Leicester_H Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Hi Want to get a Fitness tracker - looked at Fitbit - which look great - but they all require Windows 10 or a smart phone - I don't have either! I have a tablet running windows 8.1 and Bluetooth (which I've never had much luck with) and a powerful desktop running windows 7 (yes - I know - but it works fine ) and no bluetooth. I am happy to transfer data via a cable. Any suggestions ? TIA, H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 I think that will be very hard to find... I suggest you get a cheap second hand smartphone and just use it on wifi. You don’t need a sim card in it to work. I have a Fitbit, for years now, and still very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 I also have a Fitbit and it suits my needs well. I agree with CT that finding one that doesn't need to integrate with a Windows 10 or smartphone app is a pretty big ask nowadays given pretty much everyone wants everything to work together seamlessly so the market for stuff that doesn't is pretty niche. What I would say, though, irrespective of whether you choose to bite the bullet and get a smartphone or not is that I would strongly recommend you upgrading the operating systems on your tablet and desktop. Both Windows 7 and 8.1 are out of mainstream support and the former is out of extended support too. That means your tablet will only receive security updates if Microsoft discover a serious security flaw and your Windows 7 machine won't receive any more security updates full stop. The argument that a system is still doing what you need of it is based on your needs still being the same as when you bought the box, but the changing threat landscape changes your needs for you. You can, of course, ignore those threats but if you do then the risks you run by continuing to use the machine will increase steadily over time. On the flip side, if you do decide it's necessary to upgrade the operating system to stay safe, most of the current range of fitness trackers will suddenly become viable options again for you to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 Thanks. I don't really need to sync data with anything - so a top end pedometer that also does heart rate might be my best bet. They said Windows 7 support has ended but I got an update last week and this ! As a private pilot I have some flight SIM software with lots of add-ons. If I upgrade OS it may stop working. I did MSc in IT and worked in Uni computer centre - so reasonably aware of threats and mitigation (fingers crossed, touch wood etc !!!). Looking at the Fitbit website, the latest devices wouldn't work anyway (" Syncs with Mac OS X 12.2 and up, iPhone 5S and later, iPad 5 gen. and later, Android 7.0 and later. ") Didn't know about could use smartphone without SIM - will look into that. Thanks - just thought I'd ask before I decide - you lot always have an answer ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 If you've that much familiarity with IT you'll know all about running applications in compatibility modes. Why not take a full backup of your machine, upgrade it, see if the flight SIM and addons will run properly and then, if not, just restore from backup again? Just a thought. As for the cheap smartphone without a SIM, yes I agree that's a good shout. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
