What do you use your tablet for?

E

ekuest

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
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i, and i believe many other people like myself, dont understand what tablets are for. so far i have owned a touchpad and a nook color, as well as an entourage pocket edge. none of them seemed to be worth their MSRP to me. (i got the edge off woot after it was discontinued, touchpad from fire sale, and nook color by trading my touchpad.) so who's buying tablets at MSRP and what are you using them for? i still have my nook color, and so far it has always seemed liked my laptop would have been better suited to every situation. there hasnt yet come a time when the slightly smaller size and weight have been necessary. the edge is awesome because i can read ebooks in the sun (im in hawaii) or in a dark room on its 2 screens, and i can use the android side to look up words, play games, or check gmail/hardforum/whatever if theres internet. i guess what im asking is, has anyone found a use for a tablet that makes it worth $300-500? im not trying to be an asshole or ridicule anyone, just honestly wondering what good apps/uses are out there. thanks!

(also, nook color suggestions are what interest me most right now since i have one. touchpad help is good too since i might still get another and since so many people on this forum have them.)
 
I have the same question. I have been debating on getting one to see what the hubub is about.

You could take it to an internet cafe to do... well you cant check your email or sign into anything. Only an idiot would sign into thier primary email or bank stuff at a public wifi...

Watch a movie? maybe, but you couldnt store but maybe 1-2 movies on these things... unless it was very highly compressed. Stream maybe if you have a wifi available, but you wouldnt want to sign into it at a public wifi and if your at home, you would be using your actual computer...

hmm.. The only thing one of these does that my phone doesnt do is present a larger screen and possibly play angry birds... And I hardly use my phone...

I have debated on getting an E-Book reader, since thats the only concievable purpose I could come up with, but if that was the case, I would just buy one of those instead. That being said, I still prefer to have the actual book so I have always talked myself out of it.

I easily spend 14+ hours a day around computers and still cant see any real purpose... Like you said, you could be a decent netbook or light laptop for the cost of some of these things..
 
Only reason I have my nook color is ebook reading (I cut through about ~2000 or so ebooks, mostly scifi, lol, on a HP iPaq's teeny 3.2" display... never again), because my Atrix doesn't do so well at that (any sort of pentile, overall, still is worse than true RGB array for this, IMO), and my Focus' battery life is not super great (Atrix is downclocked to 750MHz).

Occasionally, Netflix. But even that is rare, as my laptop does it so much better...
 
KarsusTG said:
I have the same question. I have been debating on getting one to see what the hubub is about.

You could take it to an internet cafe to do... well you cant check your email or sign into anything. Only an idiot would sign into thier primary email or bank stuff at a public wifi...

Watch a movie? maybe, but you couldnt store but maybe 1-2 movies on these things... unless it was very highly compressed. Stream maybe if you have a wifi available, but you wouldnt want to sign into it at a public wifi and if your at home, you would be using your actual computer...

hmm.. The only thing one of these does that my phone doesnt do is present a larger screen and possibly play angry birds... And I hardly use my phone...

I have debated on getting an E-Book reader, since thats the only concievable purpose I could come up with, but if that was the case, I would just buy one of those instead. That being said, I still prefer to have the actual book so I have always talked myself out of it.

I easily spend 14+ hours a day around computers and still cant see any real purpose... Like you said, you could be a decent netbook or light laptop for the cost of some of these things..
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yep yep. though reading on an e-ink screen really is all its cracked up to be, especially in direct sunlight.

jeremyshaw said:
Only reason I have my nook color is ebook reading (I cut through about ~2000 or so ebooks, mostly scifi, lol, on a HP iPaq's teeny 3.2" display... never again), because my Atrix doesn't do so well at that (any sort of pentile, overall, still is worse than true RGB array for this, IMO), and my Focus' battery life is not super great (Atrix is downclocked to 750MHz).

Occasionally, Netflix. But even that is rare, as my laptop does it so much better...
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how do you like ebook reading on the nook colors screen? can you read at all in direct sunlight? i read one book on my iphone (abridged count of monte cristo, which is still stupid long) and decided to never do that again.
 
I have read on small reflective displays for a long time, now, so I am probably use to it. :p

Otherwise, I do have a matte screen protector installed on my NC. At max brightness, I can somewhat easily read in direct sunlight. Sadly, only about 3-4 hours of battery life at that point. I am running the latest CM7 nighlies, however. No OC.

At min brightness and no wireless, the nook/kindle/googlebooks apps can handle about 10+ hours of book reading just fine on the nook color. My old iPaq strained to get 2 hours off the charger (mix of MS Reader and IE mobile), though my Atrix gets about 24+ hours (long trips to Brazil). Focus, I just got, so I don't know yet. AMOLED promises a lot of battery life, however.
 
there, I finished my last edit.

EDIT: for reference, it's easiest to browser [H] on the Atrix (CM7 beta), after that, Focus (mango), after that, Zune HD, after that.... maybe the Nook Color. I think it has more to do with the stock KB being horrible on the nook color, though. Ever since the market required a 160DPI setting in CM7, it's just gotten BAD. But with custom KB, easily solved. I just don't do enough surfing to care. :p
 
Ebooks:
With the Kindle app I read an ebook on my tablet almost daily. Sometimes I may start reading a book on my phone if I'm somewhere without the tablet, then pick up where I left off on the tablet later. All my tablets have IPS displays, so reading on them is quite nice indoors. Outdoors I have to use maximum brightness in the shade and direct sunlight is just too difficult.

Manga:
I have liked anime for a while, but wasn't a big manga reader, because reading on the computer awkward. But after getting a tablet I fell in love with manga reading. Tablets are absolutely perfect for this and now read manga daily on my tablet.

Twitter/Facebook/Websurfing:
Reading the web while kicking back on the sofa or chaise lounge chair on the covered back porch is relaxing.

Those are really the big things I do with my tablet, but I do it quite a bit and definitely found it justifies the $500 I spent on my tablet.

I used to play games on the tablet, but I think that novelty wore off. I don't look at email on my tablet because I usually do that on my cell phone or computer instead.
 
Galaxy Tab 10.1 owner here.

I use mine for web-browsing and Netflix which is exactly what I used my crappy netbook for, but this tablet does it MUCH better.

I have a customer ROM on it with an overclocked kernel and I LOVE the thing.
 
I use my iPad 2 for a plethora of things. The generic browsing, typing (bluetooth keyboard for stretches longer than 3 sentences), movies, games, and music. True you can do all of these things on a laptop, but I'm on the move too much to be tied down by either a large device (>13") or the need for a power cord (<7 hours of battery life).

My Nook Color on the other hand, was a device I got in response to the netbooks I had had before it. I went from an HP Mini 211 to a 1215N to some really cheap XP based compaq trying to find something that gave me the right balance of power and battery life. When I couldn't find it, and I also realized the only thing I really wanted to do at the time was have a device for couch surfing (a G73 isn't too great for that), I went with the Nook Color last December. This was before I had read about rooting it and how it was basically one of the most open devices out there.

After rooting and toying with my Nook Color, I realized that I really liked the tablet form factor, but the screen size was bugging me. Casual browsing on a tablet, to me, is more enjoyable than web browsing on a computer. When I graduated this last may, I was given $650 to either buy a laptop or a tablet. There weren't really any laptops in that price range that I really wanted, so I nabbed the iPad 2 and the Zagg/Logitech keyboard and hard case.

My needs had evolved above what the Nook Color could offer. When I used the Nook Color as my primary device, the majority of the gaming I did on it was with emulators. But I also played that 3D dungeon MMO thing for a bit. I also used it for PDF files (at the time, I was printing 40-50 pages a day on just science articles), and the NC was great for that. It was my primary internet surfing device when in bed or on the couch.

When I got the Galaxy S II back in August, that was pretty much it for my Nook Color usage. It's a great device but the S II is just all around better (minus the screen size, but even the S II screen puts the Nook to shame. I now have the nook hooked up to some speakers in my kitchen for listening to music while I cook.

To the OP: You're looking at three very fringe products and making a judgement on an entire market that has two much more evolved tablet OS's above the ones you've used (native honeycomb being the one that's miles ahead of what runs on the Nook Color). If you don't like the devices you use, than it's probably a sign that you just don't have a need for the gadget. It's ok not to like things and not to need them.

Tablets really are a peripheral device and probably will remain so until either the iOS gets a huge power bump or Windows 8 is released. I use mine every day, sometimes into the 8+ hour zone, so I don't say that lightly. But it's hard to say there's anything that the iPad 2 does better than a laptop. It does many things differently, and it's the differences that make it refreshing and enjoyable for me.

(Tried to keep that as Nook Color centered as I could, while still commenting on my general tablet usage)
 
thanks for writing that reply Bomo. its true i have used some fringe devices, and i never expected the edge or the touchpad to be very useful to me since both were already EOL'd when i bought them. i just hadnt found web browsing or email or anything to be more enjoyable on either of them than on my laptop, and was wondering how people use them that makes them useful. i am pretty sure tablets just arent going to be my thing ever. i bought my laptop used for $200 about 2 years ago, and its literally 50 times as useful as any tablet. it is a pretty lightweight, medium-sized, long-life laptop, so maybe if i had a higher-end laptop a tablet might be more useful to me.

and RW2112, i bought the nook color with cyanogenmod 7 already on it, but i have to admit ive only used it for an hour or two so far.
 
ekuest said:
thanks for writing that reply Bomo. its true i have used some fringe devices, and i never expected the edge or the touchpad to be very useful to me since both were already EOL'd when i bought them. i just hadnt found web browsing or email or anything to be more enjoyable on either of them than on my laptop, and was wondering how people use them that makes them useful. i am pretty sure tablets just arent going to be my thing ever. i bought my laptop used for $200 about 2 years ago, and its literally 50 times as useful as any tablet. it is a pretty lightweight, medium-sized, long-life laptop, so maybe if i had a higher-end laptop a tablet might be more useful to me.

and RW2112, i bought the nook color with cyanogenmod 7 already on it, but i have to admit ive only used it for an hour or two so far.
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My usage breaks down about like this:
50% Internet Browsing
15% Games
15% Typing Documents (Pages is a great app but I prefer a PC for this still [Full size keyboard])
10% Music
10% Other (Movies, Banking Apps, Blogging, doodling, skype)

Absolutely none of that is exclusive to the iPad/Tablet market. Anyone who says that a tablet offers something that computers don't is probably lieing. What a tablet does do is it makes all of this easier because it's almost entirely content consumption. It's a feeding device. You can (and I do) use tablets for work, but it's mainly about taking things in and less about putting things out there.

- Little to no boot time
- Long battery life
- Very nice screens (for the most part. The Nook Color has a phenomenal display)
- Simple to use

It's all about taking crap in, in a very easy to use and instant gratification kind of way. On my iPad, I use an app called Appshopper and in a way it's almost more entertaining to see how many apps I can acquire. Tablets are fun devices that pull on our need to be instantly connected and to constantly consume. Just look at the soon to be released Amazon Kindle Fire. It's a tablet with one button (on/off) and a touchscreen, serving up games/movies/tv shows/music. It's meant for consuming as much as you can.

I would say very few people need an iPad/Honeycomb Tablet/Nook Color/Fire, much in the same way very few people NEED a T.V. There are alternatives, and some of those can entertain/do what the T.V. does as well, but it's just such a convenient device that after you've used it, you couldn't imagine going back to how you used to do it. T.V. may be a bit of an extreme example (since it's been a stapple in the American household for nearly 60-70 years, while tablets have only really started to take off), but I think it illustrates a similar feeling for many people.

One big difference for me between the Nook Color and the iPad2 is that after about a month or two, the Nook Color lost it's thrill and I stopped using it except in class as a document reader. The iPad 2 has yet to lose any of fun for me. I honestly have no idea why.

Clearly I'm biased towards the tablet camp. But I don't think of it as a tablet vs. pc thing. It's a supplemental consumption based device.

Edit: As soon as I get home, I'll totally step off my soap box of Tablet Tolerance and turn on my Nook Color and tell you what games/apps I had on it. I remember one that was a lot of fun (and a huge time waster) was something like Network Connection. It's just a tile based game that you turn squares trying to connect all the PC's. Lot's o' fun.
 
Bomo said:
Edit: As soon as I get home, I'll totally step off my soap box of Tablet Tolerance and turn on my Nook Color and tell you what games/apps I had on it. I remember one that was a lot of fun (and a huge time waster) was something like Network Connection. It's just a tile based game that you turn squares trying to connect all the PC's. Lot's o' fun.
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im pretty sure thats how you set up your wireless, not meant to be a game. :p

ok cool. personally, i still dont see the point, as most laptops are plenty small enough to carry around the house, use for a few hours at a time, etc. i do just fine taking crap in on my work computer, htpc, and laptop, and really just cant find a decent reason for me personally to want one. well it sounds like im not gonna get much use out of any tablet i own, so maybe i'll give the nook to my mom or my brother.
 
Asus TF here, see signature. I mainly use it for couch surfing and watching TV on the way (University VPN everywhere, 3G plans will cost you an arm and a leg here) - things that I used to do with my phone before. Also, it helped me to even spend my last few seconds before sleeping on the net (when alone :rolleyes:). I play relatively few games, but I watch movies and shows streamed or via my external hard disk (I was positively surprised to see that Honeycomb has native support for NTFS when I connected my 3.5" Elements). I also often use TuneIn Radio for listening to music - even while on my main laptop. It's just too convenient. :D

Thanks to the awesome keyboard dock I also use it for light work sometimes, with TeamViewer or Remote Desktop via TSG. I also take it to light lectures (non programmer stuff) where I can go without jacket or bag; just me and my tablet - I live 15 minutes away and go there by train. All documents sync wonderfully via Dropbox, and battery lasts for like 20 hours. If I have to write something down, there's Polaris Office. Plus it only weighs a fraction of a big laptop, so it's ideal to take it for a little afternoon study at the university if the weather's good.

That said, it turned out to be a little more than just a toy for me. Even though I just bought it because I thought it was too damn cute. :eek:
 
KarsusTG said:
I have the same question. I have been debating on getting one to see what the hubub is about.

You could take it to an internet cafe to do... well you cant check your email or sign into anything. Only an idiot would sign into thier primary email or bank stuff at a public wifi...

Guess most of us are idiots, you are likely too paranoid but hey, to each his own, this has nothing to do with a tablet specifically though.

Watch a movie? maybe, but you couldnt store but maybe 1-2 movies on these things... unless it was very highly compressed. Stream maybe if you have a wifi available, but you wouldnt want to sign into it at a public wifi and if your at home, you would be using your actual computer...

No reason not to use public wifi, see above.....nothing specific to a tablet, your reasoning would equally apply to any device.

hmm.. The only thing one of these does that my phone doesnt do is present a larger screen and possibly play angry birds... And I hardly use my phone...

If you had a top end Android handset you would use your phone a lot more, that being said I could do everything on my phone that I could do on my tablet, but the tablet is a ton faster because of the larger screen and much nicer to use for the same tasks.

I have debated on getting an E-Book reader, since thats the only concievable purpose I could come up with, but if that was the case, I would just buy one of those instead. That being said, I still prefer to have the actual book so I have always talked myself out of it.

It also can be used as a nice e-reader yes. I used the google books app myself.

I easily spend 14+ hours a day around computers and still cant see any real purpose... Like you said, you could be a decent netbook or light laptop for the cost of some of these things..

i also spend all day around them at work and home. I have a laptop and netbook. Both are far too large and heavy and hot and cumbersome to want to use like I used my tablet. Couch surfing is best on a tablet with touch interaction. The battery life is phenomenal. I left my charger at work because of the battery life, I don't need to be always looking for my next charge like my phone. I plug it in the next day at work and when I leave work it's ready to go. At work many times it is used as a desktop internet radio with it's great stereo speakers. It does Exchange email better than any other device period.
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It's all about convenience. Can you do all of that on a desktop, laptop or netbook? Of course. But if that's your reason for not using one, you've completely missed the point to begin with. Portability, touch interface, superior battery life, the ability to do everything my laptop or netbook can do without having to lug them around with power cord in tow....they really help you diversify your device use. I used my phone for everything prior to getting the tablet. Actually sold my desktop. Got a netbook, found that the netbook sat for days at a time unused......although its good to have handy. What finally caused me to sell my tablet and get a laptop was school. Needing to have access to Office and none of that kludgy open office crap. Also typing papers is better done on a laptop. The desktop is a thing of the past now in our home. Nobody wants to be in the other room by themselves to use a computer....

When we get some affordable Windows 8 capable tablets, I will get another one. They do have their place but much like cell phones, people resist change and refuse to see it for what it is, a way to increase quality of life.
 
I ordered the Kindle Fire since it was only $200. I already most of the Amazon services (Cloud Drive, Cloud Player, Prime streaming, Kindle App...) So a device that combines all of those services together will be great.

My main intended use is for work email at home. Normally I have two options for checking email at home:
1) Use the iPhone (small screen :( )
2) Pull out the lapper and fire up VPN (annoying to get out the RSA token and laptop just to read email)

With a tablet I will have the "always on connection" to my email (like the iPhone), and the bigger screen (like a laptop).

I am planning on using Touchdown unless I stumble across a better email app between now and when the Fire is released.

My other uses will include:
ebooks
angry birds
web browsing
pdf reading
movies
music
 
For me:

Meeting notes.
Email.
IM.
Remote management from said meetings.
Internet browsing.
Class notes.
.
.
.
.
.
.
hulu/netflix where I don't feel like lugging the laptop
books.

*edit, and the real benefit, reiterated, is the ease of use and portability.

Carry it to the kitchen and follow along with a recipe. Carry it outside and look up parts diagrams for the part you're looking for on your car. Settle in a chair on the porch and read a book while it rains. Zoom in on a wiring diagram with it 3" behind what you're working on. Stream in some pandora in the bathroom. Hand it to a cranky 5 year old and watch them zone out.

For 10 hours of constant use.
 
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/rant/ said:
Also, it helped me to even spend my last few seconds before sleeping on the net (when alone :rolleyes:).
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;)

nobody_here said:
people resist change and refuse to see it for what it is, a way to increase quality of life.
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thats the thing, i had a touchpad and i hated it. every one loves the OS, but i thought it was so slow to do anything i wanted compared to a mouse and keyboard with windows. just checking my email, [H], and slickdeals took me like 10 minutes where it takes me about 30 seconds on my laptop. i hate touch interfaces. theyre clunky and unresponsive and so unbelieveably limited. and typing on a dock/wireless keyboard? id rather have a full keyboard always right there. i have like a 25% typo rate on any touch interface, and having to lug around two different pieces just to have a keyboard there for the occasional time you need it sounds very annoying. i dont get emails every 10 seconds, so checking email every few hours on my laptop works fine. remote desktops are always a pain on a smaller screen (love it on my laptop). i dont know, maybe i just use tech too differently from everyone else, but i guess tablets just arent for me. oh well. still interested to hear other uses if anyone has anything to add to this conversation. i really like tablets, i think theyre incredible hardware and really exciting to touch and look at. i just wish i couldfind something even remotely useful for me to do with them. :)
 
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Paperweight.

Was given a gentouch78 that is underpowered and has a terribly implemented touch screen, so it is pretty much unusable.
 
I've got a nook color that I got as a birthday gift to use as an e-reader (thought I'd also read magazines and other things besides books but that hasn't happened yet) but it's been sitting in my drawer for the past two weeks or so as I haven't been reading as much. Seems like I go through periods of running a lot and then not reading at all.

Besides the NC, I've got a 13" MBA which gets the most use but wouldn't mind if I didn't have it anymore and an incredible 2. Before getting the incredible 2, I had all dumb phones and using the incredible 2 has changed the way to access content for me and also contributes to me not liking my MBA as much. Moreover, regarding the MBA, I don't like being chained to my desk because of the lower battery life, how uncomfortable it is to use while on my bed, and I'm already sitting at my desk all day at work. In the future, I'd like to get rid of the MBA and then maybe get ipad 2/3 or tf2 to use as my main device with my mini computer as storage/server to access/stream TV shows or music.
 
wonSR4 said:
I've got a nook color that I got as a birthday gift to use as an e-reader (thought I'd also read magazines and other things besides books but that hasn't happened yet) but it's been sitting in my drawer for the past two weeks or so as I haven't been reading as much. Seems like I go through periods of running a lot and then not reading at all.

Besides the NC, I've got a 13" MBA which gets the most use but wouldn't mind if I didn't have it anymore and an incredible 2. Before getting the incredible 2, I had all dumb phones and using the incredible 2 has changed the way to access content for me and also contributes to me not liking my MBA as much. Moreover, regarding the MBA, I don't like being chained to my desk because of the lower battery life, how uncomfortable it is to use while on my bed, and I'm already sitting at my desk all day at work. In the future, I'd like to get rid of the MBA and then maybe get ipad 2/3 or tf2 to use as my main device with my mini computer as storage/server to access/stream TV shows or music.
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interesting. whats the battery life on the MBA? i get like 5-7 hours usually on my laptop which is more than enough if i just plug it in every night. i would have thought the MBA got great battery life. im only home and awake for about 7 hours per day anyway. and you say the MBA is uncomfortable to use on your bed? i find a laptop is way better because it sits up on its own, either on my lap sitting up, or on my dresser while i watch a movie lying down. sitting up and trying to hold a tablet in one hand while i type with the other is incredibly annoying. and watching a video lying down is annoying too, as i either have to hold it or prop it up on something the whole time.
 
ekuest said:
interesting. whats the battery life on the MBA? i get like 5-7 hours usually on my laptop which is more than enough if i just plug it in every night. i would have thought the MBA got great battery life. im only home and awake for about 7 hours per day anyway. and you say the MBA is uncomfortable to use on your bed? i find a laptop is way better because it sits up on its own, either on my lap sitting up, or on my dresser while i watch a movie lying down. sitting up and trying to hold a tablet in one hand while i type with the other is incredibly annoying. and watching a video lying down is annoying too, as i either have to hold it or prop it up on something the whole time.
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Haven't measured the battery life but for some reason I feel like battery life took a slight hit when I upgraded to Lion but then again I could be wrong. As for the MBA being uncomfortable to use when I'm in bed, I can't seem to find a comfortable position when using it and either my wrists or back start aching. Of course, I use the trackpad on the MBA and also got used to and really like using touchscreen on the incredible 2. If I could use swype on the TF or ipad, I'd be set. I can always adjust and change the way I do things if I use a tablet as my main device.
 
I use(d) my tablet (Galaxy Tab 10.1) for many of the things I also use my desktop for (no laptop here). Light web surfing, e-mail, reading (both eBooks (via Nook app) and RSS feeds), occasional light/casual gaming, remote desktop (as needed), some Youtube viewing. I used Sketchbook Express for some light sketching. I use Evernote to remember things and store reference materials. Once I find/make a suitable mount for my Jeep, I will also use it for navigation, music, Torque, etc. Eventually I suspect I'll just leave it in my vehicle permanently once I upgrade to a new device.

It doesn't do anything that my desktop doesn't already do, rather the form factor makes it easier in places other than my desk. Laptops are OK, but frankly I'm not a huge fan of them.

As far as using public wifi... I just use my phone as a wireless hotspot when I'm not at home, so that's not really an issue...

Unfortunately I dropped my tablet when I was in a hurry (for no good reason, mind you) and cracked the glass surface, so it needs to be repaired and I haven't gotten any use of it recently. In a way, having broken my tablet has re-affirmed the device's usefulness to me, as I definitely miss it.
 
ekuest said:
im pretty sure thats how you set up your wireless, not meant to be a game. :p
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Lol. Actually it's called Scrambled Net. For some reason (and it's a very simple, non-original game) I absolutely love that game. But then I really like puzzle games.

I also have a Sudoku App on it. Angry Birds, Medieval Castle Defense, and a GBA emulator. The Zenonia titles can be fun when the work, but for some reason Zenonia 3 never works on my Nook Color (and it's currently the only of the 3 that is free, as far as I know).

Pocket Legends was the name of the MMO. It ran like crap on my stock 2.2 Nook Color, but after getting CM7 and a 1200mhz overclock, it was playable for the most part. A lot of fun too.

There are probably other games and "game" (20 second time wasters) that are a lot of fun and I just don't know them.
 
web browsing, multimedia player. Portable 'entertainment' device :p
 
I have an iPad (Gen 1), and while i don't necessarily love it, there are plenty of things i do like about it.

First is games, most are ~ $1.99, and fairly effortless. And when I say effortless, I mean I can start a game in about 4 seconds from launch, and close it with the single press of a button. Second is ease of use, I mean i can use it no matter what position I'm in on my bed (or bus). Third is that it's nice to read the news on in the morning, or after work, I can get everything all in one spot. NPR and USA today are free, and so are many others. I could go on, but I think it would just be me telling all the different random things I do with it.

I'm not really using it as a replacement piece of hardware, it merely supplements my computer use when I'm not on my computer. Just because I travel a desktop, doesn't mean I want to be at the desk all the time. And I suspect the same would hold true if I was at my house.
 
I don't do games. I use my CM7 Nook color for quick email checks. For gaming, I've got a Street Fighter IV app, Mortal Kombat app, etc for movelists. Useful for a gameFAQ while gaming, or quick access to a youtube video walkthrough (like when I was getting lost in a dungeon on Lost Odyssey).

Handy also for ebay (editing auctions with the app is almost faster than the real site). Good also if I'm trying to do something standing up (like checking the value of video games, books, etc while looking at the shelf).

Couchsurfing -wise it's mainly the NPR news app or Facebook mainly when the kids are watching Dora or something.

It's very handy for recipes too - I can bring up a recipe in Dolphin or a recipe app to use while I'm cooking.

I don't read on it, I use my e-ink Nook for reading. :D

I don't value a tablet enough to spend $500 on one. They aren't that good of a gadget to me. They are like a $200-$300 value gadget, tops, in my book.
 
I use my tablet to ebooks,web browsing,pdf reading,movies,music .I also want to play game with my tablet. but it is not good as computer.
 
I replaced a Dell netbook with an iPad and haven't looked back. It completes all the necessary functions as the netbook with some appropiate apps and handles movies, e-magazines and email in such an easier fashion. Also, the battery life is fantastic and the hardware/ especially screen is mountains better than my netbook. Do I regret my purchase? Absolutely not. Do I wish it wasn't 500 bucks? Yes, but I can see why it is priced where it is. The aluminum structure and quality is worth it compared to a plasticy cheaply made dell.

Also, if you travel and sit in airports as much as I do, an iPad like device is perfect. Most notably, the fact that it is instantly on without having a sleep mode.
 
ASUS Transformer here -
1. eBook Reading
2. Movies and Entertainment while traveling
3. Goof off gaming when I just want to chill
4. Web surfing while in front of the TV
 
I have a touchpad with cm7 on it and use it almost exclusively for couch surfing when watching TV. I know others do more with their tablets especially if they have 3/4g on it, but for me it's just not practical for much else and I wouldn't even own one if it didn't cost $99.
 
Asus transformer
Fantasy football tracking and some rare webbrowsing.. also let my son play some baby games on it.
 
i sold my Acer A500 and bought a Kindle Fire for my daughter for christmas. She's an avid reader and artist.
 
still havent found a use for my touchpad or my nook color, both with CM7. my laptop is just infinitely faster and more useful. both of them are just desk clocks now and havent been used for more than an hour. im giving the touchpad to my sister in law for christmas and trying to sell the nook color. anyone interested in a nook color with CM7 installed? one minor scratch on the bezel, clean screen! $150 shipped! :)
 
Archos G9 80 8.9"

I use it for a little gaming, internet, and LOTS of reading (PDF, Kindle, Manga, comics). The 4:3 ratio is great for reading tech PDFs and not so good for video, but I rarely ever watch anything one it save a Destructiod episode here and there.
 
ekuest said:
still havent found a use for my touchpad or my nook color, both with CM7. my laptop is just infinitely faster and more useful. both of them are just desk clocks now and havent been used for more than an hour. im giving the touchpad to my sister in law for christmas and trying to sell the nook color. anyone interested in a nook color with CM7 installed? one minor scratch on the bezel, clean screen! $150 shipped! :)
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what sucks is the weight, size, heat and battery life of the laptop.....thats the kicker, i can lay down on my back on the couch and hold my tablet with one hand and surf just as fast as my laptop and do it for hours upon hours. no laptop can do that comfortably
 
iPad 2

Surfing the internet - (especially when I'm watching TV/movie in the living room or laying in bed). I hate worrying about plugging a fan exhaust/intake vent on my laptop or having to use a book when the thing eventually gets red hot. Also don't have to worry about running out of battery.

General media consumtion - I often use my ipad for justin.tv, netflix, XM Radio, Revision 3, etc

Gaming - Again, it's a lot more convenient than a laptop if I'm in bed or sitting on the couch/recliner in the living room. Not heat, don't have to worry about the battery and don't have to worry about blocking vents.

Reading - ebooks and PDF's

Skype - Use it to stay in touch with family and friends. A lot more convenient than having to sit in front of my desktop or laptop. You can just carry it around with you through the house as you're video chatting.

eMail - Again, more convenient than firing up my laptop or desktop to check for mail.

Pretty much, convenience. I can do just about any task on my tablet that I can on a traditional computer with less hastle... especially once you start using remote desktop software like Splashtop. The sky is the limit
 
nobody_here said:
what sucks is the weight, size, heat and battery life of the laptop.....thats the kicker, i can lay down on my back on the couch and hold my tablet with one hand and surf just as fast as my laptop and do it for hours upon hours. no laptop can do that comfortably
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really? i find it extremely uncomfortable to sit with one hand in the air holding a tablet. i have to do everything (including typing) with one hand,and i have to constantly hold it up with the other. putting my laptop on my lap sitting up or on my chest or night table (coffee table in the living room) is so much more comfortable for me. maybe thats the main reason i dont like tablets. maybe im just not getting the whole convenience/comfort thing. also my laptop is a pretty lightweight, thin, long battery life one (see sig) so it doesnt bother me as much as some other laptops might.
 
ekuest said:
really? i find it extremely uncomfortable to sit with one hand in the air holding a tablet. i have to do everything (including typing) with one hand,and i have to constantly hold it up with the other. putting my laptop on my lap sitting up or on my chest or night table (coffee table in the living room) is so much more comfortable for me. maybe thats the main reason i dont like tablets. maybe im just not getting the whole convenience/comfort thing. also my laptop is a pretty lightweight, thin, long battery life one (see sig) so it doesnt bother me as much as some other laptops might.
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I sort of understand that. Honestly, you almost need to build up muscle for it. Sort of like when someone first starts driving a standard transmission... your clutch leg can get a little stiff/tired at first, but after a while, you don't even notice it anymore.

With that said though, you really don't need to hold it at all. You can put it on your lap, knee, crook of your arm (like a painters easel), etc and still use it comfortably. When I first got my iPad, I found it to be a little awkward to hold, but that wears off pretty fast... you just need to get used to it and find what's comfortable for you.

As for sitting hunched over a coffee table hacking away on a laptop, I don't know how anyone finds that comfortable. My back aches just thinking about it.
 
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