Tablets--preferences?

[Feathers McGraw]

For security it is rooted and has XPrivacy installed that controls by disallowing any and all 'funny' behaviour apps seem to 'need'.

Google has really messed up by not including the ability to revoke specific permissions for apps in stock android. It wouldn't even have to be a default option, you could "hide" it in an "advanced options" menu and please pretty much everyone: people who are interested in learning how to use it properly would find it, people who don't care would never see it.

They could also nip one of the main reasons for flashing custom ROMs like CyanogenMod in the bud...

KConnect is great for KDE users.

I haven't tried it for about 6 months, I think I should probably give it another go. What do you use it for, and what has changed since the early days?

[Teunis]

KConnect hasn't changed much but there was recent activity on it's board about new options.

I use a netbook as a sort of media center and KConnect allows me to use my Android(s) to control the volume and change track.
The send file to laptop option is also regularly used.

I need reading glasses (+1.5 or 2.0) and then there is absolutely no problem reading a 7" screen, if it gets hairy you can always turn to the landscape mode or zoom in.
Sure it would be easier to read on a 10" but the 7" is so much more comfortable to hold and carry.

I've also installed a couple of phone apps, VOIP and Skype and use them every day.

[tafi]

I got iPad mini right now. Restricted OS, but other than that, I like it. I turn it landscape, to see the text better...

[millusions]

+1 for ipad..
nexus 7 looks good specs. i like ipad for attention to details.

have a look on youtube a show called Always on,
see the ipad torture test one,
they boil it, bake it, freeze it, drop it, and the ipad kicks on.

[woodsmoke]

I purchased first the Kexi a $70 job from Sears on a Black Friday and it was fine for seeing if I actually wanted to "do" a tablet, but otherwise quite limited.

I then purchased the "MyEebo" for $150 and it is a more than adequate machine for me in terms of reading answering e-mails, interacting with the college website, etc.

As to video etc, it streams video ok but only after I uninstalled a lot of apps so that the processor could change the size of the cache for streaming video without a lag.

NEITHER device has a processor which will take the Plasma OS and that is what I was really hoping to do with the latter.

The MyEebo will accept the Gyration mobile airmouse and remote keyboard, but, one is then stuck with hauling around multiple loose devices.

My present life situation is such that I would be better served with the Windblows surface tablet, and detachable keyboard, however, the price point is not there yet.

So, cut to the chase, the only real "problem" for either device is that of the "cache" which is fixed and streaming video will stall a lot, I purchased extra RAM but the problem is in the mobo itself.

So, what I would recommend is:

a) get one upon which there is ALREADY an OS that can be installed to run Plasma if desired.
b) Get the absolute maximum of cache or one which obviously states in specifications that one can increase the cache.

just some thoughts
woodsmoke

[Qqmike]

The cache issue (and whatever else) for running vids is a good point.

[SteveRiley]

Google has really messed up by not including the ability to revoke specific permissions for apps in stock android.

They have zero incentive for this, so of course they won't. And J. Random User doesn't care. The only people who do care are weirdos like us, who are sufficiently motivated to flash other Android builds (like CyanogenMod or AOKP that present the AppOps menu) or install a major customizer (like Xposed Framework).

Regarding tablets, I love my Nexus 10 for reading. The Nook app is perfect (and EPUBs are, well, easy to assert full ownership of, heh). I haven't touched my Nexus 7 (2012) in like forever. And frankly I dunno what to do with the thing. Ubuntu abandoned it, Mozilla's Firefox OS doesn't seem to be going anywhere, Sailfish's build is only alpha and they don't appear to be all that interested in pushing tablet development, and the Mer builds of Plasma Active haven't been touched in over a year.

Speaking of Nexuses, anyone else here disappointed in the price for the Nexus 6? I certainly am, and it's likely going to destroy my Nexus loyalty. I was willing to trade a microSD slot and removable battery for a premium phone at Google's super cheap prices (Nexus 4 and 5). But at US$649/699, prices that are equivalent to other premium phones that don't require tradeoffs, the Nexus 6 has pretty much zero attractiveness.

[Feathers McGraw]

They have zero incentive for this, so of course they won't. And J. Random User doesn't care.

That's kind of true, although it's an easy rock for apple fans to throw at android users, I believe iThings have had this ability for quite a while.

What I find curious is that they did actually release a version of android with it in for about 2 days or something, then they pushed an update to remove the ability to use it again. So the code is clearly there, they've just turned it off, which seems daft - why not bury it in developer options somewhere?

[SteveRiley]

J. Random User will disable location their browser -- "OMG web sites are tracking me!" -- and then gripe when they open a weather site and it can't find where they are.

Apple folk are not J. Random User.

[Feathers McGraw]

J Random User doesn't know how to display the developer options though, which solves that problem rather nicely.

Interesting, you think apple users are more technically competent than android users? In my experience there's no difference in that respect, apple users just seem to be richer or more "fashion conscious".

[SteveRiley]

I'll admit im purely in speculative mode at this point.

Question: can someone with an iThang report how easy it is to disable selective permissions on individual apps? Is it discoverable in a way that a non-technical user can understand what it does?

[Teunis]

Slightly OT:

Last week I found out our Global IT manager belongs in the group of security illiterate
The company has it's computers controlled by the usual Group Policies.
But in my dept. we need Admin privileges so I make sure the new engineers are instructed about the added responsibilities this brings.
We were setting up computers for a dozen of these guys and I noticed the previous Group Policy follows MS path to doom by hiding known file extensions.
A rather sad thing as a couple of months ago we had incidences of ransomware getting onto the Intranet...

So I mailed the IT manager and asked him to reconsider this part of the policy setting.
His reply was, no, it would be pointless as our users wouldn't understand file extensions.

Now I know not all our colleagues are technical inept but he's just not interested...
Or he's working on his own job security

[SteveRiley]

We were setting up computers for a dozen of these guys and I noticed the previous Group Policy follows MS path to doom by hiding known file extensions.
A rather sad thing as a couple of months ago we had incidences of ransomware getting onto the Intranet...

So I mailed the IT manager and asked him to reconsider this part of the policy setting.
His reply was, no, it would be pointless as our users wouldn't understand file extensions.

How much did it cost your organization to remove the ransomware? How do you know you won't get infected the same way again?

Tell your IT Manager that one of the first recommendations any security person from Micrsoft will make is to change that default behavior. When I was in TwC we tried a couple times to override the Windows Division but lost the battles. But there are real costs to hiding extensions that are far greater than any "cost" associated with user confusion.

[Teunis]

Due to good back up systems nothing of value was lost except time wasted but during the cleaning ops whole swaths of the network had to be isolated.

[Qqmike]

And so, this new Nexus 9 comes on, November 3rd, say, it's $400, comes with a new Android 5.0 Lollipop OS.
How long should one wait to see how the Lollipop gets adequately tested/fixed for issues/bugs/hang-ups? Is that an issue? And price: do you think, based on your experience, it will drop this holiday season, or maybe that will take awhile longer? The Voice of Experience being summoned here re new tablet-markets.