9/4/13:  I got a question about connecting to WiFi on a laptop or other mobile device.  To connect you need to have the WiFi service.  You can get it from an internet provider for a laptop/tablet/pad or via a WiFi connect at your center.  If you have a phone, that is different. You usually have internet WiFi service with the phone if it’s WiFi compatible (i.e. SmartPhone).  But with tablets/pads/laptops you must have the service.  If you have a laptop, get a USB wireless attachment if it doesn’t have one already. .  My best suggestion is for you to visit BestBuy of some local computer store and ask them what’s best for you.  If you have a tablet or pad, they generally have built-in WiFi.  In all cases, you need WiFi service in our center or a WifI hotspot (ask your computer geek) to be able to connect.  If your center doesn’t have Wifi, ask them about getting it.  Most Davita centers have it but some may not.

If you have a WiFi connection, follow your pad/tablet/LapTop instructions on how to connect.  It’s usually is the Settings for your device.  For a laptop, ask the geek.  Many are different.

6/4/13: Scroll to the bottom for an update…

I’m back!  My eyes have improved enough for me to blog.  Thank goodness for that!  In spite of my vision problems, I’ve been busy and will blog about all that’s gone on lately.  Thankfully my sons help me with everything so I’ve been able to function in spite of not being able to see well.  Anyway, I’m back to blogging…

I’ve been using a tablet/Pad during dialysis for a while.  The center has WiFi so that allows me to use the internet. In the course of the last 18 months, I’ve learned a lot and want to share that with you.

I posted about Dialysis and Social Networking  and my experoeince with the Lenovo Pad.  I described my experience there but since then I’ve have more experience to share.

The Lenovo pad died pretty quickly.  The power connection went bad so I couldn’t  recharge it.  So, about Christmas time I bought a new pad but alas the same problem after three or four months.  The power connection on the pad went bad and I couldn’t recharge it.  If you can’t recharge a pad, it’s useless.  There are some shops that will repair pads — probably for this problem! — but I didn’t pay much for them so it wasn’t worth the cost. So I determined that saving a few bucks and buying cheap knock off pad was not a good idea. 

I use my pad every day and especially during dialysis.  The time flies when I am occupied with something on it.  I listen to a Pandora ($15 a year subscription) station and anything from gospel to oldies rock and roll to classical music like Bach and Mozart depending on my mood.   I play games… some work , some don’t on the WiFi network at the center.  I haven’t explored why some do and don’t.  For example I can play some slot machine games but some of them I can’t.  I can play all of them on my home WiFi.

Anyway, I went to the local Best Buy and chatted at length with a Geek Squad guy named Alex who walked me through all the available pads.  I told him I wanted to spend about $300 for one.  He showed me all those in my price range.  I selected one but it was out of stock. So, the hunt continued until I asked him what he used.  He said all the Geek Squad use the Samsung Note 10.1.  He showed me its features and I was impressed with all aspects of it.  The price as higher than my budget at $449.00 but considering I spend so much time on it, I may as well spend the money.

For the cheap knockoffs I spent $179 for the Lenovo and $117 for the other pad.  The Lenovo lasted about 9 months and the knockoff lasted about 5 months.  Both shared the same problem; couldn’t charge them because the charger connection got bent and stopped working.   The total spent was about $300 but a total waste if they don’r work for more than a year.  The Samsung has a proprietary charger connection.  t’s build like a tank and doesn’t appear like it will have the problem that the other pads did.   However, I bought the extended warranty for $79 that covers it for two years and is renewable.  I figured it was worth the money. They will replace the pad for any reason other than fire.  So I won’t take it to a campout, ok?    Overall it was a large investment, — about $600 — but I figure it was worth it.  I also purchased the cover for it for $40.

The performance of the Samsung is astounding.  It’s an Android operating system.  Programs, or rather apps, load quickly and run well.  I’ve not had a problem yet with any compatibility issues.  For example, some apps will run on some tablets pretty well and not on others.  When you go online to the “app store” (I use the Google Play app store), you can read what others have to say about the app before you download it.  Some apps are free and others have prices from ninety-nine cents to fifteen or twenty dollars.   Most are a dollar or free.  If you go in the pad/tablet direction, you’ll be surprised by the number of apps available.  In a future post, I’ll get into that topic in more detail.

Update 6/4/13: I believe I have it worked out well enough that I can start blogging via my tablet computer and using the WiFi at the center. I’m such an old dog that it takes me a while to become proficient on a new technology. The keyboard is so different! I can’t type using all my fingers! I must use one finger at a time… now anyway. I’ll give it a try this week and let you know how it goes. .

© 2013 DevonTexas