Choosing a suitable tablet computer

[Finley 1]

Hello

I need a tablet that is totally capable of working with all my genealogy programmes  etc...
plus social media - plus email .. and it would be marvellous if it could also be a phone of sorts.

not to expensive - cos it is to take on my travels and could easily become mislaid !!!

any help would be great.

xin

[purlin]

Hi xinia,

I would NOT recommend the Samsung 10.1 Tab 3 Tablet.  It ticks quite a few boxes, e.g. price, weight, clear, good definition screen, reasonably user friendly and with a suitably padded case i would think fairly robust.  However, after 2 years of use the battery and associated connections are u/s.  Money down the drain!

[Finley 1]

OK    Thinking of buying an ipad 4 mini

I know nothing about this other than my grandson showing me his?!!  I used to be really into technology and nothing frightened me in that respect, but of late different matter.

So-- Basically, I want a travel laptop?!?!? is that possible.

Something that I can carry easily and is light enough to go in hand luggage.
That I can access Ancestry and all other sites I use............  as well as Roots -   with great photographic techniques and a usb port?? maybe even a slot for a sim card ... I want the works for tuppence..   !!!!!

No I am prepared to pay as I say I am looking at the I pad 4 mini... and need to know if this does the job...

xin

[RJ_Paton]

The iPad doesn't have a USB port but will do everything else you have specified.

Ancestry and other online sites have their own Apps (programs) which will allow you to access your accounts with them. The different way of using the device may have a learning curve.

There are also a number of Apps which act as stand alone genealogy utilities and while some lack the full functionality of a desktop pc program they are pretty reasonable workarounds.

[Ray T]

Why do you need/want a USB port?

[Finley 1]

uhm??  the usb port.....  could I then use it to add an external hard drive

xin

[kerryb]

I have a Macbook pro and an ipad and the way I get around not being able to connect to an external hard drive is by using icloud for storage of anything I might want to use such as documents.  So if I took either say to a local record office and needed to access something I can.  It also works as another way of storing precious documents. 

My tree is on tribal pages which is accessible on an app as Falkryn mentioned.  I use Ancestry and findmypast quite happily on my ipad. 

When I bought my ipad I got the smallest gb and no mobile broadband, which I live with but is a bit of a mistake but now I have my Macbook Pro which is not that much bigger although is a fully blown laptop, it doesn't matter.

Kerryb

[Finley 1]

Well !!!!!!!!!  Just ordered an Ipad mini 4---- not cellular but wi-fi... so we will see..

I shall go out with a bloomin big bang...

Venice here I come

xin

[Ray T]

uhm??  the usb port.....  could I then use it to add an external hard drive

xin

You might know this by now but the simple answer is "No". You can do certain things using the optional camera connector and it's probably worth getting one so you can back up your photographs as you go.

Probably the worst value accessory is the "official" case (you have to buy the top and bottom separately) but you can find third party ones which will do although they aren't as neat