Tesco Hudl - internet access?

[TheFarSide]

I'm a bit dim about how tablets work and what you can do with them.

A very poor person I know is getting a Tesco Hudl for Xmas. He lives in a B&B with no internet access. I think he'll be able to get online if he goes to WiFi hotspots, but what about at home in the B&B? Can he buy a pay-as-you-go dongle to access the 3G network?

If he downloads games and music (or whatever) when online via WiFi, can he can play the games and music at home when offline?

As he hasn't got much money, what kinds of things can he download for free eg games, books, films, tv programmes/podcasts?

Sorry about stupid questions - all help appreciated (I have a university degree, you know).

Tethering from a smart phone would be the easiest option.
If he has a smartphone and all you can eat data he can ask his provider for a tethering add on (It's usually a fiver a month) and he can create a hot spot to connect to his huddle through his wireless settings..

Thanks Caruthers. Does the smart phone have to be on a contract or can you tether on payg? He hasn't got a smart phone.

You can tether on PAYG but it'd cost a fortune. Most on the go internet is quite expensive.

Something like this and this would probably work out cheapest if he doesn't have a contract phone with a decent data plan to tether to.

Also, afaik, Hudl, is linked to Google PlayStore, so there are loads of free and paid for apps. You can download Kindle App, which would give access to a lot of free classics and there's loads of books for a £1 or less.

If he goes to somewhere with free wifi (eg some libraries) and downloads things like the iPlayer app and kindle app (both free), he would then be able to download BBC content like radio and TV programmes which he could then watch or listen to at home (you can download BBC content and save it for up to 30 days). I'm not sure, but ITV and Channel 4 may offer similar. A hudl doesn't have a huge memory, but there should be enough for a good amount of TV viewing if he deletes things after watching.

With the kindle app, he could download free books - there are loads of free classics, and lots of mass-market fiction for free (not always the best quality - a lot of it is self-published, but there are some readable things). If he asks at the library, some areas also have a system to lend e-books.

There are thousands of free games you can download, and you don't usually need internet access to play them.

Thanks everyone for your advice - much appreciated.