Anyone else not impressed by tablets?

[HybridSquirrel]

I just got around to reading about the new ipad. Sure it has an amazing display, but its still a tiny display. I laughed at the thought of them saying it was going to replace tv's and computers, typing an e-mail on a touch screen is miserable and trying to have your family huddle around an ipad is even worse. Not to mention for the price (I think he said ranging up to 800), you can get a fucking huge tv with built in apps and wireless and have the same thing and be able to fit your whole family around and watch it.

I have a touch pad, and even that is miserable. The display is just too small and its too impractical for daily use even with android on it I only use it to google recipes when I cook. My girlfriend has a nook color, and that is decent I guess but only because she reads books on it and it helps cut down on bookshelf clutter. Not to mention the screens get fucking dirty from touching them.

I do see their use for merchants (being able to swipe a card without a cash register), and maybe in the medical or first responder field. But for practical consumer use it's just fuckin pointless. Especially if you say it will replace computers, which it wont.

Who here owns a tablet and actually has a good use for it other than a fancy clock on their desk? I am trying to justify keeping mine but it has yet to wow me beyond belief.

Actually, can you set it up to log car data and open source tune your car? If so, I might use it as that.

 

[sixone]

I'm impressed by the fact that it's better than my phone, but still portable. Not giving up my laptop anytime soon, tho.

I'm planning to take the tablet on vacation, to read books with. And it's great for showing off my photos.

 

[waggy]

i wouldn't mind one. I just don't see the justification for one yet.

 

[slightlyhuman]

since i traded my rig for a laptop i don't even see the point. sure i hate the 17" screen sometimes but love the 260m and quad core with 12mb cache in it

laptops with power>tablets

 

[Anubis]

you are not alone

 

[Mike Gayner]

Tablets are great. People shouldn't oversell them by saying they'll replace TV's and computers, but they're really great devices in their own right. I use mine every day - not for anything productive or particularly useful, but just for web browsing, reading (Kindle app), calories tracking etc.

I don't have a laptop, so my iPad is a great addition to my desktop PC for basic mobile computing.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Not to mention the screens get fucking dirty from touching them.

You should try washing your hands from time to time.

 

[Kreon]

I use mine as an on the go computer. My next computer will be a desktop, and my tablet easily fulfills the portable uses of my laptop: watching movies on the go, quick email checking/maybe short response, written notes in classes/meetings, things like that. I also bought a case with a small keyboard in it so I can use it like a netbook. I have a G-Tab running Flashback for reference.

As far as replacing TV: bahahaha. No, I will never trade a 16" screen (since that is where tablets will end up eventually) for my 48"+ screen. Nor will it ever replace my computer, which has a real keyboard, a mouse, and a screen large enough to have multiple windows open.

Oh, and as far as using them in industry. A company I worked for was testing using iPads for field inspections. That worked kind of until the batteries died halfway through the shift. And writing on paper is a lot easier than typing or drawing into a tablet. I can see how eventually that will get better, but as of now, not feasible.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

You should try washing your hands from time to time.

i do, shit still gets dirty. why would I wash my hands before using a piece of electronics? I haven't done that since elementary school. It also makes no sense to wash my hands before using my phone that has a full touch screen...

 

[Mike Gayner]

i do, shit still gets dirty. why would I wash my hands before using a piece of electronics? I haven't done that since elementary school. It also makes no sense to wash my hands before using my phone that has a full touch screen...

The fact that you have filthy hands tells me you don't wash your hands often enough.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

The fact that you have filthy hands tells me you don't wash your hands often enough.

does everyone who complain about finger prints on screens have filthy hands? because everyone complains about finger prints on screens.

edit: magician

 

[Crono]

I had an iPad 1 when it first came out. Got rid of it after a few months.

It wasn't bad at all, but really it was more of a distraction when trying to do any work. Mostly I just watched Netflix on it, read some books, used it for the white noise app and as an alarm clock.

If they had a convertible tablet with high resolution color E ink display I would pretty much have to get it. Backlit displays are not fun for reading long periods of time. I'm really waiting for the next form to replace tablets: scrolls. Flexible, even pocketable displays with thin but tactile keyboards.

 

[l0cke]

If someone gave one to me I would use it, but I'm not considering buying one anytime soon.

 

[jteef]

i was anti tablet until i was able to give the hp touchpad a shot. For $99 seemed a harmless investment. I travel about 1-2 weeks / month for work, and while I still bring my laptop with me, I don't think i've taken it out of the bag in 6 months because the touchpad does everything I need.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Just give it time. Think back to when laptops and PDAs first few years. Hell, at least some tablet/smartphone makers (I really have to give Apple credit here in fact) realized having a useable battery is one of the most important factors to a portable device.

I think what we'll see is the ultra-light notebooks merge with tablets more. Currently, we're kinda in between. I think what most people want is something like an Ivy Bridge/Trinity CPU/GPU ultra book with a good quality (say OLED) touchscreen, that is as light and has similar or better battery life as current tablets. With a thinner bezel, maybe up the display size to something like 13", where its still plenty portable but is better. A variety of sizes is actually I think best (maybe 7, 10, 13, 16).

Have it sync with your phone, where your phone can basically be relatively dumb (i.e. its just a display/control, so it can be more ergonomic and cheaper).

I saw an article recently about some touch tech that allows you to use whatever for input, so you can use say paint brushes, and it can tell the difference in sizes. Imagine a 40" digital canvas where you can use typical paint tools (layers for instance) and adjust color on the fly.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I think they're cool for certain purposes, but the thought that they will replace existing devices is laughable. The different devices all have different usage scenarios. I find a tablet is more a toy than a work device. It's something to fiddle around with, and also gives you more portability than a laptop. So you could check your email from the couch or something, for example. I have been working on an app to control my furnace from mine. It will basically be a glorified portable thermostat. No way would I give up my computer for any tablet though.

 

[mmntech]

I use my iPad a lot. Using it now in fact. It's perfect for couch surfing or when I'm traveling light. It doesn't always make sense to bring a laptop with me.

 

[bearxor]

Tablets won't replace a main TV, but will replace secondary screens. I've gone from having TV's in every room to one TV in the living room (100") and my wife and I use iPads for everything else. It's nice to be able to sit down at my table and have some breakfast and sit my iPad in the table in front of me and watch the news.

I switched from a desktop to a laptop full time in 2003. I've now gone from a laptop to an iPad almost full time. I'd peg it at probably 85% iPad vs 15% laptop. I can understand if it's not for everyone right now, but it will be...

 

[Atty]

After traveling the last 4 years with a Macbook Pro all around the United States and a few other countries, I would have gladly traded it for an iPad. I haven't got one yet, I've been waiting for a higher display model, but I've purchased them for family members and used them frequently and love the ability they give you.

In my life the perfect combo is a powerful desktop machine (as powerful as you need it), an iPad for couch surfing, travel, etc, and a smart phone to tie them all up in a nice bow.

 

[BoomerD]

There are some things I like about the tablets...but the size isn't one of them. I'd rather spend the money on a new laptop than on a tablet.

Unfortunately, smart phones have too small of a screen IMO, and the tablet addresses that problem, but with the issue of not being easy to carry...same as with a laptop.

 

[Fingolfin269]

After traveling the last 4 years with a Macbook Pro all around the United States and a few other countries, I would have gladly traded it for an iPad.

Exactly this right here.

 

[fatpat268]

I had a touchpad too for a while, and the thing just sucked, even with android. Poor build quality all around.

Then I got an ipad 2 a few months ago, and it's just really well built. I also found that it's a lot quicker to use my ipad to check the internet for something quickly than to bring out my laptop, wait for it to resume from sleep (even with an SSD), and hope the battery didn't die.

With my ipad, I haven't charged in almost two weeks, and I still have ~30% battery remaining. I don't use it constantly, but that's with gaming and some websurfing. Add to that, it's nearly instant on, and the battery doesn't drain much at all.

In the past, I didn't think I'd like tablets much either, but Apple did a good job in the design of the ipad. Is it a replacement for a computer though? Nah. It's a replacement for a laptop to me though, simply because my desktop is my primary PC anyway, and any laptop was used for surfing on the couch.

Edit: Also dirty screens? That's what a microfiber cloth is for. Just wipe it down from time to time, no big deal.

 

[lxskllr]

I have a cheap $70 tablet, and that's a good price point for me. I can read books, and do a little bit of stuff online. $150 is the absolute most I'd pay for a tablet, and for that price I should be able to spend another $150, and buy a keyboard dock to turn it into a real computer. Oh yea, and I wouldn't pay more than $100 for anything that locks me out of changing O/Ss, or doing anything else with MY machine. <$100 I'll grudging accept an appliance, but over that it needs to mine, not Google, or Apple's machine.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I bought a $99 CVS Netbook, and I thought it was aweful. Sure, I could read AT and FW forums, slowly. But that was about all I could do with it.

The ARM platform is horrible, IMHO.

I'll stick with my IB Ultrabook, thanks. (Well, when and if I actually get one. I currently have a C2D laptop.)

And for distributed computing, I'll keep my "macho" desktop, thank you.

 

[TheVrolok]

i wouldn't mind one. I just don't see the justification for one yet.

I'm the same way, I keep getting close to buying one, but then just can't bring myself to do it.