back to article Ten... tablet survival accessories

Reg Hardware Mobile Broadband Week We like tablets. Way more portable than most laptops - even netbooks - they're nevertheless no less functional. Notebooks clearly have the edge when it comes to outright performance, but you can get a lot done with a fondleslab - and that's before you think about them as entertainment …

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  1. david wilkes
    Paris Hilton

    % scores

    seem a bit redundant in these reviews. If something score 70% and not 90% for instance why was that?

    1. LarsG
      Meh

      WOW

      I've survived without any of these items, I must be a true minimal survivalist!

      Either that or these things in the article will eventually spend more time in a draw than in use.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Best

      Tablet accessory is missing, a cover that protects against drops bumps and sticky fingers.

  2. Gerard Krupa

    Innergie Magic Cable Trio - Alternatives for charging

    I bought something not quite like this but just as useful from Poundstretcher last week (guess how much it cost). It's a charge-only cable but has multiple connectors for iPhone, mini USB, micro USB and Nokia that can be used at the same time if you don't mind your devices charging very slowly. Amazon do a similar cable with more connectors for around the same price: http://www.amazon.co.uk/10In1-Universal-Charger-mobile-iPhone/dp/B004BFFJY2/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_img_b

    1. ozor
      Trollface

      Re: Innergie Magic Cable Trio - Alternatives for charging

      And you can see a Apple FanBoi using that, they would rather spend the extra on the nearly 2000% more expensive device and look cool (in their own eyes at least)

    2. Mike Flex

      Re: Innergie Magic Cable Trio - Alternatives for charging

      > I bought something not quite like this but just as useful from Poundstretcher last week

      I got one of these. The iphone connector didn't actually fit but the connectors I needed do work.

  3. Cyberelic

    The Mu

    https://www.themu.co.uk/

    Expensive but terrible useful. No nasty sticking out bits of metal, slips easily in the pocket or handbag.

    Highly recommended by a (female) regular user.

    P.

    1. HelenaHandcart

      Re: The Mu

      Does the Mu work with tablets? I thought it was only for phones

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All a bit shit really.

    Can't say I would buy ANY of those for my Asus Transformer.

  5. Anonymous John

    £25 for a stylus?

    I saw one priced at £7.50 in Waterstones this morning. And even that was more than I was prepared to pay for a strip of conductive silicone rubber in a tub.

    1. David Paul Morgan
      Go

      Re: £25 for a stylus?

      My pack of 2 for a pound in the shop of the same name work better than my 10gbp carbon fibre stylus. Also, same store occasionally was three pack of short white USB cables, mini, micro & i connections which I use with my emergency charger.

      Asus Transformer, on which I Swype atm does not require additional keyboards or stands. I did buy the optional usb adapter for when I don't have the keyboard/dock.

      Higher voltage car/USB adapter for tablets is very useful - I have one of those too :-)

      1. David Paul Morgan
        Thumb Up

        Re: £25 for a stylus?

        ... Forgot to say that Poundland also has a coated steel-wire Slab stand. guess how much? I have one at home and one in work.

  6. Benjamin 4

    Alternatively:

    1. Use a laptop!

    2-10. Not needed!

    1. DN4

      Re: Alternatively:

      Exactly. Half of the stuff just demonstrates that you need to carry an additional bag full electronic crap to make your tablet as useful as a laptop.

      1. Neill Mitchell

        @DN4

        No, instead you have to lug around a power supply when your 3 to 5 hours are up. My Transformer will still be good for another 12.

        I don't need any of this crap either ;)

  7. h3

    I have a cheap clone of a £120 ipad stand (Cost next to nothing but looks the same and works - might be steel instead of aluminum so a little heavier).

    There is nothing much I can see in any of this that is decent value.

    (The Xoom / Playbook / Touchpad BT keyboards are all fairly decent and not massively expensive).

    I am in the market for one.

    I might get the Xoom Otterbox now the price is down to £20.

    There are some quite decent bluetooth GPS's you can get for about £10. (Be good for someone with something like a Kindle Fire or a China Tablet with reliable bluetooth or a wifi jailbroken ipad (Needs a $5 app).

    There is so much in this market that is a total ripoff. (And some of the genuine accessories are still total junk).

    Cheap stuff (That is reasonable quality) that I rarely use is one thing. But this stuff is fairly expensive and seems pretty mediocre. (Makes you think perhaps someone was paid to feature these).

  8. Irongut
    FAIL

    no less functional than a laptop

    Bull. I'd like to see you write a 50k line business application on a tablet.

    1. GrantB
      Boffin

      Re: no less functional than a laptop

      Sure a tablet is the wrong tool for the job if you are churning out code, but its getting to the point where is not as silly as it sounds.

      I work on a large business application, and I can log in via a VPN and view/compare/edit code, look at code package release status and issue tracking systems perfectly well via Safari my (3rd gen iPad). Most tools I use have Web interfaces or SSH access. External keyboards help when editing code, but not a big deal for quick patches.

      I can fire up my iPad and be looking at the system status far faster than my HP ProBook (running Win 7) wakes from sleep and logs in.

      Only remaining downsides at the moment is no native SQLDeveloper style client (though I haven't looked for one to be honest) and not being able to use external screens effectively. At the end of the day, the only major differences between my laptop and iPad for development are the peripherals (i.e. screens) and OS. Peripherals are getting less important, and I develop across multiple OS"s anyway using VM's so the underlying OS is pretty irreverent

      Sometimes the best computer is the one that you have on you.

  9. h3

    And saying they are no less functional than laptops is nonsense.

    My ancient X31 Thinkpad is still so much more useful than my tablet if I have any real work to do out and about.

  10. alex 39
    Headmaster

    Don't know how old your car is, but most people's cars have alternators not dynamos

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Free energy

      and the energy generated is derived from the the fuel you burn to turn the engine over.

      Not really free, but the cost is minimal - compared to running aircon in a car, or having an automatic gearbox.

      And might be less than that lost due to low pressure in tyres or a lot of dirt on the car paintwork

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      alternators not dynamos

      Indeed. I have an 1972 mini and it has an alternator.

      Alas, people still think the fag lighter won't provide enough power to charge a tablet.

  11. Richard Lloyd
    FAIL

    Why such expensive accessories?

    I have an HP TouchPad and here's what I've bought for it:

    * Most expensive is a 27 quid Touchstone charger (that pricey because the 15 quid order I put into the HP official store was rejected - yes, after HP had taken my money and then put it back again!). A nice inductive charger and also a stand - a better purchase than the equivalent stand in the article.

    * 3 screen protectors for a fiver in total - still haven't taken the first one off yet!

    * Two different cases - a 5 quid official HP one (but a bit rubbery and the front sleeve doesn't close - duh!) and 3 quid fancy one that was for an iPad but works perfectly for an HP Touchpad.

    * 69p micro-USB charger/data cables in case I need to charge the TouchPad without the Touchstone charger being around.

    I don't need anything else with the TouchPad and I doubt other tablet users need much more either (and certainly not most of the 10 accessories here).

  12. LinkOfHyrule
    WTF?

    Would you really want an iPad on your wall? Surely if you do you're a massive twat! Or have a very small flat and no telly!

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Might be good for the Kitchen

      keep it off the worktop and used to play something while doing the cooking, or to display a recipe.

      Want to get the anti-bac spray on it afterwards...

    2. Lusty

      "Would you really want an iPad on your wall? Surely if you do you're a massive twat! Or have a very small flat and no telly!"

      Just because you aren't imaginitive enough to think why you'd need one doesn't make everyone else a twat.

      Boaters use these to mount the iPad on a bulkhead for use as a GPS. Mounting in a kitchen as said by another poster. Mounting next to a monitor at work. Mount in a caravan for entertainment. Mount in the lounge to use as a stereo, connected to a proper amp of course. The list goes on but the people doing these things are not twats, they are just using their tech products more fully than you are. It's true though, watching facebook in case you get your first friend probably isn't reason enough for you to need a wall mount.

    3. SparkyII

      I stick my tablet to the wall in the kitchen when cooking. Its pretty handy.

    4. LinkOfHyrule

      Okay not everyone is a twat then, fair point. There are some people who would like their iPads on the wall for various reasons, I think cooking and boats come under my small flat point though seeing as both tend to be small in the main.

      I am not unimaginative either - I just think having a tablet computer on the wall looks shit. I imagined it and in my mind's eye it looked shit, sorry.

      1. LinkOfHyrule
        Gimp

        I'm doing a Columbo here...

        Yeah, I guess I should have said "I just have scary vision of rabid Apple fanbois putting iPads on their walls and using them as sodding light switches."

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    £110 for a wall mount?

    That'll get you a pretty big roll of velcro tape.

    1. jubtastic1
      Trollface

      Re: £110 for a wall mount?

      Velcro? Well aren't we the pretty one. Real men just use a nail.

      Sent from my fondleslab.

      1. GitMeMyShootinIrons

        Re: £110 for a wall mount?

        Wouldn't nailing it to the wall void the warranty?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: £110 for a wall mount?

          @GitMeMyShootinIrons

          Not if you use iNails and the accompanying app (sold seperately). Manufactured to DoD specs using aerospace grade Unobtanium, iNails are polymer coated to ensure minimal splintering as they pass through the screen. To apply these correctly you'll need...

  14. scottyman

    Has anyone managed to find a decent dual 2.1A wall charger?

    I've been hunting around for one for ages - it's always a pain when travelling - especially when there's a shortage of points in hotel rooms or airports

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wow!

    Great list, Reginald! —USB leads, styli, stands, chargers and covers. You certainly found some incredible slab accessories there. I had no idea such wonders even existed!

    </sarcasm>

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    5 pages?!

    Did it really have to be split over 5 separate pages?

    Does no-one know how to scroll down a webpage?

    How come we manage that OK on the comments pages?

    1. Martin
      Happy

      Re: 5 pages?!

      Ah, but it looks better on a fondleslab as five separate pages.

  17. launcap Silver badge
    FAIL

    Dynamo?

    What age of car are *you* driving? Even my aging Morris Minor has an alternator fitted now..

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