Newb needs help

[Joar]

Hi. I'm (probably) going to buy a tablet pretty soon. But I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to mobile computing devices other that laptops (ie smartphones and tablets), and there is some things that I'd like to know before I make any purcase. It would be really helpful if you could take your time to help me with the following questions (you'll probably think some of these questions are stupid, but it's better to ask a stupid question that not asking and remain stupid, right?):

1. How does the internet on a tablet work? I know that you can connect to wi-fi, but if you want to use the internet outside of a wi-fi range you'll need a mobile internet, right? There seems to be two types of tablets, those with 3g and those without. What is 3g, and do I need 3g to be able to use a mobile internet service? Also, what can this cost?
2. Is it easy to download apps? Can it be done directly from the tablet, and how long does it take?
3. I know flash works on the newer android OSes, but does Java work?
4. Is it possible to upgrade the OS on an older tablet to a newer/the latest OS? If so, is it free?
5. Is it possible to connect a computer mouse to a tablet if you want to?
6. Do you need an anti virus program on the tablet?

Thank you for any help.

 

[probbiethe1]

Welcome to the forum and I think you will love Android when you get one. to answer your questions

1. Your right every tablet has wifi but there are also 3g and 4g tablets. If you want to use the internet on your tablet when your not around wifi you will need one of the 3g or 4g devices and the prices can vary from like 20 dollars a month up to 80 dollars a month depending on how much data you want to use.
2. It is super easy to download apps to your tablet, Google has the Android market which has over 400,000 apps and rising. there are also other app stores that work like the amazon app store, get jar store and a grip of smaller app stores all for Android devices
3. No java wont work on Android, as in going to a website that requires java that wont work
4. Depending on the tablet you can upgrade it to the newest os but most devices get dropped from the update path after the second os update so I recommend buying a tablet that has a large dev community behind it because then you are almost guaranteed they will come out with a custom rom for the newest updates. Yes updating is free.
5. If you buy a tablet that supports either usb hosting then yes a usb mouse will work or you could get one that allows bluetooth mouse and that will work too.
6. You dont need one, I dont run one on my device but a lot of people do because it makes them feel safe

I hope that helps

 

[Joar]

Ok, thank you. Then I wonder, is it possible to upgrade a 3g tablet to a 4g one, by changing a card or something? Or is it builth into the tablet? And is it possible for a tablet developer to garantee that his/her tablet will be able to do x number of OS upgrades, or does that depend on how the new OS is designed? Also, say that a new type of super battery is developed in the next 6 months, would it be possible to change the tablet's battery?