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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: KN on Wednesday 07 December 11 10:12 GMT (UK)
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Dear Rootschatters
just considering getting an Ipad as a Christmas gift for mother-in-law, but she doesn't have internet access.
Would an internet-anywhere dongle work with and Ipad?
thanks!
KN
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hi Kn
On the ipad original there is no usb port so you can not plug anything in I believe this to be true for the ipad 2 as well they do sell ones that connect through the mobile network using a Sim card if you look at apple.co.uk they will give you a full spec and run down of what each ipad can do
cheers
Ian
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...Sorrry I do not know about iPad BUT I am sending this post from my Kindle e reader it has wifi and NO dongle and I am not in a capital city but in regional NSW Australis OOPS Australia Modifying this post as my Kindle cannot spell for itself and reliew on my 2 finger efforts... . Cheers Clunky JM as I usually have proper keyboard not this tiny qwerty one
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Dear flaggysmob and majm
thank you for your replies - Rootschat comes up with the answers again!
I understand now that you can get internet access on the Ipad by using it like a mobile phone.
things are getting clearer!
thank you
KN
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you do have to make sure you buy the 3G version, which means the ipad can hold a sim card. This is the more expensive of the 2 models, the wifi only model does not have the facility to insert a sim card! Apple are still pointedly refusing to include a usb connection so internet dongles are not an option.
I'm not sure if it has to be a contract sim card though.
The wifi only ipad can connect if you are out and about, say having a coffee or some libraries have wifi free zones. Sadly the UK is not so wifi free friendly as many other countries I have visited >:(
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Before buying the 3G iPad, look into the costs of data transfer, otherwise you could be buying your mother-in-law a present that could cost her a lot of money.
P.S. Data transfer on the 3G Kindle is free.
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Would these do the job?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Broadband-Preloaded-Mobile-Devices/dp/B0047GJI9W/ref=pd_cp_computers_3
KN
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Would these do the job?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Broadband-Preloaded-Mobile-Devices/dp/B0047GJI9W/ref=pd_cp_computers_3
KN
No. The 3G iPad uses a micro-3G card. See http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/3g/ and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Broadband-Ready-Preloaded-Data/dp/B004B71ZH0/ref=pd_cp_computers_3
Note that the Amazon card I mentioned is on the "3" network, which not everybody gets good reception from.
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an ordinary sim card can be cut down to micro sim size... plenty of tutorials on youtube... and yes it does work if you're careful.
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I love my Kindle ... and not just for the e-books, which are very easy to download, but also because I can easily access all the usual search engines, and thus one of my favourite bookmarks is RChat, and so here I am, posting here via my Kindle. I have not ever been asked to provide additional funds by the Kindle people to use the internet. There is no separate dongle thingy, and I the reception is fantastic, often I have five bars showing, whereas on mobile phone 3G the reception can be very iffy. When OH and I go the various locations throughout OZ, including some very sparsely populated districts, Kindle's internet works fine, but even the satellite phone gets iffy, and as to the 3G phone ... errr .... don't ask, but sometimes OH has threatened it "Good and Proper", and it simply won't listen to his instructions. ;D
I have yet to find a location anywhere in OZ where Kindle's internet facility is not satisfactory. I have no knowledge of the Ipad thingy though, perhaps it is as good as Kindle. My Kindle is made in China, but it is not made of China :) it has inadvertently fallen hard onto concrete surfaces, it has coped well with that. It has been inadvertently sat on, etc, and the battery needs re-charging perhaps once a day if I use it to post on RChat, otherwise, if I use it for e reading, it lasts around a fortnight.
Cheers, JM
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Ummm I think there is something else you may need to be aware of if you are considering purchasing any apple device.
Before the device will work it has to be attached to a pc/mac computer, the user has to create an itunes account. This will then find the device and register it and look for any software/firmware updates. You cannot use an ipad/ipod/iphone until this has been done. So if your MIL is unable to do this then I wouldn't recommend purchasing this as a gift.
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I've been thing re a kindle but i've also looked at the ipad 2. There are different size memories and it costs about £100 extra to have wi fi and 3g. Once i'd looked at the colour screen of the ipad i tended towards that especially as you can have books loaded onto your computer and then transger to the ipad. There was a little black box which could be used to enable the ipad to show the books, photos and videos on. I thought it would be good especially to share family history stuff with the family. Funny now i'm considering the ipad my tele seems to have gone down! It says its not programmed and setup does n't do anything. I was impressed to see the difference with ebooks on a big scren and the difference when altering text. My brother has just bought an archos tablet and he seems pleased with it.
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eBooks on the Kindle are cheaper than books on the iPad. There's an investigation about possible price-fixing going on right now.
If you want to read books - get a Kindle. If you want a portable computer with a colour screen, think about an iPad, or one of the other tablet computers.
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??? you can get any ebooks on Amazon for the ipad the same price.
I order through the Kindle app, direct from Amazon or ipad's own bookshelf (which is the dearer one)
None of the sites ask what kind of device I have!
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I have just discovered my Kindle also has an mp3 player also built in :-[ I have had my Kindle for 14 months :-[ :-[ :-[ and I have often used the text to speech option.... :-[ :-[
Project Gutenberg has many free e books, and some of these are also free to download directly from Kindle's shopfront.
http://gutenberg.net.au/
Cheers, JM
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The MP3 player on the Kindle is rather basic - there's little control over the playlist. If you put your favourite music on it, it will play it as background music while you read :)
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Many Thanks Nick
I can just imagine myself reading on Kindle eg C J Dennis' Poetry and as background the mp3 thingy playing any Symphonic recitals ... Cor Doreen she just would be ummmm ...
Cheers JM
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Thank you everyone for your interesting information and comments. :)
A really helpful way of deciding how to get internet access for mother in law! We've now changed our minds re Christmas gift - will be going with an old laptop and a broadband dongle. 3G ipad too expensive!
Happy Christmas to all!
KN
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I have an iPad and would Not change it for the world. Can't really compare it with an really as it does more. Like comparing a carrier bag with a rucsac :-)
For Internet connection where there is no wifi I use a MiFi from 3. PAYG. Just the ticket.
Hth
B
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Dear All
Change of plans again! We eventually learned about mi-fi, so have gone for an ipad (no need for 3g) and a 3 mi-fi.
Very simple. And very easy to set up.
The very helpful lady in the 3 shop also told me that 3 is bringing out a new product, a bit like a little box that you can plug a USB dongle into that makes the dongle into mi-fi. I think it's a one-off cost of £49.99.
3 mi-fi allows up to five devices to be plugged in at once.
It's so new it's not on the 3 website as far as I can see, but it will be a great option for ipad users who already have a dongle.
Seasons greetings to all
KN
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I had an ipad 2 as the purposes i wanted for fitted the bill. I also bought a hdmi lead and had one of the little black box gadgets so that i can transmit the screen on the ipad to the tv!
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Dear All
Change of plans again! We eventually learned about mi-fi, so have gone for an ipad (no need for 3g) and a 3 mi-fi.
Very simple. And very easy to set up.
The very helpful lady in the 3 shop also told me that 3 is bringing out a new product, a bit like a little box that you can plug a USB dongle into that makes the dongle into mi-fi. I think it's a one-off cost of £49.99.
3 mi-fi allows up to five devices to be plugged in at once.
It's so new it's not on the 3 website as far as I can see, but it will be a great option for ipad users who already have a dongle.
Seasons greetings to all
KN
Before buying any 3G device (especially for someone else) you should check that there is a usable 3G service where the person lives. I note that the mi-fi devices offered by 3 are either 'per month' (i.e. £15.99 a month for 5GB a month) or PAYG (3GB pre-paid for £84.99). I wouldn't believe anything that people in phone shops tell you - they will say anything to make a sale, and you have no 'come backs'.