Recommend a Tablet pc please

[cbrdave]

Many thanks to all, got plenty to think about, so far the cnm 7" tablet from Argos is doing quite well, from a full charge I used it for two hours, online and watching YouTube videos, left it on standby, used again the next day for emails and checking forum, again left it on standby then last night did same, used up to 92% of battery over 2 days from full charge, didn't think that was too bad, considering I have to charge phone daily.

 

[British Red]

Sounds just the job, have you tried it out and about yet?

 

[cbrdave]

Not yet red, got day off tomorrow so will take it out and see how it goes, will use phone as the WiFi hotspot and see what the usage is like.

 

[British Red]

Hope it works well. Of course only 4g is a decent speed but 3g is okay for forums and the like, just not video.

 

[Rich.H]

If you are patient you can save yourself a packet by buying from outside the UK, look on places like Banggood which tend to be US based sites that ship directly from China. Generally if you are buying something that retails here for £130ish then you will likely only pay around £90 from these sites outside the UK. Unless you are intending on spending more than £200 then you should avoid any import duty, in addition they all tend to offer free shipping. As far as being worried about scams go the larger sites are all genuine so you have no worries there, but if you make sure you buy with paypal through a credit card then you can easily recoup your money if you do run into any problems. My own experiences have been that they tend to be pretty good about everything except for p&p, for some reason they have an idea that a faulty product requires you to pay for shipping, which is where paypal comes in handy. But you can be sure you will get things of the same quality as Argos/Currys etc, afterall they probably all come out of the same factory anyway.

 

[Philster]

Another vote for the Hudl2 - amazing value for money and fast and slick!

 

[bilmo-p5]

I also have a Hudl2 and I like it, now that I'm getting used to the Android. Its battery doesn't last very long though.

 

[david1]

im using a linx8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Linx-inch-Tablet-storage-Windows/dp/B00O636WGI

 

[cbrdave]

Bit of an update, After using my cheepo tablet through my phone while fitting a bedroom my customer suggested an iPad, told him I couldn't afford one but was getting to a decision on a tablet, the customer said I could have his gen 3 one if I could disguise his gun cabinet in the downstairs coat cupboard with any of the leftovers, ended up using a panel as a door/false wall at back of cupboard with the coat hooks on it so you have no idea it is there, even screwed the shoe rack to it so everything moves with the door/wall, guy loved it and true to his word, gave me a bos with the iPad, had to buy a charger and reset it but it works fine and cost me an hours labour,
Just need to find some decent apps for my interests, 4x4, hunting,bushcraft.

Thanks to all who help me try and make my mind up, it came down to the hudl2 and a windows tablet in the end.

 

[British Red]

That's a great result, nothing better than a bit of barter

 

[cbrdave]

Yeah, an hours graft for a tablet, that will do nicely, trying to get used to the ipad and find some apps for what I want to use it for, not too tech savvy though so should be fun finding apps for green laning and bushcraft.

 

[dewi]

Hate to admit it as before I owned one I would slag them off something rotten, but iPads are fantastic.

Mine has been battered, recharged thousands of times and I use it for most of the day. I watch catch up TV on it, have a raft of digital films to watch, I listen to my politics programmes on both TV and radio while I'm cooking or cleaning up the kitchen, have the odd game on it that I bob into when bored. It acts as a recipe book, I can add pretty much any book to it to read, it had a nifty app that acts as an ordinance survey map of any area with GPS that finds me within 10ft. The list of uses is endless.

Had the cheaper tablets and they've either been rubbish on battery life or they've been complicated to use, but the iPad (mine is the mini one) is just the business. Couple it with an iPhone and a Bamboo Duo, you have some nifty portable kit.

 

[dewi]

Oh, the app... ViewRanger.... try it out. Brilliant for finding paths when out walking and far less cumbersome than carrying a few ordinance survey maps.

 

[ADz-1983]

Oh, the app... ViewRanger.... try it out. Brilliant for finding paths when out walking and far less cumbersome than carrying a few ordinance survey maps.

+1

ViewRannger is ace, especially when you download the OS map squares/sections or whole OS maps.

 

[dewi]

It is excellent for finding hidden pathways as well... I've found shortcuts and hidden pathways all over the village where I live, makes my walks a bit of an adventure now, especially locally.

Have you tried the member-submitted walks Adz?

 

[Chiseller]

I like my Samsung tab...... and prefer backcountry navigator to viewranger

 

[Chiseller]

That's a great result, nothing better than a bit of barter

Oh he'll yeah

 

[cbrdave]

Oh, the app... ViewRanger.... try it out. Brilliant for finding paths when out walking and far less cumbersome than carrying a few ordinance survey maps.

Thanks Dewi
Getting used to the iPad quickly, been tinkering around on it for over an hour and still 100%battery, going to have a look at view ranger in a min, will have to do some learning, haven't read a map or done orienteering of any type since school, just love to be outside though,
Drov out the other day to a local green lane, drove it end to end, stopping every now and then to fix a fence and take a pic of flowers and view, got to the end and went for a walk round a river, drove back the same route and ended up the top of some cliffs where I saw a peregrine at eye level, was stunned.

 

[Lizz]

iPads hold charge well - though a lot of video watching will eat up the power pretty fast. But it recharges fast too. It'd be perfect if not for the bloody share principle for email attachments and photos. That drives me slightly potty.

 

[cbrdave]

May have hit a snag, turns out iPad is locked to Vodafone,
I though I could get a payg EE sim in it and use it but it wouldn't accept, can I get it unlocked and use the payg sim or have I got to get a contract Vodafone sim?