On 07 Oct 2021 17:57:56 +0100 (BST)
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

> And the chances of your say british sim being able to connect to a
> > network in Ulan Bator is low.
>
> I think you're confusing things further. There's no difference
> between 'phone' and 'data' networks - they're all 'mobile' aka
> 'cellular' aka 'LTE' networks.
>
> Nobody mentioned going to Ulan Bator. The only mention was London,
> and the options are:
>
> a) find out the password for the wifi in whatever place he's
> staying. That assumes that find-out-able, and not (for example) in a
> hotel where they charge £10 a day for internet. It isn't automatic
> that the OP would be allowed on whatever wifi network exists in the
> place they're staying, so we can't presume this is definitely
> possible.
>
See earlier message, there is no house WiFi.

> b) use the cellular/LTE functionality in the OP's tablet to connect.
> This also works anywhere, eg in the middle of a park, where there is
> no wifi network. But it is an extra cost (see below).
>
> > So, your tablet needs to operate as a phone, as well as a tablet,
> > and you need to pay some phone provider to supply you with a data
> > connection.
>
> It is not necessary to use it as a phone, merely to access mobile
> data. The OP doesn't say they want to make phone calls with it.
> Some tablets can use mobile data but not make phone calls.
>

Good point. I don't need 'phone use, but I had not thought of using it
as data-only, I thought it would be both or nothing. Hmm.

> > >> > slot, and the Galaxy A 7 Tab I am looking at does not.
> > >> > I am now looking at Connectivity via WiFi, Bluetooth and
> > >> > Cellular,
> >
> > What you were describing seemes to me to be cellular.
>
> Yes. Also 'LTE', '4G' or '5G' depending on what level of cellular
> support it has. Every tablet has wifi and Bluetooth so that
> typically isn't listed in the headline description.
>
> > >> > which I think is the correct terminology. Sounds like the USA
> > >> > term for 'mobile.' The Galaxy is around £200, just fine, with
> > >> > extra for the case no problem, that will be similar whatever
> > >> > unit I get.
> >
> > Plus 20 pounds a month for the cellular/mobile phone service.
>
That seems high to me.

> You can get service for 1p/MB on PAYG, or about £5 in one-off bundles
> for some volume of data. There's no need to take out a monthly
> contract if you don't want to, and it may not make sense for the OP's
> use case. (you can also get contracts you can 'pause' and then
> unpause when you want to use them, starting at £6/month - from Smarty)
>
> It isn't free like wifi usually is, but the cost does scale with use.
>
And my usage is likely to be very small, in total.

> > > I am confused, but that is the problem. I need un-confusing by
> > > learning how to tell from the packet description if a SIM is
> > > useable for a certain device and the required connections. The
> > > one I described from Tesco was a 'Three' SIM (some 3 years ago
> > > now), and when I put it into my Huawei PC dongle, it would not
> > > connect to the internet.
>
> In general, any SIM will work in a tablet. The main thing is getting
> one to physically fit (nowadays all new SIMs are multi-size, so you
> just push out the size you want from the carrier). There is a bit of
> setup that most tablets should handle automatically. And then it's
> just down to tariff.
>
> (There is also a compatibility complication with different 4G/5G
> networks if you travel abroad. That's not a problem for the OP's
> situation)
>
> > It is hard to figure out what the problem was with the info you have
> > given.
>
> Seems straightforward to me.
>
> To the OP, it seems the Android tablet market has been neglected of
> late. There's:
>
> Samsung
> Xiaomi
> Lenovo
> Amazon Fire (which don't allow access to apps on the Play Store and so
> aren't 'full' Android, although there are workarounds)
> Various budget no-brands bought on ebay/Amazon/Aliexpress/etc, often
> of junk quality although maybe fine for light use
>
> There are some new releases coming out - this links to some articles:
> https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/10/nokia-t20-is-a-250-10-4-inch-android-tablet-with-a-big-battery/
> You would need to look for the LTE/4G/5G versions, if available.
>
> I'm assuming the 'large phone' form factor (roughly 150 x 75mm) is too
> small?
>
The size of 10.4" diag. is fine, and should give decent view for these
ageing eyes.

> My other suggestion would be to look at the iPad. The iPad ecosystem
> is much better developed in terms of tablet apps, where Android has
> been neglected. If you're going to relearn all your apps anyway it
> doesn't seem a huge difference to learn i(Pad)OS ones rather than
> Android. Android doesn't integrate a whole lot better with Linux
> than iOS does, so they're about even on that score.
>
> The one thing you might not like about iPadOS is the filesystem is
> largely hidden from apps, so you don't 'open' files saved by a
> different app, you 'share' from one app to another. I think that
> means for accessing your NAS you run an SMB client app and then share
> into an editor, and then the file can be saved back to the NAS (I
> think, I haven't actually tried this). There's a 'Files' app to
> manage this, but it still has holes if you live in a file-based
> workflow.
>
> Apple hardware is more expensive, especially if you want LTE, but it's
> supported with OS updates for much longer (5+ years, compared to
> often rapid abandonment with Android). What I'd suggest is looking
> at refurb models which are often a lot cheaper when a year or so old,
> and in generally good condition with warranty. For example:
> https://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/store/apple-ipad-store

Hmmm again. I have been concentrating on the Samsung range, as I have
had good fortune with my TV set and laptop. None of the locking-up
events that I read about, but I am a Luddite, and do not demand the
latest tech. I have avoided iPad due to a perception (maybe wrong) of
not liking Apple stuff, although my first PC at work was an Apple IIc!
(I refuse to divulge my age). Maybe I should reconsider the iPad.
In general, I don't like refurbished electronic devices, preferring new
equipment. I had a refurbished Humax PVR, and it needed a new HDD in
just over a year. Which had the advantage that I was able to install a
2TB HDD, which helped.
Thanks for the thoughts, much appreciated.
--
Davey.

On 03/10/2021 21:50, Vincent Coen wrote:
> Hello Folderol!
>
> Sunday October 03 2021 16:55, Folderol wrote to All:
>
>
>
> > There is an interesting one, getting up steam. Don't know how soon it
> > will be shipping generally though. It's open souce hardware based
> > around the RasPi compute module.
>
> > https://cutiepi.io/
>
> Looks like it 'might' only use a SD card for storage so I will wait for a
> SSD device but as it is a US made product warranty could be a problem :(

Think it's Taiwan, rather than US. Looks really cool though, with the
possibility of running actual software instead of Android apps!

Thanks for the link!

Frank

On Sun, 3 Oct 2021 11:57:31 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

> I am a Linux (Ubuntu) user, whose only mobile device is a basic dumb
> mobile 'phone, which has a camera. Until now, I have had no interest
> in anything "Smart-'phone" or similar, but now I have a need for
> something like a tablet for use in the bedroom for checking e-mails
> etc.
snip

I have decided that, since one of the reasons I bought a laptop was so
that it was portable, and I know that it works with the dongle, then
that is what I will use when I visit the flat. I will get it
functioning before I leave home, though. Ignoring the Mobile feature
is one less complication, although I do like the sound of that Taiwanese
Pi unit, but it only has an 8" screen, smaller than what I want. But
that would be another OS to learn, so I wouldn't depend on that. I might
buy one as a toy sometime, to play with.

I think I will go with the afore-mentioned Samsung Galaxy. Thanks to
all who have helped me and stuck with me through this episode.
--
Davey.