Do you need a Smartphone if you are on wireless 90+% of the time?

[Ben T]

I've got a fairly old google pixel C tablet which I use pretty much every day for general internet browsing, it's slightly shite in that its screen occasionally becomes unresponsive and it's often fairly slow, but other than that is ok for general internet browsing. I think if/when I replace it I'll get a ipad pro with its keyboard, as it's easier for filling in forms and ordering things on. But it seems a bit daft to order something just to order things on. 

That reminds me, need to order some beers while I'm at my proper computer.

[PaulF]

I have an A4 sized iPad and I use it every day for several hours. My iPhone does everything the iPad does, except in miniature, and my eyesight isn't of the best.

As mentioned above, the iPad really comes into its own when playing music. I have Forscore loaded onto it and I download free out-of-copyright music from https://imslp.simssa.ca/. Since most of the time I'm playing Bach, it's wonderful. I also use it for choral scores, but at our Zoom choir practice last week, I was rather challenged as I hadn't before had to switch quickly from one work to another.

I also have a Bluetooth pedal for page-turning. That's a pretty good thing, but when part-way through a complicated Bach fugue, I sometimes lose co-ordination. I've never learned to play the organ - how do organists play tunes with their feet and both hands as well?

Out of interest what page turner pedal do you use?

Does Forscore allow you to create a set list? If you know order you’ll be singing in you can load the works in sequence and easily flick to the next.

[Greenbank]

I also have a Bluetooth pedal for page-turning. That's a pretty good thing, but when part-way through a complicated Bach fugue, I sometimes lose co-ordination. I've never learned to play the organ - how do organists play tunes with their feet and both hands as well?

...by pulling out all the stops?

</standard_organist_joke>

Or, more boringly, practice.

[ian]

It I want to design a document, create a presentation and dabble with hellish spreadsheets, I don't want to do it on a phone. If I want to check YACF from the comfort of the sofa or pick an album to listen to from the bath, I'll use a phone.

Exactly. We've never had a tablet. Friends are still amazed at this as they'd assume I'd have several given that I work in IT and have a 10yo (she copes quite well using one of our phones or a laptop).

I either use a smartphone (and a older style iPhone SE at that) or dual 23" widescreen monitors that connect to my work laptop. There's no in between for me.

Yeah, I know the adverts have young things designing world-changing apps in their scandic showhomes and CEO keynotes from buzzing coffee shops on a small tablet, but real-word other than a last minute corrections, if you need a big computer you need a big computer. Unless extreme portability is an issue, the difference between carting a full-on Macbook and a iPad is minimal and the result involves no compromises.

[Polar Bear]

Back to the original question:  you will need a smartpbine if you wish to download and activate the government's covid-19 app.  I suppose that it might work with tablets but that information seems to be unavailable.

Just a FYI.

[Mr Larrington]

Back to the original question:  you will need a smartpbine if you wish to download and activate the government's covid-19 app.  I suppose that it might work with tablets but that information seems to be unavailable.

Just a FYI.

Doesn’t work on a FruitCo tablet.  Doesn’t work on my “Smart”phone either.  I will gladly upgrade to a top-of-the-range JesusPhone for Coronalurgi purposes if HMG buys one for me…

[Greenbank]

Are people actually being refused entry to places if they aren't able to scan in using the app and the QR code?

[Feanor]

Not sure, but I visited Pizza Express on both of my recent long DIYs, and I had to scan a QR code on a giant poster at the door which took me to their website, where I had to provide contact details before I was allowed into the restaurant.

Then, there was no physical menu, I had to select from the on-line menu.
The waiting staff took my order in person.

The poster said I had to pay on-line ( card and paypal offered ), not sure if they would have accepted contactless instead.

So I'd say that without a smartphone, you might well be out of luck.
Perhaps they offer some manual back-up option if you don't have a smartphone, dunno.

[Lightning Phil]

Not sure, but I visited Pizza Express on both of my recent long DIYs, and I had to scan a QR code on a giant poster at the door which took me to their website, where I had to provide contact details before I was allowed into the restaurant.

Then, there was no physical menu, I had to select from the on-line menu.
The waiting staff took my order in person.

The poster said I had to pay on-line ( card and paypal offered ), not sure if they would have accepted contactless instead.

So I'd say that without a smartphone, you might well be out of luck.
Perhaps they offer some manual back-up option if you don't have a smartphone, dunno.

That’s them off the list if on an audax then. I don’t carry a smart phone on an audax or long ride. Just my £4.99 emergency phone.

[hellymedic]

I can't use a touchscreen.
I am almost housebound.

I don't want a smartphone and its data costs.

I have a dumbphone for calls when I'm out and texts. I use my lapto for most other online stuff.

I am feeling a bit left behind with apps but I still don't really want a smartphone...

[Kim]

There's not *that* much that you can do with an app that you can't using a real computer and either  a) a proper piece of application software  or  b) a website.   And a decent amount of those are games, or things like navigation or payment that aren't actually very useful unless you're out and about anyway.

Given my smartphone spends most of its life sitting on my desk here next to my proper computer, the things I tend to reach for it for either involve transferring data to or from the phone for when-I'm-away-from-the-computer purposes, or taking photographs of things.  Sometimes it rings, I suppose.

[fuaran]

Back to the original question:  you will need a smartpbine if you wish to download and activate the government's covid-19 app.  I suppose that it might work with tablets but that information seems to be unavailable.

Just a FYI.

The Scottish Government app seems to install and work fine on my tablet, much the same as on my phone. It just needs Bluetooth, and the built in Google services.
Presumably it wouldn't work on an Android tablet without Google services, eg Amazon Fire or more recent Huawei.

[Ben T]

I have an A4 sized iPad and I use it every day for several hours. My iPhone does everything the iPad does, except in miniature, and my eyesight isn't of the best.

As mentioned above, the iPad really comes into its own when playing music. I have Forscore loaded onto it and I download free out-of-copyright music from https://imslp.simssa.ca/. Since most of the time I'm playing Bach, it's wonderful. I also use it for choral scores, but at our Zoom choir practice last week, I was rather challenged as I hadn't before had to switch quickly from one work to another.

I also have a Bluetooth pedal for page-turning. That's a pretty good thing, but when part-way through a complicated Bach fugue, I sometimes lose co-ordination. I've never learned to play the organ - how do organists play tunes with their feet and both hands as well?

Dunno if it helps you but I've tried a page turner app (musicnotes) and one thing I did with some pieces was to "expand out" the repeats i.e. by copying and pasting in Photoshop and saving the whole thing as one very tall jpeg, then it can just scroll at constant speed.
Works with some pieces better than others.

[grams]

Hang on, Helly, as I hear that with Apple's next major update, its iOS apps (for iPhones and iPads) will be able to run on Apple computers (Macs, iMacs and PowerBooks).

This will only be on new (future) hardware that uses the same processor chips as iPhones. It won't be available as a software update.

[ian]

Personally, I've found that the number of apps has long since evolved beyond the number of actual applications for them (and many of them are poor quality). Beyond the major functionality, most of which are part of iOS, I doubt I've added anything in years (other than stuff like the COVID tracker). How many weather apps do you need?

To be honest, it's much the same for computers. I have the applications I need, it's rare I install anything new.

[citoyen]

Most of the apps I use are really just bespoke GUIs for web services (eg train times). They're often much easier to use than the associated website, although often limited in functionality.

Many of these would be easier to use on a tablet with a larger screen, but that's probably more to do with me needing new reading glasses than anything else.

[Kim]

Personally, I've found that the number of apps has long since evolved beyond the number of actual applications for them (and many of them are poor quality). Beyond the major functionality, most of which are part of iOS, I doubt I've added anything in years (other than stuff like the COVID tracker). How many weather apps do you need?

Case in point: Dr Biggles, who refuses to install apps on his iPad because "App isn't a word".  Presumably the stock apps don't count under this grumpy old man logic...

[Jaded]

How many weather apps do you need?

That’s simple. You need enough so that one of them forecasts the actual weather. I find that having three apps allows this...

[Kim]

Most of the apps I use are really just bespoke GUIs for web services (eg train times). They're often much easier to use than the associated website, although often limited in functionality.

I'm broadly in favour of this, because I'm from the 1990s, when web browsers were for looking at HTML3 pages, and you used dedicated clients speaking standardised protocols for other things.  It's a step in the right direction from everything-on-the-web (except when the app is literally a nasty wrapper for a web page, because a marketroid decreed that they should have an app).

[Afasoas]

I really really struggle with the privacy problems with smart phones.
I don't like giving random 'free' apps access to my GPS location, contacts etc.
If I felt I could get away without owning one, I probably would.

[citoyen]

I don't like giving random 'free' apps access to my GPS location, contacts etc.

I know what you mean. For me it's a trade-off - if the usefulness (to me) of the app is predicated on it knowing my location, then I'll let it access that information while I'm using the app. Otherwise, location services are switched off by default.

I absolutely draw the line when game apps ask to know my location though. Not that I have many games on my phone at the moment but this has come up in the past.

[ian]

Tbh, I don't much care about my privacy, there's nothing I do that's of especial interest, so I'm willing to trade the occasional datum for free stuff. That's the modern bargain. Nothing is ever, really free.

That said, I don't really do social media or anything. If Apple are polling my location data and Alexa is recording my office farts, this is my gift to them.

[Greenbank]

Exactly. On an iPhone apps only have access to what you grant them access to. Most will continue to function perfectly well without access to my contacts, location or health info.

The phone company has my rough location thanks to the fact I've got a mobile phone as, in London at least, they'll know your location to within a few hundred meters at any particular time purely from the cell tower your phone is talking to and the signal strength.

Android is a completely different kettle of fish though. It's scary how much stuff gets logged and there's little or no control on who has access to it or where it gets uploaded.

[fuaran]

Android 10 is a big improvement. You can choose whether or not to give specific permissions to each app.

For random free apps, I'd check F-Droid first. As they are all free/open source, and it tells you what permissions are required. And if the app has any adverts, or other anti-features. https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Anti-Features/

[Afasoas]

Android 10 is a big improvement. You can choose whether or not to give specific permissions to each app.

For random free apps, I'd check F-Droid first. As they are all free/open source, and it tells you what permissions are required. And if the app has any adverts, or other anti-features. https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Anti-Features/

F-Droid is the only app store on my de-googled Android. I have another el-cheapo phone with no contacts/social media accounts on it for apps used occasionally from Google's app store.
To be fair, I think since Android since version 6 has had the permissions model to control what apps have access to what data.