I never quite know what to expect when arriving at a training event. Having navigated the twists and turns of the lovely country roads, I arrive at my destinations with the adrenaline pumping, excited about new faces I will meet and learn about the experiences of others and how they have got to where they are today. I always love to hear unique stories from all over the South West! I also love the views that you get when out and about the county.
No two training events are ever the same. The venue, atmosphere, environment and people are all so varied that’s why I love my job, there’s always lots of variety and learning.
With that in mind I am often asked questions to do with technology. Here are my top three most commonly asked questions. I hope you find the answers useful and it provides you with the information to make better decisions when using and understanding technology.
1. Which is the best tablet to buy?
This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends on a number of individual factors. Firstly the operating system you want to use. There are three to choose from, Android (Google), iOS (Apple) and Windows:
Android
- Used by lots of big brands;
- Works well with Google Accounts;
- Use different App Stores;
- Cheaper option then Apple tablets;
Apple iPads
- Operating system simple to use;
- Lots and lots of apps to choose from;
- Lovely design;
- Secure with minimal virus threats;
- Can be pricer then Android and Windows.
Windows Tablets
- Familiar if you are used to using windows packages;
- Support for word and excel;
- Limited range compared to android;
- Built in security.
Then there are a number of different factors which might affect your choice depending on your individual circumstances. Below is a summary of a range of tablets on different operating systems.
Summary of tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
- Price: £399
- Operating System: Android
- Screen Size: 9.7"
- Storage: 32GB
- Available Storage: 24GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 8Mp
- Battery Life: 6 hrs
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8
- Price: £319
- Operating System: Android
- Screen Size: 8"
- Storage: 32GB
- Available Storage: 25.1GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 8MP
- Battery Life: 10 hrs
Amazon Fire
- Price: £50
- Operating System: Android
- Screen Size: 7"
- Storage: 8GB
- Available Storage: 4.6GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 1.5MP
- Battery Life: 6 hrs
Apple iPad Mini 4
- Price:£319
- Operating System: iOS
- Screen Size: 7.9"
- Storage: 16GB
- Available Storage: 10.2GB
- Micro SD Card: No
- Camera Resolution: 8MP
- Battery Life: 9hrs
Apple iPad Air 2
- Price: £399
- Operating System: iOS
- Screen Size: 9.7"
- Storage: 16GB
- Available Storage: 10.2GB
- Micro SD Card: No
- Camera Resolution: 8MP
- Battery Life: 8 hrs
Apple iPad Mini 2
- Price: £219
- Operating System: iOS
- Screen Size: 7.9"
- Storage: 16GB
- Available Storage: 12.4GB
- Micro SD Card: No
- Camera Resolution: 5MP
- Battery Life: 9 hrs
Microsoft Surface 3
- Price: £419
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Screen Size: 11.2"
- Storage: 64GB
- Available Storage: 34GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 7MP
- Battery Life: 8 hrs
Dell Venue 8 Pro
- Price: £89
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Screen Size: 8"
- Storage: 32GB
- Available Storage: 16.7GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 4.9MP
- Battery Life: 7 hrs
Lenovo MIIX 3-1030
- Price:£149
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Screen Size: 10"
- Storage: 32GB
- Available Storage: 16.7GB
- Micro SD Card: Yes
- Camera Resolution: 4.9MP
- Battery Life: 7hrs
it's good to remember that no one tablet is better than another it just depends on your individual circumstances. We would recommend doing your research and asking friends and family before you make your purchase.
2. How do I know that I am using the internet safely?
Surfing the web can be a joyful and fun experience but when you start worrying about unsafe websites and virus attacks it can take the fun out of it. Here are some useful tips to help you avoid those common online pitfalls:
- When entering personal or financial details you want to make sure that the website is encrypting your data. A secure website will always be prefaced with https:// rather than then the usual http://. The ‘S’ stands for ‘secure’. You may also see a padlock or key icon in the address bar
- Make sure you use a strong password but one that is easy to remember and hard for others to guess. Avoid the obvious ‘12345’ or ‘password’.
- Mix up your passwords with a mixture of small and upper case letters, numbers and special characters.
- Hover your cursor over a link in an email before clicking on it and look at the bottom of the web browser or email program window. Here you will see the true destination. It’s it not official site stay clear and delete the email.
3. Should I pay for internet security?
It is important to keep your devices protected against malware, phishing scams and ID theft. Whilst common sense is imperative when browsing the web, choosing the right security software can make all the difference, but should you pay? There are lots of paid-for protection tools and free software available. The paid software usually contains additional features and functionality, such as cloud back up of your files. Of course the fundamental key task of any software suite is to protect your devices. For further information about internet security, Martin Lewis the money saving expert has written a comprehensive guide: www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/free-anti-virus-software
If you have any other common questions regarding all things to do with technology you can join Cosmic hour on Twitter every Thursday at 1pm where our experts are on stand by for any queries that come in.