Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

HI, Rusty!
Yes, still raining on and off here..........more "on" than "off"......heavy rain , but not sleet.
I have been browsing through the list of tablets that you sent me.......
There is certainly a lot of choice...and at seemingly very reasonable prices.
I am amazed at the options.
I doubt I can go wrong.......
Meanwhile, home on the range........
We have managed to take the back off the Hudl, and are wondering about replacing its battery.
Apparently we can buy a battery for it from Amazon for £15 plus £3 p&p.
Might be a plan?
What do you think?
There is not much to lose by trying?

Hello, Elle!
Seems dear for a battery, is not it?
If it was mine, Elle, I would not get a battery.
It may not be anything to do with the battery?
I would treat myself to a new tablet.
But first, replace the battery and see if that helped.
It often is the advice you would receive, to take the battery out for a minute and replace it and try again.
Have you seen a tablet that appeals to you?
All my young ones speak very highly of iPads.
Jazzgirl did, too.
But they are not cheap, at all.
Have a chat with your daughters about a replacement?

Hi, Rusty!
Right...now...update!
Yes, the first thing I did, after getting the back off the appliance, was to take out the battery and then refit it - but still as dead as a dodo!
I was wrong about the £15 battery cost.
Shopping around, I can get a battery for the Hudl2 from Amazon for as little as £8.
You are right, of course, it might well be nothing to do with the battery.
But for as little expense as that, I think it might well be worth a shot?
If that doesn't work, I would just "bin" the device!
Yes, I am sure that ipads are great...but I don't think my limited use of one would warrant the expense..
Mostly I am quite happy using my desktop.
To be honest, Rusty, looking through the extensive choice of tablets....I would not know which to pick!
I shall show the list to the girls and consult them, if I do go down that road.

Hello, Elle!
Now be careful regarding batteries.
There are batteries and there are "batteries".
Not all made to the same standard. http://www.bromleycomputerrepair.com/
This lad in Bromley does Free Diagnostics.
Which, I take to mean, he tells you what the problem is, at no cost to you.
Worth a go?
Now, if you use the filters on the tablet list, you can narrow the choice right down.
Screen size, cost, etc
Have a go?

Hi, Rusty!
I am extremely grateful for all the help and advice........but do not know which way to jump!
I feel very much like mixing my metaphors and being the proverbial ostrich burying my head in the sand, ignoring my problem.....and carrying on being that other proverbial creature - a dinosaur!
I hate modern technology!!!!!
A free diagnosis is one thing........I should still have to pay for a repair.
Do I want to spend money on an oldish device...?
I am tending to opt for the battery change and see if it works......
But I will take my time and mull it over.....
Or I may just opt for a new tablet but nothing expensive, as I shall not use it all that much, preferring my desk top for most things.
You're probably ready to throttle me by now!

Hello, Elle!
Well, if it were me, I would get a new tablet.
There are ones in Curry's from £49.99.
Though, I would get a dearer one with a 10 inch screen.
But, take your time, there is no rush, and listen to your daughters!
Or pop into Curry's and have a look.
Lots of good advice on the TechRadar site, too.

Good morning, Rusty!
I am just back from my walk....a pleasant morning as yet, although very poggy underfoot after all yesterday's rain.
And I think we have more rain forecast for later!
We have a relatively quiet weekend ahead of us.
How about you?
Are you going to the Pine Cone with the girls?

Good morning, Elle!
Just home, myself!
It is quite a bit colder today.
I may meet the girls tomorrow, my friends from Norn Iron on Monday, my daughter-in-law on Tuesday, and nurse on Wednesday.
That's quite hectic for me!
I get an email each Saturday from The Times (Richard Rogan) containing puzzles, clues, etc.
It is good.
Anyway, Mr Rogan was telling of how he was invited to New York for the American Crossword Championships, as a guest of the New York Times.
The American puzzles are a bit different from our cryptics.
Mr Rogan agreed to take part and was placed 600th of 674 participants.
I'd say that was quite accepable as he is not used to these puzzles?
Any plans today?

Hi, Rusty!
You have got all your week and half of next week already all nicely wrapped up!
You will be very busy!
I hope your weather stays reasonable for you all to get about.
We have nothing planned for the weekend.......other than plenty of walking exercise!
Our younger daughter and family are away in Swanage, as you know, visiting relatives, and our elder daughter has opted to come and stay with us for the second week of the school holidays rather than over Easter, so as to coincide with my birthday on April 12th
That will be great...I am looking forward to it.
I have never even seen, let alone done, an American crossword puzzle!
I should imagine the vocabulary might prove difficult for a Britisher?
At least, the contestants didn't have to face pronunciation problems.......
I went to buy some butter for my daughter when in New York....
I had great trouble as the shop assistant called it "badder"........
Well done, Mr R!

elle syzygy's posts headed Harper's Bazaar or WSJ are American puzzles. It's definitely worth looking at them. Sometimes I can do them, sometimes not. The WSJ one has a comments section which is usually helpful after a couple of days.

I'm writing history and making holiday scrapbooks all weekend. Have to turn on the TV to hear a human voice!