Database Develop

Need some advice on what to buy.

First a little story
Recently I helped a friend out and built him a kick ass Vista Media Center HTPC and networked his entire house with extenders, touchscreen PC for most of his rooms and even a Media Center Extender in his shower with a touch screen lol. Basicly how i envisioned my dream house would be if i ever managed to get out of college. Seeing how I saved him thousands by doing this by myself he gave me his 32GB Ipod Touch 1st Generation also because he just got himself an Iphone 3G.
Now first off I hate Apple....alot... hate their OS, hate their stupid laptops (my i-tard friends claim they are different by using macs yet when I enter a lecture hall everybody has identical white or black macbooks...). Don't get me started about apple people, whenever my girlfriend drags me into the apple store to look for cute accessories for her ipod I seemed always run into one of those "you should switch over to macs" people or the employees that have the "eww you like Vista" I try to ignore it but something a small OS war would ensue.
Anyways the first thing I did was put this thing up for sale on ebay. During the few days that I was waiting I began playing with the ipod touch and soon i started liking it. It's not the most amazing thing ever since i come from a long history of touchscreen devices (Asus A620, Axim x30, Axim X50V, HTC Tytn) but i love the 3.5 inch screen and the mutli touch is awesome. Safari is not bad and I'm constantly amazed by it's size and performance. Soon however Someone bought my player off of ebay for $330 before I could take down the listing.
Now heres the advice I need. I can get an Ipod Touch 32GB 2nd Generation for about $350 but now i started thinking if I really need this thing. The main attraction I had for this device was the fact that it has sooo many applications for it now since it's become popular and that it's soo small. The only other device i want is something the same size that is running Windows Mobile and has atleast 32GB of internal storage. I don't know of any PMP devices that run windows mobile.
But then i remembered that my Axim X50v has a larger screen with higher resolution 640x480 and has bluetooth and Wifi. I can also get 16GB SDHC and 16GB Compact Flash for under $100 on ebay therefore = ipod touch capacity. The only thing is, its quite large and unsexy by today standards and it doesn't have TV-Out or multi touch....
Also should i even be getting a PMP since I'm already getting an Xperia X1 or Touch Pro once AT&T or T-Mobile has them....
Or should I save the money and wait for the super sexy UMPC of my dreams the Viliv S7 http://www.umpcportal.com/products/product.php?id=218
wow that was alot of rambling...

I went throu a debate similar to this as well, recieved an Ipot tough for my birthday, whenI was using my tilt as my MP3 solution. the only thing I liked more was the bump in space, as I didnt need to constantly plug in my SD card. No BT audio is the killer on these devices. It's the most simple of features to implement, why they left this out off BOTH gen iphones and the ipods is beyond my feeble mind... lol.
I say wait for the touch pro or experia. Its never going to be as smooth as the apple interface, but as far as features go, I think most power users will lean towards winMo for customization options, and all in one convenience.
My two cents.

can't decide.....

So I am at yet another nerdy crossroads....
I was about to buy a little net book today and I stoped and thought do I want this or a new nexus one.. then I contemplated the good and bad of them bolth..and I can't decide.
What do you guys think?

Completely different usage devices
Decision will be according to your real needs

a fone is enuff for music , video and some browsing , fun ps1 games if u have winmo , plus it has outstanding battery time ...
if u need more than that ull have to go with a umpc or a netbook .
personally im selling my umpc just because of that : i dont need full blown pc power for music video , and minor browsing , i dont need the heat it generates , and its thickness .

Just to perhaps foster some discussion, my vote will be against purchasing a netbook.
I personally just never understood the purpose of a netbook.
-It can't be your primary PC since it's so underpowered and too small.
-Many don't have optical drives so you can't use it for watching DVD's (unless of course you rip it to HDD).
-Most are uncomfortable to use. Screen, keys, and trackpad are too small. Some don't even have a trackpad!
You're probably better off with a proper thin&light notebook. Sure those are more expensive, but you can do so much more with those than you ever can with a netbook.
I just thought of 1 scenario where you might be right to get a netbook:
You're in college/university and you insist on taking notes in class with a computer; You already have a primary PC that's either a desktop or a gaming laptop that weighs more than 8 lbs.

PJcastaldo said:
So I am at yet another nerdy crossroads....
I was about to buy a little net book today and I stoped and thought do I want this or a new nexus one.. then I contemplated the good and bad of them bolth..and I can't decide.
What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Write a list of all your needs and see which ticks most or all of them....then get it

Thanks for the answers. Ill let you guys know what I do.

ohyeahar said:
Just to perhaps foster some discussion, my vote will be against purchasing a netbook.
I personally just never understood the purpose of a netbook.
-It can't be your primary PC since it's so underpowered and too small.
-Many don't have optical drives so you can't use it for watching DVD's (unless of course you rip it to HDD).
-Most are uncomfortable to use. Screen, keys, and trackpad are too small. Some don't even have a trackpad!
You're probably better off with a proper thin&light notebook. Sure those are more expensive, but you can do so much more with those than you ever can with a netbook.
I just thought of 1 scenario where you might be right to get a netbook:
You're in college/university and you insist on taking notes in class with a computer; You already have a primary PC that's either a desktop or a gaming laptop that weighs more than 8 lbs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sure does beat the crap out of normal sized laptops when you're studying for the finals at the university library.
Most of the time, the computers are occupied and I am sick. Literally sick of carrying any laptop with a 14 inch or more sized screen to school.

Honestly I do not get Tablets

"What a tablet gains in mobility it loses in utility."
To me that sums up a Tablet. I do not get where it fits in to the degree that Apple has sold 55M of them in 2 years. Smartphone sales are through the roof, and phones are getting bigger and more capable. The only thing tablets have on smartphones are bigger screens. And phones have gsm voice capabilities whereas most tablets do not. So where exactly do tablets fit in if you own a smartphone and a laptop?
High end smartphone - does everything a Tablet does in a more mobile package but is less comfortable to use for some tasks due to smaller screen
Tablet - a "gsm voiceless" smartphone with a bigger screen but limited in function compared to a laptop
Laptop - a true computing device that is the least mobile of all but does more functions that all
So if I own a new iPhone 5 with a 4" screen and a Macbook Air, why do I need an iPad? Or I am just not with it?

I don't get them either, but I want one so badly I feel ill.

I want one because I don't call or send texts. My last call was 3 years ago and my last text was 2 years ago Mobile phone are not used for calling anymore!

nicksti said:
"What a tablet gains in mobility it loses in utility."
To me that sums up a Tablet. I do not get where it fits in to the degree that Apple has sold 55M of them in 2 years. Smartphone sales are through the roof, and phones are getting bigger and more capable. The only thing tablets have on smartphones are bigger screens. And phones have gsm voice capabilities whereas most tablets do not. So where exactly do tablets fit in if you own a smartphone and a laptop?
High end smartphone - does everything a Tablet does in a more mobile package but is less comfortable to use for some tasks due to smaller screen
Tablet - a "gsm voiceless" smartphone with a bigger screen but limited in function compared to a laptop
Laptop - a true computing device that is the least mobile of all but does more functions that all
So if I own a new iPhone 5 with a 4" screen and a Macbook Air, why do I need an iPad? Or I am just not with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Phone does everything I need yes, but reading books and watching films is a pain on my phone.
Laptops are too big/bulky imo, phones are too small (mainly when reading PDFs or watching films that have a massive letterbox), not to mention battery life on a tablet is far better than both

sleepingsword said:
My Phone does everything I need yes, but reading books and watching films is a pain on my phone.
Laptops are too big/bulky imo, phones are too small (mainly when reading PDFs or watching films that have a massive letterbox), not to mention battery life on a tablet is far better than both
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with you there and why I appreciate having my Galaxy Tab 10.1. A lot of the print magazines I subscribe to went all digital and consuming these on my phone is not useful nor sitting at my desktop computer. I suppose having a light laptop like the Air would change this behavior.
One thing a tablet exceeds with is the touch screen interface which most laptops cant compete.
Anyway, my 2 cents

Apple excels at creating demand for products that a consumer never knew they desired or needed, lol. I agree with OP, I actually bought a Galaxy Tab 10.1 wifi, and after the first few weeks never picked it up again and ended up selling it. I suppose the uses for the device vary greatly among all, but for me a tablet is just too large to be lugging around to work and back. The phone, although with a smaller screen is always with me and more of a convenience than a tab ever will be.

Tablets are like netbooks, only difference netbooks had no restrictions like an iPad and you could use an decent office suite on it.
I don't get tablets either, but its more meant for using internet if you do not wish carry your notebook because its heavier.
But for me I do not mind carrying my notebook, even though it weights 2,62kg so yes its heavier then a tablet, but it also got much more power then a tablet.
My gf also said to me: You don't need an iPad you already have an notebook. Notebook plus smartphone is best combo for me, the smartphone for on the go and notebook when I can sit somewhere down like at home.

What is it that you'd like a tablet to do with regards to the "limited functionality"?

I am not taking away that there are some pros with tablets. But then there more than enough cons.
Doing simple inputs are easier on a touchscreen, simplified device. Tablet wins here. Doing more complex inputs (more intensive data entry like typing up long emails, or forums ) are better suited for laptops. Sure you can add a bluetooth keyboard but then you are adding bulk which defeats the purpose of the mobile tablet.
Maybe tablets suit people with a more outdoorsy lifestyle. Hanging out in Cafes, Parks, airports, etc. I would not be surprised that there are a few people that bought into a tablet and it is now collecting dust. I also know some people love them.

nicksti said:
"What a tablet gains in mobility it loses in utility."
To me that sums up a Tablet. I do not get where it fits in to the degree that Apple has sold 55M of them in 2 years. Smartphone sales are through the roof, and phones are getting bigger and more capable. The only thing tablets have on smartphones are bigger screens. And phones have gsm voice capabilities whereas most tablets do not. So where exactly do tablets fit in if you own a smartphone and a laptop?
High end smartphone - does everything a Tablet does in a more mobile package but is less comfortable to use for some tasks due to smaller screen
Tablet - a "gsm voiceless" smartphone with a bigger screen but limited in function compared to a laptop
Laptop - a true computing device that is the least mobile of all but does more functions that all
So if I own a new iPhone 5 with a 4" screen and a Macbook Air, why do I need an iPad? Or I am just not with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're obviously just not a tablet kind of person. That's fair enough. I use mine a lot, but I don't have a laptop - I have a desktop PC at home. Saying that, I'd be less inclined to take my laptop out with me than I would a tablet. It just about sits comfortably in my pocket (7" Galaxy Tab) and it keeps me entertained for hours on end with no effort at all. The battery lasts longer than a laptop, which is a plus, but of course a laptop is generally better than a tablet at most things. It just all depends on whether or not you can see a use for a tablet in your life, and you obviously can't.
Just don't get one

Won't pick one up until windows 8 arrives. If I'm blowing that much, it better function as a computer.

Archer said:
You're obviously just not a tablet kind of person. That's fair enough. I use mine a lot, but I don't have a laptop - I have a desktop PC at home. Saying that, I'd be less inclined to take my laptop out with me than I would a tablet. It just about sits comfortably in my pocket (7" Galaxy Tab) and it keeps me entertained for hours on end with no effort at all. The battery lasts longer than a laptop, which is a plus, but of course a laptop is generally better than a tablet at most things. It just all depends on whether or not you can see a use for a tablet in your life, and you obviously can't.
Just don't get one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you see, your tablet is your mobile convergent device. I would take a wild guess that you have a desktop with a nice, hi-res, big screen with specs that are nicer than the average laptop. So you have a phone and a desktop without a mobile computing stopgap.
Also, I am not blind to the usefulness of a tablet. I am not suggesting it is not for anyone. 55M in sales from Apple + say 30M from all the rest combined.... I am surprised the marketspace is that big with laptops getting more portable and smartphones having such a high penetration.

Its a happy medium
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using XDA

I don't like them either. It would be nice if someone would give it as a gift, but spending my own money for it won't happen. If I want mobility, I'll use my phone; If I want to do work or watch movie, I'll do it on my laptop.

In less than a month I will be buying my first tablet and I cannot ####### wait....
There are so many times a day that I need to quickly nip online to do something but it's often not worth booting up the laptop for and is a pain in the ass to do on my phone.
I don't want to have to carry a laptop to work just to be able to do a few minor things on my lunchbreak but a tab will do just fine..
It won't be an Ipad though....
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....

My macbook pro over heats like no tomorrow, so my transformer fits in perfect when I need to watch netflix or youtube... By the way my macbook pro isn't old it's 2011 model...

I use my iconia daily for uni. Far more portable than my laptop.
I get where you are coming from though. I know a girl with an iPad because other people said its the best lol
Sent from my Rachael using XDA App

Honestly I don't get Smartphones today. Battery is crap, they're not that smart in utmost basic features, and they can't even call. LOL

My battery works great..
I have a notebook that is pretty large (alienware M17x) and it is more than a tablet can think of being.. it takes it a matter of no more than 15-20 seconds to boot and load.. so, not bad on quick needs..
Like the Jack's films video
IPad= big iPod touch
Sent from my Supercharged R3velation v2 Infuse

I have a Razr Maxx and a Toshiba Quosmio 17" gaming laptop. I needed something in the middle. Laying down on my bed right before going to sleep my Acer Iconia A500 is perfect for checking emails or maybe even checking out some youtube. Also, i love the fact that i can just throw it in a bag and gives me 8-9 hours of usage, enough for a flight from Connecticut to California and back. And reading the occasional ebook.

[Q] Good Laptop for College?

I'm starting college next year, and I need a laptop! I better one than my current laptop anyways... I currently have an Acer Aspire S7 391 - purchased it used, and it just has too many cons that just don't make it worth the $600 I paid for it.
It gets too hot for Lap use, battery life is about 2-3 hours, the fan gets crazy loud... too loud for my high school classes, and the trackpad is jumpy, slow, and just.. terrible.
So I need a new laptop! Here are some things I would like to mention that may help tell you what I'm looking for.
1. Good Battery Life. A minimum of 6 hours.
2. Atleast a 1080p display. (Prefer touchscreen)
3. 13 inches minimum display size.
4. Slim, and powerful for it's size. I don't need to be editing videos or playing games, but being able to do some tasks that require a little more power would be nice!
5. The fan, if there is one, simply can't be loud. I don't know why this bothers me so much, it's fine if it's my desktop, but for a laptop, ugh..
I'll also be bringing my desktop to school, this Laptop will mostly be for taking notes, and being able to do all of my school "stuff" on a portable device, so I can work... anywhere!
Your suggestion doesn't need to match any of the specifications I mentioned, I'll certainly take a look at anything recommended!
Thank you so much!
(In-case it makes any kind of difference, I'm going into Business at an above average university, 30,000 students total)
I forgot to include a budget! haha! I'm willing to look into used versions of the laptops recommended as well, to possibly save a hundred bucks or so, I would say mu budget is just around $1,000. (Possibly being able to find it used for maybe $800 if any are available used).

Dell Inspiron 13 may be a fit for you.. If not the Surface Pro 3 was OK

I reckon surface pro, but if your looking for a bargain, look at some of the sub $200 Windows 8.1 tablets. Ad some accessories such as a keyboard, mouse and battery pack, and you could have a decent laptop replacement for under $300.
I would even suggest something such as the cube iwork7 dual boot tablet (android and windows 8.1) for ~$125USD from geekbuying
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Cube...GB-32GB-HDMI-IPS-BT---White-Black-341909.html
This is all you really need for school imo, and after adding accessories such as a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, battery pack and usb hub, you could have a moderately powered computer for about $200.
I seriously considered doing this myself, but the school gave us Lenovo ThinkPad yogas (current model), which is also a good option.

Ive been wondering about this also. Im about to start my computer science degree this year.

Look into Asus. By far the best in terms of hardware and build.
I'm particularly fond of the N range, though those might be a bit too powerful for regular use. (still, €1299 for a laptop(N76VB) that can run Dragon Age Inquisition on Ultra at 58FPS is well worth the money to me.)
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9005 Using Tapatalk

General Using the Mi 11 Ultra instead of a laptop

Hi All
This isn't rocket science, but thought I would pass on something I've been working on.
My Ultra has more ram, more storage and a better processor than my laptop along with 5x the battery life. So... I wanted to use it to work on the train and needed to print labels and stuff envelopes.
I bought a Zebra ZQ310 which is a very nice battery powered Bluetooth receipt/label printer. The printer is brill, but the Zebra Android software on Play is very old, but works.
I bought AndropenOffice Pro for £7.99 which I really like, it's got a mouse icon at the bottom and pressing it offers an area of the screen at the bottom as a touchpad, but for me,I bought a Jelly Comb Bluetooth trackball which is easier for me and won't take up too much area on the table. And, significantly it's much lighter than my old clunky laptop with a spare battery.
I bought the pro version of andropen Office as you can't print with the free version. My original idea was to use Google Print but that was jettisoned in December last year.
The only irritation with this is I bought it from the Amazon appstore and it requires you are running appstore and be signed into it to use andropenoffice. This is irritating as I'm guessing they are harvesting my personal data at the same time.
Any road up, Noroot firewall sorted that out. The appstore app is now blocked and andropenoffice seems to work just fine.
The combination of AndropenOffice and the Zebra printer work very well. I can print text, fonts and graphics and it's all fine.
For the keyboard, I've bought one of those PU leather wallets with an integral Bluetooth keyboard (see pic) so it ends up quite like a laptop.
This morning I processed half a dozen orders and printed address labels and it works well. It takes a little getting used to, with the small screen and occasional large windows that need dragging around but I'll stick with it and see how I get on.
Although our local trains often have Internet and mains power, you can't guarantee it so I've got an 18650 power bank which will charge the phone and the printer which, conveniently, is USB-C.
Although there are many more apps for Windows, I'm going to push ahead and see how far I can go. I use paint.net quite a bit on the laptop, so if anyone knows an equivalent for Android, please let me know.
Oops uploaded an Amazon joke too,so enjoy....
Cheers
Steve

You bought a 1500$ cellphone and can't afford a decent laptop to get your job done?
Get your priorities straight.

I disagree.This phone is powerful enough to comply with all his needs, what's the point to spend money on a laptop? The only reason he should buy one is the use of Windows

Hi @vagelis199 are you having a bad day or are you this rude all the time? I explained my reasons so try reading the post again lol. I Paid $1000.00 for my phone so I think you may have been stung lol.
I already have a laptop, but it's heavy to lug around and my phone is always with me.
I program PIC chips from time to time. I don't think there is anything for Android but that would be a real bonus for me.
Anyone know of a decent paint program for Android?
Cheers
Steve

Well, the keyboard/case arrrived and it works well (see pic).
The keyboardi s removable and very thin. It atttaches to the case with integral magnets. The only gotcha is it's a US keybaord so shift-3 is # and not £.
Need to find a good key re-mapper or save the £ symbol in a text file.....
Cheers
Steve

picitup said:
Well, the keyboard/case arrrived and it works well (see pic).
The keyboardi s removable and very thin. It atttaches to the case with integral magnets. The only gotcha is it's a US keybaord so shift-3 is # and not £.
Need to find a good key re-mapper or save the £ symbol in a text file.....
Cheers
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great setup man, you gave me idea that i can do some parts of my job with phone too

picitup said:
Well, the keyboard/case arrrived and it works well (see pic).
The keyboardi s removable and very thin. It atttaches to the case with integral magnets. The only gotcha is it's a US keybaord so shift-3 is # and not £.
Need to find a good key re-mapper or save the £ symbol in a text file.....
Cheers
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What mouse is that?

Hi @lortwarCECH
Glad you like it. With the latest generation of phones, I'm finding myself moving more towards the phone than the laptop. It's a bit of a learning curve, but processed a dozen orders today in no time.
Hi @22naresn it's Jelly Comb track ball Model MT50:
MT50 Trackball Mouse
Trackball Mouse: an amazing alternative to traditional mice, allows you to navigate the cursor through your thumb Ergonomic Design: minimize arm & wrist movements, reduce muscle strain, and relieves RSI (repetitive strain injury)Bluetooth4.0 & 2.4G Wireless: connect up to 3 devices...
www.jellycomb.uk
It's a piece of cake to use. It just fell off the arm of a chair and bust a plate on the floor and the ball popped out. Hope I didn''t break it sod the plate!
Cheers
Steve

Update: No tracker balls were harmed in this post. The ball popped back in just fine so life is good. The plate bits are in the bin.
It has a USB-C charging port so that's convenient. I forgot to turn it off (that's the issue with BT devices) and left it on all night. In the morning it worked just fine. Dunno what the battery life is, but it seems pretty good.
Cheers
Steve

Just a little more background on this as it's been quite a long journey then I'll stop droning on
The first printer I bought for this project was a Milestone MHT-L5801 here:
Milestone MHT-L5801 Portable Bluetooth Thermal Printer 58mm Pos Barcode Printer | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Milestone MHT-L5801 Portable Bluetooth Thermal Printer 58mm Pos Barcode Printer at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
And it really is a piece of junk. The plastic clip that holds the platen roller in place broke very quickly and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. One issue was the blutooth range which was about 3 inches lol. I almost had it working,then it started printing very light, with parts of the text missing, Cleaning the head with an IPA wipe made no difference.
I contacted Milestone initially by email and got no reply to my first email or chasers then facebook and they said they would send me new firmware by email. Nothing arrived and when I chased them, they just said 'sorry'. Chased them again and they jsut said sorry again, but no firmware.
So, poor mechanical design, crap firmware with zero support.
Next up was a Zebra LP2824 printer here:
LP 2824 Desktop Printer Support & Downloads | Zebra
Find information on the Zebra LP 2824 Desktop Printer drivers, software, support, downloads, warranty information and more.
www.zebra.com
I bought it for 30 quid on eBay and Zebra printers are good quality. They are designed for use in warehouses etc. It's a desktop printer which makes it a bt heavy to lug around, but it *just works* and there are plenty of spares for it on Aliexpress so it can be maintained.
The power supply is 19v, like most laptops and I bought a USB/19v power bank from aliexpress which works using 18650 batteries here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32619062806.html
The power bank powered the printer just fine and next up was to connect the RS232 port to a bluetooth dongle so the it would be transformed form a desktop printer which was battery powered with bluetooth.
I bought a couple of Bluetooth modules, but coudn't get them to work, then I saw an eBay ad with a guy selling the ZQ310 printers cheap (£100.00) which are designed to be portable (battery powered and Bluetooth) so bought one.
Now the desktop LP2824 is on my desk.
As mentioned earlier the Android software is very old and a bit scrappy, but it seems to work.
I didn't want to use some random labelling software, all I wanted was to be able to print from Open Office and I could then print anything. With Andopenoffice, this all works well and I can print text, fonts and graphics so job's a good 'un.
It's been a labour of love (and hate!) but now everything works fine.
I'm going to email Microchip and see if they are considering producing an Android compiler for their PIC chips. I guess they will think I'm nuts, but if I could program PICs on the train my life would be complete lol.
Ok I'll stop banging on now
Cheers
Steve

And finally (Ithink) here it is cast to a PC monitor using an Amazon Firestick
With the phone running andropenoffice
The firestick plugs into the HDMI port on the monitor and you go to:
Home/Settings/Display/Enable mirroring and it works like a dream
See attached pic.
Cheers
Steve

vagelis199 said:
You bought a 1500$ cellphone and can't afford a decent laptop to get your job done?
Get your priorities straight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you care what others do?

It looks a bit bizarre tbh but if it works for you and you have good eyesight go for it
I would guess a 14" laptop would be miles more productive but the phone is surely powerful enough to be a workhorse if necessary

Hehe I just got on abit of a roll and wanted to see what could be done. My eyesight is crap but I have good glasses and you can always zoom a web page.
I must admit, I like the laptop better, but for long battery life on a train with no Internet, USB or mains power, the phone is a good substitute. It takes a bit of getting used to, but my speed is improving daily.
You're right - it's a flippin' powerful computer and so small
Cheers
Steve

I have tried using large phones with Bluetooth mouse and keyboard cases for a long time. Every time I realized Android cannot replace desktop OS. Multi-tasking in Android is painfully slow, whatever you use, split-screen or free size windows, and whichever OS version, I have tried from android 6 to 10. Nevertheless, if you are keen on trying here is some setup I have used
Tablet autofit cases: http://amazon.com/ZAGG-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Android-Tablets/dp/B00IBW5XWY, it has a spring holder, tablet just fits snugly in the top shell. it becomes a foldable laptop-like device.
This used to come in 7 inches, 8 inch, and 10-inch compatible sizes. I used this with Huawei mediapad X1/X2, Mediapad M3 8.4
I then got this mouse Logitech t630. It's a very small slim mouse with a touch surface.
When I moved to a little less wider phone, due to unnecessary skewing of display aspect ratios (16:10 -> 18:9 -> 19:9 -> 20:9), the Zagg autofit keyboards no longer fit the phones even of 7+ inch diagonal.
I have Huawei mate 20x most recently. For this phone, I use this keyboard and Logitech T630 mouse as mentioned above.
Another trick to try is to add custom keyboard shortcuts from accessibility -> switch access.

Hi @bark1234
Thanks for all the useful info. Although my speed with the setup described isn't yet as fast as a laptop, I'll be doing 5 hour train journies, so any time I can use fruitully is good. Some eBay pages don't seem to scroll or zoom so that's an irritation, particularly when giving feeback.
I guess time will tell. I will either eat if for breakfast or pull my hair out lol. Fun project though
Cheers
Steve

Just a quick update on this. I've been using Andropenoffice to print labels to a Zebra battery label printer for some time. My speed has improved and now prefer my mi 11 ultra to a laptop. I got caught out with the A12 update as I bought andropenoffice from the Amazon Appstore which doesn't support A12 yet. The options were Update or Quit, but update didn't work so it broke Andropenoffice. Good 'ole Amazon. On the ball (asleep at the keyboard) as usual.
Anyway, rather than grab a pen, I bought Andropenoffice again, but this time from the Play Store. Works great lol.
So in summary, nice small phone to process my orders, but problems with software compatibilty just like a PC.
Some days I really like being an early adopter and other days....
Cheers
Steve

I bought a mi pad 5 pro
It actually feels faster than the mi 11 ultra somehow
Maybe because it has more space for cooling down the chip etc
The battery life is great and it's super smooth
Might be a better productivity device because it is designed for a keyboard and mouse and pen etc but I just wanted to use some apps on a bigger screen and it's great