I want/need a tablet

Muirium · 30 May 2015, 01:47

elecplus wrote: OK, on the new tablet now. So far, I am impressed. Very quick and easy to setup.
The keyboard makes a tiny click for each letter pressed, and the screen vibrates slightly for each letter press. I can't exactly type like on a keyboard, but I will adjust. The screen is very crisp, and easy to read. And it is very nice that this site shows up in full screen!

Now to see about installing some apps.

Yeah, I love how DT looks on a tablet. I browse it full screen on my Mac, too, just for the look of it.

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 01:50

Interesting, this site works well with enlarged text, but the Google search page is all out of whack!

Muirium · 30 May 2015, 01:51

Showing you the mobile version maybe?

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 01:59

Argh! No USB ports! Just a charger/accessory port, and a Micro SD card.

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 02:06

Check out <url>www.iconarchive.com </url> lots of free public domain and free for non-business use.

SL89 · 30 May 2015, 02:06

Muirium wrote: I was comparing Samsung *with Apple*, after all! They're perfectly shameless at ripping Apple off wherever they are able. Samsung have a very different relationship with Apple than they do with the other manufacturers they're actually competing with. Everyone else is merely to be beaten on specs and price. Apple, meanwhile, is to be copied to the maximum extent Samsung's engineers can possibly muster without actually running iOS.

Spoken like a true fanboy and brand loyalist.

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 02:08

Ok, problems. No function keys, and no way to right-click on something. And 6 taps to get to > is not going to cut it for me.

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 02:09

And I can't tap on the url button here, and have it come up in the box. Must be doing something wrong.

Muirium · 30 May 2015, 02:24

SL89 wrote: Spoken like a true fanboy and brand loyalist.

I know why you'd think that. What separates us is just a different emphasis on the value of novel ideas and design.

I've more respect for Microsoft's Surface than for Samsung's tablets, and likewise whatever Windows sub-brand that runs on them then Google's Android. Microsoft did a better job inventing their own interface and interaction model this time around than back in the Windows 3 and 95 days. Pity they were years too late to make much difference, though.

Mal-2 · 30 May 2015, 23:17

elecplus wrote: Ok, problems. No function keys, and no way to right-click on something. And 6 taps to get to > is not going to cut it for me.

Two-finger tap? A long tap? It seems to me one of the two should act as a right-click.

Also, this forum software uses [ and ] in its pseudo-HTML, instead of < and >, though the "url /url" part was correct.

elecplus · 30 May 2015, 23:38

For me, this tablet seems to be a keeper. There is a $35 kit on Amazon that includes a cable to convert to USB, a cover, and several other things, so I think I will order that.

Once my idiot brain figured out the tablet acts just like my Samsung phone, we got along quite well.

The screen is extremely sharp and crisp, and very easy to read. All of the usual functions are there, along with some "new" ones. This tablet keeps wanting to "learn" from me, so I will have to figure out how to turn that off. For the $600 it cost, I got the 64GB version, not the 32GB on Amazon for the same $600. Maybe Wal-Mart was cheaper, or maybe they were mis-priced, IDK. $600 would have given me a lot of laptop, too, but I have laptops. I really wanted a tablet.

I found free apps to create Excel and Word docs, as well as the usual open source suites. Since I want it for productivity, I was not concerned about games and things, but I chose a few of those as well, just to see how well they would work. They play quite well

No drag/lag time, no waiting for screens. The tablet does get warm if you are using heavy graphics for more than an hour, but I don't intend to do that on a regular basis.

Now I just have to learn how to program for Android. A hate Java...

Wish there was a really cool Linux tablet!

SL89 · 31 May 2015, 00:22

I'm glad its working out so well for you cindy.

matt3o · 31 May 2015, 08:42

elecplus wrote: Now I just have to learn how to program for Android. A hate Java...

Wish there was a really cool Linux tablet!

oh my! this is so nice to hear I'm almost crying

maybe the best option we (will) have is the Jolla tablet, but anyway any intel based tabled with a bit of research and dedication could be converted to linux.

SL89 · 31 May 2015, 13:05

I am excited for the Jolla tablet, I wish the phone wasn't just over in Europe :/

Ubuntu touch seems to be coming along as well so maybe we will see one if those before long.

matt3o · 31 May 2015, 13:13

funningly enough jolla means joint (the one you smoke) over here (uncommon word, but still)

Muirium · 31 May 2015, 13:18

Let me guess: an Italian named the company! Perfectly explains their Europe First strategy. Don't they know how that turned out for Nokia? Europe's a shite place to sell anything. That's why we're always last in line. Along with the rest of EMEA, where old products go to retire.

There's a swanky district in San Diego called La Jolla (pronounced lah hoy ah) which I'll assume now must also mean The Spliff. Works for me!

matt3o · 31 May 2015, 13:21

Muirium wrote: Let me guess: an Italian named the company!

even funnier if you consider that "ciolla" (which in Italian is basically pronounced the same as Jolla) is a sourthern slang for "penis". I'd say it's not the best name for a company in the italian market... no, wait...

Muirium · 31 May 2015, 13:25

Now I'm convinced they've got an Italian comedian running their branding.

They need professional help:

scottc · 31 May 2015, 17:27

It was a Fin, actually.

I've had a frustratingly bad experience with the Jolla phone, unfortunately. I got it three months ago. It's been pretty unstable and unreliable since, with the most recent problem being lots of random reboots during the way. A few weeks ago it had a small fall (on to a carpet!) and the screen's glass was smashed. My options for repair: 1. Wait an indeterminate amount of time for spare parts to become available (they have no idea when this might be), then pay €105 + shipping both ways (so a total of about 145 euro), or 2. pay 200 euro + shipping + shipping my broken device to them (so a total of about 240 euro). Argh!

I originally paid 230 euro shipped for the phone + 2 back covers + a protective case (which apparently isn't very good anyway). It's frustrating enough that I'm just not going to bother at all, and I'm borrowing a friend's Android phone for now. I sincerely hope that the tablet doesn't have so many problems or it might end up on eBay...

Edit: I wrote this comment at about 12:00 when I was about to go out, and it looks like it never got through... argh!

elecplus · 31 May 2015, 17:47

[quote="matt3o";p=233232 any intel based tabled with a bit of research and dedication could be converted to linux.[/quote]
We have converted a lot of laptops to Linux, but did not have success on touch screen tablets.
Which version of Linux are you thinking of? I have a couple of older tablets here that I might try it on. Ubuntu did not do well even on the "convertible" IBM laptops, that the lid spins around to become a tablet. The stylus would never work on the touch screen.

matt3o · 31 May 2015, 18:04

elecplus wrote: We have converted a lot of laptops to Linux, but did not have success on touch screen tablets.
Which version of Linux are you thinking of? I have a couple of older tablets here that I might try it on. Ubuntu did not do well even on the "convertible" IBM laptops, that the lid spins around to become a tablet. The stylus would never work on the touch screen.

I would suggest a distro with the latest kernel to be sure all drivers are up to date. My go-to distro nowadays is Arch Linux.

SL89 · 31 May 2015, 18:07

Mu is right... Every thread does turn into a Linux discussion...

seebart · 31 May 2015, 18:15

elecplus wrote: I don't care about the OS, but I am NOT fond of Win 8.1. I like Win 7, Android, etc.

if you do go with android you can later move to ubuntu phone or firefox OS. Aside from that Android itself has plenty of ports like Cyanogenmod. Because there are so many Android OEM's the hardware is cheap compared to Apple.

elecplus · 04 Jun 2015, 03:36

My accessory pack for the Samsung tablet came in today. Now it really is a keeper! The cover keeps it propped up at the correct angle, or lets me have it in my lap. And the adapter that goes from the power slot to a female USB means I am now typing on my Cherry G80-8963LUBUS-2. Cherry browns, not exactly quiet, the way I type. Built-in mouse pad, extra keys. There is also a nifty pen to use on the touch screen, which makes it much easier for me.

matt3o · 04 Jun 2015, 07:37

congrats for your purchase! Now... pictures!

elecplus · 05 Jun 2015, 20:51

My newest toy just arrived. Now I just have to learn to operate it...

: IMG_5133.JPG (351.99 KiB) Viewed 4147 times

matt3o · 05 Jun 2015, 21:04

ooooh what a nice door holder!

elecplus · 05 Jun 2015, 21:09

They felt sorry for me. My Samsung Galaxy S3 (that was also gifted to me) has a cracked screen. Any suggestions for fantastic things to do with this iPhone?

XMIT · 05 Jun 2015, 21:18

Obligatory: http://www.willitblend.com/ .

USB OTG cables are great for connecting keyboards to tablets and phones. I don't know how the KTD (Kids These Days) can type on these awful touch screens.

All Android tablets are Linux tablets.

Muirium · 05 Jun 2015, 21:19

You won't get any good ones from the Apple haters! Not that they're stopping that little behemoth from taking over the world. Apple's billions flow from its popularity all around the globe.

The iPhone's all about apps. Use Dropbox as your file system and you can do almost anything with it, with the right choice of software. Really depends what you have in mind.