I need a new tablet

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I need to replace my rather ancient tablet. It is now exactly 5 years old. It's been totally reliable until this last 12 months, so I don't mind spending money to get a similar life expectancy. Hubby's 4 year old one is the model up from mine and shows it. Mine is on its last legs and Christmas is fast approaching.

But Sony haven't released a new model recently. I don't even know if they have actually upgraded the components in my husband's model because that is still the one they are selling. And I now have a Samsung phone, not a Sony one.

So, what is there out there right now that people address using, are happy with and is not Apple? I don't want an iPad of any form. I'm after reliability, something I can configure easily thay isn't tied in so heavily to Google that you can't fo anything without Google (fast becoming or already has become MS or Apple in my view).

 

[caseydog]

I have two first-generation iPads. I bought one, and the other is a hand-me-down. I don't use either one.

Because of my profession, Apple owns most of me, and Adobe owns the rest. Sony doesn't seem to have much market share in Merica. Samsung is very popular.

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Because of my profession, Apple owns most of me

Because of my profession, Apple doesn't own me.

I'm probably looking towards something Samsung based, but I've no idea what. Ideally I would like the two to talk to each other easily. I'd like for them to talk to my wireless Canon camera without me having to disable the internet security whenever I want to transfer files between the 2 and I'd really like it to talk to both of our home printers without me having to email tbe document to the printer! (Just don't ask. The tablet talks to both, in fact both tablets do, but my Samsung phone refuses to have anything to do with my epson printer but happily talks to my canon printer, but won't see my wireless canon camera unless I disable the IS software. Both Sony tablets see all 3 quite happily )

Otherwise I just want it to be a slightly bigger screen than I'm currently using on the phone. It doesn't need to take a sim card, just an sd card. And work with some life in it. It needs thay because of the speed (read lack of) of our internet connection. The latency via satellite is closer to 4 figures! But we've no hard phone line, too remote, so the only options are satellite or a very dodgy mobile signal hotspot (technically there is no signal in our area).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have two first-generation iPads.

We do have something apple, I realise.
Hubby has an iPod classic 80gb and I have an iPod classic 160gb, but we are starting to have charging problems with them. The standard apple cables, even brand new, no longer work at all. Apple tried helping us and even refunded the cost of both cables when they failed to recharge our iPods (we did open tbe boxes very carefully). They do recharge on some cheap Belkin cables, well mine does, hubby's doesn't. His only charges on the old radio transmitter (again Belkin) that we bought long before wireless was built into any of the devices, but both display the same issue and that is the charging icon doesn't come up for at least 20-40 minutes after being connected.

However, neither has had an easy life. Mine was bought after hubby's and just before we went off to cycle around the world. So they lived for a very long time in a waterproof pouch being bounced around in a bar bag on an expedition bike (a cross between a mountain bike and a touring bike and designed to go off road and more than just off tarmac and did. Plus there were various crashes and drops and bikes falling over... it was a tough life for all of our electronics and they were used every night. Still are really, so hard life.

I suspect it is the power board connector that has corroded and needs replacement, but that will cost more than replacing them.

So our decision will come down to staying with Apple for music (and music only) or finding an alternative and currently from what we can see, using our mobile phones might be a better option (other than battery life). Apple will have a hard sell on their hands to keep us unless there is something there that will last us a similar time span (close to a decade! ).

 

[caseydog]

The biggest problem with electrnic devices, from computers to smart phones, is planned obsolescence. The manufacturers change the operating systems so they are not compatible with older products. Your device may work fine, but it is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Software companies are even worse.

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

The biggest problem with electrnic devices, from computers to smart phones, is planned obsolescence. The manufacturers change the operating systems so they are not compatible with older products. Your device may work fine, but it is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Software companies are even worse.

CD

I know, guess what I do for a living (or did whilst I was well enough until very recently)