Why a Tablet?

[BruceinFL]

Ok, I have a desktop at home. Also have a 15" and a 10" laptop with wifi & camera for travel plus a Nook for reading. Wife also has a 10" laptop. Now why would I want a tablet? What would it do that my other stuff does not? Is a tablet just another "craze" or "status symbol"?

 

[Tom]

We sure don't see our tablets as status symbols, but both Chris and I have used our PCs far less since owning them (Chris has an iPad and I have a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet). I use mine predominantly for consumption/reading, although I also type/send using either the on-screen keyboard or a bluetooth keyboard. Chris hasn't used her PC since she got the iPad, and uses it quite a bit for communicating with clients, family, and friends.

We especially find the tablets more convenient to show pictures and other stuff to clients.

 

[Conquest aka Robert]

Both of my older kids have them. They are all right LOT of hype in my opion. You have the bases covered with what you have. If you didn't then sure it could serve a purpose.

 

[Ned]

We have 2 tablets, mine is a Nexus 7 and Lorna's is an iPad.  Both get much more use than either her laptop or my netbook.  In fact, I haven't turned the netbook on since I got the tablet.  Tablets are much easier to carry around than a netbook or notebook computer and are ideal for information consumption applications, like email, web browsing, games, etc.  With the addition of a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, they can replace most uses of a notebook or even a desktop computer as well.

Definitely not a "craze" and with prices as low as they are (other than the iPads), certainly not a "status symbol".

 

[docj]

We own two Dell laptops. an iPad, a Nexus tablet, two Sony eReaders and two Samsung Android phones.  I'm a techie, but my DW is a fairly basic user so we include both ends of the user spectrum.  She knows how to use her iPad for email and Facebook and she has a Bluetooth keyboard for it, but most of the time I see her using her Dell.  The iPad gets used primarily when she wants to play games, both by herself, and Words with Friends with me, for which I will use my Nexus (across the coach from her!)

I have to admit that I hardly use my Nexus for much more than Words with Friends.  When I want to do serious computer (Photoshopping, for example), my Core i7 Dell with 8 GB of RAM.  is hard to beat.  I find that the apps on the Nexus are just "cut-down" versions of the things I can do with the computer, so why bother using them and running into their limitations.

As for reading, and we both read a lot, nothing beats an eReader with e-Ink.  That's the crisp black and white technology that makes it possible to use the reader in the brightest sunlight you can find.  In fact, the brighter the better.  Neither the tablets nor our phones with OLED displays can come anywhere close to the performance of the eReaders in bright sunlight.

 

[Tom]

... and we don't have to wait while Windows boots up  ;D

I really like the portability of the tablets. They're WiFi only but, in addition to having a wireless router hooked to cable here at home, I have a VZW JetPack mobile hotspot that I carry in my pocket when I'm out and about, or in the coach, or on the boat.

We also both have Nook 7" tablets used primarily as e-readers, although they have WiFi and browser capability.

Chris also uses here iPhone quite a bit, but I find my Galaxy S-III too awkward. OK in a pinch.

Things have sure changed since the days my briefcase went in my "portable" computer bag. I subsequently went through all the generations of luggable, portable, laptop, notebook, and netbook over the years. Long before the convenience of what we call the internet, I used to have to hack from network to network, and carried a kit of tools and wires that wouldn't get past today's airport security.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Do you need one? Of course not. But if you like your 10"  laptops, you might find the tablet even more convenient. Not just the form factor, but the software (apps) that are geared to its use. Afterall, you can read books on your laptops too, but you opted for a Nook because it is better suited for it.  I still do 80% of my computing on a desktop (coach and house both have permanent systems) but haven't used my laptop since we got the first tablet. My wife does 90% of her computing on the tablets, with the main exception a couple games that are Windows based and not on the tablets.

There is lots of RVing stuff (navigation, campgrounds,  next exit type info, etc), bank and credit card access, a myriad of tools & utilities, and on and on. I can't tell from here whether you would love or hate the app software for the tablet, but you probably can't either unless you try. You can pick up a 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab quite reasonable and its a very capable device (we have a 7" Galaxy and a 10" Moto Xoom in addition to our Nook). And you should have no trouble selling it if you decide its not for you.

 

[Ned]

Check with your local library for loaners.  Our  library is setting up some Kindles, including Kindle Fire HD tablets, for loan to people wanting to try the tablet and/or ereader experience.

 

[John From Detroit]

I find some programs/applications seem to run better on the tablet or smart phone (both androids in my case) than on the Poor Computer (PC) and on occasion I really need the "Realestate" for example there is one Internet TV show (http://twit.tv/hn) that I watch either (depending on many things) live or Memorex. (Digital download) (joke from last episide), and if I'm watching Live then I grab the Tablet (Bigger screen than the smart phone) and use the computer in the live IRC room which is part of the slightly interactive program.    And yes, things I've typed were repeated "on camera'.

I actually prefer the tablets for watching Video,  MX player is fantastic,  My daughter put together a Quick-Time, computer won't touch it, MX-Player. No problem.

So there are uses for a tablet.. .I might add the Tablet I have was less than 100 dollars.

It's also smaller, more portable and has quite a few features the PC lacks.. One thing it does not have (Smart phone has) is built in GPS.

Oh, one app that runs on all of 'em is KINDLE.    I usually read on the phone But the tablet is easy to use too and slightly larger print.. Wife fell in love with the tablet.. (She was a computer phobe, wanted absolutly nothing to do with computers, Sold her on the E-book reader, forget to tell her it's a computer)

How hard was it to learn to use it.... The cad figured it out (I'm not kidding, he swished his tail and turned the page on her).

 

[Tom]

Aye, those apps add a lot of utility to a tablet, and would be tough &/or expensive to duplicate on a netbook.

I occasionally use the tablet to snap pictures, not giving a second thought to the camera on my cell phone. That wouldn't be so easy with my netbook.

I also use the tablet to scan and email documents on the run. Far more convenient than using the scanner on an any of my computers.

We use Chris' iPad to Facetime with grandkids. I suppose we could use Skype on the netbook, but not as convenient, especially when, for example, the grandkids ask about the puppies; Chris just walks her iPad over to the whelping bin and puppy run.

Almost forgot to mention that I use the tablet to monitor this forum while in bed; I don't need to stay up so late or get up so early.

 

[Ned]

I take my Nexus places I would never take a netbook, like doctors' offices, coffee shops, the library, Sams Club, etc.  Like Tom, I keep up on the forum while out and about and find it's not inconvenient to write replies on it using the Swype keyboard.

 

[raytronx]

Couple reasons I like the tablet, almost instant start up time and close to 10 hours battery life and I can relax on the couch with it. We still have a big laptop and IMac but the Ipad gets a ton of use, especially while in route.

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

If all you have is a pair of pliers, you will end up using them for a hammer and a screwdriver, too. Like a well equipped toolbox, the variety of today's electronic devices allow each of us to personalize our data consumption experience.

The financial investment and the personal education investment are the two things that slow down most people from taking on new technology.

Many are on the bleeding edge, some are content to let the early adopters suffer the new product bugs, and some come late to the party when the costs are more comfortable. It's a very personal choice, and much like our attraction to different types of RV's, one size does not fit all, and you are not wrong because you do it a different way.

Software has no intrinsic value until it solves a problem you want or need to have solved. Once you find that sweet spot, though, then you get swept away. Just enjoy the ride!

 

[tnthub]

Tablets to me are a lite version of a pc.  They are small and convenient for stuff like email, web surfing, and Netflix.  However typing on a flat screen is a different experience, especially for spreadsheet data entry or word processing, and the tablets with optional keyboards really do not cut it, especially without a number pad...

My wife bought a new laptop yesterday instead of a tablet because she wanted the power (i7), storage (750G hybrid drive), and easy backup (I added a second HDD for internal backup), and the screen size (17").  Plus she can use a wired connection as well as wireless (wired is generally more secure, especially if you are not overly computer literate).  Windows 8 has apps similar to those in the Windows Phone or Windows tablets and since she has a Nokia 822 with 32G of storage the learning curve migrating ti Windows 8 isn't that tough.

Because I am a MS Partner I can upgrade to Win 8 Pro and MS Office 2013 for no $$.

The big difference (in my opinion), is the form factor of the tablets. The Mini iPad (for example), is an extremely convenient size for traveling, light reading, watching movies or videos, and checking email, plus there are a huge amount of apps available for the platform.  But I have found the Nokia 822 I use for taking videos and pictures because the storage can be expanded up to 64G and the phone is easier to carry around.

The bottom line is it depends on how you will use the device, what the convenience represents (in terms of cost and ease of use), and whether or not the device represents a value to is complimentary to your lifestyle.

Whatever you do, make sure the device is backed up and has anti-virus and anti-malware protection, as many threats are now java based and that can affect many different types of devices.

 

[Larry N.]

I have a Dell laptop running Win XP (obviously not new), but since I got a tablet I use the laptop only occasionally (no change in desktop use -- still a lot). The tablet is very convenient for carrying onto the back patio for weather/browsing/etc., and in the evening we often go to our basement home theater to watch some country music shows (as well as other things), prompting us to use the tablet to look up performers we're not familiar with (or other uses, too), something we never did with the laptop.

Thanks to Tom S., I just got a bird ID application for the tablet, which we expect to use in the field (laptop wouldn't work), and there are some other applications that either aren't practical for (our use, anyway) or aren't available for laptops -- Skymap, for instance, lets us hold the tablet against the sky to identify or find stars/planets/constellations more easily.

On the other hand, if you don't have any such needs (or other needs, as indicated by other posts above), then perhaps your existing setup is just fine. If you think they'd just gather dust, then forget about them, although I admit that some of our uses weren't evident to me before getting one.

Looks as if the various posts here have given a fair indication of people's opinions and the varying uses to which people put them.

 

[Tom]

If you think they'd just gather dust, then forget about them

Good advice, although ....

... some of our uses weren't evident to me before getting one.

Reminds me of standing at a wireless booth in a Costco store several years ago. The salesperson couldn't understand why anyone would want an iPhone (which they didn't sell). I mentioned the availability of apps, and got a deer-in-the-headlights reaction. I bought a dumb phone (still have it), and also bought an iPod Touch in the store. The iPod got a lot of use, and is still used, but the other devices have taken over.

Four years later, when I started shopping for an Android phone, the same salesperson didn't stop talking about "apps". While she served another customer, I told the story to her colleague. We both smiled and agreed she must have got educated (on smartphones) in the meantime.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

In total, I have three desktops, three portables, and one tablet. As I type this I'm sitting in my recliner using the tablet and looking at one of the portables on the desk about eight feet away (it's on and ready to record Tara's sugar levels in the spreadsheet I use to track them).  Different tools for different purposes! The tablet's advantage in weight is a primary reason for this situation.

Ernie

 

[dave61]

Most of the people I know (and those who replied here) who have a tablet report that they use there "other" computer much less than before. They are so darn convenient it is a little hard to believe they did not exist a few years ago.

 

[99WinAdventurer37G]

What I do on my laptop the most is receive documents as .pdf, sign them and return them.  Occasionally someone will send me a text document that I need to print out, sign, then return.  I was thinking about an Ipad, but a friend of mine said he couldn't get his to print out on his HP e-printer.  I brought him one of my, USB printer cables, and he said it wouldn't fit, no USB connection on an I-pad.

Do you have to get a special printer to get a hard copy?  Will it even work with a non-apple printer? 

If I could figure that out, a tablet would be useful.  Especially the fast start up time.  But my laptops have 17" screens, I'd get a 20" if one was available.  My Razr screen only works for me when I enlarge the text, the doctor said that has something to do with age 

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Ned, the first time I took my netbook to Denny's to use over a grand slam - I was the only person in that crowded restaurant with such a device. And though not self conscious about it, it was a bit distracting to be stared at so much.

Anyway, last week while having breakfast at a waiting room only McDonald's in Bullhead City, AZ - couldn't help but notice that other than a fellow at one of those stand up tables, every table or booth was occupied by someone with either a tablet, netbook, or laptop. Times have changed. I also noticed the array of tablet covers. The pink ones some ladies had - or those with keyboards built in. The laptops outnumbered the tablets 2 to 1, and the tablets out numbered the netbooks about the same.

Haven't decided what will work for me as to a need for a tablet. Though I still have a fairly powerful netbook, I don't want to be out and about anymore without my laptop. It is set up to mirror my office desktop including remote desktop. With all the free Wi-Fi available now I find that after breakfast, for example, I may want to spend a few hours programming, photo editing, upgrading SW, or whatever over that second cup of coffee.

I do plan to sell my netbook because I am now rarely without my laptop - and may get a tablet of some kind, but not sure. When I don't have the laptop, my Samsung Charge allows me to do all the email checks and such. Also, when at my rig, I plug the charge into either my main or bedroom HD TV via HDMI cable - which is much better than any tablet screen. And finally, I would have to have a remote keyboard. I touch type at 85wpm and hate virtual keyboards regardless of how they have been improved.

Another decision I would be faced with is Windows 8. I installed it on my laptop - mainly because all of my clients buying new machines have that OS. MS is really going after Google and Apple with 8. And I can see how having all of my machines on 8 would be nice in the cloud world now. Am not considering that, but can see what MS is up to here. At SAM's last week it was interesting looking at the Samsung tablets with one machine having 8 and the next with looking very Droidish. Some may hate Win8, but MS sure is getting a big foot in the door for one OS for everything from smartphones to major comptuer sytems.

Actually, though taking some patience for sure, Win8 is not that bad - after I figured out to get along without a Start Button.