Gilbertd wrote:

Jailbreaking is just as much a mystery as rooting. I started out on MS-DOS, progressed to Windows 3.11, then 95 and finally ended up with 7. My phone has always been a Nokia so the current one runs Windows 8.1 and my work phone until recently was a Blackberry which was an ergonomic disaster but worked. Then they changed out work phones to Samsung J5s on Android which was the first time I'd even seen Android. They were a complete disaster as the Samsung/Android security wouldn't talk to our work network security so after only a month they were swapped for iPhones. That was about 4 months ago and I'm still getting my head around using that! People may knock Windows but I don't have a problem with it and it does what I tell it to, it lets me uninstall anything I don't want installed which it seems Android won't.

I looked at the Lenovo one and also this https://www.svp.co.uk/asus-zenpad-z580c-8in-tablet-black-intel-174-atom-169-z3530-32-gb-android-6-0-marshmallow.html?___SID=U then realised there's a problem with both, no SIM slot, only Wi-Fi. There aren't that many hotspots when driving through rural Europe......

This would be the usual answer to that issue, you'd have to check data in Europe is available though (it should be given your tablet works)
https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/mobile-broadband/huawei/4g-pocket-hotspot-2017#contractType=paymonthly

The only issue I found with Windows mobile is a lack of apps - and some of the apps you do have don't work as well (try Waze on both for one example - I find its nearly unusable on Windows phone 10, and no better on 8 either). Parking in London using Ringgo is fine, but paybyphone doesn't have an app (might be the other way round can't remember offhand, I just use the Android phone as its been used for Waze upto that point anyway). The dialer isn't quite as easy to use as Android but does work.

Any Apple device I really struggle to get on with - They just give me the desire to throw them at the nearest hard surface for some reason.

I think you will find it hard to find a new decent tablet with the sim slot in place - If you've had your current one less than 14 days I'd give o2 a call as they might swap it if your lucky?

I've had it since around October so no chance of sending it back. When I was offered it I was in two minds whether I would actually find a use for it but as I'd just negotiated a £20 discount off my mobile contract and it was only going to cost me a tenner, I was still saving a bit. I figured it might be useful when I was in Europe so installed Hola VPN and then put BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My 5, All4, UKTV Play and Mobdro on it so I could watch TV wherever I was as well as the Planet Rock app and Excel. In fact, Mobdro allowed me to watch the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1 while parked up in a French motorway services (serious bit of bad planning there, not being at home when the GP was on...). Pull up at the services, go get a coffee and sit in the car watching the GP with the audio through the car stereo.

I expected it to use a huge amount of data but using the radio app for over 30 hours and watching TV on it for about another 6 hours total and it used about 700Mb so still nowhere near the 4Gb limit I've got. O2 used to do a European traveller bolt on which was a couple of quid a month but gave discount on roaming data and calls but since last summer the rules changed and the networks are no longer allowed to charge for roaming so the data and calls used in Europe come out of my normal allowance just the same as if I'm using the phone or tablet here. The only difference is I don't pay for MMS messages here but they are 40p each to send from Europe.

The Filllpg app works perfectly on my Windows phone and I've got the POI file loaded on my Garmin satnav (along with European POI files from www.mylpg.eu). If there were more apps available for Windows phone, I'd be happy to just stick with that and get a Windows tablet but it just isn't going to happen now. Mobdro only works on Android anyway.

Having seen me looking at new tablets, Dina is already working out what she can use mine for when I don't need it any more.......

Presumably something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/32GB-10-1-ANDROID-7-0-TABLET-PC-4G-LTE-OCTA-CORE-DUAL-SIM-1920X1200-IPS-XGODY/272737468132 is crap?

Gilbertd wrote:

I've had it since around October so no chance of sending it back. When I was offered it I was in two minds whether I would actually find a use for it but as I'd just negotiated a £20 discount off my mobile contract and it was only going to cost me a tenner, I was still saving a bit. I figured it might be useful when I was in Europe so installed Hola VPN and then put BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My 5, All4, UKTV Play and Mobdro on it so I could watch TV wherever I was as well as the Planet Rock app and Excel. In fact, Mobdro allowed me to watch the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1 while parked up in a French motorway services (serious bit of bad planning there, not being at home when the GP was on...). Pull up at the services, go get a coffee and sit in the car watching the GP with the audio through the car stereo.

I expected it to use a huge amount of data but using the radio app for over 30 hours and watching TV on it for about another 6 hours total and it used about 700Mb so still nowhere near the 4Gb limit I've got. O2 used to do a European traveller bolt on which was a couple of quid a month but gave discount on roaming data and calls but since last summer the rules changed and the networks are no longer allowed to charge for roaming so the data and calls used in Europe come out of my normal allowance just the same as if I'm using the phone or tablet here. The only difference is I don't pay for MMS messages here but they are 40p each to send from Europe.

The Filllpg app works perfectly on my Windows phone and I've got the POI file loaded on my Garmin satnav (along with European POI files from www.mylpg.eu). If there were more apps available for Windows phone, I'd be happy to just stick with that and get a Windows tablet but it just isn't going to happen now. Mobdro only works on Android anyway.

Having seen me looking at new tablets, Dina is already working out what she can use mine for when I don't need it any more.......

I'd be surprised if it does still work on your windows phone - Last time i looked it has all the stations ever created on the website (including the deleted ones) and didn't update anymore. Though that might just be windows 10 causing that. Plus it never had the option to update prices from the app. I think the developer disappeared after getting the first version out.

I've tried the noname tablets and generally found them lacking in some way. Like lacking something so most apps wouldn't install etc or just dreadful to use. Though you could use your existing one as a hotspot with a wifi only tablet? I'd prefer the all-in-one solution personally though.

How big a tablet do you need? The one you have i think is an 8" one?

Yes, 8" and that seems about right. Big enough to see but small enough to carry around. There's enough stuff in the car when I go away, so two tablets is a little overkill really. I suppose I could put the tablet SIM in an old phone, bung it in the centre cubby and use that as a hotspot, although it is something else that will need charging. I've already got an addition 3 cigarette sockets (one on the side of the centre console for the satnav, and a double socket at the back of the console for the fridge behind my seat and to keep the EAS/LPG laptop charged) along with a pair of USB sockets in the rear ashtray.

If I root it so I can remove the bundled stuff that I don't need and all languages except English, will I be able to restore it to factory if I need to or is it permanent?

Gilbertd wrote:

If I root it so I can remove the bundled stuff that I don't need and all languages except English, will I be able to restore it to factory if I need to or is it permanent?

From what I can tell yes, you should be able to take an image of it as it is. Rooting is just to gain access to put the custom rom in place. You'd just put the original back by the same method using the image you've taken.

also the downside with an old phone is you'd ideally want one that does 4g coverage to get the best speed and signal out of it. Plus don't know about o2 but most networks don't like you putting a data sim into a phone.

Factory reset wouldn't remove root. To remove it you'd have to re-flash the stock rom.

There should be an option to turn off factory updates but if it keeps updating apps that you don't need, you can go to the play store, select "My apps and games" then "Installed" and then tap on an app. In the top right corner there will be 3 dots. Tap that and turn off the auto update. Go down each app until you're done.

You aren't usually able to uninstall preloaded factory apps (unless rooted) but you should be ableto disable them by going to "Settings" then "Apps" then tapping the app and finally tapping "Disable". Sometimes there's an option next to that which allows you to unistall the updates and free up some space.

If you were in the market at all for a new cheap and cheerful tablet, i'd recommend this. Bought it for my 9 year old after he dropped his old one. He's autistic so spends all day long on his tablet. It's quite fast, has a 10" screen, a mini HDMI so you can plug it into a tv and has 32gb internal storage along with a microSD slot that will take up to 128gb. Didn't seem to come with much crap installed either.