What do us TrekBBSers use tablets for?

[Mark_Nguyen]

I'm mulling over getting a tablet computer, but for the life of me I can't figure out WHY I want one, beyond the natural geek factor. So, I'm asking what my fellow geeks who have them are using them for.

Right now, nevermind WHAT kind of tablet to potentially get (I'm leaning to Android over iOS / Windows, but that's another thread). I want to know what you've bought one for, and what you've ended up using it for. Web surfing? Email? Doing stuff on the go? Tossing birds around? "Work"?

For context: I'm a corporate sales guy with a work-provided laptop (that I generally don't use outside of work) and blackberry (which I do use for light browsing, email and social media, but again it's work-provided and I'm not a fan of typing on the tiny thumbpad or touchscreen). Outside of that, I do plenty of web stuff, downloading and video/image manipulation on my desktop at home. I'm also big on improv theatre and spend 2-3 nights a month on average running a comedy troupe to that effect. Would a tablet fit my lifestyle?

I really doubt I could convince my wife to spend $400-$600 on a tablet and get away with it after it spends a couple months keeping the table level, once the novelty fades. So, I want to see what you guys are using yours for first. Some people are telling me that these things are the wave of the future and these will ultimately replace laptops for mobility and low-cycle usage. I'm wondering what's behind this school of thought.

Please feel free to force your opinions upon me. Cheers!

Mark

 

[46379.1]

I don't own a laptop so I usually use my tablet when watching TV, like during commercial breaks. Some light web surf, like, there's always some actor och some things you see in a show that you want to check out more.

Of course at home I'm connected to my wireless internet, but when you're on the go, like on the bus/subway/train that's not always an option, you don't find open wireless networks everywhere. Then I usually, read e-books/listen to audiobooks or look at shows/movies I've download to the tablet (from my "real" computer). I'm not that into games but I'm sure there's alot of them to download or other fun apps.


Like you, I don't like to write on touchscreens either, but I'm thinking of buying this sort of case with a keyboard you connect with usb.

But if you don't really know if you want one, or just want to play around you dont have to buy one for $400-$600, there's much cheaper ones out there (specially with Android).

And of course, as a Star Trek fan, when walking around with the tablet it really feels surreal, you can always pretend you have a report to deliver to the Captain.

 

[Marc]

Another who browses the web while in front of the tv but also
a) watching streamed video from my desktop
b) reading e-books
c) computer remote administration
d) playing games.

 

[Tiberius]

I've found that a netbook can do just about everythiung a tablet can.

 

[sojourner]

^And weigh twice as much.

 

[Tiberius]

I have a tablet and a netbook. They are either virually identical in weight or the netbook is lighter.

 

[Kataaran]

I use my iPad for some light coding, managing todo lists for work, sketching, project planning, reading RSS feeds, forums... Oh and a bit of surfing.

 

[Shatnertage]

I'm also trying to decide between a tablet and a netbook. I'd use it primarily for taking notes when I'm interviewing people in the field, maybe for working on articles too. I already use my iPhone for email/social media when I'm not on a desktop, so that's about all I need it for.

Any advice?

 

[Lindley]

In my opinion, tablets are far better for consuming content than creating it. That includes writing. I do have a bluetooth keyboard, but I find I rarely use it; the virtual keyboard is just easier since I don't have to find a surface to put the iPad down on.

The iPad is great for vacations. You can take it along far more easily than a laptop, for those occasional I-need-to-check-my-reservation type stuff. It can also double as a GPS navigator for the car, although I've yet to find a free app better at that than the included Maps app.

It's easier than a laptop to read a recipe off of in the kitchen. It's easier to look up a quick fact while watching TV than pulling out an entire computer. It's good for quick stuff, in general.

Could an iPhone serve the purpose as well? Possibly. But I don't have one so I can't say for sure.

 

[B.J.]

In my opinion, tablets are far better for consuming content than creating it.

Completely agree. I don't have a tablet, but if/when they come up with one that has a pressure sensitive screen and an optional stylus, then I'll probably get one. (I don't care if Jobs said "If you need a stylus, they blew it." I need one for drawing and writing!)

 

[46379.1]

I'm also trying to decide between a tablet and a netbook. I'd use it primarily for taking notes when I'm interviewing people in the field, maybe for working on articles too. I already use my iPhone for email/social media when I'm not on a desktop, so that's about all I need it for.

Any advice?

In that case, netbook, much easier and better to write with.

 

[Shatnertage]

Thanks.

 

[Marc]

In my opinion, tablets are far better for consuming content than creating it.

Completely agree. I don't have a tablet, but if/when they come up with one that has a pressure sensitive screen and an optional stylus, then I'll probably get one. (I don't care if Jobs said "If you need a stylus, they blew it." I need one for drawing and writing!)

The HTC Flyer has the option for for a pen/stylus.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4463/the-htc-flyer-review

As to content creation I don't think that's something the netpads do particularly well either. the screen size, poor quality screens, the tiny keyboards and how you have to sit etc to use them all works against them.

 

[backstept]

I have a Nook Color that I mainly read books on, but I rooted it so it's got all the bells and whistles Android comes with
only downside is that the nook is a bit slower than the twice as costly 'real' tablets out there

all things considered, I love my nook color
it's a 7" screen so it's smaller and easier to manage than the larger 10" devices

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I use my iPad most often for Kindle reading, watching baseball games on MLB.TV, reading TrekBBS, and playing solitaire and other assorted games.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Thanks for the responses so far! Some great details I hadn't considered.

Context note: I'm not a gamer by any stretch - no cars, no shooters, no launching of cartoon birds. Do most people use tablets for games?

Value question: For those who have invested in a tablet, do you feel you've gotten your worth from it, so far?

Ergonomics question: How important is it for your tablet to be light and/or thin? Only two larger tablets (iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1) are of the ultralight and thin (<1.35 lbs; < 9mm) category, with everything else being thicker and at least 15-20% heavier. Numbers don't say much - how much does size and weight matter? So far I've only held tablets for a few moments at a time at the store; not enough to really get a user experience, which is really what I'm buying here. Are people generally happy with their earlier tablet models, or should one wait until EVERY tablet will be (?) thin and light..?

Mark

 

[Lindley]

No problems with the weight of the iPad 1.

Context note: I'm not a gamer by any stretch - no cars, no shooters, no launching of cartoon birds. Do most people use tablets for games?

There are a fair number of games available (I recommend Knight Defense, it's a cross between tower defense and chess). But that's been the norm for every new device for the last few decades: Palm had games, TI-83s had games, etc.

 

[jerriecan]

I'd have to go with a netbook for actually creating content. Tablets are good for reading or watching or browsing, but not so much for typing or working. if you're going to type, I say go with the tablet.

 

[23skidoo]

I've little use for tablets - I was actually lent an "EPAD" to try out and I'm not impressed (among others things it seems to be absolutely useless without an active internet connection; I live in a building with no wifi or hubs so to get it to work I have to disconnect my work computer from the Net and plug directly in ... which defeats the whole purpose).

But even though I have no interest personally I have been keeping a close eye on the people I meet with through work and meetings, and in my social life, and that EPAD I mentioned is the only non-iPad I have seen. Everyone is using iPads. I don't know if that makes them better or what than the other options, but I am getting a VHS vs. Beta/Blu-ray vs HD-DVD vibe. So if someone put a gun to my head and forced me to buy a tablet, I'd probably go with an iPad, not just because I'm a Mac user anyway (and I would assume text and other material created for iPad - apps notwithstanding - would work on a Mac) but because it seems like iPad is dominating the market, and with Industry Week and other publications reporting this week on Apple's profits doubling on the strength of iPads and iPhones alone, I'd tend to agree.

Not everyone will be happy. But then it's generally accepted that Beta was superior to VHS in every way -- only VHS had the stronger marketing. I think similar argument re: HD-DVD has also been made. The best choice doesn't always win.

Alex

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Thing is, in the videocasette and HD disc "wars", it WAS an actual war; the market only had room for one format in the long term and VHS and BluRay won. Here, it seems to be the reverse of the PC/Mac competition for desktop OS in that largely Apple leads the tablet device market BUT there is room for at least one less popular alternative (Android in this case).

My research indicates that WebOS and Blackberry's OS will not win any significant market share in the foreseeable future, which suggests that a couple years from now everyone will have an iSomething to fill this niche, and those that don't will have an Android something (or a Windows 8 something if Microsoft plays their cards right). Everyone else will either fill a small niche (Blackberry may find it with their security and corporate angle) or disappear.

Been watching some TNG-era Trek recently, and yeah... I never quite realized how EVERYONE had those PADDs. While they got the concept of using a tablet computing device to replace paper, the execution was lacking since they hadn't gotten around to wireless networks - why don't they just email a report to the captain instead of physically handing a PADD to them, eh?

Mark