Is there a tablet out there that can do the following: Work on 4 or 3 G, can alter word and excel docs, produce pdfs to send out and it’s got a big enough screen to do that comfortably and ideally need to be able to plug in a mouse too for ease of use.

Yes. It’s called Android. Or I think also iPad. Or Windows.

Thats very helpful Moley…I wasn’t aware that can do all of those things on an ipad? are you sure?

Your mouse requirement scuppers a lot of options.

I would be looking at the Surface Pro options (I think I might have seen a black friday deal for about £400-500).

Most android tablets will take a plug in mouse (can’t speak for Windows or iPad). Failing that plenty of Bluetooth mice out there. Any of them will do docs and spreadsheets and pdf. I’m happy work on my 8″ tablet to get the job done but it’s nowhere near as good as my laptop. I suspect if you do it regularly then a bigger tablet is needed. 3g or 4g is built in to some tablets, more frequently the cheap Chinese ones. I wouldn’t bother though as it is easy to connect through your phone and use your existing sim and data plan.

If you can stretch, then this Surface Pro 4is an incredible deal. Includes the keyboard, and there’s a trackpad on it.

I’d have suggested the Surface 3 (non-pro) but that’s not on sale.

I wasn’t aware that can do all of those things on an ipad?

Pretty sure you can edit Office documents on iPads and Android. However you get a cut-down version of Office, wheras that Surface is a tremendous deal.

Those Linx Windows tablets are also decent for the very low price, apparently. Also run full Office.

Incidentally, why did you specify tablet in the first place?

If it must be a tablet then the Sony Xperia Z4 is very very good and comes with a keyboard dock.

That said at black Friday prices, whilst £200 more, I’d be taking that Surface Pro 4. Super bit of kit.

Alternatively look at the Asus Chromebook Flip – small light and has the keyboard swing all the way round if you want it in tablet form instead of notebook form.

Can now install Android apps on it as well making it very versatile.

I wouldn’t bother though as it is easy to connect through your phone and use your existing sim and data plan.

Ah, okay hadn’t thought of that. So I can use my Iphone for cellular and wifi to the tablet?

Incidentally, why did you specify tablet in the first place?

something small and light to carry around.

Well there are small light laptops, of course. Chromebooks spring to mind. You won’t be giving up much in terms of weight and you’d get proper usability with keyboard, mouse, trackpad, standing up screen etc. Much better to use a super light laptop/chromebook/convertible for this kind of thing than a tablet imo.

Ah, okay hadn’t thought of that. So I can use my Iphone for cellular and wifi to the tablet?

Oh – yes. This pretty much negates the extra expense of having it in your tablet and signing another phone contract.

Cool….that Chrome book looks ideal. Thanks.

I don’t know much about Chromebooks, but I thought all the apps were online rather than local? I wouldn’t have thought that’d be a lot of fun over 3G.

They aren’t online as such. They are browser based, but once the page has loaded, the whole thing is running inside the browser’s process as javascript or whatever. Chrome is an app container. It’ll only talk to the network when you save.

And some apps, particularly the Google ones, do work offline.

I hadn’t explained exactly the reason for this, so just to clarify its for accessing our server via dropbox from a non wifi available site, to adapt and send excel, word and pdf docs via email. Not for playing games, taking photos, social meeja etc. So Chromebook Flip?

Hmm.

You might get interoperability problems if your colleagues are using MS Office and you are using Google Docs/Sheets etc. I’d run from that – been there, suffered.

Check your phone contract before assuming you can tether a tablet & use the data from your phone to establish a connection.

My contract doesn’t allow tethering – I can obviously pay extra per month for a tethering allowance, but choose not to.

Just something to bear in mind.

That Surface Pro4 has annoyed me not a little, as I was toying with buying one as a tabletey laptop replacement but decided I couldn’t justify the price, so bought a Samsung Galaxy S2, which was the best part of £450 by the time I’d bought a case and SD card. Grrr…

Annoyed me too. Could’ve got mine a fair bit cheaper.

The type cover works out at £-10 if you get the pen.

The type cover works out at £-10 if you get the pen.

Que?

Can that Surface pro 4 run Linux?

Yeah, I know, I know…

Rachel

Yes, mostly.

Canonical have been working on touch input for this reason.

Que?

Yesterday it was £599 for the SP4 and pen, whilst it was £549 for the SP4 and type cover. Then pen is £40, so buying all three comes to £589 which is £10 less than the SP4 and pen and no type cover.