Should I get a tablet?

[ellenrr]

My father wants to buy me an RCA tablet II, which is on sale now. He has one and he loves it.
I'm a very basic computer user. I have a desktop and that's it for digital devices.
I know the tablet has a camera which would be nice.

I'm wondering if I could use the tablet as a radio?
I get no radio reception in my apartment.
The building is wired for wi-fi.
I access internet radio on my lap-top, but the volume is not high enough for me to hear it in the kitchen.

If I could use the tablet as a radio that would make it worthwhile.

I thot also of using it to listen to music in the kitchen, but I have read that the small speakers make the sound tinny.

Thank you in advance.

[Make7]

1. Sounds like you might enjoy a decent pair of speakers to hook up to your laptop more.

If your father (or someone else) was willing to loan you a tablet for a couple days, you might discover you would use it a lot - or not use it at all.

If you don't have an audio system that you can hook your laptop up to for listening to music, I think you might get more use and enjoyment out of a pair of external speakers. There are too many options for me to make an informed recommendation on what might work well for you, but you should be able to find a decent pair of powered speakers for the same price as a cheap tablet. Something like these:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/view/studiophile-av-30
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Active-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM1O/

Or maybe let your father get you the tablet and buy some powered speakers for yourself - even the ones that are $25 to $30 will sound much better (and louder) than the speakers in a tablet or laptop.

[hobbit709]

2. If you're more than 3 feet away you can't hear the sound on my tablet.

But then I use it primarily as an ereader.

[jtuck004]

3. Yes. You may have to get other speakers (is there a place to connect them?) if the sound quality

isn't good enough for the radio.

Otherwise they are handy for looking things up, not being tethered to a desk, or hauling the weight of a laptop.

For input I don't like them, I like keyboards and other input devices, but that is just practice, I think.

[Worried senior]

4. Around Christmas

time I got it in my head I wanted a tablet. Got one recommended by my grandson-in-law who is in computers and I have turned it on half a dozen times I think.

My granddaughter showed me some stuff but then I didn't do anything with it and now I think I've forgotten it all.

Guess if things don't come with a manual I'm sunk. Wonder if they have tablets for dummies, never looked for that either.

[ellenrr]

5. I'm sure they do have "tablets for dummies"...

but I remember with nostalgia the time when we bought something, took it out of the box, plugged it in, and used it.

[Worried senior]

6. So true

I feel so stupid when around the younger generation and their fingers are just flying.

Of course I've had to do and deal with things that they would have no idea how to do.

I remember one time a few years ago I asked my oldest 20 something granddaughter to mop the tile floor. She looked at the mop and looked that handle over good to see how to turn it on. I almost choked trying not to laugh. Finally had to inform her it was all manual.

[ellenrr]

7. oh...that's funny! nt

[blogslut]

8. Perhaps invest in a bluetooth speaker?

That way you can have it in your kitchen while your laptop remains in the other room. Your laptop will need to be bluetooth enabled and if it's not you can get a little USB receiver for about ten bucks.

[ellenrr]

9. that sounds like a good idea...

I don't have a laptop, I have a desktop - 10 years old.
sooner rather than later I will need a new computer.

Do the new desktops come bluetooth enabled?

what is a USB receiver and what does it do?

thanks

[blogslut]

10. Bluetooth is a type of wireless signal hardware.

In order for your desktop to receive/transmit that signal to/from a Bluetooth speaker it must either come with Bluetooth installed (not likely on an older model) or you must use an external peripheral (thingy), the simplest being a Bluetooth dongle that you would insert into a USB port on your desktop. Here is a Google image search for Bluetooth USB dongles:

http://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=990&bih=519&q=usb+bluetooth+dongle&oq=usb+bluetooth+dongle&gs_l=img.3..0j0i5i30l2j0i8i30l5j0i24l2.1428.7138.0.7947.20.20.0.0.0.0.230.2713.0j17j1.18.0....0...1.1.64.img..2.18.2707.gzrfID_pqU8

Here is a tutorial to determine whether or not your desktop machine already has Bluetooth:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-determine-if-your-pc-has-bluetooth-capabili.html

Once you have Bluetooth on your computer and a Bluetooth speaker, you then "pair" the two and whatever audio comes from your PC will be heard on the portable speaker.

For example, I can play a podcast on my PC and hear it via my Bluetooth speaker, in my bathroom, while I soak in my tub.

As for newer model PCs having Bluetooth hardware installed, probably, but I don't know. My laptop is also about 10 years old.

NOTE: There are numerous Bluetooth portable speakers out there from little to big, cheap to expensive. Mine is a little one that I got for 10 bucks off a Chinese website. It serves my purposes.

[ellenrr]

11. thank you so much! I was just about to post and ask

for a link to what I need.

I shall investigate these links and may be back with more questions as my computer knowledge is very basic.

It sounds tho like this is just what I need - then I can get audio in my kitchen while I cook and while I wash dishes. In my other place i always listened to democracy now while I washed the dishes.

Does bluetooth have anything to do with wifi?
My apt is wired for wifi but I have never used it.

[blogslut]

12. Wifi is more about allowing...

assorted devices to connect to the Internet without (ha!) wires. There's probably a modem and, according to what you're telling me, there's an ethernet cable running from that modem to your desktop. That's fine but that modem also (likely) acts as a Wifi gateway - meaning that you can connect other devices (laptop, tablet, some cellphones, etc.) to your Internet connection without having to attach a cable from the modem to the device.

Bluetooth is basically a radio signal that allows small peripherals (speakers, keyboards, mice, etc.) to connect to computers, televisions, tablets, etc., wirelessly.

In short, the are different wavelengths on the radio spectrum, different wavelengths pick up specific signals for different purposes. Wifi signals are allotted for the Inernet. Bluetooth is allotted for hardware devices. Radio signals are for radio broadcast. Television signals are for television.

[ellenrr]

13. hmmm...someone told me that since I have wi-fi I could use my desk-top computer

without paying for cable.
?

(thank you for making your explanation simple - I understand. lol)

[blogslut]

14. Well, if your complex supplies free Wifi Internet access, then yes.

However, if your computer does not have Wifi hardware installed, you'll have to get some sort of thingy to make that happen.

Here is a helpful article:

http://www.howtogeek.com/214680/how-to-add-wi-fi-to-a-desktop-computer/?PageSpeed=noscript

Your complex should be able to tell give you the details on accessing the Internet via their WiFi service, concerning passwords and bandwidth and stuff. It may be free but it might also be crappy and slow. Your neighbors might be more willing to tell you whether or not the free Wifi is any good.