Tablets / Ipads...I don't get them?

[vogie]

On 4/26/2020 at 9:54 AM, stouricks said:

Or get a notebook with a removeable screen/tablet like a Lenovo Yoga.

Have got the Lenova Yoga 10.1 Tablet, anybody with poor hearing this is perfect, it has 4 speakers and Dolby, has improved my enjoyment of Movies etc, clearer than my tv and I have a sound bar.

[Kenny202]

Apparently the high end ones have useable Microsoft office, keyboard etc...but then again they are more expensive than a normal notebook or even a Mackbook. Why would you? As a tablet I find them too heavy too hold in one hand unless you are resting it on something. I just don't get them

[Proboscis]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:54 AM, Kenny202 said:

I got a macbook pro now which I have had and loved for many years and still going strong. Just a little bit bulkier than a Macbook air I used to have which these days not needing too much grunt would probably be perfect for me. I don't know why but I did tend to use my Macbook air more portably than my pro which I tend to leave in one place all the time. The Mac Air so easy to pick up and move around will be my next computer choice for sure, when my poor old Macbook finally dies lol....2009 and still going strong lol

Some years ago on the recommendation of a friend I was looking for an iPad for travel purposes. I did not want to have to drag around a Macbook pro all the time. In the electronics section of John Lewis (famous store in the UK), the knowledgeable salesman suggested that instead of buying a 12 inch iPad plus keyboard stand (which would not support the iPad in bed - had to be a hard smooth surface), I should get a 12 inch macbook air. I eventually did - it was on sale. The only issue at the time was that the Macbook air did not take a Sim card but a version of the iPad did.

 

Some 5 or 6 years later, I still have the macbook air which worked perfectly until recently when I was asked if I wanted to upgrade the operating system "free of charge." Of course, having much more interesting things to do than to keep up with the multitude of issues with computers, I upgraded only to find that my versions of MS Word and all the other stuff in MS Office don't work now. Will buy MS Word.

 

Many of my friends have smaller tablets - there may be a case for getting a smaller tablet that is easily handheld and that can fit into a jacket pocket. But most of my friends/colleagues have had issues with their larger tablets - scratched screens, problems with keyboards etc. But the greatest problems have to do with usability in places such as buses or trains or hotels beds where there is no surface for you to set up a stand (if such a stand/keyboard is available, of course!). Don't get me wrong - I think that tablets have functionality but many people find the larger ones a pain in the neck or the wrists etc.

[mrmicbkktxl]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:27 PM, kokesaat said:

I've been a tablet fan for a few years, first with a Samsung Galaxy 10" that cost nearly $500, now with a Huawei 10" for less than 6000 baht.  I'm not a gamer so can't measure that ability, but the cheaper and newer Huawei does everything the Galaxy could do.  My daughter bought me a Jelly Comb bluetooth keyboard for the tablet, and now I'm in 'laptop' heaven, without the cost of a laptop.  The keyboard has an opening at the top where you can easily place your tablet or smartphone.....or both, and switch between the two with a simple press of the F1 or F2 keys.  

When I'm composing emails on my tablet, I use the F1 key....and if I want to compose a long LINE message on my smartphone, I simply press the F2 key and do that.  

I use the cloud for all my storage and apps for all my necessary software.  If my tablet died today, I'd simply buy a new one, reconnect to my cloud/app accounts and be back in business.  Computer life has never been easier.....or cheaper.

The Jelly Comb keyboard cost $25 and is a fully functional keyboard.

 

Hi could you tell me exact model name of your jelly comb keyboard or do you have a link from lazada?

Thanks in advance

[chilly07]

I have a Nexus 7 which is to slow even with a factory reset and an iPad which is constantly locking me out and restricting the aps I can use. Apple is a big scam and rip off so don't go anywhere near them. I use my wife's cast off Android smartphones which as she likes to change them every year gives me a big screen and is easy to use

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, Proboscis said:

Some years ago on the recommendation of a friend I was looking for an iPad for travel purposes. I did not want to have to drag around a Macbook pro all the time. In the electronics section of John Lewis (famous store in the UK), the knowledgeable salesman suggested that instead of buying a 12 inch iPad plus keyboard stand (which would not support the iPad in bed - had to be a hard smooth surface), I should get a 12 inch macbook air. I eventually did - it was on sale. The only issue at the time was that the Macbook air did not take a Sim card but a version of the iPad did.

 

Some 5 or 6 years later, I still have the macbook air which worked perfectly until recently when I was asked if I wanted to upgrade the operating system "free of charge." Of course, having much more interesting things to do than to keep up with the multitude of issues with computers, I upgraded only to find that my versions of MS Word and all the other stuff in MS Office don't work now. Will buy MS Word.

 

Many of my friends have smaller tablets - there may be a case for getting a smaller tablet that is easily handheld and that can fit into a jacket pocket. But most of my friends/colleagues have had issues with their larger tablets - scratched screens, problems with keyboards etc. But the greatest problems have to do with usability in places such as buses or trains or hotels beds where there is no surface for you to set up a stand (if such a stand/keyboard is available, of course!). Don't get me wrong - I think that tablets have functionality but many people find the larger ones a pain in the neck or the wrists etc.

That's the thing for me. Agree about larger tablets but on the other hand the smaller tablets I don't get either. Just like a supersize phone, and my phone I can hold and operate with one hand (which can be important in those quiet romantic moments ???? ). I have a larger size phone so not too small for me to read. May change my tune as I get older and eyes deteriorate

 

My Macbook Pro was coming up to 12 years old. Battery gone and speakers garbled but otherwise still great. Unfortunately I was unable to upgrade the OS after about 2016 and was finding many new apps etc weren't compatible. SO they get you one way or another. 

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Hi could you tell me exact model name of your jelly comb keyboard or do you have a link from lazada?

Thanks in advance

I actually looked for a Jelly comb when I saw this post and didn't see anything like this one. Must be a discontinued model. The newer ones were somewhat more than 1000 baht though and add that to the price of the Tablet you are in notebook territory

[mstevens]

13 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Apple is a big scam and rip off so don't go anywhere near them.

 

Well that makes me a victim.....but the funny thing is, I am still to realise it. They've conned me for several years thinking I had really great gear that always worked, was super intuitive and has never missed a beat. Those bastards at Apple are obviously about to spring something bad on me real soon. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, mstevens said:

 

Well that makes me a victim.....but the funny thing is, I am still to realise it. They've conned me for several years thinking I had really great gear that always worked, was super intuitive and has never missed a beat. Those bastards at Apple are obviously about to spring something bad on me real soon. Thanks for the heads up!

I agree, I’ve been conned for the last 28 years ???? . Years ago I changed from carrying a MacBook Pro every day for work (2.54kg)  to an iPad 3 (0.652 kg) then an iPad Air 2 (0.444 kg) the iPads were/are perfectly capable of doing everything I needed when travelling (about 20 hours a week) and at work and I had a few Macs at home for more intensive stuff.

 

Now my new (first for me) iPhone will pass a phone call across to my iPad so I can use either to answer.

[hotchilli]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:05 AM, Kenny202 said:

But I just find them so awkward to use say laying on bed or watching TV. Just no where to put or rest the damn thing. The one I have is pushing half a kilo, and in bed need to hold it in two hands.

Nah I better not ..????

[VBF]

On 4/25/2020 at 8:27 PM, kokesaat said:

I've been a tablet fan for a few years, first with a Samsung Galaxy 10" that cost nearly $500, now with a Huawei 10" for less than 6000 baht.  I'm not a gamer so can't measure that ability, but the cheaper and newer Huawei does everything the Galaxy could do.  My daughter bought me a Jelly Comb bluetooth keyboard for the tablet, and now I'm in 'laptop' heaven, without the cost of a laptop.  The keyboard has an opening at the top where you can easily place your tablet or smartphone.....or both, and switch between the two with a simple press of the F1 or F2 keys.  

When I'm composing emails on my tablet, I use the F1 key....and if I want to compose a long LINE message on my smartphone, I simply press the F2 key and do that.  

I use the cloud for all my storage and apps for all my necessary software.  If my tablet died today, I'd simply buy a new one, reconnect to my cloud/app accounts and be back in business.  Computer life has never been easier.....or cheaper.

The Jelly Comb keyboard cost $25 and is a fully functional keyboard.

 

Being a self-confessed Geek, I've got all sorts of kit - 4 desktops, (Windows and Unix) 2 laptops (one converted to a music "server") phone, tablet, blah blah. Various uses at various times which would bore most people, but I often find that the tablet (and occasionally phone) would be more convenient with a physical keyboard of which there are various available of course.

I also use WhatsApp (which is on my tablet) from my Windows PC and also send and receive text (SMS) messages to/from the phone but using the PC for convenience. This is all native stuff so no clever tricks involved! 

 

 @kokesaat Do you actually find that if having both phone and tablet connected to this Jelly Comb keyboard, you can really switch "seamlessly" between them?

What do you do to get the "mouse functionality" ? By that I mean, it appears that moving your hand from keyboard to screen would be clumsy and inconvenient - is it?

Or do you also have a Bluetooth mouse connected? I do not care for trackpads or virtual keyboard mice by the way - I always use a Bluetooth mouse with my laptop and, up to now, the standard screen on phone / tablet

 

This topic has spurred me on to looking at Jelly Comb devices on Amazon and other outlets (I'm in UK) so your comments based on your personal experience, would be appreciated.  TIA

Edited August 23, 2020 by VBF

[tifino]

On 4/26/2020 at 5:27 AM, kokesaat said:

I've been a tablet fan for a few years, first with a Samsung Galaxy 10" that cost nearly $500, now with a Huawei 10" for less than 6000 baht.  I'm not a gamer so can't measure that ability, but the cheaper and newer Huawei does everything the Galaxy could do.  My daughter bought me a Jelly Comb bluetooth keyboard for the tablet, and now I'm in 'laptop' heaven, without the cost of a laptop.  The keyboard has an opening at the top where you can easily place your tablet or smartphone.....or both, and switch between the two with a simple press of the F1 or F2 keys.  

When I'm composing emails on my tablet, I use the F1 key....and if I want to compose a long LINE message on my smartphone, I simply press the F2 key and do that.  

I use the cloud for all my storage and apps for all my necessary software.  If my tablet died today, I'd simply buy a new one, reconnect to my cloud/app accounts and be back in business.  Computer life has never been easier.....or cheaper.

The Jelly Comb keyboard cost $25 and is a fully functional keyboard.

 

could you show some close up pix of the ipad/android phone slot detail? for example the actual charge ports etc

- like does it also cater for the elder iPads with the old style connection?

 - the android charge points etc etc 

[Kenny202]

I got a keyboard for my tablet but found I didn't like going from keyboard to touchscreen. I guess I could have put a wireless mouse on it. One of the worst things is many apps (including facebook) have certain areas where for example you will have the tablet in Landscape, maybe in a dock and the page comes up in portrait aka sideways. Really annoying and found it happening constantly.

 

Mac make good stuff no doubt about it and I would have bought a Macbook air but couldn't justify the price, even secondhand they are ridiculously pricey here. I opted for a Huawei laptop, 1.6kg called a Matebook and appearance wise a great clone of a Mac. Am actually delighted with it for 14,000 baht and 1.2 Tb of storage. Hadn't used a Windows computer for at least 5 years but found the transition easy and really couldn't say there is anything I miss about my Mac so far, well not for tens of thousands of baht more anyhoo

[Seeall]

They are just a toy.... a lightweight W10 Laptop soooo much better......

and TIP!  Samsung waste of money, look utube battery fix .. blah blah endless problems...

[fred110]

I have an 8" Samsung tab a. I haven't used my laptop this year, I hate windows. This comes awake right away and I can do everything on it.

[RocketDog]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:37 AM, VocalNeal said:

 

 

Mine has a optional keypad which attaches with magnets.????  Oh and it is Windows 10. Which is free for tablets.

My old Asus Transformer tablet has a detachable keyboard but it's android. 

After a few months I found it just too slow, poor battery life. Too big to use as a phone, too small to watch video. 

It's useless to me and I regret spending the $800 I paid for it. 

 

I keep thinking I'll put it out in the pool house to connect to Bluetooth speakers for music but worry that it will disappear, along with the sound system, one day when I'm away from the house. Then I would lose the useless tablet as well as the sound system I bought to make it useful. 

 

Ironic huh? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My wife, a former librarian, showed me how to take a standard metal bookshelf divider and bend it with your hands (easily) to make a great table tablet stand... It really works!

 

 

For me, there are a couple of things about Android tablets (I like the 10 in. variety for use at home):

 

1. they give me access to a larger screen version of Android mobile apps that I can't easily duplicate on my Windows laptop, unless I start fiddling with emulators.

 

2. a 10-inch tablet is great for watching streaming TV in the bedroom at night, when the wife is already sleeping, and I don't want to use the bedroom TV, which essentially is like turning on the lights in the bedroom at night.

 

[shy coconut]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:40 AM, treetops said:

Yours was a gift so you are excused, but what you missed was that companies make gadgets which nobody really needs and then tries to convince the public they are essential.  Tablets are one such gadget.

I would agree that tablets are not essential, but my Lenovo does everything

I need from a tech POV.

 

I do no work online, I can attach to a printer if required, but basically use it 

for browsing, emails and a bit of online banking stuff.

 

I can do most of the above on my smartphone but find it all a bit fiddly

so prefer the tablet.

 

 

[shy coconut]

On 4/25/2020 at 10:37 AM, treetops said:

So everything you do, you could do on a TV and a phone, which we all had before tablets and still have to this day, and a kindle.

 

I rest my case.

I wouldn't want to read a book on my smartphone, I understand that they

don't do much more than a phone, and I only use my tablet at home, but

to me they are useful.

 

Sorry I missed the Kindle mention! I thought the Kindle was/is a tablet.

As you can tell, I'm not really "tech savvy", maybe I am the tablet retailers

target customer!!

[shy coconut]

On 4/25/2020 at 4:35 PM, watthong said:

I go to bed with not just one, but two tablets, one ipad and one nexus (10.) When I wake up I also need a third one, a Samsung TabS. Those to be used throughout the day besides my two Dell 17 in laptops, each connected to an external 24inch monitor. Not counting a couple of smaller sized ones (nexus 7 and ipad mini) reserved for going out. To make sure I'm not caught in a lurch if one of them goes kaput, I have a couple of backups for each kind stacked in my wardrobe closet, I check them out occasionally to make sure they're up to snuff. I notice since covid, them prices have gone up quite a bit, wonder why. Yes, a sturdy case (not the fashionably dressed kind) is a  must, as they tend to do sommersault under my care. I'm not an Apple fan but I love ipads to death, especially the pre-Air ones.

Crikey, are you planning a moon landing ????????

 

I really have been left behind I this technology revolution!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

A good move for an inexpensive but very useful tablet choice you don't need to worry about:

 

Get an Amazon Fire 10 in. tablet for around $100 on sale, and then sideload the regular Google Play Store onto it to give you not only access to Amazon's own app store, but the regular Google one as well.

 

[rickudon]

I bought a netbook 9 years ago, and loved it. I bought a replacement last year for less than 6,000 baht. it was fast, unfortunately someone sat on it and broke the screen! Still works, but screen has to be propped up with a box ........

 

I hate Android phones and tablets - only any good for social media and as phones. Also tend to die/become obsolete quickly - have had to retire 2 phones in the last year because apps could not update.

[chicowoodduck]

I have a couple of iPads at the ready.....easy to transport, the WiFi works great and handy to have on my travels in order to stay connected to the real World as I know it......????????????????????????????????