Blonde needs help with buying a tablet/e-reader ....

B

Bandicoot

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So I decided that I want to buy myself an e-reader. Everybody advises that I should forget the e-reader and just purchase a tablet.
So what can I do on a tablet that i cant do on my laptop is my first question?
I am not in an area which has wi-fi available (or am i being dumb?) so how will I download apps and books etc?

Oh please help with some great advice plse peeps.

And then tell me which tablet you would suggest without breaking the bank.

:wtf:
Bandicoot
 
Do you have ADSL at your house? If so, then you can share your ADSL connection via your laptop's wifi.

I might be wrong, but e-readers are monochrome while tablets are full color. (If I'm wrong, do correct me, please :o)

Anyways, with a tablet you can play games, do simple wordprocessing, do email, browse the web, skype (if available), read books and watch movies. Should you have a 3G fondleslab, you then can use it as a simple communications center instead of having to drag your laptop all over the place.

With an e-reader you can only read books.
 
I't not a simple matter to just say one is better than the other - it depend on the context.
I own a Desktop, Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone and an E-Reader and I use each for different reasons.
The laptop is not powerfull enough for CAD, but is is great for office apps, that I find the tablet too limited for, and I enjoy the tablet for quick e-mail, facebook, magazines, games etc, and I read a lot of books and prefer the e-ink beacuse it's softer on my eyes.
 
How do you go on the internet with your laptop? Fixed cable or wireless?

You can do more with a laptop than a tablet but once you start using the tablet you'll leave your lappie in the closet. Except for office work etc.
 
If you are serious about reading and read lots of books, then it must be an e-reader, such as the Kindle. Reading books for extended periods on a tablet is just a pain in the..... eyes.
 
Depends what you want:

If you want to read, as in books, get an e-reader. The e-paper display looks like paper and is just as easy on your eyes. Reading for hours from an LCD/OLED display on a tablet will mess your eyes up long-term and might give you headaches etc.

If you want to browse the net, read emails, watch videos, play games etc, get a tablet. E-readers have browsers too but they're very basic.

As for what a tablet can do that a laptop can't - absolutely nothing apart from having a touch screen.
 
Why don't you go down to Incredible Connection in the mall and try out the different devices to get an idea of what they can do? An e-ink based e-reader is quite limited compared to a proper tablet, but in some ways that's a good thing; if you want something that is purely dedicated to e-books it can't be beaten by anything.
 
Buzzzzzing blonde brain coming in.............duck all you very helpful peeps !!

Okay - I have 2 x 3G contracts with Vodacom already.

I think your comments make me realise that the tablet can be and e-reader and everything else.

Now, do i go for a no-name cheapie or do I head straight to the top and get an iPad??

Thanks to all who replied so far.

One last question : Can I use tippex on a tablet without worrying that people will be able to see where I corrected???
:D

wahaaahaaaa :-)
 
Now tablets

You will want something at least 7" with a high resolution screen.
Looks for an iPS or OLED screen. Not vital but has better angle reading.
All of this makes for less fatiguing reading.
Then you also would like to have Android 4 because it can run Chrome etc.

It has to be 3G or you could setup an 3G wifi router in your house, in which case you tablet/ereader will only need to have Wifi.
 
Bandicoot said:
Buzzzzzing blonde brain coming in.............duck all you very helpful peeps !!

Okay - I have 2 x 3G contracts with Vodacom already.

I think your comments make me realise that the tablet can be and e-reader and everything else.

Now, do i go for a no-name cheapie or do I head straight to the top and get an iPad??

Thanks to all who replied so far.

One last question : Can I use tippex on a tablet without worrying that people will be able to see where I corrected???
:D

wahaaahaaaa :-)
Click to expand...

iPad has great resolution and a crisp screen. Good for e-reading.
Many Android tablets as well, but usually the more expensive ones.
 
Bandicoot said:
Basics on how to set up wi-fi router @ home??
Click to expand...

First you buy the router :)
Depending on how large your house is and if you intend to read all through the house you will want a wireless router with a long range. Let me know if we could recommend you some.

At the backside of your ADSL modem you will see a network port. Connect the port to the input port on the backside of your router. Range is also where dedicated routers usually triumph over all in one modem/router. (although high end combos are great also)
Then connect the router to a pc or laptop and run the installation CD.
The steps and programs nowadays are very user friendly.
Then importantly encrypt your network with WPA2. You will get that option in the setup.
Write down your device name and password and keep in a safe place.
You will need it to connect your wireless devices to the router.
Voila!
 
Bandicoot said:
Basics on how to set up wi-fi router @ home??
Click to expand...

Most newer ADSL routers have wifi as an option.

What make&model have you got?


& you probably will want to look at uncapped adsl accounts... (or adsl accounts with a high cap eg 10Gb or bigger).

But I think we're jumping ahead too fast. ;)
 
The_Librarian said:
Do you have ADSL at your house? If so, then you can share your ADSL connection via your laptop's wifi.

I might be wrong, but e-readers are monochrome while tablets are full color. (If I'm wrong, do correct me, please :o)

Anyways, with a tablet you can play games, do simple wordprocessing, do email, browse the web, skype (if available), read books and watch movies. Should you have a 3G fondleslab, you then can use it as a simple communications center instead of having to drag your laptop all over the place.

With an e-reader you can only read books.
Click to expand...

E-readers usually have E-Ink displays which are much easier on the eyes for reading than tablet displays.

I recommend the OP gets a kindle.
 
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