Shopsmith Forums

With all the computer/software/picture posting discussions it only feels natural to start a thread about tablets.

Why you ask?

Cause I just got one and I don't know much about them.

I picked the Samsung 10.1 2014 32GB. It arrived and it powered up and it came with a bunch of stuff already on it. It is the wifi only version so I have no need of learning the phone bits.

It started by doing a system upgrade to 4.4.2 which I take it is the current most operating system. It then proceeded to upgrade a whole list of other things..... 115 apps upgraded??? I have not added anything yet.

I figured I needed a case for it and got some extra memory with a 64GB card. Anyone know if that tablet uses a standard ntfs system that would interchange with my main computer (windows 8.1)?

Does anyone ever buy things like a keyboard for these? Other wise it is like hunt a peck time which I've left behind when I took typing class in HS.

How about those screen protectors?

BTW the Miracast gets my table to a 42" screen that looks really good. I can do movies and other stuff from the table to the TV but have not got that far yet.

Must have applications? Must stay away froms? Not into "games" but other stuff is fair game.

Can hardly wait to see if I have a paper clip or not....

Ed

Ed, I use an iPad running iOS, and I assume that your tablet runs Android. So I can't be of much help on the specifics. But I can share my general experiences in migrating to a tablet.

I spent the first several months trying to find and load apps that would turn my iPad into a full-fledged productivity solution. Office suite, etc. Even went so far as to set up remote-desktop control and screen-sharing of my PC at work. This stuff works, sort of, but is a PITA. For data input, a touchscreen alone will never be as efficient as keyboard and mouse. However, over time, you will find yourself getting much faster at typing on the touchscreen.

So tablets are not real good for creating content. Forum posts and emails are about the heaviest-duty input that I use mine for. And even the forum posts have a learning curve to use all the features. I still go to a PC to post photos.

But they are flat-out wonderful for viewing, watching, and listening to content. A complete portable window on the world, including your own data. If you think of them that way, instead of trying to force them to function as a small PC, you'll be a very happy camper.

If iOS has a real file system at all, I still haven't cracked the code. For the most part, each app manages its own data.

Which brings us to the one App that I consider essential: DropBox. Set up a free account, create a linked DropBox folder on as many PC's as you want, and put all of your frequently-used data in it. Presto, your files are instantly synchronized across all PC's plus your tablet, and also backed up in the cloud. It's amazingly easy to set up -- a real credit to the developers. I was forced to adopt DropBox because an iPad does not support USB memory sticks, but DropBox is actually a much, much better solution. On your tablet, Dropbox will present you with a proper directory heirarchy, and launch the proper app to view a given file.

As for memory, I have 64GB, and use a small fraction of that. My daughter, however, loads movies onto her 32GB iPhone, and so is constantly running short.

This is not a criticism but merely a question. I have never used a tablet and seldom use wifi connections. My network exposure is limited to the WWW via hardwire.

While applications like "Dropbox" give you ready access to the web, do they also lay open a path into your world from the outside? Are you anymore vulnerable than you already are when connected to the internet?

dusty wrote:This is not a criticism but merely a question. I have never used a tablet and seldom use wifi connections. My network exposure is limited to the WWW via hardwire.

While applications like "Dropbox" give you ready access to the web, do they also lay open a path into your world from the outside? Are you anymore vulnerable than you already are when connected to the internet?

I understand that wifi security is quite good on a private network, assuming that you turn on the latest and greatest security features and use a strong password. But some people leave their wifi routers unsecured, and many leave their passwords set to the manufacturer's defaults. These are a piece of cake for a good hacker.

Here's a link describing the measures that Dropbox uses to secure your data. Personally, I'd be much more concerned about the physical security of my devices. Especially USB memory sticks -- they are easy to misplace, and make dandy virus vectors as well.

Ed,

Congratulations on your new toy.

reible wrote:I picked the Samsung 10.1 2014 32GB.

Is this the Note that comes with a stylus or a Tab? I have the first model of the Samsung Note 10.1, really enjoy it.

reible wrote: It started by doing a system upgrade to 4.4.2 which I take it is the current most operating system. It then proceeded to upgrade a whole list of other things..... 115 apps upgraded??? I have not added anything yet.

4.4.2 would be the latest version that Samsung has released for that particular tablet. App updates come out fairly frequently so no surprise that there are that many updates.

The apps already installed are probably a mix of pretty good to "wish I could remove it but can't". There is probably an office app, mine works great especially with the stylus.

reible wrote:I figured I needed a case for it and got some extra memory with a 64GB card. Anyone know if that tablet uses a standard ntfs system that would interchange with my main computer (windows 8.1)?

I recommend a case for both general protection and easier to hold. I have a rooCase case/stand that I can position the tablet either horizontally or vertically]Does anyone ever buy things like a keyboard for these? Other wise it is like hunt a peck time which I've left behind when I took typing class in HS.

How about those screen protectors? [/quote]
Probably don't need a screen protector as your tablet probably uses Gorilla Glass. Good article here: http://www.howtogeek.com/190107/does-your-smartphone-really-need-a-screen-protector/

You can use a Bluetooth keyboard wirelessly. My wife occasionally uses one for extended typing on her tablet.

reible wrote:Must have applications? Must stay away froms? Not into "games" but other stuff is fair game.

Can hardly wait to see if I have a paper clip or not....

Ed

Here are some apps that you may find useful. Be careful of apps with low ratings or a very small number of reviews. There is, unfortunately, a lot of malware.

ezPDF - best PDF app I've found to date. Allows you to mark up, highlight, etc., PDF files. I used it extensively to study for an IT security certification (CISSP).

American Red Cross apps appropriate for your area.

Alarm Clock Extreme if you ever have to wake up on time.

Weatherbug

Google Drive

Google Keep - great for short lists/notes

Swiss Army Knife - multiple applets, more useful on a smartphone, but you might find use on a tablet as well

Lowe's app

Beyond that, just search for areas of interest. Also, there are a lot of nice widgets available, some install with apps and some install as a package of widgets. The widgets typically show a small bit of information on the screen so that you don't necessarily have to open an app to check for new stuff (email, weather, calendar, etc.).

Have fun,
Roy

Dropbox for file sharing. Very easy and intuitive, no hassle with "where did that card go?" (IOS devices don't have a card or USB anyways)

I use Dropbox to get access to files between 2 PCs (work and home) iPad, iPhone and kindle fire. It's great.

Congrats on the tablet! I have what I believe is the same tablet you're referring to. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Has the stylus. Unfortunately, it does come with a bit of bloatware on it.

I've owned several tablets. A first generation iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (the first one), Asus Transformer Infinity (the worst of the bunch), and now this Note 10.1 2014. The reason BuckeyeDennis says tablets are only good for consuming content and not creating it is because he has an iPad. I love the Note 10.1 and the stylus. It's fantastic for taking notes in meetings, sketching project ideas, etc.

Some apps that I would recommend:

Nova Launcher - A new "home screen" application that adds a lot of flexibility and customizing. I like being able to eliminate extra home screens I don't need, and the app drawer to scroll vertically instead of horizontally, increasing the icon "grid" size (the number of rows and columns) on both the home screen and app drawers, etc. There are a ton of launchers out there, but I've grown to like Nova the best.

Switftkey Tablet - My favorite on-screen keyboard. In landscape mode, it splits the keyboard (with a number pad in the middle) making it very easy to thumb type. The word prediction is great too and is something that iOS is stealing for their next release. (iOS will finally offer the ability to have 3rd party keyboards with their next release.)

DropBox - Mentioned already. Share files between devices over the internet. Very easy. There are several services like this and I use a few of them. DropBox. Google Drive. Box. etc. The only drawback in my case is that it uses the internet to transfer files. When I'm at work that's no big deal, but at home where my bandwidth is very limited I don't want to waste my bandwidth limit moving files between devices on my own network. So, I use...

ES File Explorer - A file manager. There are many of those available on Android (unlike iOS), but ES File Explorer is my favorite. You can manage (copy, paste, open, view, etc) files on your local device, on a network share on your home network, or even cloud services like DropBox. With this, I can copy files between my devices over my home network without those files going out across the Internet eating up my bandwidth.

OneNote - The best virtual notebook. EverNote is a good alternative.

CamScanner - Take a picture of documents (or anything, really) and convert it to a PDF document. It will do some post processing like straightening up the page, adjusting contrast so text stands out better, etc.

Flipboard and Pulse - News aggregators. Flipboard has a beautiful interface, but Pulse is more customizable.

I have a lot of specialized apps for a lot of the things I do at work. Tell us what you want to accomplish with your tablet and "there's an app for that" somebody can suggest.


Dusty, to answer your question, using an app like DropBox does not add any additional insecurity for your home network. It's a service on the Internet just like this Shopsmith web forum. Now, DropBox does have your files on their servers. And you have to decide if that's ok with you. But, using their service does not give them, or anybody else, any access to your home network.

First let me thank everyone for all the good information!

It would appear that I have a great deal to learn.

Maybe I should start by reading the manual.

I will then add some of the suggested apps.

I believe I get two years of drop box free so I can give that a shot. Not that I plan to store much there but it might be nice for getting files between the PC and the tablet and the other way too.

Got a message the the case and memory should be here Monday. I'm not finding it easy to hole and do things at the same time and the laying on a desk is a little funny too. The case should help with that.

Also the USB cable coming off the bottom doesn't thrill me. They don't happen to make a 90 degree adapter for those do they? I also notice the PC USB port can not supply enough power for recharging if using the tablet . The wall plug in on the other hand has no problem charging while using.

Ed

Also forgot to mention that there are various CraigsList apps that allow you to build searches even across multiple locations. It can be great to help find stuff within driving distance rather than having to manually search across multiple CL sites. I no longer have one I can particularly recommend as the one I have is no longer maintained and only barely works and I haven't yet switched.

reible wrote:
Also the USB cable coming off the bottom doesn't thrill me. They don't happen to make a 90 degree adapter for those do they?

Ed

Yup. Google "USB right angle adapter", and check out the images for the different orientations available.

On my iPad, there is no "right side up". The display re-orients itself to whatever orientation I am holding it. Unless I activate the "screen lock" switch, that is.