If I wanted one portable hand-held device in addition to my desktop computer and my crapola LG Verizon phone that I use for emergencies only, what would make sense?

I’ll take the Ipod.

I like my Ipad, because it is lightweight, and the screen is a good size for doing all I like to do on the internet. My android phone, similar to an iphone, is too small in my opinion to do much on the internet. I can’t imagine reading a book on a smartphone. The negative and positive about the ipad is it is back lit, so in sunlight it is hard to see the screen, but in low light, or even total darkness you can still be on the internet no problem. I watch movies on it, fluther, Email, facebook. I like it. There are similar ipad type things out there that are a little smaller, that might be better because it is more portable. If I remember correctly the Android ones you can even put your card in from your phone and have the data there, maybe even use it as a phone? Not sure.

If you like to read books, and will likely be in sunlight or a lot of light the Kindle has a good screen for that, but I don’t think you can do much else on it.

I would suggest the iPhone. When is your current contract up with Verizon, if you have one? They offer the iPhone for 16GB iPhone for 149.00 with a two year contract and you’ll have to pay $30 per month for the minimal data plan in addition to your phone minutes. The iPhone also has a pretty nice HD camera. The phone you can throw in your purse or pocket but the iPad is a little too big for that. The iPads are nice to but not quite as portable as the phones.

Edit: Oops. I just read the details. With the iPhone you just need your Verizon, if your going to stay with them, plan or a router connected to your computer system to transmit a wifi signal to your back yard. If that’s what you mostly want to do with it, I would then suggest maybe the iPad. There are two different kinds: one only works with Wifi, those are less expensive and one kind that is equipped to work with wifi and 3G. The latter are more expensive and also require you to pay for 3G data plan but with the 3G you will be able to access the internet and your email, etc. anywhere, not just when a wifi signal is available.

What if I carried a big purse (as well as walking softly)?

@gailcalled I just added a little not sure if you saw it that Android has some tablets that are a little smaller than ipad and I think you can put your phone card in it. Might be worth checking.

I carry my ipad in my purse sometimes and it gets a little heavy after a while, but I have some muscle trouble, so I am especially sensitive. It really is very lightweight, and I love travelling with it.

@gailcalled LOL. Then I would say the iPad. The phone screen is pretty darn small and even harder to type on.

And I added a little to my previous answer too, if you didn’t notice. :-0

Might I suggest the Acer Iconia tablet. Check out the specs and the reviews; looks pretty good.

Are you really giving the Ipod Nano away?
I’d love one of those.

It sounds like a tablet of some sort would be what you are looking for.
I have a great little net-book, but I think it’s bigger than what you want.

Alert: The earliest bird got the Nano. He PM’d me; I look at PMs before answers here. Sorry, everyone.

I would almost lean towards the Nook Color. I think that a 7” tablet is a bit better for some tasks, especially those involving holding the thing one-handed for more than a few minutes. Many 10” tablets get a bit tiring to hold thusly. Also, if you are a little devious, a Nook Color is easily “flashed” and turned into a full-on tablet for only $250.

I would avoid the iPad and iPhone unless you either have more dollars than sense or have an infatuation with Apple. It’s not that they are utter garbage; they just cost more than their Android equivalents while generally offering fewer features.

@jerv I think one thing a person has to consider is whether you want a Wi-Fi only device or a cellular enabled 3G/4G device. That is one of the reasons I bought the iPad, because there were models available with both Wi-Fi and 3G/4G capability.

In spite of the fact that some people seem to believe that Wi-Fi hot spots are nearly ubiquitous I have not found that to be the case. E.G. When your stuck in major traffic jam on the PA turnpike in the middle of nowhere in western PA., well, there is no wi-fi out there. There are a lot of places in the U.S. where there is no Wi-Fi. If you want to be connected all the time, anywhere it’s something to consider, I think.

Now, there are a number of options in terms of cellular enabled tablets and devices. I don’t necessarily think that having an iPhone or an iPad means you have more money than sense or that you have some sort of infatuation with Apple. I had my iPod touch for a long time. I like it a lot and it was easy to make the transition to the iPhone and the iPad when I had the opportunity to do so.

There are a lot of mobile products on the market now and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s a matter of finding one that suits your needs, your temperament and your price range. That can be difficult sometimes.

@lillycoyote : There are a lot of mobile products on the market now and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s a matter of finding one that suits your needs, your temperament and your price range. That can be difficult sometimes. You got it in one.

@jerv: You are talking to one undevious lady, remember? Hence this question. (And my days of flashing are long gone. However, do you live near-by?—I’d hire you as a guru)

I want ready-to-wear.

Issues:

Hot spots? Wi-Fi versus a cellular enabled 3G/4G device? Please translate.

For home use do I need some sort of device that will hurl my DSL phone connection into the air so I can go outside or upstairs? Are they Mac or PC related or independent?

Visibility or readability in bright lights

Hand fatigue factor? The iPad has that nifty cover/stand? Is it really nifty?

And I too live in a very rural area with hugh swaths of uninhabited land and bindweed growing over the few cell towers there are. The scenario of being stuck in a major traffic jam for two hours is exactly what I am talking about. Of course, I could carry a book (in my large purse, which is growing larger by the minute) with me.

Price; I spend very little on entertainment and haberdashery; hence I can spring for the extra money if it makes sense.My iMac has paid for itself several times over since I now can do most of the troubleshooting with no expensive help.

And lastly; it needs to be Milo-proof if possible. Or Milo-friendly. Can I teach him how to dial 911 on it or take a tutorial on CPR?

@lillycoyote Many Android tablets also offer 3G/4G. And for those that are wifi-only, I could just tether one of them to my phone and use my Droid X as a wifi- hotspot, or you could buy a mobile hotspot that does the same thing.
As for wifi being ubiquitous, it was and probably still is rare in the part of NH where I lived until ~3 years ago, but here in Seattle, it really is just about everywhere. Hell, the city just turned downtown Seattle into one huge, public access hotspot! And even back in NH, most of my laptop-owning friends had a hotspot in their home.

@gailcalled Ready to wear? One common misconception is that Apple has a monopoly on the whole, “It just works! Right out of the box!” thing. My wife isn’t all that tech-savvy and she hasn’t had any real issues figuring out her Droid 2. Android really isn’t that much different from iOS from the viewpoint of the average user; they operate very similarly. You only really notice the differences between the two when you try to get under the hood; Android will present you with options while Apple simply welds the hood shut and doesn’t let anyone in.

A “wifi hotspot” is anywhere where a laptop or other wifi-capable device can connect to the internet without plugging in any cables. Most libraries and coffee shops these days qualify, as do many McDonalds and many other places.

What makes a hotspot is a wireless router. I have one, and at least 20 other people/households within 500 feet of my apartment do as well. A router is fairly inexpensive (I paid $80 for a somewhat fancy one) and come with a nice, simple “Quick Start” pamphlet to help the technically naive set it up properly. That includes setting up the security so that only you and those you authorize could hook up to it; a very imortant thing that many people don’t do.

Routers don’t care what you run; my router handles PC, iPod, Android, Mac, Linux… anything that conforms to the 802.11 standard. Whatever wifi device you have already has the necessary stuff to hook up to any router.

4G is a faster version of 3G, but 4G is only available in a handful of cities right now, Seattle being one of the lucky few. However, at least for those of us on Verizon, 3G coverage is available almost everywhere. (See this map ) My Droid X has 3G and wifi capability, so it has internet access pretty much any place I have cellular reception.

I have had no issues with reading the screens of my Droid X or my buddy’s Galaxy Tab in bright light. My old iPod Touch was a bit dim and, more importantly at least to me, it did a horrible job at automatically adjusting the screen brightness to match lighting conditions. By “horrible”, I mean “utterly fucking craptacular”. The iPads… well, they seem to have the same issue .

As for hand fatigue, the iPad is neither small, nor particularly light. None of the 10” tablets really are. That is why I mentioned my preference for the 7” models like the Nook Color or Samsung Galaxy Tab above. They may be fine to hold for a minute or two in a store, but they can wear you out after a while. I have also seen similar cover/stands, covers, and stands for various Android tablets, so I would not really call that a selling point for Apple. They just do a better job at marketing. Try this with an iPad!

Regarding price, I factor time into my cost calculations, and it takes me a lot longer to haul my system down to a shop where they have the specialized tools required to open the hermaphroditically-sealed case than it does to pop a panel off myself. I also look at the cost of adding storage; Android tablets often have a micro-SD slot to expand your storage relatively inexpensively while Apple products cannot be expanded at all. Not all costs are measured in dollars, and even in those cases where the dollar cost is comparable Like the Motorola Xoom vs the iPad, the actual cost isn’t.

Doing your own troubleshooting for free is a good thing, and that is why I am glad I learned the skills I’ve learned. Hell, the first five PCs I had were built from salvaged components, so I’ve probably paid far less for over half a dozen computers plus all of their repairs than you spent on your iMac simply because of that! Anything you can do yourself will often save you at least 50% and often 80–100%.

You cannot dial 911 on a tablet; only phones can do that. I mean, technically, there is a way, but it’s rather convoluted, sketchy, and more hassle than it’s worth unless you just want to show off and are willing to put in a lot of work kludging around just to prove that you can call from a tablet. Just picking up the phone is a much better and easier option. If nothing else, many cellphones and all smartphones can easily be located with the E911 service whereas tablets cannot.

Thanks @jerv! You explained it much better than I could. Yes, there are some areas of the country, some cities, where accessing a Wi-Fi signal generally isn’t a problem and it doesn’t surprise me that Seattle is one of those places. Where I live, it’s sort of hit and miss. Hotels, public libraries, airports, Borders, McDonalds, etc. those are the kinds of places here and a few others, where you would have to go in order get access an unsecured Wi-Fi signal and that was too limiting for me. Other than that you need a 3G/4G enabled device if you want to be able to have internet access everywhere. At the time I bought my iPad there weren’t a whole lot of other options. Now there are. I’m not going to say that the iPad is necessarily what’s best for @gailcalled. I like mine, and because I already had an iPod Touch the iPad was a very easy transition and I already had a number of apps that I liked that I could also use on my iPad. It was what was best for my needs at the time. If I ever go to replace it, I will certainly look at other options besides Apple products. I doubt it will be to difficult to learn to use a different device.

@jerv; The difference between your wife and me is you. The odds of my doing my own troubleshooting are zero. And I can’t yell “Honey,” into the next room and have you show up.

Thanks for all your help, but I still am feeling confused.

@gailcalled I will see if I can put it more simply:

1) If you are only using it around the home (including the yard), you don’t need 3G or 4G; wifi-only is fine.

2) It’s pretty easy to figure out which devices have 3G, which are 4G, which are wifi-only, and which rare ones don’t have any wireless connectivity at all; it generally says so on the box, and there are salespeople around who are paid to know about what they are selling.

3) Wifi requires a router.

4) The instructions included with the router are written with non-technical people in mind.

@jerv Thank you. This is a good start.

I live in a Verizon/only area and due to the lack of cell towers and hilly terrain, the signals are often week or irregular.

But I feel able now to do some more research. Often, I find, that the anticipation of the unknown is far worse than actually acquiring the knowledge. It took me two years to choose a flat screen TV, for example.

@jerv has plenty of good points, in particular I’d second that the Android tablets aren’t at all difficult to figure out. I’d also second that the iPad size tablets (including the iPad) aren’t necessarily so good for reading because they’re heavier than you might think. and the 7” models could be stuffed into a coat pocket, which you’d never accomplish with the 10” tabs.

WiFi availability depends completely on your specific location. People are locking down their router/WAP(wireless access point) units more than they used to. I can see dozens of WAPs in our neighborhood but they are all locked down (I use my own, which is also locked down).

With those in mind, I still like my Asus transformer a lot. The larger screen is great for reading as long as I can stand holding it, and kicks ass for playing Angry Birds. (how do people play angry birds on a phone? is beyond me)
If you are going to read with your tablet, get one in your hands to see how easy it is to hold for a while. The texturing on the back of the Asus is good for a casual grip, some say the iPad is more slippery so requires a stronger, more-exhausting grip.

If you intend to use your tablet for navigation make sure it has GPS in it (co-pilot only!). An android with GPS can run the google maps app. If you trace out your route ahead of time while you’re connected, the details are remembered, and when you’re on the road the maps app will use the GPS to locate you on the map. We found this VeryUseful on two recent car trips, with Mrs. dabbler driving and me navigating.
With no connection to the internet (turn off WiFi to save power) the tablet was playing music (headphone jack to cassette thingie) and showing maps for most of ten hours of driving, and the battery still had over 30% left when we got home.

Having tried my sister’s iPad, I can eliminate that. Too heavy, too awkward, and too difficult to see the screen on a sunny day.

I don’t need a GPS and am not interested in movies. I’d like to be able to use a browser, hulu, and email. Nothing fancy.

I have a medium DSL (no cable available) and can easily install a router…airport, I guess.

My sister was able to send an email on her iPad from my driveway, so there must be some sort of signals. And in town, I have seen people using laptops on the stairway at the little movie theater.

Now, what does 3G/4G mean? And what does locking down a router mean?

I could do the research but it’s hard to get the acronyms and jargon straight.

So, what’s next? My only choice around here is Verizon.

It sounds to me like you really only need a wifi-only tablet, and probably something around a 7-inch model, which means Android; Apple doesn’t make any smaller iPad, and any other tablet would be crap.

4G is a faster version of 3G, and both allow you to access the internet anywhere there is cellphone service… if you buy a data plan… and spend a bit more on the tablet. If you plan to use the thing where there is no wifi then it might be worth the cost, but if you only plan to use it at places that have wifi then it isn’t. Where it gets tricky is that some iPads and laptops have 3G built-in, so you may have seen people accessing the ‘net without wifi.

Personally, I still like the Samsung Galaxy Tab (the 7-inch, not the 10-inch) and the Nook Color, but when I get home I will see what else is out there; it’s nearing Christmas so there are new things coming out.

@jerv: Thank you. Are there any devices that come with you attached (for a small fee)?

We have slapdash cellphone service here. Due to pockets of hills and valleys there are some dead spots.

I’ll check out your latest suggestions over the next day or two.

@gailcalled What kind of fee are we talking about here? I’d be willing to rent him out. Hell, I’ll give you a recession special! :D

My agent has spoken…

Great views, delicious vegan meals, very little chit-chat, brisk walks along the Kinderhook creek, $50 worth of coupons for our Price Chopper, $.20/per mile and an autographed 8×11 glossy of Milo.

(Mrs. Jerv seems pretty cavalier about sending you on road trips to visit with unknown women.)

Milo, the cat from Milo & Otis or Milo Ventimiglia from the series Heroes?

…or Milo Oblong?

Moi

And moi again

Hmm, we might be able to work out a deal here….