Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/05/100-for-a-tablet-and-foldable.html
…
1 Like
Wow - they still make this keyboard? I still have mine from the Blackberry days. Back when people still wanted real keys on their phones.
2 Likes
I’ve been doing something similar until recently with an old Cyanogen-modified Nook HD. It’s been a good lightweight backup and travel device combo for trips of two weeks or less (I like to travel light).
The things that made the difference for me, in addition to a similar Bluetooth keyboard, were a Bluetooth mouse and remote desktop apps that let me connect to my own home machine and clients’ machines that do the heavy lifting when I need more processing power and RAM. A nice big microSD card for local storage is also useful.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve been able to get done on it. There’s a tradeoff, of course, but if you’re not doing design or multimedia production it’s more than adequate as a replacement for a work laptop to do writing, research, financial stuff, coding, etc.
If you want to really up the game, get an HDMI adapter for the tablet and hook it up to an HDTV or spare monitor wherever you are. With an adapter you can also use a phone to make a similar DIY thin client.
1 Like
I did the same thing Mark, and added a 128GB microSD in the expansion slot. Even though the Kindle is pretty slow, it makes a surprisingly capable little mini-notebook in this configuration. With the Google Play hack installed, you can the legally install the Android versions of the Microsoft Office 365 apps and use it all for actual document editing and spreadsheets and such. It’ll never replace my Microsoft Surface for “serious” work, but it’s less to carry around, and does the job in a pinch without major compromises.
3 Likes
Sucks to live in the third world right next door to the greatest empire the world has ever known … amazon.ca offers the tablet for CDN$149.99 +CDN$12 shipping - the keyboard for CDN$ 117.36 + CDN$ 5.00 shipping. “$285 for a tablet and wireless keyboard” doesn’t make much of a headline! I’ve been a faithful BB reader for years but still hate getting my nose rubbed in my second class status every time you celebrate “great deals”.
2 Likes
Look on the bright side. You can still get it if you want it enough. 
All I get is:
This item does not ship to… Please check other sellers who may ship internationally
Mark,
I too picked up a fire when they had the HD 8" for $60. I’m assuming yours has the advertising on it as well? I’m going to go ahead and pay the extra $15 to get rid of it, I think. I noticed that I had an icon I didn’t install on my device the other day and it’s for an Amazon service I don’t have an interest in. Can’t remove it w/o paying the fee. Fair trade, it’s a great little device with remarkable wifi and battery life.
Do you have a preferred or suggested file-sharing app for the device? I record myself and other comics on it sometimes but I have found file transfer to be a mystery past plugging it in to my PC.
1 Like
If you’re looking to share with someone on the same wireless network, search the Play store for a secure wifi file transfer app. Most of them work by turning the device into a mini server, which anyone else on the wifi network can access via their browser through a temporary IP address you give them (most let you set up a password, too).
Airdroid is an easier choice for less technical people. They had some serious security issues, but I think they’ve now been resolved.
2 Likes
that will certainly help some of the time. Thank you.
1 Like
Interesting - this “Plugable” keyboard looks identical to the Jorno keyboard except for the name.
My pleasure. Dropbox is another option, now that I think of it. You can create a public folder on your account and share the URL with others.
Although dropbox says it has a fire version it refuses to install and is not supported on the Amazon app store. 
To get access to the Google Play app store you might want to check out this post or this one. If you’re able to root the device and comfortable with doing so it opens up a lot more possibilities.
yeah that’s not something I’m looking to do. I got the fire to move away from technicality.
3 Likes
Not really a big fan of doing-work-on-tablets, but I am a fan of simplicity, and this looks like a nice, inexpensive setup!
Canadian here, I purchased the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet over the holidays, no hacking needed as it has Play already on it. Basically the same specs as the cheap fire I believe maybe with a better camera if you use it. Purchased another for a family member, and they love it as well. The don’t ship to Canada of course, as with the Fire, if you want it at the regular price, it is cross border shopping time.
There is also a little Android tablet at Walmart for $35. A guy I work with had one that he was using to demo some basic software. I know a lot of people look for little simple tablets to serve as controls for robotic projects, etc., so thought this was a good place to mention that.
2 Likes
I had a keyboard like this for the Palm Pilot that I used for journaling while driving across the USA. The downside is that you absolutely have to have a very flat surface to set it on; you can’t use it on your lap. That made it impossible to use outdoors or in the car.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
