UKBouldering.com
technical => computers, technology and the internet => Topic started by: douglas on August 11, 2012, 07:19:43 pm
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I'm thinking about an ipad but was wondering if there's anything out there for similar money that might suit me better. I'm not to interested in endless apps and just want it for internet browsing, poker playing, GPS would be nice, as would the ability to drag and drop music files from my PC without itunes (which I don't currently use).
Is there anything out there that matches the quality and reliability?
Thanks
(I'm pretty clueless when it comes to technology)
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cool - been thinking the same recently - I'm guessing something Android based but not sure where to start with it all
(not actually spent much time on it though).
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There's some discussion of Android alternatives in the Android topic (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,19532.0.html)
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If you dont want to use iTunes avoid iPad.
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Thanks for the link.
Just to clarify, I'm not looking for something budget and it's not that I don't want to use itunes, but if I can get by without it, then that'd be nice.
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I'd look at the Google tablet as you're not really intending on taxing it too much (you'll save a small fortune and spend less when you've got it). If that doesn't meet your needs then look at iPads as I'm not really convinced any of the Samsung or HTC offerings are actually all that good.
I have a very cheap ICS tablet (remarkably similar to the Samsung) which just falls short of the mark for me, however, I think the Google tablet would fix all of the issues I have (mainly lag).
Also, Google products (obviously) get the very best Android support unlike others manufacturers who leave their customers to screw around themselves once they've bought the device. A few people on here have just bought the Google Nexus 7, I'm sure they'll offer their opinion soon enough if its not elsewhere.
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Is it right that the Nexus 7's micro USB slot can't be used to output stuff to tv?
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Is it right that the Nexus 7's micro USB slot can't be used to output stuff to tv?
currently, yes you're correct.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/29/3127278/nexus-7-mhl-usb-otg (http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/29/3127278/nexus-7-mhl-usb-otg)
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The more I read about them the more I think the replacement I need for my dying netbook isn't a tablet at all, it's a new netbook.
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The more I read about them the more I think the replacement I need for my dying netbook isn't a tablet at all, it's a new netbook.
that's exactly my feeling too (this one is falling to bits and cooks my legs as the battery is ruined), if you want a larger version of a smartphone by all means buy a tablet but there's nowhere near the same flexibility as a netbook/keyboard interface. This is pretty evident when you need to do any browser type use, its just hard work.
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The more I read about them the more I think the replacement I need for my dying netbook isn't a tablet at all, it's a new netbook.
Most definitely. As much as the lass loves it for web browsing and it's quite useful for streaming telly and Love film etc, if you were just getting one thing get a new notebook.
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thanks for the ideas Paul
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You could always have a look at one of the several Android pads with keyboard docks, i.e. the ASUS looks just like a netbook, but you can unplug the screen and use it as a pad. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-EeePad-Transformer-Tablet-Keyboard/dp/B006NTUJ0S/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1344876535&sr=8-6 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-EeePad-Transformer-Tablet-Keyboard/dp/B006NTUJ0S/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1344876535&sr=8-6) No idea about the functionality mind.
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I mainly use the tablet for playing spider, twitter and facebook. Anything where you have to type I go on the desktop. The netbook doesn't get much use these days
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Ipads are great for browsing and you can stick it next to a bluetooth keyboard and bingo you're laughing, faux-netbook.
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I've been trying to play videos off various websites, modump etc n some of them wont play without flash player (?), this won't work on my iPad. Is there an alternative? If not why wud someone put vids out there that can't be seen on ishit? Cheers
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I've been trying to play videos off various websites, modump etc n some of them wont play without flash player (?), this won't work on my iPad. Is there an alternative? If not why wud someone put vids out there that can't be seen on ishit? Cheers
The situation you find yourself in is because Steve Jobs refused to allow Flash on iDevices (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/).
I think you can get someway around this by rooting your phone, but don't own any iDevices to have had the inclination to do so.
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I have no idea what u mean slackers, why wud I want to bury my phone? I take it that's a simple no u can't do it by simply havin an iPad n Internet? Why wouldn't a website enable u to watch vids on an apple device when a third of the world has them?
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This really fucks me off that I can't view flash when I borrow the wife's ipad. Properly stupid of apple to not make it work with normal websites. Dense I don't think there's any easy way around it. Dumb and annoying.
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This really fucks me off that I can't view flash when I borrow the wife's ipad. Properly stupid of apple to not make it work with normal websites. Dense I don't think there's any easy way around it. Dumb and annoying.
+ 1
With knobs on.
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Unfortunatley my tiny headed friend, the internet was around many moons before the iShite devices came out.
Flash is outdated but still heavily used on the WWW and will eventually become redundant but that day is a long way off yet I think.
Another good reason not to buy Apple products because they don't "Just worktm"
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Outrageous. Cheers chaps
For those of u that don't have an iPad have a look at modump it is, or used to be, a good site for vids
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Dense, if you google there are other browsers (apps) that can show flash on an iPad via some server side shizzle..
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E.g Skyfire or photon. Not as good as having flash on the thing but they do the job...
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have a look at modump it is, or used to be, a good site for vids
I had a look, but there didn't seem to be any vids of me
:shrug:
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Why wouldn't a website enable u to watch vids on an apple device when a third of the world has them?
Because 2/3rds don't (and even then thats being generous with proportions).
Jim's right, one day html5 might get sorted and be widely used for everything, until then you're stuck looking over others shoulders.
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I fear html5 may be dead in the water.. Face ache re-wrote their iOS app from html5 to iOS native last month.. Twice as fast...
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I know slackers I was gonna put a tenth but thought this might have drug connotations ;)
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:lol: ;D
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Cheers tomtom will ave a look when I Remember my psswrd :whistle:
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BBC iPlayer develop their own alternative to Flash media streaming (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19648600)
(which means you may soon be able to watch iPlayer on the iDevices, providing of course you are in the UK).
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I'm in fucking Trinidad :wall:
Didn't plan to do much work this winter but looks like I'll be comin n goin out here. Mate in Oman had some kind of VPN thingy, will have to look at one of these for the nx trip. Tbh the only thing I miss is QI
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BBC iPlayer develop their own alternative to Flash media streaming (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19648600)
(which means you may soon be able to watch iPlayer on the iDevices, providing of course you are in the UK).
There's been an iPlayer app for yonks (standard SI unit of time). Works fine... In the UK.
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Its either not official (i.e. not produced by the BBC) or if it is they've been developing two players in tandem and hopefully this will mean they can develop just one that works across all platforms (thus making the license fee go further).
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For the record it's not just Apple - the lack of an iPlayer app that works out of the box with the Nexus7 is a bit of an own goal IMO...
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The new (as of two weeks ago) iPlayer app for the iphone and ipad is superb. It now allows you to download programs and keep them for 30 days on your idevice.. you have to watch within 7 days once youve downloaded. Its great and its official.
Dense, if you're trying to get iplayer working O/seas you'll need to get a VPN set up.. Its pretty easy and you should get it working via a google. Sometimes its a little slow via VPN (as it goes through an extra loop) but normally fine - and if you're downloading things - no problemo.
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Its either not official (i.e. not produced by the BBC) or if it is they've been developing two players in tandem and hopefully this will mean they can develop just one that works across all platforms (thus making the license fee go further).
I think they were doing it in tandem for some reason. The fruit based version has been around while and was pretty good even before the recent update.
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It now allows you to download programs and keep them for 30 days on your idevice.. you have to watch within 7 days once youve downloaded.
:-\
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It now allows you to download programs and keep them for 30 days on your idevice.. you have to watch within 7 days once youve downloaded.
:-\
Seems fairy muff to me, given programs are only online for 7 days...
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Just seems contradictory to say that you've 30 days to keep it but then have to watch it within 7 days first. Unless someone else wants to watch it whats the point of the additional 23 days, most things don't get viewed twice or if they do the second viewing would usually be > 23 days after the first (but then I don't watch much TV and rarely watch films twice).
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You know what you want, you want the moon on a stick.
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Two open source moons on a wand held by a penguin... ;)
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I believe it actually means...
You can keep it for 30 days.
But, you only have 7 days to finnish watching it, once you start.
And you can only watch it once.
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So i got an android tablet. Does anyone know where i can buy films to download? Google play only seems to have them for rent. Thanks!
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Not aware of anywhere that you can buy films to keep permanently (other than ripping the disc yourself).
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Ok cheers slackline.
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So i got an android tablet. Does anyone know where i can buy films to download? Google play only seems to have them for rent. Thanks!
If you're using Google Play you can download them to your tablet using the "pin" option (as opposed to streaming them). Can only pass on second-hand advice but I'm told it can take a while so don't leave it to 5 mins before getting on a train!
Not sure how long you've got to watch it once it's on your device though.
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Yup - that seems to be the norm. Most places want you to stream - a few allow you to download (iplayer site does now..).
Or get a love film account and rip off the DVD's and transfer accross to your tablet etc..
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Is there an ipad alternative? Of course!
(http://www.catamount-grange-hearth.org/PlumePen01.jpg)
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/NATPC-M010S-Capacitive-Sandwich-Responsive/dp/B007JVDM1W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1351856655&sr=8-7 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/NATPC-M010S-Capacitive-Sandwich-Responsive/dp/B007JVDM1W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1351856655&sr=8-7)
Anyone had any experience with one of these? Finding one is not enough on the house, and I only ever use ours for internet browsing and watching vimeo.
Or is there a good similar alternative for as far under 100 notes as possible.
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anyone used the galaxy tab2 10"?
I've been tasked with getting my parents one and I won't be recomending the iPad
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My Dad has a mac and thinks its wonderful. They're not such a bad choice for people who don't really use technology and don't have expectations about how it might 'just work'.
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anyone used the galaxy tab2 10"?
I've been tasked with getting my parents one and I won't be recomending the iPad
I've got one. What do you want to know?
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Is it any good?, pro's, cons etc...?
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My Dad has a mac and thinks its wonderful. They're not such a bad choice for people who don't really use technology and don't have expectations about how it might 'just work'.
It needs to have flash
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Why flash? If its for vid most sites seem to get around that now...
Can't say I notice lack of flash on the iPad nowadays.. Did a couple of years ago but sites seem to have plenty of workarounds now...
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Isn't Flash discontinued on Android too?
I doubt you would, buy don't get a Kindle Fire. Unimpressive.
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Is it any good?, pro's, cons etc...?
I like it. Switched on my desktop twice in the 3 months I've had it. Apparently the screen isn't as touch-responsive as a new ipad but other than that it does the job very similarly. It took a bit of setting up to get the home screen to my liking but that's the operating system rather than the device. I think if your parents are not terribly clued up they might not get this right and so find it hard to use and not use it. You could however work with them to set it up as they'd like? The GPS is a feature I use a lot which an ipad doesn't have. The email client seems a little unstable at times and has crashed about 4 times I would guess. Restarting the device is needed if that happens.
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what do you use the GPS for, geo-tagging or sat-nav or something else?
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what do you use the GPS for, geo-tagging or sat-nav or something else?
Sat nav.
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so I've been pondering...I've been a big fan of my Nexus7 since I bought it but I don't really use it for much beyond the usual stuff, email, twitter, browsing and viewing YouTube etc. Occasionally reading Kindle books.
iPad owners out there, how much creativity do you actually do with your iPads? According to the ads you're all a bunch of photo editing, movie making, music writing, uber-creatives who never feel the need to touch a keyboard or mouse.
There's no real Android alternative to iMovie, Garageband etc. But if you have them do you use them?
I'm not expecting purchasing an iPad to miraculously turn me into a prolific songwriter and expert editor however I do like the idea of making short films and animations etc with my kids.
So do you mainly use it for websurfing, youtube etc or do you actually do something creative with yours?
I suspect that most people would revert to a desktop/laptop if they have the option.
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My PC use is writing, checking email a little data processing and coding/modelling. Some of these things can't be taken away from the PC, but for email and a chunk of writing an iPad works fine.
For me, for work the changer was getting a good keyboard (I now have a kingston folio keyboard/cover) - so I can type nearly as fast on the ipad/keyboard as PC.. I use it on the road (its a 3g one) when I work in cafe's coffee shops - and at home when I want to do something quick (no boot up time). Its heavily used for surfing, watching the odd film (esp on planes) UKB'ing (via tapatalk) and tweeting..
But for writing proper (as in editing multi author papers, multi contributions) that involves figures, charts, equations etc... its useless compared to a PC. The added real estate of two screens and being able to do MsOffice things is important. Google docs, MSOffice online etc.. are all 'OK' but not as quick, snappy or effective as doing this on a PC proper.
I edit the odd photo, and the odd movie (usually do that on the phone) but find the file/photo/movie passing around a pain in the backside on the ipad, so dont bother. I am not in a 'creative' industry (though some might say I make up all my research ;) )
Looking at how I work, and what I work on, I'm very tempted to get a convertible tablet/laptop or even a W8.1 RT tablet in the coming year.. I think the technology there is not quite good enough yet - but getting close.
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We've got imovie and photoshop on ours and never use either. I find it basically unusable for anything like that - just the lack of a file manager for starters. Garageband is great on the laptop though.
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I've typed docs on mine with the apple wireless keyboard that came with the imac, and done stopmotion animation with the kids when it was pissing it down in scotland. Do basic photo editing with the free Photoshop app just for shits & giggles and twitter use etc. Never tried to use garageband or whatever.
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After my initial displeasure with my Nexus 7 II I am now ecstatic with it, truly they are fantastic.
I got my parents to get a Nexus 10 (1st gen) and that's going strong for them too. I think Jelly Bean and Google gives a very good "just works" solution and its met their needs flawlessly. I wasn't 'wowed' by the screen but I'd imagine the second gen may address this.
I still reach for a laptop (which is still too slow compared to our desktop for 'big' tasks) or keyboard if I need to type long winded posts, code etc. but I suspect that most of their needs could be met by the tablet (all I need is a decent home accounting app). In terms of using a creative suite, I entertained the idea of purchasing a tablet for going away for that kind of thing and came to the conclusion that it just isn't there. Sure, editing quick footage shot using the in-built camera but nothing more taxing.
Littlewad once made some quick adjustments of an image in front of me (color temp and maybe exposure) using his iPad and it looked really slick but anything more than that seemed fiddly to me.
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According to the ads you're all a bunch of photo editing, movie making, music writing, uber-creatives who never feel the need to touch a keyboard or mouse.
According to the ads you have flocks of hot birds following you if you wear Lynx.
99% of the time ours is used for shopping, forums, email, googling, skype / facetime, watching videos and films, playing spotify through the hifi and kid's games to keep them entertained. And cut the rope.
I think this is the same for most tablets, and all do the job pretty well.
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my parents have just come back from holiday and now want a mini ipad so they can take photo's and shoot video on it :handfaceplant: )also the screen on their quality compact has been damaged which I hope to replace)
how can I convince them this is not the way forward....
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Tell them it's a well known fact that anyone filming or taking photos with an ipad looks a total cunt? :shrug:
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Tell them it's a well known fact that anyone filming or taking photos with an ipad looks a total cunt? :shrug:
This. And tell them to get Google Glass instead.
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And tell them to get Google Glass instead.
Downside is that Glass isn't currently available and applications to be an early "explorer" have been closed for a while now.
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And tell them to get Google Glass instead.
Downside is that Glass isn't currently available and applications to be an early "explorer" have been closed for a while now.
I just pretend and tap the side of my head and say "OK glass". Cool eh! Check me out. Oh yeah.
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And tell them to get Google Glass instead.
Downside is that Glass isn't currently available and applications to be an early "explorer" have been closed for a while now.
I just pretend and tap the side of my head and say "OK glass". Cool eh! Check me out. Oh yeah.
Can you send me the instructions?
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maybe throw in some hand gestures that imply you are moving large amounts of information around a 3D data representation?
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maybe throw in some hand gestures that imply you are moving large amounts of information around a 3D data representation?
I tried that, but I ended up in a room with plastic chairs - and they took my belt away...
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Tell them it's a well known fact that anyone filming or taking photos with an ipad looks a total cunt? :shrug:
Especially when they have it on a tripod.
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I'm looking to get a tablet to store Uni notes etc on so I can annotate them and transport them around a bit easier.
A friend has an 8" Samsung Note which looks great, but it's pretty pricey. Seems a good size though. The 7" tablets seem a reasonable amount smaller (from memory).
Anyone got any experience on these? Are the 7's a bit small?
Also, I've mainly looked at The Samsung Tab 3 and the Nexus models, purely because I've heard of them. Are there any other cheaper brands which are worth looking at?
Thanks!
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http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=20557.50 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=20557.50)
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We got a Nook HD+
9" decent screen (big enough for "keyboard" to feel useable for me), takes micro SD cards to 64GB meaning file transfer'storage is easy, bluetooth, feels nice to hold, microphone for recording voice notes
I think it's a dual core processor
majority of Google Play stuff works on it - this is an upgrade/unblocking from when they were first released - meaning it's a lot more useful than a Kindle Fire
really nice to read comics and watch films on
the kids love playing games on it - they are fairly intolerant of stuff that doesn't perform as it's meant to
£129 for the 16GB version
get one from John Lewis and you get a 2 year guarantee
doesn't have a camera, GPS, gyroscope (does have accelerometer) or compass
Blackwells and John Lewis have some on display to play with
they also do a 7" for £79 - I think it's a less good procesor, but nice screen and it takes micro SD cards
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oh - and it can be set up with several user profiles - adult and kids
only really useful to limit what the kids can mess up, install and uninstall
in the adult profiles, log on details for for Outlook, Chrome etc are saved to the tablet itself rather than separate profiles - I get round the problem of messing up each others accounts by assigning different browsers to each account
the data/charging cable is not a standard cable and it only comes with one
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No consultancy fee for recommendation?
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I've got a Google Nexus 7" tablet. I think if I was going to be making a lot of notes on it, I'd want to plug a keyboard into it or buy a stylus, which I've not done, so can't offer any opinion on how well they work. I find the touchscreen keyboard quite slow for long typing on, but I think that holds for all tablets.
I'm pleased with it as a tablet. It's quick, runs proper non-cut down android (unlike for example the Kindle Fire). I've done a little android programming and used it for testing. It's easy to find help online for doing whatever you want as it's a popular tablet. I think they're cheaper than the Samsung stuff (or at least they were when I bought one).
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I've got a Google Nexus 7" tablet. I think if I was going to be making a lot of notes on it, I'd want to plug a keyboard into it or buy a stylus, which I've not done, so can't offer any opinion on how well they work. I find the touchscreen keyboard quite slow for long typing on, but I think that holds for all tablets.
You do know (the Nexus 7 II) keyboard has swype style functions? I didn't notice until I dragged my finger a lazily.
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They all should since Google are modularising everything including the Google Keyboard.
Nexus devices should be receiving updates to Android 4.4 this week (some people with Nexus 7 devices have already received them).
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You do know (the Nexus 7 II) keyboard has swype style functions? I didn't notice until I dragged my finger a lazily.
Yeah, I've also got the phone, so I also use it on that, but I still find it slower than normal typing, and much more prone to wrong words, as there are swype combinations which could be a number of words, and the one it chooses is not always what you mean...I need to check my text messages more carefully before hitting send!
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No consultancy fee for recommendation?
I'm on a % for this one, so no direct fee to the buyer
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Move thread to Computers, technology & internet (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/board,26.0.html)?
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[gmod]I've merged this into the existing topic that tackles this subject[/gmod]
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If you're not bothered about having the latest version Argos has the original Nexus 7 for £129 which is basically free for something that good.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/1079061.htm?tag=ar:search:nexus46 (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/1079061.htm?tag=ar:search:nexus46)
Confusingly they don't call it MkI or 2012, but don't be fooled into thinking it is the new version...
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1388381.htm (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1388381.htm)
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I've got a Nexus 7, I like it and it works well for surfing the net and general messing about but if I had the choice I would go for the bigger size, I find the & a bit small for watching films / tv.
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Thats easily solved, just hold it closer. :clown:
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A question about Google parental controls / safesearch on Android:
Just collected and spent all night messing with a Tesco Hudl, very cheap with clubcard and so on, gets good reviews and seems to be a good bit of kit after a few hours - which is Android 4.2.2 apparently - and my main goal was to set up Strict safesearch, which I thought I did by activating when logged in to my account, locking, then logging out. Google tells me this will also apply to youtube (which is my daughter's main focus at the moment, one direction) yet I can still see Eminem ' Rap God (Explicit) as one of the suggested videos (incidentally on evidence of that, he isn't, in any way, 8 mile was a blip). I can also see the beheading videos, which I've not looked at but I'm pretty sure will play. That was through Chrome pages and the youtube app.
My concerns are (notwithstanding the device itself), is this right (i.e is something wrong with Google) - tried it with my own account and a new one specifically for this? Can any kid using tablet owners offer their advice on how to stop this? Am I being too worried? Daughter currently borrows her mum's 15" laptop to look at youtube so we can have an idea of what's being played - the concern is she'll be able to slip a 7" device into bed and maybe stay up all night looking at filth / depravity, just by being led from the homepages. Yet, friends at work have bought their 4 and 5 year old kids Kindle HDs and all the rest and obviously haven't worried about it. I just do.
In retrospect the Nook HD+ looks ace - initially rejected for lack of camera but previous experience shows that any camera device would end up with 9000 shit pictures in an hour and I'd have to sort it out... She's 9 by the way.
What I don't want to do so much is have to create a whitelist, as that defeats the point of providing a tool to research stuff, she obviously wants to look at youtube, and I particularly don't want to have to enter a pin or personally monitor (too closely) what's being looked at. Maybe I had too much faith in safesearch and integration across Google apps.
Oh, and - there's no way I can find of creating an admin account even though admin accounts are viewable in settings...
Currently I'm thinking along the lines of using a kiddie app only allowing wikipedia and the youtube one direction channel, and hoping for the work to come when she gets back into SFA, Gorky's, Futureheads and Jazzanova.
Most likely solution is sending it straight back to Tesco.
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on Youtube, have you switched the "safety switch" on?
it's at the bottom of the page
bollocks, just realised that this is on the PC, but this is on Go Ogle support site
Safety Mode is available on mobile and the YouTube app through the use of the SafeSearch functionality.
with the little kids profiles on the Nook I haven't allowed access to anything that can be used for searching (or viewing my comics) - they can use apps and watch media from their memory card. the 13 yr old is simply not allowed to take the tablet upstairs, although I'm sure that the rest of year 9 share enough filth at school to satisfy her curiosity. Besides, as soon as the little kids are in bed or out of the house she leaps towards the PC to play Skyrim
you can have a drive of my Nook HD+ if you want Underground - the separate profiles thing isn't quite as great as it initially sounds for mulitple users, but you can effectively have a password protected "admin" type setup to control what the child profiles can use
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the concern is she'll be able to slip a 7" device into bed and maybe stay up all night looking at filth / depravity,
My wife insists on turning the wifi off at night. Admittedly this is to 'stop the wireless giving us cancer', but it should serve your purposes too.
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the small risk of cancer is worth it for the increase in knowledge that you get from leaving the wireless on overnight
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My wife insists on turning the wifi off at night. Admittedly this is to 'stop the wireless giving us cancer', but it should serve your purposes too.
But that would stop UG looking at filth and depravity all night after hours. ;)
In a freaky parallel world kind of way - I too have just bought two uber cheap (£60 each with vouchers) Hudl's from Tesco's having finally caved into the fact that the all the boys friends do actually have tablets at home and we are being horrifically antiquated draconian Luddites by denying them access to one.
I spent a little while late last night setting them up, but haven't quite got round to setting up the parental controls yet. My 7 year old is starting to come home from school with suggestions of things to look up from other boys (i.e. the ones with older brothers). 'Postman Pat swearing' was yesterdays treat. So now 7 year old is teaching 6 year old the F word. :wall:
(mind you - they hear that from me most mornings on sharrow head roundabout :slap: )
So - just had a quick play on youtube and turned on the saftey button on. Lo and behold, Postman Pat swearing still comes up , as does a rather filthy version of Fireman Sam as a suggested video. Well done Youtube :no: )
Suddenly regretting buying the Hudl's as pressies for them now and perhaps some Victorian household values.
Oh well, guess they'll be watching bukkake bondage scat videos before they're ten :wall:
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Not that I'm a big fan of strict internet filtering, more an advocate of educating kids from a young age about the types of stuff out there. (as someone suggested, you can't filter what they get exposed to in the play ground). That said I can see it is useful in the home. The best way I have found is get yourself a Netgear router with LPC, this applies a filter at router level so any connected device is filtered. Live parental controls uses OpenDNS as a filtering caste. This is used by a lot of US schools. The free version has four levels of filter, strict, one that lets in social stuff then lower ones for just malware etc. You can time accounts so for example daughter could be allowed on FB after homework time. Also bypass accounts for 'grown ups'. Not sure if it would partially block YouTube or totally block it.
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They start around £40
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'Postman Pat swearing' was yesterdays treat.
Postman Pat or Boro Pat? :clown:
Boro Pat 14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zfZ0_rEwWA#)
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In a freaky parallel world kind of way - I too have just bought two uber cheap (£60 each with vouchers) Hudl's from Tesco's having finally caved into the fact that the all the boys friends do actually have tablets at home and we are being horrifically antiquated draconian Luddites by denying them access to one.
Fuck that. Access to one maybe (like lagers is doing) but I see absolutely no need for our nearly 7 year old to have his own tablet / phone or whatever. Not having a go at you btw Sam, just the idea that every kid should have one.
He gets to play games etc on our phones, uses the laptop for other stuff and seems happy with that (despite occasionally mentioning that some of his friends have their own iPods etc). He loves playing on tablets when he gets his hands on one but just plays the same games as on the phone on a bigger screen.
Surely giving a little kid their own device just increases their frustration when you ration their time using it. Taking your phone back making more sense to a small person's mind than taking "their" toy off them.
Yet, friends at work have bought their 4 and 5 year old kids Kindle HDs and all the rest and obviously haven't worried about it.
Did you ask them why though Jim? Honestly, I'm not a total luddite but a four year old should be reading a fucking book for fuck's sake. Sorry, this subject winds me up.
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Like I say - starting to regret it (I was seduced by the fact that a: I've been hankering after one b:they get good reviews and yet with vouchers, they are practically free c: the kids constantly pester for one like their mates have got).
We just keep going to other kids houses where their kids are playing on their tablets, DS lites, Wii's, PS3's etc etc, non of which we have, where we respect the parents and have fallen into the trap of thinking we were being a bit harsh on them.
The Boys get half and hour each on the laptop a day, and occasionally my phone (such as swimming lessons when one is in the pool and the other waiting - they get the last 15mins on the phone out of half hour lesson, providing they've done their reading in the first 15 minutes)
We of course have every intention of limiting their use. (yeerrr - that'll last wont it :-\ ).
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Worth splitting this topic under a new heading (Parental Controls or some such) ????
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Fuck that. Access to one maybe (like lagers is doing) but I see absolutely no need for our nearly 7 year old to have his own tablet / phone or whatever. Not having a go at you btw Sam, just the idea that every kid should have one.
Just get them a Raspberry Pi to mess around with, it'll either put them off computing for life or plant the "geek" seed in their brains. :P
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We just keep going to other kids houses where their kids are playing on their tablets, DS lites, Wii's, PS3's etc etc, non of which we have, where we respect the parents and have fallen into the trap of thinking we were being a bit harsh on them.
First part of solving a problem is admitting you have a problem!
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and as if by magic... in todays Grauniad:
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/29/tablets-best-200-hudl-kindle-samsung-nexus (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/29/tablets-best-200-hudl-kindle-samsung-nexus)
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What's the deal with using vouchers for a Hudl? the double yer money boost thing?
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What's the deal with using vouchers for a Hudl? the double yer money boost thing?
not in my case, we don't shop at Tessers much but even then they post out a lot of e vouchers that you redeem at the checkout. Saved about £20 I think
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What's the deal with using vouchers for a Hudl? the double yer money boost thing?
Yer .. had a club card for ages and somehow we seem to have racked up a stack of points that haven't been converted to vouchers.
Much as it pains me ethically. .. tescos is just too damn convenient for someone in Nether edge. The eccy road, bannerdale and abbeydale branches seem to coincide with our daily routines. Use roneys and sharrow marrow ffor meat and veg as much as possible mind.
60 quid for a tablet of that spec seemed to be a no brainer.
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Worth splitting this topic under a new heading (Parental Controls or some such) ????
stupidly I already created a separate post so if the mods see fit maybe they could split into it?
They're not daft them supermarkets, they've got you in an unavoidable position unless you have all day to drive around for miles looking for independent shops. I tried it once or twice, took all day, loads of fuel and was too expensive
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Innit.
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Hudl basically free with clubcard points ie you dont spend any real money to get one.
Only clubcard points
Got one for my daughters bday next week
Lets start another thread if need be on the rights/wrongs of tesco
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Lets start another thread if need be on the rights/wrongs of tesco
Let's not, we know the answer!
In response to Jasper earlier - I think a lot of people just assume that their 4/5 year olds need such a device, one person in particular was quite proud of her daughter at age 2 playing (assume fucking about with) 2 games in unison on phone / ipad with both hands. Despair. It's easy to spend £150 on a tablet and think the kids are happily I suppose, instead of engaging with them. Same people who come to work on a Monday moaning that kids played up all weekend. Being dragged around Meadowhall. I'd have massive tantrum if I had to do that too.
Peer pressure is a bit of a shitter up here, G unit often comes home complaining that her mates have ipod touch /tablet / mobile phone (this is because they are left to roam all over and might need to call home / need to text their friends / arrange to meet boys on the 'cuddle spot' FFS) Pierced ears are the other fucking thing. 6 year old lads with massive diamante studs in their tab / 9 year old girls with chav hoops. If the parents have managed to buy the house next door to their parents so the kids can dit in their old classroom, and built an extension, they've made it. Aspirations fulfilled. I had to go straight from the St. Pancras train to a kids birthday party once. First up, raised eyebrows and gossiping, next 'what are you doing dressed like that?' 'I've just got off the train from London, been at work' 'ooh, I shouldn't like to go there' 'have you ever been?' 'nooooo'.... On the weekly occasion I do the school run now, I change out of stained joggers and into my 3 buttoner just to put the fuckers about.
Another one: 'Great weekend, the campsite was empty' 'WHAT??? Weren't you scared? Ooh no sod that'
Anyway. We don't really need this tablet, but for convenience thought it might mean she can do her stuff without commanding her mum's laptop which needs to be used for other stuff at the same time, especially now she won't go to bed at 7.30.
All I really want is for the settings to propagate to youtube like Google claim they will. I was going to send it back and get an ipad mini because I think Android is rubbish, but if this is Google controlled stuff it wouldn't work anyway.
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Don't think its an issue of android vs ios.... youtube is still youtube on either and the filtering is still rubbish.
I thought I'd 'report' one of the vids the kids had mentioned but non of the options seemed to be appropriate. To serious eg they simply need a 'not suitable for kids' button that instantly flags the vid so it doesn't appear in searches or suggested vids when filtering is on. Is that really such a difficult concept to implement.
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Top rant Underground. I think you should have a friday night thread of your own ;)
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Old version of Android but for £40 delivered might be worth a punt for a kids tab...http://www.ubislate.co.uk/main_product.php (http://www.ubislate.co.uk/main_product.php)
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got HUDLs (fucking stupid name) for both parents in law for Xmas. I guess my Christmas day will be spend trying to show them how to use it, instead fo playing with my son's Playmobil Pirate Ship.
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Old version of Android but for £40 delivered might be worth a punt for a kids tab...http://www.ubislate.co.uk/main_product.php (http://www.ubislate.co.uk/main_product.php)
Should in theory be possible to update this to recent versions of Android (not that 4.0.3 is that far behind) thanks to Googles Project Svelte (http://readwrite.com/2013/11/25/how-google-shrunk-android-for-version-44-kitkat) which specifically set out to get newer versions running on low spec devices (kind of the anti-thesis of M$/Apple who introduce "updates" which effectively cripple older devices forcing you into a hardware upgrade cycle).
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Looking for a 10" tablet. Will be used for surfing, occasionally reading academic papers, photo storage and very basic photo-editing. May also be used for storing and playing music through the big system - a digital out is ideal - but this may be asking too much. A decent amount of storage or something with a USB port that allows easy access to a big external hard-drive (ie not an ipad?) is important.
Something of ipad quality, and happy to pay for this, but not a fan of apple's softwear. OSX is fine but itunes has mutated into something unusable for my purposes.
Am I wrong to think an ipad is unsuitable? Anything beyond the Nexus 10 I should be considering?
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I find the iPad fine for that - and I never use iTunes... its not been on my PC for the last few years...
Instead of the external HDD I just use the cloud (Onedrive/Dropbox)
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I find the iPad fine for that - and I never use iTunes... its not been on my PC for the last few years...
I will look into alternatives. What do you use for organising / playing music?
Instead of the external HDD I just use the cloud (Onedrive/Dropbox)
Fine for many purposes - I noted your comments about onedrive elsewhere - not sufficiently dependable for streaming music yet. In the backwoods of North London internet access is particularly unreliable in evenings. Can you imagine getting all the way to the Liebestod of Tristan (takes 3 hours) then losing your connection? Coitus interruptus!
http://youtu.be/4tgn511ceNQ (http://youtu.be/4tgn511ceNQ)
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http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/05/sony-xperia-z2-tablet-review-a-serious-ipad-air-competitor (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/05/sony-xperia-z2-tablet-review-a-serious-ipad-air-competitor)
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iPad Mini's currently £199 at Tesco Direct with this code TDX-LVY3 (knocks £20 off an already discounted price)
Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't argue they are expensive at that price. Nexus 7s are currently around £160. Runs out on 27 May I think.
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What is the best sub £100 pad for kids? (Two of ours have just been given pads by well meaning relatives leaving two seriously pissed off step siblings...)
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2012 version of Nexus 7?
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What is the best sub £100 pad for kids? (Two of ours have just been given pads by well meaning relatives leaving two seriously pissed off step siblings...)
x2 A4 and some couloured pencils.
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refurbed nook HD+ £90 on ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barnes-Noble-NOOK-HD-Plus-9-16GB-Tablet-e-Book-Reader-BNTV600-/111202317715?pt=UK_iPad_Tablets_eReaders&hash=item19e42cb593)
decent 9 inch screen that plays full 1080p and takes SD cards, so don't worry about memory
we've got one and it's ace - the ability to set up children's profiles means that they can't delete or access stuff that you don't let them
the kids appreciate the bigger screen for watching stuff on
no camera though, if that's a consideration
also worth looking at the 7 inch Nook HD if you want even cheaper
£60 on ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNTV400-Barnes-Noble-NOOK-HD-8GB-Wi-Fi-7-BNTV400-/310874198573?pt=UK_iPad_Tablets_eReaders&hash=item48618bd22d)
you can hang Nooks off a chain round the kids' necks for that full bling-bling effect
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What is the best sub £100 pad for kids? (Two of ours have just been given pads by well meaning relatives leaving two seriously pissed off step siblings...)
x2 A4 and some couloured pencils.
Amen to that one!
This goes seriously against the grain.
The perks of 4 kids, two for each of us, meaning a shitload of Grandparents. One (my mother-in-law (is that still true?)) doesn't speak much English and turned up with pads for my two (to Skype) and a couple bags of sweets for the other two. We have this crazy situation, where the kids are constantly confused about who's a real relative...
We don't distinguish between hers and mine at home, but relatives can be less accepting of "outsiders".
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Are there any tablets out there good for using Powerpoint and Microsoft Office?
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Are there any tablets out there good for using Powerpoint and Microsoft Office?
MS surface and other tablets that use Win 8.1 or Win RT.
Or iPads and using the office app. The office app is free to use to view things, but costs (iirc £60 year or £60 for 4 years student subscription). I've a student/educational deal (as above) and its great. Does all the useful things word and ppt do. Not the complete functionality but everything I need...
The office app is due to be released at some point in the near future for android tablets - expect the same subscription model as per iPads etc...
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Quick office pro is great for office docs on an iPad. Generating and viewing, at a fraction of the cost. Pages on the pad works very well and now logs changes etc. Converts office docs well for me and exports as office, pages or PDF.
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Yup. Pages is nice - for me the winner with MS office is the review/track changes thing works perfectly - I do a lot of collaborative writing and it's invaluable.
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Thanks for the replies. We have an ipad but I'd be after something altogether cheaper to cart around. Nexus 10 looks like it might do the job, but even cheaper would be better. shame Hudl doesn't come in 10" version.
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Are there any tablets out there good for using Powerpoint and Microsoft Office?
For platform neutral alternative to PowerPoint consider Prezi (http://prezi.com/)
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/installing.png) (http://xkcd.com/1367/)
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Prezi is nice - doesnt handle video clips well - and if you work on something collaborative everyone has to be happy with using it...
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If collaboration is desirable then Google Drive and their office suite is the way forward (or if you're geeky then WriteLaTeX (http://www.writelatex.com/)).
No idea what the Google Drive ecosystem is like on iOS but under Android they have recently released standalone applications for Docs and Spreadsheets. These and the default Drive application work fine (well as fine as editing/writing text on a tablet can be, which is in my opinion cumbersome in comparison to using a keyboard).
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Thanks for the replies. We have an ipad but I'd be after something altogether cheaper to cart around. Nexus 10 looks like it might do the job, but even cheaper would be better. shame Hudl doesn't come in 10" version.
I get the idea and I thought about it a couple of years back. But it just worked out cheaper to insure the pad for "what ever happens", back everything up to the cloud; giving me the option in extremis of using my iPhone as a clone, pending replacement of the pad.
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http://dealsprime.com/cube-talk-9x-3g-tablet-pc-9-7-2048-1536-octa-core-2-0ghz-mtk8392-android-4-2-gps-bt-2gb-ram-8-0mp.html (http://dealsprime.com/cube-talk-9x-3g-tablet-pc-9-7-2048-1536-octa-core-2-0ghz-mtk8392-android-4-2-gps-bt-2gb-ram-8-0mp.html)
Whaddya reckon?
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Okay Sam thanks, that's new to me...looks good on price. I want it for tutoring so I can show presentations/ interactive stuff, sound files etc.
Slackers, prezi I've heard of but have many gigabytes of Microsoft resources I habitually use.
OMM - thanks but the ipad was a gift (from me) to Mrs mrj- and I would never be trustedwith it :lol:
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I'd be wary of the less-branded tablets as many apps aren't fully tested on them and thus Android Market (Play) rules them out or they behave / look like crap.
Sticking to Google or larger names alleviates this (in the Android world).
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Slackers, prezi I've heard of but have many gigabytes of Microsoft resources I habitually use.
Micro$oft rumoured to be developing Office for Android & iOS (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/05/first_ios_now_android_to_get_fondleslab_office_ahead_of_windows/)
Sticking to my tangent of unuseful advice....if the resources are static (i.e. you're not going to edit them and instead just print/display them) then converting them to PDF would mean that they are easy to display on your tablet. You can keep the originals on your PC as editable versions should you need to tweak them.
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Slackers, prezi I've heard of but have many gigabytes of Microsoft resources I habitually use.
Micro$oft rumoured to be developing Office for Android & iOS (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/05/first_ios_now_android_to_get_fondleslab_office_ahead_of_windows/)
Ahem... see my post from the 8th...
The iOS office apps are really good - great adaptations of the desktop version - keeping all the functionality I need.. I suspect the Android ones will be too..
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Slackers, prezi I've heard of but have many gigabytes of Microsoft resources I habitually use.
Micro$oft rumoured to be developing Office for Android & iOS (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/05/first_ios_now_android_to_get_fondleslab_office_ahead_of_windows/)
Ahem... see my post from the 8th...
The iOS office apps are really good - great adaptations of the desktop version - keeping all the functionality I need.. I suspect the Android ones will be too..
Yeah, but this thread is about alternatives to iPads. The El Reg article indicates that M$-Orifice its going to be available on an alternative to iOS, ie. Android ;)
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Ahem - read my post from the 8th...
The office app is due to be released at some point in the near future for android tablets - expect the same subscription model as per iPads etc...
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:oops: :sorry:
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Slackers, prezi I've heard of but have many gigabytes of Microsoft resources I habitually use.
Google Slides (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/06/25/new-app-google-slides-app-joins-docs-and-sheets-in-the-play-store/) (should be able to import PPT's)