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Tablets - 8/10/2015 11:35:59 PM

kkaliforniaa

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Hi. I'm looking to buy a tablet for my business, and I was wondering if people could make some recommendations on what they use [it doesn't matter if it's used for business or pleasure].. My main objective for the tablet is Square [which allows credit card transactions], along with scanning checks to my bank [through their app].. It would also be nice if I could use Excel on it, so I can keep track of which DVDs I own, that way I'm not purchasing the same one twice.

Please and thank you!

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RE: Tablets - 8/11/2015 11:54:09 AM

MariaB

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I would go for an IPAD but then I'm an Apple fan. I'm pretty sure that Excel is free on the IPAD.

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RE: Tablets - 8/11/2015 2:04:27 PM

ydd

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My tablet is a Samung Tab2, 10.1 inches. I am not an Apple fan, but would recommend tyee iPad in this case. My software is Polaris Office, and while it is supposed to be compatible with Microsoft Office, I find it unwieldy to use. My biggest complaint about the Samsung is that there is not an Adobe Flash player version for it, so there are videos I can't watch and games I cant play. As for cheque depositing, that is a bank app, not an iPad app.....ie RBC, TD......I use the app on my phone for depositing cheques.

All I can say for sure, is research, research, research.

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RE: Tablets - 8/13/2015 6:28:11 AM

kkaliforniaa

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Hmm.. That doesn't make sense about the Adobe Flash player thing.. That's something else I was interested in [kind of], because I might want to catch up on some weekly television. But if that isn't possible.. .. I'm sure you tried, but couldn't the problem with flash be fixed by going to the Adobe website and getting it there?

I'm not a fan of Apple either, only because of all the advertising. Just because there is advertising everywhere for something, doesn't mean the item will be great.

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RE: Tablets - 8/13/2015 6:57:07 AM

Lucylastic

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Adobe stopped supporting flash player for android phones and tabs in 2012,
I use VLC for music, vids, and movies.
There are links to places that give you details on getting it to "work" in android, but I found it hit or miss.

Im not apple friendly, but 2 of my kids have used them for a few years and one of my nephs works for apple its just a personal preference, I like android and im partial to samsung for tabs and phones. oh and both samsung and android will work with SQUARE.
Edited to add, I use google spreadsheets. and Open office..both have apps for android.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andropenoffice&hl=en
I dont know links to apple apps, sorry

< Message edited by Lucylastic -- 8/13/2015 7:00:21 AM >

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RE: Tablets - 8/13/2015 8:40:37 AM

DerangedUnit

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I like samsung... dont use them for business though just tv, music and online classes. I have a phone and tablet from them most no problems getting stuff to play... i remember a few years ago when java quit working had to download something on the phone i had then but both my new devices worked fine so pretty sure the new player is built into most browsers now.

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RE: Tablets - 8/17/2015 1:00:26 AM

kkaliforniaa

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Hmm.. After reading the comments in this thread, and BRIEFLY reading through a recent article in Consumer Reports, I am thinking about just using a "smart" phone, instead of a tablet.. First, the reason I wanted a tablet rather than a "smart" phone, was so I could keep track of things via Microsoft Excel. Well, the article in Consumer Reports [yes, which I BRIEFLY read] mentioned that use of Microsoft Office is $99 a year!! [WTF!!] I might as well just use a laptop and buy the software, install it, etc, it would be cheaper to do that. BUT I wouldn't be able to do Square and take pictures [of checks] with the laptop, hence "smart" phone. Second, the video feature. Now this is confusing, as you see commercials for Comcast and such, advertising watching tv anywhere, at anytime, with the use of a tablet. I would think flash [or something like it] would be needed to watch videos [although based on the most recent comment, the issue with flash may be questionable, at least for this purpose]. Also, my plan was, while I was walking around a track [for an hour], I would catch up on shows I wanted to watch. Having never done this, but using my imagination, I can't imagine that walking around for an hour, with your arms extended in front of you, would be that comfortable. Add to the confusion, internet connections. If you're walking around a track, since a tablet isn't a phone [and if you don't buy/rent it from your phone provider], you wouldn't have an internet connection, thus no xfinity/hulu/netflix, right?

Sure, there are similar programs to Microsoft out there, Google has some apps [I've heard], and I'll look in to that, but the bigger issue is, using a tablet at a track. It's not in the middle of nowhere, but it's also not in the middle of some office building either. Would I be able to watch the shows online? I would have my phone with me, so would it get a connection that way? And even if it did, do you [the commentors] think it would be practical, walking around for an hour, arms extended, holding a tablet?

oOo Another reason a "smart" phone might be better, if it breaks or is lost/stolen, if you have insurance on it, it could easily be replaced [minus the files]. A tablet, you're screwed, and not in an enjoyable way *headdesk*

It doesn't really matter if this is for business or personal, whatever I get could be used in the same ways. Shopping list versus business contact list, etc.

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RE: Tablets - 8/17/2015 5:24:58 AM

Kaliko

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Regarding Excel versus Google Spreadsheets, I use Google Apps for many things. I also have Office, and had online access to my files through Microsoft, but gave the online access up because Google is so much more convenient. The spreadsheet function available through Google Apps is more than sufficient for you to keep track of something like DVD purchases, and you have the ability to access the information at any computer, which is what I find most appealing about it.

Walking around a track, no, more than likely you wouldn't have internet access through a wireless connection (unless it was offered nearby, of course) but you can get a data plan with a tablet, if it's your preference to do so and the tablet is compatible.

No, I don't think you'd want to walk around for an hour watching a TV show. However, listening to the show without watching it might be just fine. Or, maybe consider podcasts, instead? I actually don't listen to them, myself, but I believe they're downloadable ahead of time so you wouldn't need internet access, and they're audio only so maybe the file wouldn't be too large?

I would guess that you could probably purchase insurance on a tablet the same way you could for a smartphone.

Personally, I love my smartphone for the multitude of everyday tasks that I use it for - alarm clock, car radio, GPS, shopping list, daily reminders, white noise at night, bank deposits, etc... These are also all things that can be done with a tablet, though. In my opinion, the only real difference is size. Do you want a bigger screen, or a smaller screen? That's what it comes down to, for me. Past that, there are enough options out there among both smartphones and tablets that many of either one would suit your needs.

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RE: Tablets - 8/17/2015 3:10:22 PM

MercTech

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If you want serious computing ability; consider a convertible.

Fujitsu has been making tablets since the Windows 95 days. Some seriously reliable hardware.

http://www.shopfujitsu.com/store/

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RE: Tablets - 8/17/2015 3:41:37 PM

quizzicalkitten

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Hulu, netflix, dish's hopper, comcasts tvgo, hbo go, and all your other video content for the most part is IP based and you dont need flash

Flash was discontinued on apple from pretty much the start of the ipad possibly further back and discontinued on android in 2012.

The only time you need flash is sites that havent updated themselves to the time and use a different delivery other then flash when they detect a mobile browser. I have been able to use work arounds on android but not on Ipad.

Lastly Ipad doesnt have avi compatibility, so if your loading videos to your tablet directly you might have some issues with play back, there are some apps that work but usually dont provide the best experience.

Other then that you have apps:

Android tends to have a lot of free apps that have in app purchases where apple tends to lean toward being more pay app based. Android you can load apps that you dont get from the play store, apple you cannot do that unless you jail break the phone.

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RE: Tablets - 8/20/2015 11:56:06 PM

kkaliforniaa

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Hmm.. I'm considering a "smart" phone [I keep using quotation marks because I knew someone who would send emails, but words that were written weren't what was meant [because of autofill]. It made for some very fun conversations *hahahhaha*] because I'll need a phone anyway. I'm still considering a tablet, because I saw an article at cnet that talked about using tablets as phones, but if they don't function like a mobile phone does, then all I would be using the tablet for really is spreadsheets.. So my question becomes, on a scale from 1 to impossibly difficult [also known as 10], how difficult [after you've gotten used to using a "smart" phone] would it be to work on spreadsheets like the following:
Column A: Title - Column B: ISBN - Column C: 1-5 rating [this spreadsheet would involve constantly adding information on the phone]
Column A: Item - Column B: Cost - Column C: Sum of Column B [this spreadsheet could be mostly completed on a computer, with minor changes done on the phone]

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