I find myself using apps more and more rather than having to fill out reports. My phone works just fine for this but I'm wondering if using a tablet with data might be an option. Do any of you use a tablet? Tell me about it!

I much prefer my tablet for filling out reports either in apps or the web page based reporting tool (SASSIE etc). Much larger screen to see things. Also I tend to use my tablet to take pictures as it's a Samsung and my cell phone is a cheapo - Schok (yes that's the brand phone I have). I can also more easily see and crop photos on the larger screen.

Be aware, I have experienced some, very few, apps don't function on my tablet for some reason. I think it's a developer (coder) issue.

I find many of the places that I would be filling out the reports, like fast food joints, provide free WiFi. So does Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and most grocery stores. Therefore you don't necessarily need to have the table on a data plan. This would save you about $20 per month depending on your cell provider.

Also, tablets that are WiFi only are cheaper (iPads included) than those that have the capability to connect to cell towers.

I found out the hard way by purchasing a tablet years ago instead of a cell phone that the less expensive tablets are not updated for as long as a cell phone is. After only two years my inexpensive major brand tablet was not compatible with many apps that had been updated to a too fast for my old tablet speed. I am not a techy so my explanation may not be accurate. It is only my understanding of how this works. Basically my table became incompatible after a short time. If this is still true about cheaper tablets think about spending a bit more money to buy one that has a longer patch and update life in this fast changing world of ours.

This is all good information to know. I've been thinking about springing for a tablet as well.

I bought a tablet specifically for shopping. After a few months, the new car smell faded and I returned to my cell and or reporting.

I bought a 10" Samsung. 5G tablet on my VZ data plan, its almost paid for now, but Verizon is still advertising it like it's the big new thing that just came out, and it is still getting updated regularly, sometimes more often than my LG phone. I take 60 - 70 % of the pictures on it. And the few I take with my smart phone are immediately sent to my tablet so that I can do my reports in the car or restaurant or wherever I am before I leave the site, and most certainly before I get home. It wasn't cheap, but it has paid for itself, and I can see the thumbnail pics well enough to find the pics I need to upload. It also does a great job with photo editing too. I try not to have to edit pics very often, but I do crop them to remove people or block people's faces.

I only use a table with data for shopping, unless there are decreet photos, then I use my phone and the photos sync to my tablet. Gave up on laptop/P.C. and printer years ago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2022 11:25AM by ShoppingDad.

So are you downloading guidelines to your tablet as well? I have been thinking of doing this too.

I put the guidelines on the tablet so I can review them near the location I'm shopping if need be. Sometimes via download and sometimes by copying them from the laptop to the tablet.

I use my phone. The tablet is too big for my liking.

@wrosie wrote:

I put the guidelines on the tablet so I can review them near the location I'm shopping if need be. Sometimes via download and sometimes by copying them from the laptop to the tablet.

That's a great idea! I bought a tablet recently, mostly for when I travel, but also want to use it for shopping. I don't do reports on my phone, because I have fat-finger syndrome, so I do them on my desktop. But having the guidelines on my tablet would help and also using it to enter notes on. One of these days I'll stop for coffee after a shop and see how I can manage entering the shop report on it. It's a great tablet; I just need to start getting more out of it.

I have an iPad that is wifi only and I use the hot spot on my iPhone when I need service on the iPad. I use my phone while conducting the shop on location, but then use the iPad with an attached keyboard/cover to complete or review the shop before submitting it. I do NOT like typing any narrative on a phone. When I get to my vehicle I open the iPad and my photos will automatically load onto the iPad. The larger screen and attached physical keyboard have made life much easier.

I also download the guidelines to the iPad and keep files for each type of shop and can update and replace the file with the new guidelines each quarter.

When I submit a shop I save a PDF copy to a “completed shops” file on my iPad since that has more memory than my phone.

The only time I have had a problem with this is when I completed a recent Presto assignment and when the photos uploaded in the cloud it reduced the pixels of the photos and Preto would not accept them. It drove me nuts since I was trying to load the actual photo from the phone and it still would not accept it. I had to email the “full size photo” to myself and open it on my laptop then add it to the report before it would accept it. I’m sure there was probably an easier was to do this, but I was tired and frustrated and just wanted it done. Now I make sure my photos are loaded to the report before I open the iPad and transfer them. This has only ever happened when doing a Presto assignment.