Who doesn't have a tablet?

[MWink]

I have a Nook HD+ and I find it's good for playing pinball games. That's about it. Everything else just seems miserable compared to using an actual computer/laptop. I just can't stand using a capacitative touch screen. It's just too imprecise and uncomfortable. Not to mention the misery of using an on screen keyboard. Even trying to connect a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard was disastrous. I wonder if they could find a way to implement a laptop-like touchpad on the back of a tablet. That's the only thing I've thought of that seems like it might make a tablet more usable.

Overall, besides the portability, I just don't see the appeal of tablets. They are neat at first but once you realize how hard they are to use, the novelty wears off fast. I think I'd rather have a decent netbook but I admit I've never owned one so they could be worse than I imagine as well.

I'll also admit that I'm not a fan of today's smart phones either. They just seem like tiny cellular tablets that are easier to make calls on.

 

[vi edit]

They make great backseat baby sitters for the kids. Load up a couple disney movies and you are good to go for a couple hours on the road. I also highly prefer them for doing stuff like google maps. Pinching and zooming and dragging with my finger is so much faster and more intuitive than a mouse. They are also nice to take down on the exercise bike and netflix stuff with headphones rather than crank a tv up later at night. Games are also nice time wasters when you are on an airplane, stuck in a hotel room, ect.

They offer all day battery life, instant on, light weight and plenty of content to waste time one.

 

[bononos]

I don't have one.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Tablet is a mini screen laptop without the ability to program with it.
My phone will give me the same capability as that what I would use the tablet for.

Grandkids who do not need a laptop, it is a great tool/toy for them.

 

[Fritzo]

A tablet is the microwave of PC's. For quick stuff and web browsing, nothing beats an iPad or a Nexus 7. For more intense work, use a PC.

All you people with Kindles- those don't act like real tablets. The original Kindle fire is too slow.

 

[vi edit]

All you people with Kindles- those don't act like real tablets. The original Kindle fire is too slow.

I've got a 32 gig 7" Fire HDX in front of me. Came in today. Not a huge fan of the OS layout, but it's FAST and the screen looks great.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I got a Playbook the first time they went on sale. I was hoping it would be like the ipad where you can get lot of apps for it and stuff. Barely any apps, and the wifi antenna SUCKS. I can be standing right above my access point (which has a 500ft range) and I can start to load a youtube video then it just dies and wont transfer any data and has to be rebooted.

Eventually got a smart phone, now I don't see a need for a tablet at all so never even ended up getting a real one. All real work gets done on my PC, misc stuff like setting my thermostat or checking something real quick when away from the PC gets done on the phone.

If I traveled a lot I could see myself wanting a tablet though for movies and what not, but I spend most of my time at home and at work. Even my phone I don't use all that much. It's more a toy. If it stopped working or something I'd miss it to some extent but I would not be dead in the water. Meanwhile if my PC stops working it's the end of the world.

 

[Howard]

I do not have one. I also do not have a laptop.

 

[coldmeat]

I'd like one, if only just for a few games. I don't think I would use it for anything else.

 

[nickbits]

I got an ipad 2 as a work Xmas gift a couple years ago. I sold it last week because i didn't use it.

 

[sixone]

I tried WWF on my HP TouchPad running Android and it wouldn't work right. Crashed constantly. When I could somehow trick it to stay running, the layout was completely screwed-up as if it wasn't designed to tolerate that screen aspect (very few Android tablets are 4:3 aspect). I don't remember if I was using CM7 or CM9 at that point.

Don't spend all day waiting. Start more simultaneous games. You know you can challenge strangers, right?

It crashes about once a day. No big deal, I can live with that. I just wish it would ding when someone plays a word. I have to check it.

Too many strangers play a word, ignore it for a day, come back for another word, rinse and repeat. I want someone who's interested in playing, but the game only matches based on average score, not how many games you've played.

That said, I have three games going right now. MOAR, PLZ

 

[sixone]

Been on CM9 for a long time now.

That's what I'm using, and no problems like that.

 

[sixone]

I have a Nook HD+ and I find it's good for playing pinball games. That's about it. Everything else just seems miserable compared to using an actual computer/laptop. I just can't stand using a capacitative touch screen. It's just too imprecise and uncomfortable. Not to mention the misery of using an on screen keyboard. Even trying to connect a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard was disastrous. I wonder if they could find a way to implement a laptop-like touchpad on the back of a tablet. That's the only thing I've thought of that seems like it might make a tablet more usable.

Overall, besides the portability, I just don't see the appeal of tablets. They are neat at first but once you realize how hard they are to use, the novelty wears off fast. I think I'd rather have a decent netbook but I admit I've never owned one so they could be worse than I imagine as well.

I'll also admit that I'm not a fan of today's smart phones either. They just seem like tiny cellular tablets that are easier to make calls on.

I'm with you. I like have a few extra functions on my smartphone, but using it all day would drive me insane. It's just too small.

For neffing and emails, I need a real keyboard, not that on-screen crap.

The tablet is good for games and reading stuff I don't need to respond to, but that's all.

 

[Newbian]

Only one I have is a kindle as it's nice being able to use it on trips over multiple books.

 

[Newbian]

All you people with Kindles- those don't act like real tablets. The original Kindle fire is too slow.

Define what you think a tablet has to do.

All I care about on them is a browser and even the ebook ones have it so it's a tablet.

 

[phucheneh]

A tablet is the microwave of PC's. For quick stuff and web browsing, nothing beats an iPad or a Nexus 7. For more intense work, use a PC.

All you people with Kindles- those don't act like real tablets. The original Kindle fire is too slow.

What's a 'real' tablet? While the full Android is more functional than the Kindle or Nook OS's, they both still (hold on your seats for this statement) don't hold a candle to Windows.

I think we're all so used to hating Windows for various reasons...but when it comes down to it, there is just nothing else out there with the 'sandbox' capability that Windows has. Especially XP, and now probably just as much with Win7. People will argue 'but Android is open source.' Or the same for popular desktop Unix/Linux OS's. But they just don't have the combination of depth and compatibility (and...'tweakability'?) that most of us PC nerds have generally been spoiled with.

I'm not very familiar with Windows 8 yet, but if it can basically be Win7 with touch functionality, I would be totally satisfied with it in a tablet. Playing with an Android tablet, while neat, is still just like playing with a proprietary phone OS rather than having the power of a 'real' PC. I know there are Win8 tablets, obviously, but I don't know if/when we're going to see dirt cheap x86 tablets or Windows on ARM (or were they already doing that?).

But...yeah. I never thought I would say this...but I don't miss my laptop keyboard. Basically, we've hit the point where a bigger phone works better for mobile computing than a smaller desktop. For me, at least. All I'm lacking is a little more software freedom.

Oh, and proper input/output capabilities. I.e. freakin' USB ports that aren't just for hooking up to a PC as a client. Maybe proper charging receptacles, while we're at it. Seems like there's still a decent niche of a market between tablet and laptop, but maybe that's just me. I guess that's considered 'ultraportable' territory.

 

[vi edit]

Oh, and proper input/output capabilities. I.e. freakin' USB ports that aren't just for hooking up to a PC as a client. Maybe proper charging receptacles, while we're at it. Seems like there's still a decent niche of a market between tablet and laptop, but maybe that's just me. I guess that's considered 'ultraportable' territory.

Check out the new Dell Venue 11 Pro's. The $500 version with that "bay trail" Intel chip and 64 gig SSD looks like a very interesting option in that entry level iPad range. 4x the storage as an iPad, full windows access, and Microsoft office. Hmmm....

 

[Raduque]

I've got a TF101. It's crap, but with a 4.3 rom it's actually replaced my laptop for the past couple weeks.

Been thinking about trying a BT keyboard with it.

 

[WilliamM2]

I guess you meant "iPad mini." I'm not kidding when I say it's the greatest gadget I've ever owned...and I'm a gadget guy.

Yes, that's what I meant. I've used friends iPad's and mini's. Nothing but a toy to me. And the screens are just so small they begin to annoy me in a matter of minutes.

But I don't feel the need to be "connected" when I'm not at home, In fact, I prefer not to be.

 

[Fritzo]

I've got a 32 gig 7" Fire HDX in front of me. Came in today. Not a huge fan of the OS layout, but it's FAST and the screen looks great.

The new ones are fine, but the original Fire is dog slow. People base their opinions of tablets on those, and it's wrong.

 

[Fritzo]

What's a 'real' tablet? While the full Android is more functional than the Kindle or Nook OS's, they both still (hold on your seats for this statement) don't hold a candle to Windows.

I think we're all so used to hating Windows for various reasons...but when it comes down to it, there is just nothing else out there with the 'sandbox' capability that Windows has. Especially XP, and now probably just as much with Win7. People will argue 'but Android is open source.' Or the same for popular desktop Unix/Linux OS's. But they just don't have the combination of depth and compatibility (and...'tweakability'?) that most of us PC nerds have generally been spoiled with.

I'm not very familiar with Windows 8 yet, but if it can basically be Win7 with touch functionality, I would be totally satisfied with it in a tablet. Playing with an Android tablet, while neat, is still just like playing with a proprietary phone OS rather than having the power of a 'real' PC. I know there are Win8 tablets, obviously, but I don't know if/when we're going to see dirt cheap x86 tablets or Windows on ARM (or were they already doing that?).

But...yeah. I never thought I would say this...but I don't miss my laptop keyboard. Basically, we've hit the point where a bigger phone works better for mobile computing than a smaller desktop. For me, at least. All I'm lacking is a little more software freedom.

Oh, and proper input/output capabilities. I.e. freakin' USB ports that aren't just for hooking up to a PC as a client. Maybe proper charging receptacles, while we're at it. Seems like there's still a decent niche of a market between tablet and laptop, but maybe that's just me. I guess that's considered 'ultraportable' territory.

95% of people use a computer for the web browser these days. A tablet is a web consumption device specifically designed for the web. Tablets are specialized tools for our most common tasks on the Internet. A lot of my client's sales forces are being issued iPads instead of laptops for mobile sales transactions, and it's turning out to be very successful.

 

[Howard]

95% of people use a computer for the web browser these days.[citation needed]

hmm

 

[Fingolfin269]

I bought a Nexus 7 for business travel. It's so much nicer to haul around in lieu of a second (personal) laptop.

 

[Drako]

I have a Kindle Fire, the only real tablet.

 

[BUTCH1]

I told you this whole stupid mobile computing trend would DIE. People thought desktops were dead so they SCREWED up EBAY, YOUTUBE, ETC, ETC, to make them icon-centric, big touchbutton, 3rd grade garbage!

Well guess what baby, desk tops WILL NEVER DIE. I proved it by that stating the fact as early as 2010 that when laptops first emerged en mass on the consumer scene back in the late 80s and early 90s THEY TOO were predicted to kill the desktop. Smartphones where supposed to kill the desktop as well.

Get this through your thick skulls - DESKTOPS ARE HERE FOREVER! Please undo all the damage you did to the internet (especially Youtube) in favor of the folly of a dominate mobile computing based internet.

Mobile computing gets its own environment such as mobile.youtube.com, mobile.ebay.com, etc., and thats it!

And stay off my lawn!

I don't think anyone here thinks the desktop will die and I hope it never does but let's face it, is there a better thing to drag into a Dr.'s appointment or the crapper than a tablet?, no. Factor in the small form factor they work well for staying in touch while on a trip, bigger screen than a phone, easier to use email than a phone..