# Tablets
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 28, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920 "2017-11-28T02:06:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/1 "2017-11-28T02:06:31Z")
Some of you probably know that I’m behind the times when it comes to new gadgets. Last year, Mrs. L.A. said we should get a tablet for our vacations. I don’t remember the justification.
So let’s say we get a tablet. What do we do with it? Surf the 'Net? Check emails? (I check my webmail a lot.) Watch movies? What advantages and disadvantages do they have compared to my MacBook?
It looks like [they’re pretty cheap](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01J6RPGKG/ref=ods_tab_cc_sz). How’s this one? What other ones should be considered?
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/2 "2017-11-28T02:17:23Z")
Read The Dope, duh!
But seriously, you can do pretty much anything and everything you can do with a smartphone on a tablet.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/3 "2017-11-28T02:32:19Z")
I helped mom set up her Samsung glGalaxy Tab S2.
It’s the same as a smart phone. Except it doesn’t have Cellular service and has a big screen…
Mom loves watching streaming video from A&E, History, and Discovery. She uses her Dish login.
She reads her news. I installed Solitaire for her.
I installed the Kindle app. But the tablet is a bit large and heavy for reading books. It’s hard to hold a tablet without touching the screen. Mom prefers her Paperwhite Kindle.
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### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/4 "2017-11-28T02:39:23Z")
I use mine for overseas travel. Using Google Phone, I can call any number in America (even your bank) for a free unlimited phone call from anywhere with wifi, even Somalia (set up Google hangouts app in advance, in your gmail account.). I also can make or change air or hotel reservations wherever there is wifi. Besides the obvious email and facebook access. Android is a learning curve, and the touchscreen keyboard requires very tiny fingers.
Another nice Android feature is voice translator - it will listen to you in English and then say it in Russian, then listen to the reply in Russian and say it in English.
android also has instant one-click print-screen, so you can have any document ready to show anyone. Or a local street map.
All the above in a $50 tablet, no SIM card ever required. Just wifi
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/5 "2017-11-28T02:43:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> It looks like they’re pretty cheap. How’s this one?
I have last year’s Fire HD 8. For the price I don’t think you can beat it (as long as you don’t mind swiping past an add to get to your home screen).
It works perfectly well for email, surfing, watching videos, listening to music, podcasts, audoibooks and as an eReader. I was able to modify it easily to get access to Google Apps and Google Play. I think you can transfer iTunes media to it but I’ve never tried it.
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/6 "2017-11-28T02:43:45Z")
Probably everything you want to do on the tablet you can do on your Macbook.
Your Macbook is an expensive piece of equipment. What if it gets broken on stolen on your vacation? Does that possibility concern you? (or do you have insurance and all your data/programs are backed up?). If you do have this concern and your phone doesn’t have a big enough screen for say movie viewing get a cheap tablet; if not don’t.
There is also the question about your wife’s needs: do you both want to be doing something with this at the same time? If so perhaps you should get something for her.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/7 "2017-11-28T02:43:56Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#):
>
> But seriously, you can do pretty much anything and everything you can do with a smartphone on a tablet.
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> It’s the same as a smart phone. Except it doesn’t have Cellular service and has a big screen…
I occasionally use my smartphone for navigation. (I did on our vacation.) I rarely use it to talk or text. On the laptop, I read The Dope, Facebook, news sites, check eBay, etc. Sometimes I’ll open Hoyle’s Casino and play some blackjack.
Mrs. L.A. is on her smartphone a lot, talking and texting. (All work-related.)
I’m wondering if I should get her a tablet for Christmas.
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### Author:  [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/8 "2017-11-28T02:44:52Z")
I’m using a tablet right now!
They’re good for watching shows (Netflix, etc.), browsing the web, reading books, and playing games. I’m sure somebody will show up to tell me they use it do real work and stuff, but I hate typing on them. So, I only use it for email and posting when I have to.
It probably can’t do anything your Mac can’t do, outside of some android only games. It just does it smaller, easier to carry, and possibly with better battery life. For leisure travel I take my tablet instead of a laptop.
I’ve never used one of the Amazon Fires, but from what I’ve heard they’re fine, and probably the best you can get for $100. A brief web search when I was considering one showed that the Google store can be added very easily.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/9 "2017-11-28T02:45:05Z")
> [@PastTense](#):
>
> Probably everything you want to do on the tablet you can do on your Macbook.
I’m wondering how much a tablet can do that I do on the MacBook.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/10 "2017-11-28T02:47:08Z")
> [@jtur88](#):
>
> I use mine for overseas travel. Using Google Phone, I can call any number in America (even your bank) for a free unlimited phone call from anywhere with wifi, even Somalia (set up Google hangouts app in advance, in your gmail account.). I also can make or change air or hotel reservations wherever there is wifi. Besides the obvious email and facebook access. Android is a learning curve, and the touchscreen keyboard requires very tiny fingers.
>
> Another nice Android feature is voice translator - it will listen to you in English and then say it in Russian, then listen to the reply in Russian and say it in English.
> android also has instant one-click print-screen, so you can have any document ready to show anyone. Or a local street map.
>
> All the above in a $50 tablet, no SIM card ever required. Just wifi
$50 ???
Samsung tablets are $300 and up. Mom just bought hers four months ago.
We had her internet upgraded to wireless. So the tablet works at her home.
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### Author:  [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/11 "2017-11-28T02:48:20Z")
I love being able to use my tablet to read e-books or listen to audiobooks in bed at night; a lot lighter and easier than the laptop. (I might use it to play some solitaire right before falling asleep, too.)
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### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/12 "2017-11-28T02:50:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> $50 ???
>
> Samsung tablets are $300 and up. Mom just bought hers four months ago.
Look at the Digiland DL-721 at Best Buy.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/13 "2017-11-28T02:56:24Z")
> [@jtur88](#):
>
> Look at the Digiland DL-721 at Best Buy.
$24.99 now.
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### Author:  [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/14 "2017-11-28T03:10:14Z")
a tablet can do about 60 percent of anything a laptop can I use mine mostly for gaming …
only downsides are googles resitance to let people use sd cards for app storage and their app store has a lot of skeevy stuff on it …
The best and sturdiest tablets is RCA’s Viking line and there always on sale
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/15 "2017-11-28T03:24:17Z")
Android started fully supporting SD cards in Marshmallow. The phone/tablet’s drive is linked to the SD card into one Volume. Apps see it like a single drive.
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### Author:  [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/16 "2017-11-28T03:35:39Z")
Funny, I didn’t see this but just started a thread about tablets. Hmm…
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### Author:  [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/17 "2017-11-28T03:39:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> …
> Mrs. L.A. is on her smartphone a lot, talking and texting. (All work-related.)
>
> I’m wondering if I should get her a tablet for Christmas.
Yes, but make sure it can be returned or exchanged, because she probably has a better idea of what she wants.
They are great for email, social media, news articles, books, streaming movies and series, and video conferencing (skyping) (better than a lap top for the video in my experience). They are more convenient than even a laptop when you are moving from room to room.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/18 "2017-11-28T03:40:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> $50 ???
>
> Samsung tablets are $300 and up.
Or, you know, not. [Costco has the Galaxy Tab A for $180.](https://www.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Octa-Core---Android-Marshmallow---Black---Includes-32GB-MicroSD-Card.product.100303758.html)
A lot more than the other prices up-thread, but a lot less than $300, if you have a Costco membership (or know somebody who does).
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### Author:  [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/19 "2017-11-28T03:42:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> I’m wondering how much a tablet can do that I do on the MacBook.
I have no idea what you do on your MacBook but my iPad has pretty much replaced my MacBook, at least since I stopped coding.
The iPad is my main device for web browsing, email, SDMB, newspapers, magazines, most books, most spreadsheets, light word processing.
I have had a iPad since they came out.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tablets/802920/20 "2017-11-28T05:06:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> I occasionally use my smartphone for navigation. (I did on our vacation.) I rarely use it to talk or text. On the laptop, I read The Dope, Facebook, news sites, check eBay, etc. Sometimes I’ll open Hoyle’s Casino and play some blackjack.
“…on our vacation…” means you were driving? or flying?
You fly helicopters, don’t you? If you don’t have all the latest Garmin glass cockpits in your choppers already, I would think you certainly use a mobile tablet of some sort, with all the umpteen aviation apps you can get.
See [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20628255&postcount=8) in the nearby “What happened to tablets?” thread. Aren’t you doing stuff like this?
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