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Why do people buy tablets?

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Apparently I purchased one to be a decoration on my nightstand. It was fun to play with for the first month, but I much prefer to use my laptop.
 
NaOH said:
I got one mainly for:


-Touch screen is GREAT for PDFs. I carry around 200 page project drawings as PDF in my iPad. I have ALL of my drawings with me at all times now and synced to drop box which my laptop/computer is synced to. I can mark up drawings in the field with no computer using a stylus and it gets updated at all my computers all at once. That in itself is worth it.
Click to expand...

this is one reason i would consider getting one. while i normally have to break out a laptop on job sites anyway (to program things, check settings, test connections and such), it would be nice to be able to not drag out a table, chair and laptop if i just want to verify site drawings or explain something thats on a newer version of plans than the field guys have. i got a decent acad app for my phone, but even 4.3" isnt large enough to be efficient.

KentState said:
Apparently I purchased one to be a decoration on my nightstand. It was fun to play with for the first month, but I much prefer to use my laptop.
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this is what i fear the most. paying that price tag and having it collect dust.
 
dpodblood said:
It would be really great to have to opportunity to play with a tablet for a month or so. It's hard to justify throwing down ~$400-$500 for a tablet when I don't even know if I'd like it. Right now I have a desktop, a netbook, and a smart phone which seems to cover my needs.
Click to expand...

2 words: return policy
 
Look, I'm no Apple fanboy, but you can't compare a netbook to a tablet (Disclaimer: I don't think any tablet out right now is perfect or even very good, but we're getting there). They are different types of devices that are good and bad for different things. Having to use a laptop trackpad is reason enough for me to not consider one for mobile web/media/app use (I have a desktop for anything that needs that kind of computing). And why do I want a laptop running a slow desktop level OS?

It's two different types of devices that suit two different needs/wants. Let's stop comparing them like apples to apples.
 
Red Storm said:
Look, I'm no Apple fanboy,
...
It's two different types of devices that suit two different needs/wants. Let's stop comparing them like apples to apples.
Click to expand...

this discussion was about tablets in general, not iPads. But the second statemetn is very true.
 
dpodblood said:
Let me preface this by saying I think tablets a cool gadgets, and I myself have considered getting a tablet, whether it be an iPad, Galaxy tab, or a Chinese knock off, but when I really think about it; why do people buy tablets to begin with?

People complain about a lot of things when it comes to tablets. A lot of things which would be solved by simply buying a netbook or low cost laptop.

1) Storage

People are always complaining about the lack of storage in tablets. Usually 16GB for an entry model, or you can pay considerably more for a 32/64GB model or a tablet with expandable memory such as the Xoom. If you get a netbook/laptop you will be getting a 160GB drive minimum, and if you don't like the thought of a mechanical drive you can simply throw in an SSD.

2) File formats

People are always complaining device x doesn't support format y. With a laptop you don't have to worry about such things. Just install the community codec pack, or VLC player and you can play any format you want without any need to convert or transcode.

3) Keyboards

Seems like the ability to have a dockable keyboard, or bluetooth keyboard on tablets these days is a big deal. This leads me to believe that touch screen keyboard simply aren't as good. If this is such a big selling point why not just get a laptop? The keyboard is built right in. No need to dock or pair with bluetooth. Not to mention a laptop will sit upright on it's own. No need to buy a stand to get your device to stand upright.

4) Apps

People are always touting "but iOS has this or that app" or "android has a great app for that." People act as if applications are a new thing, when in fact there would be no point to having a computer in the first place. A PC can run a plethora of applications whether you choose Windows, Linux, or Mac OS. And many have free alternatives to expensive paid products, such as Open Office instead of MS Office. So why do we need a tablet when there are tons of full fledged application already out there, and with more features than what can be found on any tablet application.

5) Games

Ok. So there may not be a ton of great games coming out for low power platforms like netbooks, but who cares? There are already tons of great games out there from years gone by which *can* run on these low power platforms. Just take a look at "good old games." There are tons of classic games out there that can run on low cost laptops which are so much better than the shovelware being released on android and iOS. I'd much rather play NFS High Stakes or Midtown Madness than whatever tilt screen racing garbage they have on android/ios/wp7. Not to mention emulators are really available for PC as well, and are much easier to control with a keyboard or USB controller than they are with a touchscreen.

6) Flash

"But can it play flash?" People are always asking if this tablet or that tablet can run flash. Who cares? Any PC less than a decade old can run flash. If flash is really that important why not just get a real computer instead of a tablet?

7) Price

With the iPad 1 starting off > $400 and the xoom even more than that what is the justification for buying a tablet really? When a netbook can be had for $300 or less, and with a fully fledged operating system is capable of so much more than any tablet on the market today.

These are just a few things I can think of off the top of my head that would make be pick up a netbook over a tablet anyday. I'm not trying to bash on tablets. Like I said I think they are neat gadgets, but at the end of the day, I just don't see how you can justify the cost when a "real computer" can be had for less and do more. It seems like tablets are fillinh a market which apple created rather than filling a void, or niche which already existed. Maybe someone in this thread will help me see the light 😛.

Anyway just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

Two main reasons I can see:

- Trend/style
- Even more portability than any other personal computer

My own view on tablets is that they're a waste. A netbook has the exact functions, and a tablet with 3G/4G telephony is simply a more advanced smartphone. That said, I think that netbook sales will go down, and in truth tablets will be amongst the biggest selling types of personal computer out.
 
As someone with two netbooks (a ten inch Acer netbook and an 11.5 inch ION HP netbook) and two tablets (my wife's iPad 2 and my Nook Color) in my house I feel I have a bit of expertise of this. A few points missed/glossed over:

First things first: At some level its not about what a tablet can do that a netbook can't do, it is about what a tablet can do better. And you know what fits in that category? The thing people do the most on computers- web browsing.

My Nook Color with Opera Mobile is a better browsing experience than any of my computers. Instead of click, click, fumble with trackpad, click you have an experiance where you touch where you want to go, pinch where you want to zoom, and scroll with a downflick of the finger. Sure some Netbooks have multi-touch trackpads, but nothing beats doing it on a screen. Add in the fact that you can webbrowse in places that are uncomfortable with a netbook-laying horizontal in bed, sitting bunched up on a couch, etc.- web browsing with a tablet is its clear "killer app."

On the subject of storage space-I have two 10+TB mediaservers, so any amount of space measured in gigabytes is a joke to me. All I have found you really need is enough to get by without internet, then you set up streaming services (Air Video, Subsonic, etc.) to get at the mother-load of data. 16GB-64GB can do that. If you really need more on the go, a portable HD works in both cases.

Plus I don't think a Netbook has an advantage there. Why? Because the only way a Netbook even comes close to a tablet for a browsing experience is if you replace its klunky 5400RPM HD with a SSD, at which point unless you spend big bucks you are limited to around 64GB at best. I can't stand how slow (and hot, and battery eating) those Netbook HDs are once I have used tablets, so I'd rather compare Apples to Apples.

Next point- price. There is a reason there is a sticky for the Nook Color on this forum. $250 and some time gives me tablet that matches my 10 inch Netbook in every major feature (relative CPU power, default RAM, screen res, etc.) at a smaller size with better battery life. Everything I could do on my Netbook, I do on the Nook. Maybe not the exact same programs, but the exact same results (or better).

On the issue of games, most Netbook GPUs suck and the ones that don't cost a lot more. A sucky GPU limits me to pretty much the same caliber of games as the Nook, if not worse because you lose touch functions. If you like a real controller use it- my Nook Color syncs perfectly with my Wiimote for emulators. On this note I would like to point out my wife's iPad 2 GPU beats soundly my ION netbook's GPU (aka one of the few Netbooks with a decent GPU).

On file formats: yeah the un-jailbroken iPad is a pain in the butt, but my Nook can handle EVERY format my 10inch Netbook can handle. There is a version of VLC for Android, but who cares are VLC is bested on both computers (XBMC) and tablets (mobo player). Even then I still convert movies because A. I have a quad core desktop for a reason, B. It uses the battery better than random files (I wish my non-ION netbook HAD that option), C. It is a better use of space. With that said once I can get a tablet that can play any old 1080p mkv even my ION Netbook will never get used again probably.

Final point on a keyboard- bluetooth keyboards work fine, and its nice to not have to lug around a keyboard if you need it.

In conclusion, I see the Netbook vs Tablet war the same way I see the HD vs SSD war. Those who can afford the newer and better technology learn they can't live without it, those who can't afford it try to justify their reasons till they can afford it. Just like I would never have another computer in my house with its OS on a HD, I don't see me ever getting rid of tablets because in both cases I am spoiled to the advantages they bring.

Netbooks aren't good at "productivity apps" like Photoshop, AutoCAD, and VMware like real laptops are, so I consider Netbooks to take up the same "toy" category Tablets do. And quite simply a Tablet is the better toy. I guess if you are some pitiful soul that does real work on a Netbook because its x86 compatible and things technically work then your Netbook can't be replaced with a Tablet, but probably should be replaced with a real laptop ASAP for your sanity.

Can Tablets replace a real laptop or even my quad-core desktop with a 27inch monitor? Um no, but neither can Netbooks. For what my netbooks do offer, they have been replaced 90% with tablets, with the last 10% being playing mkvs over HDMI (something I expect my next tablet to do).
 
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poofyhairguy said:
wall of golden text
....
Can Tablets replace my quad-core desktop with a 27inch monitor? Um no, but neither can my Netbooks. For what my netbooks do offer, they have been replaced 90% with tablets, with the last 10% being playing mkvs over HDMI (something I expect my next tablet to do). Real laptops are also a different story.
Click to expand...

your post should be LEGENDARY in all netbook v tablet arguments.
 
poofyhairguy said:
As someone with two netbooks (a ten inch Acer netbook and an 11.5 inch ION HP netbook) and two tablets (my wife's iPad 2 and my Nook Color) in my house I feel I have a bit of expertise of this. A few points missed/glossed over:

First things first: At some level its not about what a tablet can do that a netbook can't do, it is about what a tablet can do better. And you know what fits in that category? The thing people do the most on computers- web browsing.

My Nook Color with Opera Mobile is a better browsing experience than any of my computers. Instead of click, click, fumble with trackpad, click you have an experiance where you touch where you want to go, pinch where you want to zoom, and scroll with a downflick of the finger. Sure some Netbooks have multi-touch trackpads, but nothing beats doing it on a screen. Add in the fact that you can webbrowse in places that are uncomfortable with a netbook-laying horizontal in bed, sitting bunched up on a couch, etc.- web browsing with a tablet is its clear "killer app."

On the subject of storage space-I have two 10+TB mediaservers, so any amount of space measured in gigabytes is a joke to me. All I have found you really need is enough to get by without internet, then you set up streaming services (Air Video, Subsonic, etc.) to get at the mother-load of data. 16GB-64GB can do that. If you really need more on the go, a portable HD works in both cases.

Plus I don't think a Netbook has an advantage there. Why? Because the only way a Netbook even comes close to a tablet for a browsing experience is if you replace its klunky 5400RPM HD with a SSD, at which point unless you spend big bucks you are limited to around 64GB at best. I can't stand how slow (and hot, and battery eating) those Netbook HDs are once I have used tablets, so I'd rather compare Apples to Apples.

Next point- price. There is a reason there is a sticky for the Nook Color on this forum. $250 and some time gives me tablet that matches my 10 inch Netbook in every major feature (relative CPU power, default RAM, screen res, etc.) at a smaller size with better battery life. Everything I could do on my Netbook, I do on the Nook. Maybe not the exact same programs, but the exact same results (or better).

On the issue of games, most Netbook GPUs suck and the ones that don't cost a lot more. A sucky GPU limits me to pretty much the same caliber of games as the Nook, if not worse because you lose touch functions. If you like a real controller use it- my Nook Color syncs perfectly with my Wiimote for emulators. On this note I would like to point out my wife's iPad 2 GPU beats soundly my ION netbook's GPU (aka one of the few Netbooks with a decent GPU).

On file formats: yeah the un-jailbroken iPad is a pain in the butt, but my Nook can handle EVERY format my 10inch Netbook can handle. There is a version of VLC for Android, but who cares are VLC is bested on both computers (XBMC) and tablets (mobo player). Even then I still convert movies because A. I have a quad core desktop for a reason, B. It uses the battery better than random files (I wish my non-ION netbook HAD that option), C. It is a better use of space. With that said once I can get a tablet that can play any old 1080p mkv even my ION Netbook will never get used again probably.

Final point on a keyboard- bluetooth keyboards work fine, and its nice to not have to lug around a keyboard if you need it.

In conclusion, I see the Netbook vs Tablet war the same way I see the HD vs SSD war. Those who can afford the newer and better technology learn they can't live without it, those who can't afford it try to justify their reasons till they can afford it. Just like I would never have another computer in my house with its OS on a HD, I don't see me ever getting rid of tablets because in both cases I am spoiled to the advantages they bring.

Netbooks aren't good at "productivity apps" like Photoshop, AutoCAD, and VMware like real laptops are, so I consider Netbooks to take up the same "toy" category Tablets do. And quite simply a Tablet is the better toy. I guess if you are some pitiful soul that does real work on a Netbook because its x86 compatible and things technically work then your Netbook can't be replaced with a Tablet, but probably should be replaced with a real laptop ASAP for your sanity.

Can Tablets replace a real laptop or even my quad-core desktop with a 27inch monitor? Um no, but neither can Netbooks. For what my netbooks do offer, they have been replaced 90% with tablets, with the last 10% being playing mkvs over HDMI (something I expect my next tablet to do).
Click to expand...

What these nincompoops can't grasp is that a tablet does just about EVERYTHING better.

Tablets replace not only net books but largely, ultra portables. There are a few uses for an 11 or 13 inch MacBook air but for most of the time, an iPad does everything just fine.

He'll, find me an IPS NetBook for starters. All your net books look like shit to start with.

Ps, mkvs work on iPad and can output to hdmi, and an iMac will replace your quad core desktop with power, desks ace, and ease. 😉


Infraction given for trolling.

Moderator PM
 
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Zen0 said:
What these nincompoops can't grasp is that a tablet does just about EVERYTHING better.

Tablets replace not only net books but largely, ultra portables. There are a few uses for an 11 or 13 inch MacBook air but for most of the time, an iPad does everything just fine.

He'll, find me an IPS NetBook for starters. All your net books look like shit to start with.

Ps, mkvs work on iPad and can output to hdmi, and an iMac will replace your quad core desktop with power, desks ace, and ease. 😉
Click to expand...

No a tablet does not do everything better, it's just for more portability so you don't have to lug around a laptop or netbook around. Tablets are a third option in a household. You have your smartphone, laptop, then tablet. You seriously need to take a chill pill. So you're saying a tablet replaces a 11" and 13" Macbook? Oh ok
 
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Seems the OP enjoys urinating into the wind...

netbooks-v-tablets-chart.jpg
 
zerocool84 said:
No a tablet does not do everything better, it's just for more portability so you don't have to lug around a laptop or netbook around. Tablets are a third option in a household. You have your smartphone, laptop, then tablet. You seriously need to take a chill pill. So you're saying a tablet replaces a 11" and 13" Macbook? Oh ok
Click to expand...

Uh, yes, I just sold my 13" Macbook Air when I got my iPad 2, and while I've been contemplating a 11" Macbook Air when it refreshes in June, I now find that aside from a SD card slot used for dumping pictures, it would literally do nothing beyond an iPad for when it's used on the road. I could imagine serious writers and photographers making use of 11 and 13" Macbook Airs for sure, but since almost none of us fall into these categories, it's a non-issue.

In fact, I have a feeling that Ultra-portable sales will be cut severely as Tablets (iPads especially) gain further in momentum.

Frankly, you can't find a single iPad 2 in stores today unless you line up at 9AM in the morning.
 
MagickMan said:
Actually, I walked into Wal-Mart and bought the ones I got, they had several in stock. YMMV, of course.
Click to expand...

If you Google "iPad inventory", you can check them for Target, Bestbuy, and Walmart in your area. Here in Boston, it's OOS forever, everywhere, nearly every model. The exception is an occasional 64GB Verizon model.
 
netbooks are absolute POS. i dont even have either but i'd choose an ipad over a crappy atom powered machine any day. the reasons are so obvious they dont even need explaining at this point.
 
Netbooks do have certain advantages over an iPad. If you're travelling somewhere and don't want to take a full size laptop with you then a netbook is still more versatile than a tablet. They're cheaper than the most basic iPad as well.
 
i've had an ipad2 since launch

it's always on unlike a netbook
the battery lasts for days
i don't have to vpn in to check my work email
it's an awesome book reader
i have music on it
easier to use in almost every position and a lot more mobile
pretty good game machine
i can read a variety of RSS feeds with apps like Pulse and Zite. netbook is one site at a time
awesome entertainment system if you have kids. my 3 year old uses it more than i do
tons of educational apps and much cheaper in the long term than toys r us crap
good support
awesome photo library and photo frame

my wife wants a MBP, but with the ipad you don't need one. just a cheap $500 laptop to hold the master copy of the data and sync the ipad once every few days. but you really don't have to. with ipad, iphone and android my wife and i rarely turn on our laptops anymore. i only take mine out of my bag if i need vpn and RDP
 
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