Best Computing device for RV living?

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flailer

flailer

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I am thinking this device, ClickyLinkyThingie , would serve for EVERYTHING, except phone calls (and even that could be jerry-rigged)
And the price is amazing as well :heart:
I'm going to look into whether it links to external flat Screen monitors / TV , which I dont see why it wouldnt. - and if it does, I'll prolly "pull the trigger"

ProductReviewLink#1

What would this device NOT do for you? Or perhaps better said, NOT do well enough for you?

Thanks so much for your thoughts!!

reference, in case the link doesnt work: Nvidia Shield Tablet

Warm & Fuzzy Seasonal Hugs to all my Fellow Vagabonds,
 
Nvidia shield has one fundemental problem: It's nVidia. It's riddled full of bugs, bad drivers and bad software. I follow several online places that are heavy into hand held gaming and browsing devices and they all hate the shield because its completely outdated.

most recommend getting a regular tablet, Microsoft Surface if possible, and getting the expandable keyboard. Personally I used a Nexus 7 (2012) with a small bluetooth dock that worked wonders, but that is obviously 3 years old. You can get much newer stuff, but for "hand held" a 10 incher is as big as you should get.

IMO, I'm going to do a surface 13" if possible as it seems perfect for my new RV. I have a powerful 17" gaming laptop that just blew its DC jack, so I'm thinking of selling it and getting something vastly smaller (since I do not game anymore).
 
Our iPads have taken over our computing needs, and I prefer it to TV.

A charge lasts me all day, and I use it a lot.
 
Spirituallifetime said:
Most tablets and ipads work great as long as you don't write books or want to do heavy photo editing. And they are easy to adapt to charge on 12v power.
Click to expand...

Shot photography semi-professionally - currently, the only things I don't do on my iPad is layering or HDR. I don't do much of either. Very large prints would be difficult as well. But generally photographers with those needs have large desktop systems. I think a wedding or portrait photographer could well with an iPad.

I also happen to love to write, and the iPad has no difficulties there as well. Siri makes most of the prep work work easy. Nice to just sit back, close your eyes, and talk. My thoights normally move faster than I can type. One reason I have so many typos in posts - and I don't proofread posts, generally.

Tried using voice recognition on desktops since it first came out, and it never worked. The iPad, and iPhone, are great on that score. My longest works are short stories, but a book is nothing more than a collection of chapters. I don't see the difference. Personally.

The on screen keyboard works for me, but detachable or bluetooth keyboards are also available.
 
Spirituallifetime said:
Most tablets and ipads work great as long as you don't write books or want to do heavy photo editing. And they are easy to adapt to charge on 12v power.
Click to expand...

You can get small keyboards for these devices which make this a lot easier. Some of them even add a bigger battery!
 
What apps are you using to write with. I only have seen apps for notes. As for photo editing I have used snapseed, is there any better? I'm going to buy a digital camera in the near future and would like to use the tablet to up load the photos to the cloud and web. Not sure how to get the photos from camera to the tablet.
 
I think the newest subscription for photoshop/lightroom come with mobile apps now too.
 
Seraphim said:
Shot photography semi-professionally - currently, the only things I don't do on my iPad is layering or HDR. I don't do much of either. Very large prints would be difficult as well. But generally photographers with those needs have large desktop systems. I think a wedding or portrait photographer could well with an iPad.

I also happen to love to write, and the iPad has no difficulties there as well. Siri makes most of the prep work work easy. Nice to just sit back, close your eyes, and talk. My thoights normally move faster than I can type. One reason I have so many typos in posts - and I don't proofread posts, generally.

Tried using voice recognition on desktops since it first came out, and it never worked. The iPad, and iPhone, are great on that score. My longest works are short stories, but a book is nothing more than a collection of chapters. I don't see the difference. Personally.

The on screen keyboard works for me, but detachable or bluetooth keyboards are also available.
Click to expand...


Neat! I use voice recognition a lot too. And do you like the bluetooth keyboards? Do you only use them when correcting a lot? Or always?

Spirituallifetime said:
What apps are you using to write with. I only have seen apps for notes. As for photo editing I have used snapseed, is there any better? I'm going to buy a digital camera in the near future and would like to use the tablet to up load the photos to the cloud and web. Not sure how to get the photos from camera to the tablet.
Click to expand...

My camera has a removable micro SD card. My next tablet will have a slot, for sure. But perhaps a cable between the two would be just as easy? It is with my current configuration.

I too am interested in the answer on writing apps. and if he never uses a bluetooth keyboard too.
 
What I use is nearly perfect for me.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with

Logitech K810 bluetooth keyboard (backlit keys!)
Logitech M555b bluetooth mouse

I have rigged my Note 3 onto a photo tripod for easy positioning. With the full sized keyboard and wireless mouse I have a very easy time of navigating the web etc. Lots of apps make things interesting. The only thing I havent really been able to figure out yet (to be honest I havent tried that hard) is video editing. If it werent for that, this setup would be perfect.

The Note 3 is also my phone of course and I find it very handy to have *everything* in one unit... entertainment, communication etc. Its ideal for vandwellers as it uses very little power... much less than a laptop.

I was hesitant to spend the big money these Note 3s cost, but I am glad I did... and I would do it again.
 
everyone's hardware requirements are different. Because a powerful system isn't needed for web browsing, Netflix, youtube, or internet radio, what I do is use my Droid(2009) with a 800mhz single core CPU for everything but serious gaming and video editing which a powerhog desktop is used for currently.

I actually type faster and prefer the android 2.2 on screen keyboard on a sub 4" screen to any other keyboard including my desktop keyboard but the longest things I write are a few paragraphs and I never learned the "home row" typing thing.
 
DazarGaidin said:
I think the newest subscription for photoshop/lightroom come with mobile apps now too.
Click to expand...
I have seen these apps in google play store but don't want to pay for a subscription right now.

flailer said:
Neat! I use voice recognition a lot too. And do you like the bluetooth keyboards? Do you only use them when correcting a lot? Or always?


My camera has a removable micro SD card. My next tablet will have a slot, for sure. But perhaps a cable between the two would be just as easy? It is with my current configuration.

I too am interested in the answer on writing apps. and if he never uses a bluetooth keyboard too.
Click to expand...

The tablet I was given as a gift for Christmas has a micro sd slot and has an adapter for usb cables. Just bought a micro sd card and it came with an adapter so it can fit in a regular sd slot. So I think this set up will work with what ever camera I buy.

The photo app I use on my ipod is snapseed and I like using it so I will put it on my tablet and see how it works on the tablet.
 
flailer said:
Neat! I use voice recognition a lot too. And do you like the bluetooth keyboards? Do you only use them when correcting a lot? Or always?


My camera has a removable micro SD card. My next tablet will have a slot, for sure. But perhaps a cable between the two would be just as easy? It is with my current configuration.

I too am interested in the answer on writing apps. and if he never uses a bluetooth keyboard too.
Click to expand...


Flailer

I don't use bluetooth keyboards. I put the IPad in landscape position on use the onscreen keyboard.

I use Pages as my writing app. Photogene4 for photo editing.
 
Obviously there is NO single 'best' computing device for vandwelling. We all have different needs and requirements. What works fine for one person may be useless for another.
 
Excellent info. Thanks for the responses. Any other input? Anyone?

My last trip I used my Samsung Note 3 (cell phone) almost exclusively (98% of the time). Stopping only 2 times to rent computer time at a cafe in a 10+ week trip.

If I would have had Chrome Cast, or better yet, a Samsung "smart" TV monitor (to broadcast my cell phone display to) I would have used my Note 3 a lot more.

Even though the Note 3 has one of the largest displays avail on a cell phone - As it was, I found the screen to small for my old eyes, for extended use.

Which is why I started this thread -- I'm looking for a solution.

I'm really leaning towards a Tablet for the reasons Seraphim, & others state.

Apple products are ok. And yes, I've used them. Computers, Tablets & phones.

The only reports I have seen on the newest Nvidia Shield Tablet is that it works flawlessly. But, it was only just released with new OS. Time will tell. My level of urgency is quit low, so I'll wait a bit longer.

One Awesome Inch said:
What I use is nearly perfect for me.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with

Logitech K810 bluetooth keyboard (backlit keys!)
Logitech M555b bluetooth mouse

I have rigged my Note 3 onto a photo tripod for easy positioning. With the full sized keyboard and wireless mouse I have a very easy time of navigating the web etc. Lots of apps make things interesting. The only thing I havent really been able to figure out yet (to be honest I havent tried that hard) is video editing. If it werent for that, this setup would be perfect.

The Note 3 is also my phone of course and I find it very handy to have *everything* in one unit... entertainment, communication etc. Its ideal for vandwellers as it uses very little power... much less than a laptop.

I was hesitant to spend the big money these Note 3s cost, but I am glad I did... and I would do it again.
Click to expand...

:idea:
Won't it be awesome when the Galaxy Note 12 integrates a projector? Hang a pillow-case up as the monitor, use direct wifi keyboard, mouse, and hard-drive; and BAM: a DC powered super-capable computing device, that has full sized keyboard, mouse & screen!!!

Not sure you'll want to buy it though, as the Note 18 will also have a anti-gravitational unit, a scanning electron microscope, and a bottle opener.
:rolleyes:
 
Not sure why there are no notes about a CHROMEBOOK with verizon data internet. As long as you don't do video too much at all Sister picked one up. Twice as light as win7 laptop. Battery last twice as long. Twice as fast. Can use a mouse and cloud printer. Plug in memory cards from your camera. $15 to $20 a month internet access.
 
offroad said:
Not sure why there are no notes about a CHROMEBOOK with verizon data internet. As long as you don't do video too much at all Sister picked one up. Twice as light as win7 laptop. Battery last twice as long. Twice as fast. Can use a mouse and cloud printer. Plug in memory cards from your camera. $15 to $20 a month internet access.
Click to expand...
From what I have read about the Chromebook it could be a very good choice also. Its inexpensive, all the apps are on google not on the computer so internet access is required to use it.
 
flailer said:
Excellent info. Thanks for the responses. Any other input? Anyone?

My last trip I used my Samsung Note 3 (cell phone) almost exclusively (98% of the time). Stopping only 2 times to rent computer time at a cafe in a 10+ week trip.

If I would have had Chrome Cast, or better yet, a Samsung "smart" TV monitor (to broadcast my cell phone display to) I would have used my Note 3 a lot more.

Even though the Note 3 has one of the largest displays avail on a cell phone - As it was, I found the screen to small for my old eyes, for extended use.

Which is why I started this thread -- I'm looking for a solution.

I'm really leaning towards a Tablet for the reasons Seraphim, & others state.

Apple products are ok. And yes, I've used them. Computers, Tablets & phones.

The only reports I have seen on the newest Nvidia Shield Tablet is that it works flawlessly. But, it was only just released with new OS. Time will tell. My level of urgency is quit low, so I'll wait a bit longer.


:idea:
Won't it be awesome when the Galaxy Note 12 integrates a projector? Hang a pillow-case up as the monitor, use direct wifi keyboard, mouse, and hard-drive; and BAM: a DC powered super-capable computing device, that has full sized keyboard, mouse & screen!!!

Not sure you'll want to buy it though, as the Note 18 will also have a anti-gravitational unit, a scanning electron microscope, and a bottle opener.
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Ha.. yeah the features they come out with are quite amazing. However, I find many of them just overkill. I need the internet, the camera for video and photos and a few other things. Everything else is pretty much unnecessary to me.

As to the font being too small, I agree it can be a bit of a challenge. However what I do is use a camera tripod so that I can mount it in such a way as to keep the Note 3 at a close distance. Usually less than 30cm.

A smaller tablet is a great option. I had the Nexus 7 before my Note 3 and I liked it alot, but prefer the Note 3 since I can use it as a phone. I think the key is the wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. With those two items a tablet can be easily made to be more functional and easy to navigate.
 
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