Suggest a tablet that works well On O cruises

We want a tablet to use mostly for home communication and bill paying while on Insignia for part of the world cruise. Last year had a bit of a problem using the computer lab and would like to have the privacy of our own tablet. Any suggestions. Right now we have a windows desktop computer, I phone 6 (2) and are used to bill paying and other functions. Any of the tablets good enough to skype or face time. Specific to Insignia and Nautica -- the R ships.

Thanks so much. We don't leave until Jan 8 so have a little time to spend Christmas gift :D

I have a netbook which i have used on O cruises

I do not skype or facetime but it does everything I need

I am sure most will do the job

We want a tablet to use mostly for home communication and bill paying while on Insignia for part of the world cruise. Last year had a bit of a problem using the computer lab and would like to have the privacy of our own tablet. Any suggestions. Right now we have a windows desktop computer, I phone 6 (2) and are used to bill paying and other functions. Any of the tablets good enough to skype or face time. Specific to Insignia and Nautica -- the R ships.

 

Thanks so much. We don't leave until Jan 8 so have a little time to spend Christmas gift [emoji3]

Do you want a tablet of a laptop?

Tablet is good for consuming content and light email writing etc. If you want a tablet - Get an IPad Any size. Go to Apple Store and look at different sizes. Mini, Air or Pro.

You already have iPhones. No need to start using another system. All your iPhone apps will download at no extra charge to you. All your data will synchronize easier across apple platforms.

Plus generally easier to find help with apple systems.

Android had some neat features not avail on apple, but if you are asking this question, unlikely those will be anything you care about.

If you will only use your tablet on the ship and mobility isn't important - get a windows 10 laptop.

Laptops are better if you want to download pictures, access USB drives etc. You can buy a cheap windows laptop for a few hundred bucks. Some even fold over and turn into sorta a tablet.

Bottom line - tablet - apple

Laptop - go to Best Buy and pick out one based on size and price. For your intended use, anything will work fine.

Low end. Get an iPad. You are already used to the interface with your iPhone

More money. Get a Microsoft Surface pro with the folding/removable keyboard. Windows 10 And compatible with the apps you use on your desktop. A little bigger than the iPad but does more.

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I’ve been using iPads on O ships since the first iPads came out in 2011. They’re great and last forever, not like cheap netbooks. An iPad can let you do email, get onto Cruise Critic (with the TapATalk app), take pictures and beautiful video, read ebooks so you don’t need to take a Kindle along, even do FaceTime calls (video or audio) and Skype. The newest iPads are also quite inexpensive, starting at $329 for a Wi-Fi only model (no cellular) that is perfect for cruising.

I have been a blogger writing about Apple products for MANY years, and I wouldn’t recommend any of the Android devices due to their tendency to be loaded with unneeded apps that are usually quite bad. You also have access to the Apple App Store, with millions of apps that are virus and malware free, once again unlike the “Play” store for Android. I play a number of games on my iPad while I’m on cruises, and they’re all great!

Want to write a journal while you’re on your cruise? Get one of the many third-party keyboards that work with iPads and you’ll be typing away at high speed while you enjoy a drink on the deck.

Enjoy!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Low end. Get an iPad. You are already used to the interface with your iPhone

 

More money. Get a Microsoft Surface pro with the folding/removable keyboard. Windows 10 And compatible with the apps you use on your desktop. A little bigger than the iPad but does more.

 

 

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I have a surface book, which I love but cost over $2000. I needed high power processors to edit and render movies etc. But, I have used it as a tablet maybe 3 times in 3 years.

Main advantage of cheap laptop over iPad is the ease of backing up photos from your SD Card to an external hard drive.

http://www.theinsidecabin.com

Hi, The-Inside-Cabin. For six years, there have been connectors that let anyone with an iPad pop in an SD or micro-SD card (with adapter) and move their photos right into the Photos app. I use Apple’s iCloud Photos Library, and all of my photos are then backed up to the cloud and waiting for me on my “real” computer when I get home from my trip. Also, since I can create a trip album in Photos, it’s simple to share that album with friends and family.

Those connectors for SD cards run anywhere from $29 for the official Apple connector (called the “Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader” to less than $10 for some third-party models.

Enjoy!

https://Appleworld.today

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Hi, The-Inside-Cabin. For six years, there have been connectors that let anyone with an iPad pop in an SD or micro-SD card (with adapter) and move their photos right into the Photos app. I use Apple’s iCloud Photos Library, and all of my photos are then backed up to the cloud and waiting for me on my “real” computer when I get home from my trip. Also, since I can create a trip album in Photos, it’s simple to share that album with friends and family.

 

Those connectors for SD cards run anywhere from $29 for the official Apple connector (called the “Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader” to less than $10 for some third-party models.

 

Enjoy!

 

https://Appleworld.today

 

 

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I have used those connectors, but they have some quirks in what you can transfer. If you rename a picture then the iPad won't recognize it. (Unless you rename it to a recognized format).

But they are very handy for 90% of most people's requirements. People need to keep in mind their storage requirements. For a short cruise - less of an issue.

I always bring a cable so I can give photos to people who don't have a way to accept a USB drive.

iPads are a great choice. I have 6 of them!

http://www.theinsidecabin.com

I have an iPad which I literally have never used. I always travel with a light weight laptop because it allows me to upload my photos for very light editing on board the ship -- mostly just naming them, I do the real editing once I am home -- but also for doing my trip diary and checking email. I've never used the ship-supplied laptop since it does almost nothing for me.

But if you are used to working with your iPhones, that might be the way to go.

For photography I use my real cameras with the iPhone as a backup. I was fortunate to have it with me a few weeks ago at the Egyptian Museum in Barcelona when my camera battery suddenly died. It shouldn't have, but it did!

By the way, for people heading for Barcelona we had a serendipitous discovery this time: the Modernisme Museum, walking distance from the Egyptian Museum. We thought we were heading for the Modern Art Museum ... but were delighted that we found this little gem.

I'm not at all sure that you have more "privacy" using your own equipment as opposed to the internet cafe since it's all the same system ... but it's certainly more convenient to work from your room than having to go upstairs to the internet cafe.

As always, JMHO.

Mura

 

I'm not at all sure that you have more "privacy" using your own equipment as opposed to the internet cafe since it's all the same system ... but it's certainly more convenient to work from your room than having to go upstairs to the internet cafe.

 

 

 

As always, JMHO.

 

 

 

Mura

Good point, Mura - that’s why I recommend that anyone using the onboard Wi-Fi subscribe to a VPN (virtual private network) service. These services provide a way to encrypt everything from your tablet, phone or laptop to the website you’re visiting. I don’t believe the Internet cafe folks will allow you to install your own apps on their PCs, which is one more reason why I use my own tablet. VPN services are quite inexpensive and are the best possible way to keep your communications secure no matter where you’re using your device.

http://Https://Appleworld.today

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iPad. Works great.

Good point, Mura - that’s why I recommend that anyone using the onboard Wi-Fi subscribe to a VPN (virtual private network) service. These services provide a way to encrypt everything from your tablet, phone or laptop to the website you’re visiting. I don’t believe the Internet cafe folks will allow you to install your own apps on their PCs, which is one more reason why I use my own tablet. VPN services are quite inexpensive and are the best possible way to keep your communications secure no matter where you’re using your device.

 

http://Https://Appleworld.today

 

You're right about their not letting you install apps on their PCs. I was shocked when they wouldn't let me use a zip drive which had my own docs on it ... that was years ago. Since then, of course, I've heard how viruses can be conveyed through zip drives so I'm more forgiving than I was at the time!

 

Mura

(Cancelled message)

We will be doing our first Oceania cruise soon.

I use ipad, my wife uses Samsung Galaxy.

We will be taking both.

Can we use both - at separate times - to access our internet account ?

We will be doing our first Oceania cruise soon.

I use ipad, my wife uses Samsung Galaxy.

We will be taking both.

Can we use both - at separate times - to access our internet account ?

Yes, you can use both at separate times. With a travel router, about $50, you can use both devices at the same time.

More HERE

With a travel router, about $50, you can use both devices at the same time.

....And people wonder where the bandwidth goes. :mad:

I use an ipad and iphone. I take pictures on the iphone and they are synced through the cloud so I can see the photos on my ipad. No problem using skype or facetime either-assuming the connection is good. Seemed like it was good some days but not others and late at night or early in the morning it was easier to get on and stay on.

Mary

Target has the iPad mini4 on sale for the next few days.

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We want a tablet to use mostly for home communication and bill paying while on Insignia for part of the world cruise. Last year had a bit of a problem using the computer lab and would like to have the privacy of our own tablet. Any suggestions. Right now we have a windows desktop computer, I phone 6 (2) and are used to bill paying and other functions. Any of the tablets good enough to skype or face time. Specific to Insignia and Nautica -- the R ships.

 

Thanks so much. We don't leave until Jan 8 so have a little time to spend Christmas gift :D

I use an IPad Pro with the Pro’s magnetic keyboard. It works great! Throughout Europe this summer whenever we were in port we used a SIM card for our IPhone and were able to turn on a hotspot using the data from the Phone card. This really cuts down on internet costs. Just get your phone unlocked by your regular carrier before going. We have FaceTimed on the Ipad when on a Royal Caribbean internet connection. FaceTime uses a fair bit of data so it’s more about the internet connection quality/speed. We also regularly used FaceTime with the video off for phone calls over the internet. Since we are continually cruising, I do all bill payment, banking and stock trades on my Ipad. Another thing I like about the IPad is using ITunes to keep up to date on my TV shows and Movies. We also have a Netflix account that works great too. I use the Lightning to HDMI connector to watch the shows on the ships TV. I also drop my pics to the Ipad from my IPhone. So if you do buy one get the maximum storage space.

OP - just get yourself an iPhone 7 plus or newer. Plenty big with great camera, wifi calling, lighting to hdmi connectivity (extra cost patch cord). Get the sim free model if you want to use changeable sim cards.

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A Big Chief tablet is a good match for the speed of the internet.

A Big Chief tablet is a good match for the speed of the internet.

LoL. Surprised to see they are still available.

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Chief-Writing-Primary-Western/dp/B0094IV3DC

A Big Chief tablet is a good match for the speed of the internet.

Lol. With people using FaceTime videos and VPNs to stream HBO no wonder there are speed issues. Will get to the point where O will block VPNs and any sites that stream as NCL does.

Lol. With people using FaceTime videos and VPNs to stream HBO no wonder there are speed issues. Will get to the point where O will block VPNs and any sites that stream as NCL does.

As they should (for all FaceTime video & streaming), IMO, for the “greater good” and benefit of others onboard.

LoL. Surprised to see they are still available.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Chief-Writing-Primary-Western/dp/B0094IV3DC

Yeah you made snort my milk and sugar cookies! Thanks for the laugh.