OT: Android tablet forum or usenet group?

[John Rumm]

You may have to take the sim out... (I would try it, but I have not got a data only sim)

[John Rumm]

Its marketed as a tablet with 3G... but obviously that mandates the inclusion of the RF hardware also required to make calls. They have left the "phone" application on it as well.

[Bob Martin]

OK, but just to be clear (for the OP), anyone buying a 3G tablet should not assume that it can make voice calls.

[Roger Mills]

Thanks (I'm the OP) but I wouldn't have assumed that. I very rarely feel the need to make voice calls when out and about. I have got a (very old and very un-smart) mobile, but it's not usually turned on unless I need to make - or am expecting - a call.

I don't know how useful I would find a 3G capability on a tablet. I suppose that - assuming it had a GPS - it might occasionally be useful to get local information from the internet when not in wi-fi range - but whether that would justify the cost of 3G data, I don't know.

The overall situation is getting very confusing though, with the merging of technologies. It seems as if many smart phones can perform some 'tablet' functions, and ISTR hearing recently about something called a "phablet" (not sure of the spelling) which combined the functions of a phone and tablet.

[polygonum]

I have no idea about other kit, but Apple iPads without 3G also do not have proper GPS. (They can often work out approximately where they are.) Seems the same chip does 3G and GPS.

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 14 April 2013 09:53 polygonum wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Now all we need is an LCARS[1] interface and a bluetooth commbadge (to save pulling the phablet out of your pocket) and Star Trek is here :)

[1]

Similar to

- looks good but if you actually tried to implement one...

[John Rumm]

The main attraction of 3G with GPS would be for use as a nice easy to read satnav...

(a satnav that you can talk to as well, which is actually quite handy some times)

Indeed - the main factor to differentiate phones from tablets in many cases is simply the size.

[dennis]

8<

[newshound]

Except that you can print it in A4 or A5 instead of having one of those silly little books.

And, as I have just done for a Pany camcorder, you can stick the PDF on a tablet and then have a searchable colour version for browsing in bed!

[newshound]

On 12/04/2013 15:54, Sam Plusnet wrote: s?

Good advice. But as others have already said, start with a mid price range 7 inch as a good compromise and see how you get on. Go for the Android 4 upwards, and an SD slot is useful if you think you might be wanting to move around photos, videos, films, etc. (I'm using Micro SD cards with adaptors nearly as much as USB sticks these days because they fit more things and don't stick out).

We have an iPad and a 7 inch android and I'm just thinking about getting a 5 inch for pocketability.

[F]

My Canon 5DIII came with 'one of those silly little books'.

The book does have its uses but the .pdf version which I have loaded onto my phone and tablet is infinitely more useful as it goes everywhere with me, takes up no additional space and adds nothing to the weight of what I'm already carrying.

[newshound]

I've also started saving PDF manuals for all my IT peripherals etc in a backed up folder on the main desktop machine to save hunting around for the disks and paper manuals which I have always put away safely *somewhere*.

[Sam Plusnet]

It depends upon where you start. I already have a 'phone' with a 5 inch screen - which I use as a go-anywhere tablet & not as a phone.

I had thought of buying a Nexus 7, but the screen isn't _that_ much bigger and it no longer fits my pocket.

For this reason I am leaning more towards the Nexus 10.

[djc]

I did that because when the silly little A6 book is blown up to A4 size I can actually read the small print.

[Mark]

I prefer a "silly little book" ;-) I can't really see myself printing out a 900 page manual and carry all that around with me.

I don't tend to use the camera in bed. Ooh err misses ;-)

[John Rumm]

Am I the only one here who has to at times photograph small print and zoom in on my smartphone to read it?

(going to have to get some reading glasses I think!)

[polygonum]

Yes. :-)

Great idea - but literally I do not need to despite approaching 60. Can still read even the smallest text provided it has some contrast (e.g. debossing on tiny tablets can be difficult as there are only shades of white).

[Andy Burns]

I take my goggles off to read fine print, the one benefit of being short-sighted.

[John Rumm]

Don't work for me alas, being optically challenged in the other direction.

[Sam Plusnet]

I've done the opposite. Taken a photograph of a distant sign at maximum zoom (compact camera, not a phone) and used the zoomed display in order to read it.