Technology for while on the road

One of the better apps, TransFlo+, is marked as 'phone only' by the idiots that made it, so you can't normally use it on a tablet.

Just a heads up.

Edit: as per your specific criteria, a laptop + cellphone tether should be A+.

 

I think a well built laptop with DVD is your best overall investment but a good cellular data plan (as much as you can afford) is also handy along with a camera smart-phone that can tether and share data.

The USB tuners to run TV through your laptop have mixed reviews and generally not too good back in the analog days but digital TV, they may be better, I don't know. Otherwise, a small TV that runs on DC will come in handy when your near larger metro area with good channel availability.

 

Laptop and tether work great,I use ATT and have a Toshiba for the road, just remember that any video sucks up alot of GB. I also use a Brothers DSmobile 620 scanner for ppwrk. Great if you use transflo or something like it.

 

Laptop for sure, tablets are limited in ventilation, capabilities for external parts like keyboard, mouse, printer , webcams etc... I depend on my laptop for paperwork, email etc... All the apps you listed are almost exactly what I use too with bluetooth or a headphack to my radio for music etc...

 

I have a Sirius satellite radio subscription that I use a lot. I also use a couple of phone apps with a patch cord from my phone's headphone jack to the truck stereo's AUX input. I'm a fan of my home town sports teams and when they're on the road I use the Sirius smartphone app to listen to my teams announcers. (The satellite radio usually only carries the home team's announcers but the app carries both teams announcers) I use the TuneIn Radio app to listen to my favorite home town radio station. The truck stereo also has a USB flash drive input and I keep a ton of music on there as well.

My Android phone has a custom ROM that allows me to tether my tablet and laptop, and I have an ATT family data plan that is big enough that I don't have to worry about it.

As far as TV goes, I bought a Road Pro antenna that fits over the passenger window and it works as well as can be expected. Not great, and at the truck stop a passing truck will temporarily knock out your signal but I mainly use TV as something to fall asleep to.

 

For me

Sirius radio
10" Samsung Tablet very handy to take into truck stop, not as bulky as laptop
15" Dell Laptop loaded with TV shows I download when home, watch when I cant get any TV reception
20gb plan on Verizon Jetpack use mostly for reading on the internet and occasionally logging into Dish DVR at home via dish app and watching some ESPN
19" cheap TV from Walmart fixed to swing arm mount watch while in bed if I can pick up any local antenna TV stations

 

You can use text msgs to email pics

 

You've got this tech #### down pat!

 

If I had to do it all again, I'd get a MS Surface Pro 3, with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse in addition to the one microsoft sells (Logitech makes a near-full size keyboard with a trackpad built in) - hook the surface pro to my TV and use the keyboard/mouse if i needed to, or just use it as a tablet.