pad devices?

[Fatbloke-Dim]

Possibly on here someplace, but.........

what is the cheapest tab gadget that I can run some app to point at the sky and have it tell me what I'm looking at? Bear in mid...! -I am anti-gadget (mostly),2..Anti-apple  ( 4/500 £ for a 'phone ? That can't always work?!?!?) So - no i-devices...this is all I want it for ..3... I own many cameras , which are worlds better , so don't need any more..4..don't want any interweb/music...no nuthin' Just want to use it as a personal planetrium thing to learn my way around . I have a planisphere , but they don't go too well in the dark , unfortuanetly . To use one o' these , does it needgps , accellerometers and all the other bells and whistles, otherwise known as cost-bumper-upperers . And lastly......I'm cheap . So cheap you would'nt believe .......!!

[Steve Ward]

I'd be inclined to download "Stellarium" onto your laptop , OK you can't actually point it at the sky but it's an exceptionally good way of finding out what's where.

http://www.stellarium.org/

[DaveHKent]

If you are ok with a small screen, most phone companies offer an entry level smart phone free with a contract. There are a couple of android apps that will do what you want.

If you go larger with a tablet, I find with the bigger screen you can see less of the sky, so you are never quite sure exactly what you are pointing at. For cheapness, if you are a Tesco customer, the HUDL is effectively free with £60 of clubcard vouchers. I got one for media streaming and find sometime the screen decides to zoom rather than scroll, or goes hypersensitive to touches - so it can be very annoying to use.

Personally I find the best thing is to use a small laptop and use stellarium. You have to look down and compare to the sky, but I have found I have learnt my way around better that way.

[stevend]

Google Sky is free for Android phones and you can zoom the screen in and out with your fingers.

[Fatbloke-Dim]

Right then.....

so today I went and bought meself a cheap-ish Android tab ,for what it's worth , there's 2 cameras ,takes 2 sim a "No-Namo" Chinese thing , and appears to do what I need it to ,so.....sorted , job done , and thanx for the input  I thonl I've gleaned enough to have steered myself to a fair conclusion with the advice given , and what I've picked up around SGL.  Now.......how do we get shot of this wet weather? Interesting and violent storm with big hail and tight rotation it is currently ,interesting  ,but no good for obs . BAH !

Thank y'all.

[Tinker1947]

Any Android tablet that has a Google licence so you can download from the Play Store, not all cheap Tablets have the licence, then go for Google Skymap...its free...now that is cheap....