Luckygardner--Threadwords was free. Try searching Amazon for free games (I know last Dec, I just found it searching through the free books). Alisande? Have you tried any of the free books? There are a gazillion classics--which I mean to read, but haven't gotten around to yet. But a lot of the free books by unfamiliar authors are actually VERY good. If you like mysteries with lots of twists and turns--try the Paul Pilkington book--it's almost always near the top of the free list, can't recall the title. A lot the other free books I've read (and it's been many dozen by now) are surprisingly well written--and there are every kind of book from mystery to romance to comedy to biography to other non-fiction, cookbooks, sample chapters--I literally have bought only about 5 e-books since getting mine. Yes, there have been a couple of clunkers, but a very very small percentage. I'd highly recommend giving a few of the free books a try. Read the reader reviews--I've found they're a pretty reliable source of info.

For crosswords, I use the Shortyz Crosswords app (free at Google Play) and lock the screen into Portrait (open the app, tap settings [3 small stacked squares/dots at the upper right of the screen], tap SETTINGS, and then tap ORIENTATION LOCK. Tap PORTRAIT.) You will need to do this only once. All future Shortyz crosswords will be oriented in Portrait mode. As you noted, in Landscape mode there's not much space left to actually display the crossword when the keyboard is also displayed. I'd be unhappy if I had to work in this mode. Despite the fact that I don't have long, slender "piano" fingers, I don't use a stylus. I find I can tap the keyboard letter I want with only the occasional miss. With Shortyz, the daily crosswords available are: NY Times, Washington Post, Newsday, Joseph, Los Angels Times, Sheffer, Thinks.com, Universal, and USA Today. Shortyz also offers 13 other sources for weekly crosswords. You can choose which of these (or all) you wish to download, and the date to be downloaded. You also have the option to automatically download the puzzles you have selected when you go online (only the puzzles with that day's date will DL). I especially like that below the clue, you see the spaces for the answer. If any of the spaces are filled in (because of an answer to the clue going in the opposite direction) that letter(s) is shown. I find this really helpful for the vertical answers as it makes it easier to visualize a word forming. It may be that most online crossword puzzles do this. Frequently I don't even look at the crossword display but rather this layout below the clue. I definitely do not find it frustrating to do crosswords on the tablet. In fact, I prefer it. No holes in the paper from too many erasures and it's easy to hold the 7" in one hand and "answer" with the other. Plus I can put in "maybe" letters in hopes that I have an "aha" moment and the answer comes to me. I haven't had any glitches regarding how the crosswords display. If something happened to my tablet today (assuming it didn't spontaneously combust, etc.) I'd curse myself for being so clumsy, etc. and rush out and buy the exact same one again. This isn't related to crosswords, but in my earlier post I mentioned I had just DL a GPS app. Earlier this week I had a chance to try it out and I'm amazed at how well it worked (Navfree: Free GPS Navigation) and definitely recommend it. After having DL the map of my state earlier and saving it, the tablet "found" us on the road and a voice (surprise!) even advised when we needed to "turn left in 100 yards", etc. I've since DL the maps of a few adjoining states for a forthcoming trip. Good luck in your research, Pammyfay.

I can't stand to not be busy! Sitting is something I only do in the evening when I watch tv with oldest DD who lives w/me, and the occasional breaks taken on this darn tablet, like now. lol I have a space in an antique mall which is a lot like having an actual job. I paint vintage furniture and sell items which have a French 'vibe', which makes my space a totally feminine 'shop', with lots of 'pretties'. Every other week I visit youngest dd/dh, and my 2 grands, 9 and 5. GD is 5, and it's all about princesses, castles, barbies, and all the teeny tiny paraphernalia that goes along with it! She also loves watching youtube videos about 'the lives of Barbie and Ken' narrated by a young woman named Sandra~they remind me of infomercials. Say Yes to the Dress is another favorite, but when she visits me, loves to go thru my vintage 'things' or play dress up, wearing my glittery heels. lol Although she's a girlie-girl, she has moments where she can be a total.tomboy. GS will play on his xbox, and is trying to teach me~i'm just not quick enough with the remote 'thingie'. If I can get him away from the technology, he loves games, and legos where he'll sit for hours building a 'village' or shopping mall. I like to add my own silly details and he always says, "grandma, that doesn't go like that". I tell him I'm thinking outside the box. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, even if it's someplace not too faraway. This weekend we(youngest DD/DH, my youngest son, oldest DD, and son-in-law's mom, and myself)are going to Fredricksburg, Tx(about an hour and a half away)for the weekend. It's youngest DD birthday, and she wanted to get away and has a nanny who comes to stay w/the kids. So it's wine, food, and fun...and great shopping!! Sometimes I feel there aren't enough hours in the day for me. ;)

I second Raven regarding using a tablet for e-reading. The tablet I use for reading is an ASUS Transformer and it is extremely light. I cannot find any documentation as to how much it weighs, but am convinced it weighs no more than a few ounces, not even close to 17 ounces. Another advantage to having reading aps on the tablet (including one for downloading books from the library), is that you also download other "entertainment aps" for your tablet. On mine, for entertainment purposes, I have three reading aps (including Kindle), Sudoku, several word games, crosswords which I download daily (Shortyz Crosswords is the ap which downloads crosswords from a number of daily newspapers), a solitaire game, etc. Yes, my entertainments are very old fashioned. In addition, have The Weather Chanel ap, Fitbit ap, a daily Bible reading ap - really there seem to be no limitations as to the aps that can be downloaded to Android tablets. My hands have never gotten tired with holding it, and I too have arthritis in my hands. That tablet has truly changed my life for the better. Personally, I will never have an e-reader that is only for the function of reading. Don't limit yourself. I will stop the ramble now.