General Chat

I would mainly still be using my laptop, but it would be handy if I wanted to use it whilst in bed and of course if I ever went out and wanted to use the internet.

As I have internet and texts included on my phone contract, it would be a good idea to have it on something I can use...rather than a pidderly silly little phone that every time I try to do anything I want to chuck it accross the room in temper

Sorry Errol,I do have wifi at home,I don't pay for mobile wifi.
I was posting this when my family all turned up so didnt read through what I'd written.
I very rarely use my computer now as this tablet is so easy
I use the wifi away from home that these days nearly everyone in business has for free.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned that once you have used wifi in cafe,pub or anywhere you have used it before it will automatically pick up the signal unless they have changed their code or router .

I have iPad 3G
Built in

at home I use sky but outside I have a SIM card put in I can pay for daily,weekly or monthly

Getting a tablet with 3G/4G built in is pretty pointless and it only bumps up the cost quite a bit. It is ez to connect to the internet when no wifi is available using any modern smart phone configured as a "hotspot". I assume anybody buying a tablet will have a smartphone. Using LTE/4G on a tablet could give a bad case of bill shock too.

Depending how far in the sticks you are then a mobile signal good enough for an internet connection may be impossible.

For such situations I always have a USB wifi key. These can be bought for around £ 10. Just plug it into the computer with the classic wired connection and there you go - wifi. I have found that the Belkin ones work very well.

It would be a very ancient computer not to have USB ports.

Well from what I have read a tablet is just a big phone so cannot see why my sim will not work

But you cannot just take a sim out of any phone and slot it into a tablet.

This is where I got the info from

http://answers.uk.samsung.com/answers/7463-en_gb/product/GT-P5100TSABTU/samsung-galaxy-tab-2-10-1-3g-wifi-questions-answers/questions.htm

sadly it is not as easy as that jax

I do pay each month for my phone which I hardly ever use except to speak to my daughters...so could I not put the sim card into this tablet thing?

I have had internet access on it for almost a year and have never used it because it is too small...

Yes jax but to use the 3G you would have to pay each month surely?

Again, wifi is a way to connect to free hotspots whereas 3G is a direct connection so you pay for it

As I see it Errol...I already pay for 1gb of internet with my phone contract but do not use it

If I got this samsung galaxy tab2 7" 3g wifi I could then use it when out and about in the car or on the beach and could also double up as a phone if need be

If I just got the wifi (cheaper one) I could only use it where there is a wifi hotspot or at home or someones house that has broadband...but not as a phone

I think there may be a bit of confusion over connection protocols and terminology.

wifi is not an internet connection - it is a way of connecting to a device that provides internet connection.
On the other hand, 3G provides a direct internet connection.

wifi is the "invisible bridge" between your device (laptop, tablet etc) and the internet gateway (internet router etc)

3G is just like a mobile phone so your laptop, tablet etc is connecting to the internet directly (and you are being charged for it)

Ooo ello...l have a Galaxy 7 7" Tpad... still getting used to it and it has WIFI built in, l can't use internet in the car though:)...l could'nt work out how to get rid of w/site l had been on when finished, but its a double tap on the X. l do find it difficult to move around on here though, it makes the funny noise which tells me its doing something, but does'nt move, maybe its me.
Games and Kindle great, much cheaper than an iPad!!
jude xx

PP. before you consider paying for a Dongle or for 3G ask yourself just how often you would want to connect to the Internet away from home. As others have said there are free hotspots everywhere. I have an iPad without 3G just WiFi and I connect in bars etc when I am having a coffee but most of the time from home.

I absolutely love my iPad, there is so much you can use it for. If you want to print something you need to just email it to yourself then open it and print it from your PC.
There are loads of books and games, all free, and I also do my family tree and watch television on it. In fact I use it as a television when I am in the kitchen where I can't get English TV. I 'Face Time' my family which is very much like Skype but you can do it from anywhere not stuck in front of your main computer.

I have a stupid samsung galaxy y phone, comes with 1g internet 5000 texts and about 200mins...I never use the internet and very rarely text as it is too small and fidderly

Just been looking at the samsung galaxy tab 7" which can be used as a phone and ideal to take out and about I would think to use for the internet aswell, whether using free wifi, or the entitlement from the phone package

Errol - no internet or computer of any kind

PP- I think if you have to decide which type of tablet you want before buying as I ended up paying extra for either 3G or 4G when I had no intention of paying for a second internet contract. I went to a drop in centre locally and had it explained that I only needed to find a wifi hotspot so I could have bought a cheaper version of the tablet.
Apart from that I enjoy playing the games. Taking photographs which you can just email to your pc then print them out and reading my emails away from my pc. I think they can be used to download books but I don't enjoy reading. -good idea to ask others about it before buying.-j

NanaSue do they have a broadband connection?
You have a couple of options.

Now you have hit on an issued I need some help on. My laptop has wifi.
I am a Virgin Cable/Media customer.

Anywhere I go where there is a wifi connection it is free or the person has a pin.
Virgin trains it is generally free.

Now my problem is that I want to take my laptop to a house which only has a conventional phone and basic TV away from London - we say in the sticks. No internet or PC anything

What do I need to buy so I can use my laptop online from such places.
:-D :-D

Brenda, depending on the model, you must be using either wifi (free) to connect or what is called 3G which you pay for.

In cafes etc I would imagine you are using the iPad's and cafes' wifi.