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What do you use your tablet for?

2

2000teg430

n00b
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
27
So I really want to buy a Asus Transformer or an Ipad 2 but i don't want it to end up sitting on an end table and never being used. I'm just wondering what you use your tablets for and where you use them.
 
Almost exclusively for reading. I have a kindle, but I spend more time reading with the Kindle App on my iPad. Generally speaking, I use it at home. I also use RDP/VNC at work sometimes as well.
 
2000teg430 said:
So I really want to buy a Asus Transformer or an Ipad 2 but i don't want it to end up sitting on an end table and never being used. I'm just wondering what you use your tablets for and where you use them.
Click to expand...

I have an galaxy tab (7") and a lg g slate. From my experience, I use it basically like a giant iphone/android phone, but I'm able to consume content at a faster rate. As for productivity, I find touch screen only tablets to be no more productive than my smart phones (I'm actually faster at knocking out e-mails with my smart than my tablets).

I guess for me it basically a consumption ultra-portable laptop that just more comfortable to hold and navigate websites.

Bottom line for me, tablets are just more elegant, more efficient, and lighter ultra portable laptops minus any productivity. I don't see them replacing my laptop, but they do replace some of time where I would normally use a laptop for consumption.
 
I once saw an analogy posted here that I really agreed with

Creation>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Consumption is the same as
Desktop>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tablet ( IE Ipads, Galaxy etc, not necessarily the full fledged tablets with a full blown Win7 install.


So basically, I use my tablets for web browsing, youtube, listening to music, etc. If I need to create content, its off to the comfy office chair, big monitor and loud hot desktop ;)
 
You can do serious content creation on the Asus EeePad Transformer.

That's the way I went, though just for the option. I use mine for media consumption, random searches on the couch, reading on the toilet, etc. Occasionally I take it to work mtgs & use it to take notes w/Evernote.

-bZj
 
Since my tablets are Windows 7 based I do many of the same things I'd do with laptops and desktops with them and I do the standard web browsing, media playback and reading activities that everyone does with iPads and Android devices.

The most unconventional thing I do regularly is note taking and input with ink. I know that pens are frowned upon by a lot but I find pens so natural and for text input on a tablet I'm faster with a pen than a touchscreen keyboard. However a lot of people do use capacitive sticks with their iPads and there's one Android device, the HTC Flayer that uses the same digital pen technology as a number of Windows devices.
 
Down8 said:
You can do serious content creation on the Asus EeePad Transformer.
Click to expand...

With the keyboard dock you have a mouse and keyboard so you do have the input methods available. The issue will be on the software side but basic stuff life text documents and spreadsheets would be no problem for the most part.
 
Entertainment and browsing when i'm away from the desk, also useful for remote connecting to my PC.

It automatically tethers to my phone so 3G features don't interest me, i just turn on my phones bluetooth and leave it in my bag, and the tablet automatically makes it go online without me needing to reach for the phone whenever i want something.

The archos does everything it can to let you access your media and play it. Other tablet owners would tout that they can play video on their media tablets as well, but end up rarely using it because it's too much of a chore to re-encode videos. With Archos tablets, i just copy paste straight from my archives and it'll play, no preparation or re-encoding needed. Really looking forward to the Gen9's.

I've already given away my iPod4 coz i haven't used it in months. iTunes and the need to leave my PC re-encoding overnight so i'll have something to upload in the morning killed it for me.
 
I use my iPad2 for doing training classes. I connect to a projector or HDTV via an Apple TV and my slides are in the iPad. The rest of the time I use it for web browsing, ebay, pictures, movies and playing chess. Music is relegated to the iPod.
 
For almost everything I want. I have a tablet PC, not a gimped ARM-based tablet. :p

The main thing lacking is GPU performance, so no demanding gaming is going to happen on its HD 3200 graphics.

(Win 7 makes a lousy touch screen OS... come on Windows 8!)
 
so for those that have a tab (preferably a tegra 2) and a netbook (preferably one with a intel atom) how close would you say the performance is. I understand we are talking about different OS's. I'm looking for whether or not you feel it lacks pep. I love my netbook for its mobility but have always felt it was just slightly too slow.
 
Pretty much any decent Android tablet is going to feel a lot zippier no question when it comes to the common stuff like web browsing and media playback. It's one reason why tablets are supplanting netbooks.
 
pxc said:
(Win 7 makes a lousy touch screen OS... come on Windows 8!)
Click to expand...

I will be glad when Windows 8 comes out so that Windows can get past this issue. Windows 7's touch sutibility really is tied to the size of the screen, touch in Windows 7 on my 12" convertibles and Asus EP121 is very usable, just got Fruit Ninja as it was being offered free on new accounts on Intel App Up. It's actually a lot more interesting on a big screen.

But I do look forward to the Windows 8 beta and plan to run it full time until the RTM when it comes out on my EP121.
 
2000teg430 said:
so for those that have a tab (preferably a tegra 2) and a netbook (preferably one with a intel atom) how close would you say the performance is. I understand we are talking about different OS's. I'm looking for whether or not you feel it lacks pep. I love my netbook for its mobility but have always felt it was just slightly too slow.
Click to expand...

I have both and i carry both everyday and speed is not an issue for either one. The netbooks starts a little slower, but once it's up, the difference is negligible. The strength of the netbook is in its parallel multitasking. The android does multitask, but it does it in the background. It's also easier to do references on the netbook, alt-tab is pretty much instinctual and copy/pasting is also easier on the netbook, if you do anything even remotely productive (i.e. answering a ton of emails), you'll have an easier time with a netbook.

As you've probably noticed, all my posts in the forums are rather long. You can tell when i'm replying from the tablet because i'd be using short sentences then.

On the other hand, the tablet is good for checking your emails (as long as you don't have to answer them right away), web browsing. Anything you do on your netbook where you only have to touch the keypad and mouse/trackpad, will work very well on the tablet (.i.e. web browsing, videos, ebooks, etc.).
 
Ok, I think I'm sold. I guess the tab just wont replace anything. Should be a lot nicer to use around the house though. Thanks all
 
What tablets replace all depends of what you're doing with other devices. For typical work, high end gaming, that sort of thing media tablets (non-Windows) don't replace much I'd say. But a lot of of people don't use computers for work purposes, email, Facebook, that sort of thing and in those scenarios they can replace other devices pretty easily.
 
heatlesssun said:
What tablets replace all depends of what you're doing with other devices. For typical work, high end gaming, that sort of thing media tablets (non-Windows) don't replace much I'd say. But a lot of of people don't use computers for work purposes, email, Facebook, that sort of thing and in those scenarios they can replace other devices pretty easily.
Click to expand...

I wish that was the case for me since all I do on my MBA is web browse, listen to music, check e-mail, watch TV shows, and download torrents but I feel like I would still be lacking something with a tablet (keyboard and trackpad aside).
 
wonSR4 said:
I wish that was the case for me since all I do on my MBA is web browse, listen to music, check e-mail, watch TV shows, and download torrents but I feel like I would still be lacking something with a tablet (keyboard and trackpad aside).
Click to expand...

Well the torrent downloading would be a problem for non-Windows tablets but everything else would work fine. I guess for some people the idea that they would indeed be giving up flexibility even though they may not use it could be a turn off. I think this is one reason why Windows 8 tablets will do well, a best of both worlds type of thing.
 
heatlesssun said:
Well the torrent downloading would be a problem for non-Windows tablets but everything else would work fine. I guess for some people the idea that they would indeed be giving up flexibility even though they may not use it could be a turn off. I think this is one reason why Windows 8 tablets will do well, a best of both worlds type of thing.
Click to expand...

I agree though I guess if I got a Synology NAS or something similar, the torrent downloading wouldn't be a problem. And I would miss the 2560 x 1440 resolution with my MBA hooked up to the ACD but I could always change the way I do things. Its just a matter of if I want to do that or not hah
 
Tho i haven't used it myself, there's a torrent app for android. However, using it would be counter intuitive because it would keep the tablet from going to sleep. The storage, memory, cpu and wifi would need to keep running continiously.
 
I'm looking at getting a tablet for light internet usage around the house and outdoors, as a media player out and about and especially when travelling with my hockey team since our bus's will all be equipped with wifi starting this season. Will likely buy a Nook Color soon :)
 
I was toying around with the idea about getting a tablet. The Asus Transformer sparked my interest because it is a tablet with an optional keyboard. I thought that would be a nice thing to have if all I wanted to do was surf the net and participate in a forum. More energy efficient than using my PC for that simple task.

Not sure if I would take it out of my apartment unless I'm going to travel long distance. It would be better to watch a movie on a Transformer than on my Cowon S9's 3.3" screen. It would also replace my Kindle as an e-book reader.

However, the thought only lasted a few days since the price of getting both a 32GB Asus Transformer and the keyboard works out to $650. For $50 - $100 more I can actually get a pretty decent 4.5lbs - 5.0lbs laptop that would allow me to be more product than if I just had the Transformer. It would also be more versatile as well, though I would not be able to hold it with one hand to read a book or watch a movie.
 
That's pretty much it. Tablets are purely luxury devices that's even more limited than a netbook. Androids file system gives it a lot of flexibility productivity wise, but even then, it's *just barely* on the edge of actually being useful. There are instances where it does seem to be practical, but then it also means that you'll have to create a system around it. On the other hand, a laptop (and convertible) is flexible enough to adapt itself to your needs. Just don't lose sight of what it really is and not go "Wow! This is super!" and put it on the front page just because you've found a use for the photo browser.

If you want practicality, look somewhere else.
 
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1. Reading (also great if you travel)
2. Games while watching TV
3. Checking Email
4. Facebook
5. Youtube videos (came in handy at the lakehouse (no wifi) while working out how to put a moped together)
6. Internet browsing (great for looking up a trivia and scrolling browsers and clicking links just works with a touch interface, much better than a mouse)
7. Skype while traveling abroad
8. Showing travel pictures to friends
9. Maps (the regular map program is nice but maplets (uses GPS and locates maps available in your area or can search by an area) on the iPad is the best)
10. Watching movies/listening to music while traveling

Seriously, nothing better while traveling. It took the place of several guide books, my ipod, my smartphone and my laptop while traveling abroad. Honestly, I would still take a smartphone though because it is easier to use for navigation while trekking around during the day but I still used the apps/maps on the iPad during the night to plan out the next day.
 
I have owned an ipad1, zoom, playbook. I now have the ipad2. I use my tablets mainly to surf the web and watch Netflix. I prefer the iPad 1 and iPad 2, they feel the same to me. The battery life and design is great.

Playbook screen was too small and no available apps ATM.

Zoom was too heavy and not so stellar battery life.
 
2000teg430 said:
So I really want to buy a Asus Transformer or an Ipad 2 but i don't want it to end up sitting on an end table and never being used. I'm just wondering what you use your tablets for and where you use them.
Click to expand...

Web browsing

Email

Facebook

Games

PDF viewer for D&D

Amazon cloud player + hooked up by my living room stereo



2000teg430 said:
so for those that have a tab (preferably a tegra 2) and a netbook (preferably one with a intel atom) how close would you say the performance is. I understand we are talking about different OS's. I'm looking for whether or not you feel it lacks pep. I love my netbook for its mobility but have always felt it was just slightly too slow.
Click to expand...

For the exception of Netflix, they're about the same. I have an EEE 1005HA and it's about on par IMO with the TF in terms of browsing and general usage.
 
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Nothing :/

Decided I still like my netbook more. I thought I'd use it when traveling as a media device and maybe for occasional web browsing. But then I decided that's stupid since I still want to carry a netbook around with me so I'll have a keyboard. So then I end up carrying two devices, and one has all sorts of annoying limitations.

[Edit:] I lied. It was really nice for commutes on the train. But since there's very few subways in America it doesn't get used much anymore. And this is using a nook color with various android distros installed on it.
 
Alot already stated plus vm'ing into my htpc while on the road or when watching direct tv
 
I think the real question with all of this is would you prefer a windows 7 tablet or an android tablet?

Obviously with win 7 you have much less of an issue with file formats, etc.


But I think android is really building up into its own OS, and doing it well...

So which one?
 
The issue with android isn't really file formats or the OS. I don't have a problem with that. Android on the tablet works well enough for me. I don't think windows 7/8 will dramatically change the tablet experience.

It's just for just about anything I want to do on a tablet the netbook does it better. I like the tablet for some things (nicer than an iphone for example, and nicer than a netbook for frequent travel) but I guess I just am not in enough situations where I find it useful.
 
Andrew_Carr said:
The issue with android isn't really file formats or the OS. I don't have a problem with that. Android on the tablet works well enough for me. I don't think windows 7/8 will dramatically change the tablet experience.
Click to expand...

I guess it all depends on what one would want out of a tablet experience. If you're looking for a typical media consumption tablet for things like web surfing, media playback, et. then Android currently provides a nicer UI and better tablet focused hardware at least compared to Windows 7.

But Windows tablets are pretty good for productive tasks due to the applications support and particularly with a pen. And the best Windows tablets are great for note taking.
 
I have my ICOO D10 4.3 Inch Android 2.3 Dual Operating System MP4 Player Support 1080P . It is not tablet pc, only a mp 4 . But it runs android 2.3 and only about $50. I use it for playing games and watching movies outside . Especially when I need to wait my friends
 
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