Blogging: tablet or iPhone

[biloute]

I plan to get my old iPhone 4 unlocked and get a SIM card for it in Le Puy. If I take an Apple keyboard as well (which I'll probably do even for a tablet), would this be sufficient to connect to wifi somewhere and blog from my phone? Or would taking my iPad be a better option? I'm assuming data would be really expensive, even if I could get it for a prepaid phone card.

 

[Bajaracer]

Actually prepaid data is inexpensive in Spain, €15 for 1GB for a month.

 

[biloute]

What about in France?

 

[Bajaracer]

http://www.tuenti.com/movil for Spain, this is the cheapest.

 

[grayland]

Wifi is readily available in bars and gites most of the time. data is nice but wifi is free.

Wifi is pronounced "wee fee" in France and Spain. Asking for the English sound will get you a blank stare and a shake of the head.

 

[Bajaracer]

http://mobile.orange.fr/visiteur/PV?PS=HPACMEWIFI Since you are fluent in French, navigate through this site and use their SIM while in France, then switch to the Spanish SIM when you cross into Spain.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I plan to get my old iPhone 4 unlocked and get a SIM card for it in Le Puy. If I take an Apple keyboard as well (which I'll probably do even for a tablet), would this be sufficient to connect to wifi somewhere and blog from my phone? Or would taking my iPad be a better option? I'm assuming data would be really expensive, even if I could get it for a prepaid phone card.

I take an unlocked iPhone and use Blogger's app.
No problems.

 

[t2andreo]

I suggest you first weigh (literally) your two optional approaches. Weigh the iPhone and charter, adapter plug with the keyboard. Then weigh the iPad with charger. Take whichever is lighter. Also, consider which solution is easier to keep dry and protected from impact.

Personally, I always bring an iPod Touch v5. I use a separate mobile phone. But, one small Apple charger serves both.

I also found a unique power cord with three male plugs on the end opposite the USB plug that goes into the tiny Apple charger. The power head has a 30-pin Apple plug (I use a 30 to Lightning adapter), a micro USB and a mini-USB plug. So, I use one cable and one adapter for both devices.

Wi-Fi is available for free almost everywhere. If it is not at the albergue you are staying in, there will likely be a nearby cafe. Worst case, you go a couple of days without blogging. Save your document, then copy and upload it at the next opportunity, like you would with composing e-mail offline, then uploading it when you next have an internet connection.

I used Face Time to call home most nights. Only rarely did I have to default back to a voice call or a text in lieu of online connectivity. The newest version of Face Time (iOS 7.x) also support voice only over Wi-Fi.

I hope this helps.

 

[biloute]

http://mobile.orange.fr/visiteur/PV?PS=HPACMEWIFI Since you are fluent in French, navigate through this site and use their SIM while in France, then switch to the Spanish SIM when you cross into Spain.

The link didn't work, but I poked around the site a bit and the only thing I found for prepaid data was Let's Go, 50€ for just under 1GB. Not worth having at that price.

 

[Kitsambler]

...If I take an Apple keyboard as well (which I'll probably do even for a tablet), would this be sufficient to connect to wifi somewhere and blog from my phone?

For years I have been blogging from my iPhone without any supplementary keyboard. Why lug the extra weight if it's not necessary? I use the Wordpress app, since Wordpress is my blog publisher.

 

[Bajaracer]

The link didn't work, but I poked around the site a bit and the only thing I found for prepaid data was Let's Go, 50€ for just under 1GB. Not worth having at that price.

My suggestion would be to get a prepaid voice SIM for your time in France and use wifi, when you cross into Spain get the voice/data SIM.

 

[biloute]

For years I have been blogging from my iPhone without any supplementary keyboard. Why lug the extra weight if it's not necessary? I use the Wordpress app, since Wordpress is my blog publisher.

I'm using Blogger, which I believe also has an app. It's not really that blogging from my phone bothers me, it would just go MUCH faster with a keyboard, and be less of a headache. And the Apple wireless keyboard doesn't weigh much at all.

I think this might be the best option, just using wifi along the way. Does anyone know if the app works offline, and you can just update whenever you get a signal? Or would it be better to use Pages on my iPhone and then copy and paste?

 

[newfydog]

I got a refurbished non-retina ipad mini for a pretty good price. It is roughly half the weight of an ipad, and twice weight of the phone. It is big enough to be a decent e-reader and for watching movies on the plane and will be my choice for travel.

Note: An ipad with wi-fi only will have no GPS capability. Even if you are going to use no mobile service, you need an ipad with the capability to get the GPS chip.

 

[Cejanus]

I used my iPhone and simply dictated my blog using the free wifi that I found almost everywhere. Quick, efficient and easily corrected. Small, compact and so easily accessible from a pocket as you go. Buen camino.

 

[Maggie97520]

I'm using Blogger, which I believe also has an app. It's not really that blogging from my phone bothers me, it would just go MUCH faster with a keyboard, and be less of a headache. And the Apple wireless keyboard doesn't weigh much at all.

I think this might be the best option, just using wifi along the way. Does anyone know if the app works offline, and you can just update whenever you get a signal? Or would it be better to use Pages on my iPhone and then copy and paste?

The blogger app works off-line quite well. My two cents As far as the keyboard: I took an ipad mini with a Logitech keyboard cover last Fall ... As far as I'm concerned, the keyboard wasn't worth the weight. I found that on the mini, I could type almost as fast with one hand as I could type with two hands on the keyboard. The keyboard required setting up on a table, whereas I could lie down in bed and type on the the ipad mini. Anyway, I'm selling the Logitech keyboard and sticking with just the ipad mini when I return later this year. Love saving the weight.