Are "Tablet users" fundamentally different style of user than "desktop PC users"? How much actual intersection is there between the two?

[skyking]

I'm curious now, can you expound on your philosophy behind this change?

I have not gamed in decades, so here is no need for desktop graphics or computing power. I don't do graphics work either, so I am not missing the big monitors.
We do travel and having multiple stations is ponderous, having photos and files here and there. I do some support work on linux servers and network hardware.
It made more sense to consolidate my efforts into a laptop. I've had some docking stations but rarely use them.
My wife's work setup is dell lappy docked with dual monitors, and we are at the moment talking about me replicating the setup here. I could share it with her.

 

[zinfamous]

I dramatically prefer a desktop PC, but I also love my surface pro for portability.

Surface Pro, I would never call a tablet. I have one, and use 100% as if it were a laptop.

I consider a tablet something with a mobile operating system, and is a device that is used for wasting time and entertainment. It can't do real work. Surface Pro has all of the capabilities of a laptop.

If you are an exclusive tablet user, then you are just using a toy, imo.

 

[shortylickens]

Dont care much for people pushing labels, especially on me.
But if you had to give me a category I am most definitely a desktop person. Probably has a lot to do with being 40 years old and raised on an Apple II.

 

[ponyo]

I've gone through cycles. I thought the iPad would be a gamechanger when it came out, and in practice, it was frustrating to use for my intended purposes. I later switched out to a Chromebook & used that extensively. I'm back to using a desktop for several reasons:

1. I like to loaf, and I can loaf in my chair & chill with a desktop computer

2. I've got carpal & LOVE my MS Ergonomic keyboard. I type a lot & having a real keyboard instead of a digital one or a small laptop-sized one makes a really big difference for me.

3. I'm a lot faster with a mouse than a touchscreen.

4. I like real multi-tasking, especially with a mouse

I still mostly use my desktop to just surf the web, but I can lounge, type, multi-task, and use a mouse, which is all pretty chill. Plus I have a nice big 32" 2.5K single screen. If I were in the same situation I was when the iPad came out (i.e. still taking college classes here & there), I think the Microsoft Surface would be the way to go...touchscreen, compact, portable, dockable, powerful, fast. My brother has a multi-screen docking station setup using his Surface & it tucks in to go with him anywhere with the keyboard cover. It's a really fantastic setup!

The majority of people I know these days just use their jumbo phones. I know very few people who use tablets extensively. Most people I know who use computers use a laptop these days. I converted my own family over to Chromebooks a couple years ago, along with 2FA on all of their accounts, Google Drive, Google Docs, and unlimited free Google Photos. The only thing I really have to do when I visit to help them IT-wise is to tweak their Chrome settings:

1. Switch their homepage back to google
2. Remove anything that took over their default google search engine in the drop-down
3. Remove any crappy extensions (I always use uBlock Origin & Privacy Badger, by default)
4. Remove any allowed popups & redirects in the settings

All of which takes about 60 seconds, which is pretty easy!

Chromebooks are so underrated. My daughter and I both loved our Chromebooks. I recently upgraded both of us to MacBook Pros and for our use, Chromebook hold its own and is just as good. Maybe I'll change my mind as I get more used to MacOS and start using it for photo and video editing but that's not something I'm doing much right now. The only thing I like better about the MacBook Pro over Chromebook is the integration with the iPhone. But if I owned Android phone, I'm sure Chromebook integration would be just as nice.

 

[skyking]

It's OK, but doubtful that the android integration will ever match Apple's efforts in that regard.
The only things I use so far are the text message integration, and I did get a chromecast that we use now and then.
The main driving force behind the chromebook was the combination of getting a new device plus the built in dictation. I was looking at many weeks in a sling. I am typing this now, so the voice to text has already gone by the wayside

 

[Perknose]

I've gone through cycles. I thought the iPad would be a gamechanger when it came out, and in practice, it was frustrating to use for my intended purposes. I later switched out to a Chromebook & used that extensively. I'm back to using a desktop for several reasons:

1. I like to loaf, and I can loaf in my chair & chill with a desktop computer

2. I've got carpal & LOVE my MS Ergonomic keyboard. I type a lot & having a real keyboard instead of a digital one or a small laptop-sized one makes a really big difference for me.

3. I'm a lot faster with a mouse than a touchscreen.

4. I like real multi-tasking, especially with a mouse

I still mostly use my desktop to just surf the web, but I can lounge, type, multi-task, and use a mouse, which is all pretty chill. Plus I have a nice big 32" 2.5K single screen. If I were in the same situation I was when the iPad came out (i.e. still taking college classes here & there), I think the Microsoft Surface would be the way to go...touchscreen, compact, portable, dockable, powerful, fast. My brother has a multi-screen docking station setup using his Surface & it tucks in to go with him anywhere with the keyboard cover. It's a really fantastic setup!

The majority of people I know these days just use their jumbo phones. I know very few people who use tablets extensively. Most people I know who use computers use a laptop these days. I converted my own family over to Chromebooks a couple years ago, along with 2FA on all of their accounts, Google Drive, Google Docs, and unlimited free Google Photos. The only thing I really have to do when I visit to help them IT-wise is to tweak their Chrome settings:

1. Switch their homepage back to google
2. Remove anything that took over their default google search engine in the drop-down
3. Remove any crappy extensions (I always use uBlock Origin & Privacy Badger, by default)
4. Remove any allowed popups & redirects in the settings

All of which takes about 60 seconds, which is pretty easy!

How did you get this offer?

 

[Kaido]

Chromebooks are so underrated. My daughter and I both loved our Chromebooks. I recently upgraded both of us to MacBook Pros and for our use, Chromebook hold its own and is just as good. Maybe I'll change my mind as I get more used to MacOS and start using it for photo and video editing but that's not something I'm doing much right now. The only thing I like better about the MacBook Pro over Chromebook is the integration with the iPhone. But if I owned Android phone, I'm sure Chromebook integration would be just as nice.

tbh I get frustrated with other computers...Chromebooks are so zippy & have such phenomenal battery life that you go to a Windows or Mac or Linux machine and are like ahhhh why am I waiting lol

Macbooks are really fantastic tho, especially if you're doing multimedia stuff!

 

[Kaido]

How did you get this offer?

Google Photos offers 2 tiers:

1. Paid
2. Free

You have to manually switch it to free, which limits you to 16 megapixel stills & 1080 HD video. The paid tier goes higher (4K video etc.). My smartphone only does like 12 megapixels max, so free unlimited is great for me!

Google Photos: Edit, Organize, Search, and Backup Your Photos

Edit and enhance photos with AI-powered features like Magic Eraser and Unblur on Google Photos. Store, organize & search your memories.

www.google.com

Note that this is separate from your Google Drive & does NOT impact your Google Drive storage!

 

[BarkingGhostar]

How does one apply this question to those using convertibles? For instance, those using a Surface pro in Desktop mode with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse? We do the household finances and whatnot on a Surface Pro and then lock t up when not in use. Can't say I'd want to do that with a desktop. Now, if you are talking exclusively the likes of Android and iOS devices then those are garbage and those using them exclusively might feel better suited to their needs and or means.

 

[Perknose]

Google Photos offers 2 tiers:

1. Paid
2. Free

You have to manually switch it to free, which limits you to 16 megapixel stills & 1080 HD video. The paid tier goes higher (4K video etc.). My smartphone only does like 12 megapixels max, so free unlimited is great for me!

Google Photos: Edit, Organize, Search, and Backup Your Photos

Edit and enhance photos with AI-powered features like Magic Eraser and Unblur on Google Photos. Store, organize & search your memories.

www.google.com

Note that this is separate from your Google Drive & does NOT impact your Google Drive storage!

Son of a gun, I'm on almost nothing but chromebooks. I must have made the manual switch to "Unlimited High Quality" long enough ago to have forgotten.

 

[Red Squirrel]

How do people who don't have a computer do stuff like coding or even word processing, or other normal work? I can't imagine trying to do that on a tablet. Even something as simple as editing a config file on a server I want a real keyboard. While I technically could do some of those things on a tablet or phone I just can't imagine wanting to.

 

[snoopy7548]

How do people who don't have a computer do stuff like coding or even word processing, or other normal work? I can't imagine trying to do that on a tablet. Even something as simple as editing a config file on a server I want a real keyboard. While I technically could do some of those things on a tablet or phone I just can't imagine wanting to.

I think they just use punch cards.

 

[purbeast0]

I have absolutely no use for a tablet. I bought an Asus Nexus 7 like 7 years ago when I was doing Android development, but other than for that I never used it. The only thing it is used for now is for our son to watch movies on airplanes.

I also have zero use for a desktop. I haven't turned mine on in years. I'm more efficient on a laptop anyways.

 

[skyking]

I agree that screentyping is impossible to do quickly. I think the chromebooks and surface are a different cat. I can't code as well as a full sized keyboard, but I can do well enough for linux command line stuff. I love that the chromebook has linux shell capability built in. I just installed a 128 GB microSD card tonight and one option was granting read/write to linux. CHECK!

 

[Kaido]

Son of a gun, I'm on almost nothing but chromebooks. I must have made the manual switch to "Unlimited High Quality" long enough ago to have forgotten.

You may have gotten on Photos before they offered the free tier. You can still switch it to free, it will just compress the quality down to the free-tier level. You can also import the photos from your Google Drive if you want!

 

[Perknose]

Son of a gun, I'm on almost nothing but chromebooks. I must have made the manual switch to "Unlimited High Quality" long enough ago to have forgotten.

You may have gotten on Photos before they offered the free tier. You can still switch it to free, it will just compress the quality down to the free-tier level. You can also import the photos from your Google Drive if you want!

"Unlimited High Quality" is the free-tier level. I simply forgot I had already made the switch.

 

[ElFenix]

Chromebook is a laptop. it's not a Windows laptop, but it's a laptop nonetheless. It's basically Larry Ellison's dream client computer.

The only tablet worth anything is iPads. I think most people just use them to f around on facetron. There are professional applications for them, which probably worked just fine on regular laptops but iPads have all day battery life and instant on. And don't weigh anything.

 

[lxskllr]

Ipad seems to have decent pos programs. I see a fair amount of small businesses using them to handle sales. I haven't seen the displays, but for just punching in numbers, it should work ok.

 

[JEDI]

Just thinking. I have a long-time friend, that's always had a desktop PC. I got him and his GF a (fairly inexpensive) Android tablet (quad-core, 512MB of RAM, nothing major), several years ago. From what I understand, he's never used his, and doesn't even know where it is, and she uses hers in preference to the PC that my friend built her.

Is there something fundamentally different between desktop PC users and tablet users? I dabbled in tablets for a little while; I do have an Android cell, but other than Skype and Voicemail, and SMS, I don't really use apps. My tablets were still Windows tablets, all but one. (Bought a cheap Android tablet with 2GB RAM, just because. Screen is currently broken on that one.)

Edit: I've never used an iPad or iPhone.

I still have an Amazon 8" tablet that I've never turned on.
it was $25 so I figure why not just to try out.

I only took it out of the box to make sure the 3rd party case with keyboard I bought for it fits.

I completely forgot about it till I read your thread.

with my 11.6" laptop, I only surf the web, do email, and light word/Excel. and maybe watch movies off a sd card that I xferred from my desktop.
how much more convenient is the tablet?

convince me to use it/replace my laptop.

 

[ElFenix]

Ipad seems to have decent pos programs. I see a fair amount of small businesses using them to handle sales. I haven't seen the displays, but for just punching in numbers, it should work ok.

Having to buy/rent hardware to make a sale as a food truck is absurd. It's 2020, we should have QR codes.

 

[Kaido]

I still have an Amazon 8" tablet that I've never turned on.
it was $25 so I figure why not just to try out.

I only took it out of the box to make sure the 3rd party case with keyboard I bought for it fits.

I completely forgot about it till I read your thread.

with my 11.6" laptop, I only surf the web, do email, and light word/Excel. and maybe watch movies off a sd card that I xferred from my desktop.
how much more convenient is the tablet?

convince me to use it/replace my laptop.

I have a few Amazon tablets...most of them are pretty laggy & somewhat limited (i.e. you have to monkey around with them to get stuff like Google Play on 'em).

The one good thing I will say about them is that they have PHENOMENAL battery life when playing videos. I fly from time to time & can easily get 6 solid hours of video out of my 8" Amazon Fire tablet. I don't know if it has a special video coprocessor or what, but iPads & laptops don't come close! Chromebooks aren't bad, but if you're just watching videos, apps like Prime & Netflix lets you download shows right to the device, so you don't need wi-fi.

Also, Sony sells a cheap version of their noise-cancelling headphones, which - while not perfect, are pretty dang good for $30:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NG57H4S

Definitely not as comfy as their $300+ noise-cancelling headphones that cup your ears, and don't do as good of a job, but are pretty effective at cutting down on the airplane drone noise without breaking the bank!

 

[Scarpozzi]

Still bothers me. I typically call them "programs"(probably not 100% of the time), even when talking about android where "app" is standard.

I prefer to double tap my executables.

 

[nakedfrog]

Surface Pro, I would never call a tablet. I have one, and use 100% as if it were a laptop.

I consider a tablet something with a mobile operating system, and is a device that is used for wasting time and entertainment. It can't do real work. Surface Pro has all of the capabilities of a laptop.

If you are an exclusive tablet user, then you are just using a toy, imo.

Musicians make extensive use of tablets

 

[NoTine42]

How do people who don't have a computer do stuff like coding or even word processing, or other normal work? I can't imagine trying to do that on a tablet. Even something as simple as editing a config file on a server I want a real keyboard. While I technically could do some of those things on a tablet or phone I just can't imagine wanting to.

You can buy a tablet case/cover that contains a little Bluetooth keyboard when you open it up. If work provides a Citrix desktop, you can do most PC things via virtual desktop.
I don’t think it’s ideal, but sometimes portability is more important.

 

[nakedfrog]

Ipad seems to have decent pos programs. I see a fair amount of small businesses using them to handle sales. I haven't seen the displays, but for just punching in numbers, it should work ok.

I've seen that around quite a bit too, but one of the places I frequent has recent switched over to a Toast POS.