Tablet for personal study & meetings?

[Junebaby]

Hello all,

 

This is my first post, but, I've been reading with much enjoyment for many months now  And I hope I'm posting in the right area!

 

I am wanting to get a tablet as stated in the title.  I have a Google Nexus 7 already, but, I would like a larger one for easier reading(and my two kids take over the tablet often).  I want to download the publications from jw.org and be able to study/highlight the material.  I don't know much about the apps that are useful for the brother and sisters?  I have downloaded the Aldiko free version, but, you can't highlight with free version.  I want to be able to use the tablet offline(maybe eventually in service) and still have all the publications there to use.  I'm also looking for a good NWT app.  I have read about iSilo, but, it looks very complicated.  Basically, I would like to know the best apps that will help with my personal study and meeting preparations.  And any good tablet options that are reasonably priced

 

Many thanks 

[Musky]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

 

I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1" tablet and really like it! I have the isilo Watchtower Library on it as well as many "Witness" apps. JW Reader being one of my favorites. Right now I use the epub version of the Watchtower and Jeremiah book for my studies and meeting preparation. I like the "Mantano reader" app as it highlights and/or underlines easily and the scripture links in the epub version works flawlessly.

 

I use the Weekly study material (WSM) files in PDF for the other meetings. They are available through meekspace.com.

[jayrtom]

I just bought the Acer A1 tablet. You can't beat it for the price it costs. It's not as small as a nexus 7 and not as big as the note 10.1

It has the perfect size for me (7.9") perfect for portability and reasonable screen size

As for the appp's, in addition to what chuck said, I would regimens Nat pro app for the bible and,if you are like me and prefer the formatted publications in PDF, Ez PDF reader pro (you'll miss the links to the scriptures though)

[Junebaby]

Thank you both

[Brother_Bliss]

I concur with Musky. I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and it is just awesome. The multiple window capability and the S Pen of this particular device set it apart and above all the rest.

 

However, it may be more than you need. My wife is using my former, but not "old", Toshiba Excite tablet and I still fancy it very much.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Tabs that do not have the S Pen as well as the Asus TF300 and Asus Transformer Infinity are also excellent choices.

 

 

(As far as topic placement, since we are talking technology, and not so much theocratic goodies, we can leave it right here in General Chit Chat).

[Junebaby]

How useful is the S Pen?  Can't you just download a note taking app and use your own stylus and get the same results?  I have not researched this yet.  I do agree that multiple windows would be useful!

 

I used my 7" today at meeting for the first time.  I used my bible and song book and tablet for watchtower.  I did feel kind of strange...no one else in my congregation brings a tablet.  But, I did enjoy using it. Commenting is hard for me, I get VERY nervous and sometimes stutter when I'm nervous.  So I was nervous making comments using the tablet.  But no one said anything about it.  

[bohemian]

I use an iPad and have downloaded ePub literature including the magazines from jw.org, a good reference Bible app, with extra languages, iSilo with weekly study material and Watchtower Library on it, and Notability app, which allows me to record and take notes simultaneously. I find I can type notes much more quickly - and legibly - than handwriting, either pen and paper or with stylus.

I also have the videos, dramas, and dramatic Bible readings downloaded.

I probably have more downloaded than most, but it is available to me without having to have Internet access.

I used for all three days of the district convention, and it will help me to concentrate on the public talk at the weekly meeting, because I can record it and take notes. I have always had a problem remaining focused during talks, but with my tablet I am much more able to concentrate.

[Qapla]

How useful is the S Pen?  Can't you just download a note taking app and use your own stylus and get the same results?  ...

 

 

The S Pen is "more" than just a stylus. It has a "fine point" end instead of the "ball on a stick" of a conventional stylus. It is also connected to the pad via blue-tooth, not just the pressure of pressing it against the screen. This has two very important results for the user ... it does not "skip" and it writes if a finer text that can actually be read and does not look like you wrote it with a felt-tip marker. Downloading an app on another brand of tablet will not make it do what the S Pen does. Also, the S Pen does not work on other tablets.

 

Yesterday I forgot my glasses when I went to the meeting. I was operating  the sound and one of the brothers who was carrying a roving mike uses a tablet. He brought me his tablet so I could see since he said he cannot really use the tablet while carrying the mike. Since I could make the text larger, it sure did help - I could actually follow since I could now see the paragraphs.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Qapla

[Brother_Bliss]

The S Pen is "more" than just a stylus. It has a "fine point" end instead of the "ball on a stick" of a conventional stylus. It is also connected to the pad via blue-tooth, not just the pressure of pressing it against the screen. This has two very important results for the user ... it does not "skip" and it writes if a finer text that can actually be read and does not look like you wrote it with a felt-tip marker. Downloading an app on another brand of tablet will not make it do what the S Pen does. Also, the S Pen does not work on other tablets.

 

Yes, the S Pen is by far superior to a traditional stylus. The Galaxy Note line of products has a built-in Wacom Digitizer screen, and the S Pen is an accurate, pressure sensitive pen specially made for this purpose. I had originally tried using a special fine pointed stylus called an Adonit Jot along with my old Transformer Prime (terrible!) and Toshiba Excite 10 (great!), but it paled in comparison to the S Pen.

 

Can you get the same results? Maybe so, but I promise you will have heaps of frustration along the way.

[Junebaby]

Thank you for the information.  Now I just have to decide between the Galaxy Note or Tab.

[Qapla]

I think the S Pen only works on the Note.

[GrumpysWife]

Yes, the S Pen is by far superior to a traditional stylus. The Galaxy Note line of products has a built-in Wacom Digitizer screen, and the S Pen is an accurate, pressure sensitive pen specially made for this purpose. I had originally tried using a special fine pointed stylus called an Adonit Jot along with my old Transformer Prime (terrible!) and Toshiba Excite 10 (great!), but it paled in comparison to the S Pen.

 

Can you get the same results? Maybe so, but I promise you will have heaps of frustration along the way.

I tried the Adonit Jot and hated it, also on the TF Prime. Save your money.

[SUNRAY]

Even though I have the galaxy note phone..5 3/4" by 3 1/4" with the s pen, I can pinch zoom to read in large print and access wol.jw.org for links if I need to..but for offline I like Adobe Reader where I can underline or make notes...it is free...also they have added night feature where any file you open in Adobe can be black background with white font...My favorite NWT app is JW Bible from the play store..use off line.

[GrumpysWife]

New World Translation Free

GEM 

- August 5, 2013

Books & Reference

 

My favorite is still https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.NewWorldTranslationBible even though there are some newer ones. It is my favorite because it also has the Insight Book, All Scriptures Inspired, Ministry School Book, Reasoning Book, Daily Text, and a few others included. I just discovered that you can go from the Bible to the Insight Book, back and forth. I really like that feature. Not sure if it works that way with other books included because I haven't tried it yet. He does request a donation, and it is well worth it.

 

I just got one of those Asus MeMo tablets to carry with me and it is great because it's not heavy like the big one I have, so it can stay in my purse. I paid $119.00 because I ordered it off of Ebay, but I went to Sams with a friend and she got them for $99.00. They have 32 GB's and it is really fast. It doesn't need to have that funky charger that the other ASUS products have, I can use my car phone charger to charge it in the car. I'm glad I got it even at $20.00 more on Ebay. You can also get a case for it with a Keyboard attached.

Edited August 9, 2013 by GrumpysWife

[SUNRAY]

Thanks Vernalee...that's great to know!

[Margaret]

Please explain if I have an iPad 2 with isilo, why I would want other apps ?

[Brother_Bliss]

I tried the Adonit Jot and hated it, also on the TF Prime. Save your money.

 

Your problem would have been with the TF Prime and NOT the Adonit Jot. Asus really cheaped out on the Prime's screen. The touch points are too few and far between, that when you try to draw a diagonal line with ANY stylus, you end up with a zig zag instead of a straight line. This is just one of the reasons I returned my Prime.

[Brother_Bliss]

Please explain if I have an iPad 2 with isilo, why I would want other apps ?

 

iSilo is great for having most of our publications in one easy to read and access place. However, when it comes to annotating documents, iSilo is a dinosaur and WAY behind the times. You can highlight words and sentences, but the process for doing so is super obnoxious.

[Junebaby]

Thank you all. I ended up getting the Nook HD+ 9". No bells & whistles, no camera for $129. I got all my books/mags downloaded. So far I like it. I think it should work fine for me

[GrumpysWife]

Nook is good.

[Junebaby]

I have another question.  I want to be able to access the WOL when I'm offline.  Is there an android app for this?  

[Musky]

If you are offline, you would need to use Isilo and the isilo formatted library files. I don't know of another alternative. 

[Junebaby]

Isn't Isilo only for ipad? Can't find it in the google play store.

[Brother_Bliss]

Isn't Isilo only for ipad? Can't find it in the google play store.

 

Here it is in the Play Store....

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dcco.app.iSilo&hl=en

 

Once you have iSilo, someone on here can hook you up with the files you need.

[paulc]

How about the Galaxy Note 8... any thoughts?