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Current state of play for using tablets with MS Office documents

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    Current state of play for using tablets with MS Office documents

    A fairly non-techy teacher friend is interested in a tablet+keyboard for working on the move, but is heavily tied into MS Office. She asked me if iPad/Android would allow her to do this without jumping through too many hoops so I thought I'd ask here. I do know the MS Surface would be ideal, but it's still pricey - for her £400 for a tablet is really a bit much so she was wondering about an iPad2 or Android.

    Anyone able to advise? Again, she's not techy so it has to work without a lot of messing about. USB/SD sounds like a big advantage to me personally.
    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
    Originally posted by vetran
    Urine is quite nourishing

    #2
    Laptop.

    Seriously there are a lot of light and thin 12 and 13 inch laptops around which have decent keyboards and memory for using office.

    A tablet is only good for writing notes.

    One of the places I get laptops from sells stuff from £220.
    "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

    Comment


      #3
      WSES.

      Tablets are for consuming rather than creating. OK for writing the odd note or minute taking but that's about it.
      "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
      - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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        #4
        I don't agree that tablets are "for consuming not creating" (though the non-Apple ones might be), but they're not that good for creating text on their own. Even pairing an iPad 2 with an external keyboard might make less sense than going for a cheap laptop in your friend's case. (I know I could do a lot with a keyboard hooked up to my iPad, but I've avoided MS Office for many years now so I'm not really relevant to the question.)

        Of course, Microsoft could swallow their pride with regard to iPads the way they have with the release of Office for the iPhone, but they're a useless bunch of ***** so I wouldn't hold my breath

        Comment


          #5
          That's how I find it Nick. I've got Pages, Numbers and Keynote but only use them to work on basic text until I get the file onto my laptop.

          But I love Numbers Form tabs and do enter a lot of data into it that way.
          "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
          - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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            #6
            Oh and you can save your files as .docx, .ppt and .xlsx using the above apps.
            "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
            - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

            Comment


              #7
              or wait a week and see if the school will allow you to buy it (the surface rt is $289 on this scheme).

              Microsoft launches Surface RT discount for schools | ZDNet

              Offer starts June 24th (as does my contract).
              Last edited by eek; 18 June 2013, 09:56.
              merely at clientco for the entertainment

              Comment


                #8
                Lenovo Yoga 11s is out soon/now. Convertible, full win8 machine. £700 ish quid for the low spec- I think it wins on a cost/benefit to the ipad...
                ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

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                  #9
                  My wife has a surface. I think its
                  Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

                  I preferred version 1!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by BoredBloke View Post
                    My wife has a surface. I think its
                    I can't get the concept that you need to put in on a table to use the keyboard. You can sit with a laptop on your lap without any such issues.
                    merely at clientco for the entertainment

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