I still don't see the need for tablets

censuspro

I was considering buying an android tablet recently and after giving it some thought and using a friends ipad (briefly), I just put it down and thought I can do the same thing on my phone. Even more so now that the next generation phones are coming out, why would I buy a tablet when I can get a HTC sensation Or Samsung II? What can I do on a tablet that I can't do on my phone? I understand the larger screen and different versions of Android but for the mainstream user why would I need a tablet? Can people really justify the spend because they want to read books with their tablet. I also can't see how they could be practical for heavy work/office use as a net book would an more obvious choice IMO.

Dale Parish

It's going to take another 5 or 6 years of development of these before we can see any real use IMO.
Someone else needs to write the operating system for these new tablets, Microsoft & Apple arn't really innovation as much as they used to IMO.

jimmycrackcorm

Try reading a PDF on a phone. For general web browsing a tablet will still be better and if you are going to use a virtual keybvoard then the tablet size makes it easier.

Nevermind_

Dale Parish wrote: »

It's going to take another 5 or 6 years of development of these before we can see any real use IMO.
Someone else needs to write the operating system for these new tablets, Microsoft & Apple arn't really innovation as much as they used to IMO.

Er... am.. ever heard of android OS, its google software not MS or Apple

Nevermind_

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Try reading a PDF on a phone. For general web browsing a tablet will still be better and if you are going to use a virtual keybvoard then the tablet size makes it easier.

+1 on the pdf issue, i find myself turning the phone sideways to try and read it on the sgs.

Blazer

I see a huge need for tablets..especially in the business world.
I work in IT and I'm currently in Poland this week.
First off the tablet has kept me going in the airport and on the plane with movies & books to watch. It's fantastic for those alone.
However I see a huge need for them in business...I often have to travel to the floor to check on various issues and dragging my laptop along is a no-no ..it's only a 15" one but still too awkward...
I'd love for my tablet to be given access to the company infrastructure so I could use that instead. It's light, easy to carry around and can easily do the job of my laptop..
I also use my tablet to connect to my NAS and kick off downloads, clear tasks and backup files if needed onto it.
Originally I slated the ipad when it came out..saying it wasn't needed and only a gimmick..after a few trips abroad with work I saw the need and took the plunge to buy the ipad...now on the xoom and very happy with it

mickoneill30

I don't need a tablet either, just like I never really needed a laptop at home.
I've a Desire HD and a Xoom.

Where the Xoom beats the phone (for me) is

1: Web browsing. The phone is handy when I'm stuck but I don't browse on my PC anymore at home. Now it's all tablet.
2: Kindle - I've bought a load of books and am going through them. It's fine on the phone too but it's more comfortable on the tablet (try reading a book in a notebook format and then an A4 format for comparison).
3: PDFs - I've never been comfortable reading an A4 PDF on a computer screen. It doesn't feel right and on the phone it's a pain in the ass. On the tablet I can view A4 in one screen.
4: Watching movies / TV / training videos - I use it for all 3. The phone works fine too but if you've got a bigger screen you're going to prefer it.
5: Battery life - I charge the Xoom about every 5 days with my usage. I don't need to worry about it when going abroad for work for a couple of days.

I use the Xoom for much more but I can use the phone for those apps so if the app works just as well on the phone as on the tablet I didn't bother mentioning it. The 5 items above are only where I think the tablet is better.

You could probably add games to the list but I don't play them much on any format so they're not really relevant to me.

Then over a laptop. If I want to check a website, I can start up the Xoom, check the site and close it down in about the same amount of time as a laptop booting. I'm going on holidays in July. I'd normally bring a laptop. I'm not going to bother now. The tablet has replaced any need for a laptop on a holiday.

Most of those above are probably the same on an iPad, except for the browsing, a lot of the sites I use seem to have Flash.

censuspro

It seems that the main arguement for getting a tablet is the large screen for web browsing and pdf. Would a netbooks not be far more practical for work travel, access to infrastructure etc?

srsly78

Noone "needs" anything except air and water. Some people can have a good night out with just booze, but others need tablets.

Computery type tablets are also great yokes. I can't be arsed bringing laptop around anymore: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4436079/images/IMG_20110601_234054.jpg Note I have a cheapo Archos 101 tablet, there is no need to spend stupid amounts of money on tablets.

iamstop

Tablets will be the next generation 'DJ's tool of choice. Software and hardware in one.

mickoneill30

censuspro wrote: »

It seems that the main arguement for getting a tablet is the large screen for web browsing and pdf. Would a netbooks not be far more practical for work travel, access to infrastructure etc?

Yeah it might be. Just like when sitting at a desk in an office a PC is better than a netbook.
Its certainly cheaper anyway.

I think the point is if you get a list of your requirements you evaluate the options available to you and choose the one that fits your budget and requirement best.

PC / Laptop / Netbook / Tablet / Phone can all surf the web for example.
You can TS to a desktop using all the devices too.
My tablet has replaced my laptop at home. That's fine. It wouldn't replace it in work.

If most of my time was spent with PDFs / movies and the odd time connecting to a terminal server then a bluetooth keyboard & mouse would be probably all I'd need to have a functional device. If most of my time was spent using a keybd / mouse then a netbook would probably be better.

bd250110

censuspro wrote: »

It seems that the main arguement for getting a tablet is the large screen for web browsing and pdf. Would a netbooks not be far more practical for work travel, access to infrastructure etc?

I know Mr Jobs is not loved round these parts, but when he launched the iPad he made the point that netbooks are "just cheap laptops", they have horrible keyboards, horrible screens, horrible construction and run full blown OS's on hardware that can't really cope. He claimed that the iPad (but insert tablet of choice) had to be better at web browsing, portability, media consumption. My verdict is that tablets are superior to webbooks in this instance. Most domestic users have no use for most of what their laptop/PC can do. Tablets are ideal. When travelling, doing work on the go, on the floor, etc they are ideal.

I think a better question might be...who needs a PC/Laptop.

ablelocks

pc / laptop - for real work, intensive use of office type applications, advanced games, when you're at a desk.

tablets - for the lightweight stuff, away from a desk, mobile.

i'll be getting a tablet but holding off until there's another generation - i don't necesarily need one, but would use one instead of the laptop if i'm on the go, which means the laptop becomes a desktop, and the desktop becomes a kinda hub/backup/server yokey

Cormic

I just bought a Xoom as something between my laptop and my phone.

It is instant on with a long battery life. My wife and kids love it as it does most things a phones does (except make calls) with a lovely big screen.

My wife loves it so much I rarely get to use it.

For serious work nothing beats a proper desktop with dual displays, plenty of storage and memory.

elderlemon

There's also a difference in how you work with laptops/tablets. With a laptop you always need to "prop it up" - ie it needs to sit on a table or on your knees. While this is all well and good try walking with it or even standing and navigating through a doc or a web site. Very difficult to hold with one hand and use with the other.

With a tablet its easy. Now take this to the shop floor in a factory and you'll see what I mean. I was also at the airport last week with my transformer and had to stand and it was simple with the tablet.

that said I'm not getting rid of my laptop yet. While I find tablets are great for consuming data, I don't think they are great for data input (reminder must get that keyboard for the transformer!).

my two cents.