Hi folks - My sole computer is a MS Surface Pro with the TypePad cover. We’re pretty inseparable both at home and out in many public venues like parks, restaurants, or libraries. I really like the thing and enjoy interneting on the go.
But I won’t take it to a pool or beach for fear of getting it wet or getting sand in the various ports. But I spend a lot of time at pools and beaches, and that will be increasing as it warms up again.
I have an Android phone and a waterproof soft plastic bag/case for it (e.g. Amazon.com: Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch) so I can read my phone and poke at the screen at the beach. Works OK-barely for processing email and pecking a few pokes at simple apps. But is totally unsuitable for extended reading (like an e-book or web-magazine), or for Doping, since I seem to be unable to read much here without commenting lots.
So I’m thinking about getting a tablet as a beach internet terminal that is more or less sacrificial. Unlike my Surface, I could stand to kill it without utterly disrupting my life until replaced, but the goal is something that can survive and thrive amongst sand and wet for a year or so. With a keyboard that can do the same so I can post my pearls of blather.
Some Amazoning says there are cheap Android sorta water-resistent tablets now that, like phones, can withstand being dropped into a couple feet of water without dying. How well they’d do if sand gets in their charging port is another question.
And there are sorta waterproof roll-up rubber keyboards. But those would need a desk or table; you can’t very well type on one of those spread across your knees. I’d be looking for something rigid that clips to the tablet and perhaps serves as a screen cover when closed.
So with all that long-winded intro:
Does anyone have experience with these sorta ruggedized tablets. Any ideas on keyboards? Or should I be thinking more about switching to voice input? Which is something I’ve never really tried since a decade ago when the tech just wasn’t there yet.
No idea if this would be useful, but there are very cheap, small, battery Bluetooth keyboards (not roll-up) which I sometimes use with my cell phone. Some fold in half. Maybe you could use one with your encased tablet?
We’ve had success with Fire tablets for the kids. They’re rugged as heck.
I’m not sure how waterproof they are. But they are cheap enough. (Maybe not the newest version.)
They’ve done much better than the DS devices with the kids.
I had one of those that I used mostly with my work iPad but also on occasion with my phone. On a desk or table they’d be great; not so much on knees. I’m not expecting one of those to survive any sand whatsoever near the keys; first time you tap the e.g. X and dive sand into the gap between key and case the key will be stuck down and now you’re hosed. Finding something that survives is the hard part. For $20 or whatever it’s certainly worth the price to experiment. Even if the odds on success seem real long.
Well, little grandson takes his in the bath all the time. I think the rubber cover makes it float as well. I’ve not witnessed, but I bet rubber ducky has sunk it a time or two. YMMV
Techno-peasant here. I have seen computers that have a plastic flexible keypad, single-piece, that covers the entire thing. Because it’s single-piece, there are no spaces for grit to enter. However, being a techno-peasant, I can’t remember what kind of computer it was.
My first thought is to look at kid-proof tablet covers. They’re probably gaudy as hell, and you won’t have an external keyboard, but you can get your cruising time in and even do a little (slightly awkward) typing.
Actually, you could also use one of the flexible external keyboards if you had a small lap desk. More crap to carry around, but if you generally pick a spot and camp out in it all day that shouldn’t be too bad.
