or use your phone as a portable hotspot to tether.

 

[Old Bones]

Its at the top end of your budget (and perhaps a bit more), but I was talking to the laptop guys where I work (it was a quiet evening), and one of them liked the Lenovo Yogo 2 convertable

laptop things. They are touchscreen, so you can use them like a tablet, but switch them around and you have a keyboard as well. They tend to have a more powerful set of hardware than a tablet, but not as much weight and size as a full blown laptop. He wasn't keen on the 'convertable' things, where you can remove the keyboard - faffy, and because the main bit has to contain everything apart from the attached keyboard, the contects tend to be prone to breaking.

On the other hand, the smallest they come is about 11in, so perhaps a tablet would be better. The first thing we ask when a customer asks about a tablet is what smartphone your using? If you Android, then go with that, Apple, the same, etc. Using two different operating systems is a faff, and you'll find it much easier if you stick to the same OS - you just know where everything is.

Ipads are not cheap, but they sell very well for a reason - they are very very easy to use, and there is a lot of apps for them - they just work. Best thing to do is to into a proper shop and try one - if you dont get on with the OS, it will be apparent very quickly. tablets are meant to be easy - if its a pain to use, dont bother.

Have a look on Lifehackers Dealhacker of the day every so often - there are special deals that come up on tablets a lot, and this includes Argos's Ebay outlet, which can sell off returns etc relatively cheaply. But at the end of the day, the cost of a decent tablet reflects its capability.

 

[mountainm]

I second the Hudl2, probably the best value tablet out there.