Thoughts on Tablets?

Moved to Tech Talk.

My college is rumoring that they're going to be 'giving' them away to students who use financial aid. The only thing I would use it for is the PDF reader. It would be a lot easier carrying around a tablet than 100 pound books. So for free, I'll take one in a second.

I used to use my Android phone for my PDF books, but the screen was difficult to read in class, and the profs always thought I was texting.

Actually buying one though is a different story. It does have a lot of purposes, but it's nothing that an iPhone or Android couldn't do already.
 
I agree with shadows. For a PDF reader or eBook reader, as long as the screen is good of course, then it wouldn't be too bad. But also like he said, they can't do anything that an Android or iPhone can't do.
 
I have a xoom.

For browsing the web, it is ideal. It pretty much takes the place of a laptop. Games aren't quite there yet, but since it has only been on the market for a few weeks, i can expect it to get better.

I think tablets are great. A lot easier to carry than a laptop, battery doesn't suck, and you look cool :cool:

To counter some of your arguements:
-Cases do not cost $50. My overpriced case that I bought from verizon was only $40, and there are cheaper/better ones online.
-If you have a laptop, you just throw it in your back pack? I know i don't, I have mine is a sleeve or something.
-Apple A5 and Tegra 2 are not the same chip. Architecturally similar, but not the same.
-Advertising is misleading on all products, i really dont think it is exclusive to tablets. Hell, apple even says false stuff about their own laptops.
 
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I have a Nook Color that I got for nearly nothing and promptly rooted. To be honest, I don't find it all that useful for much beyond reading books and my RSS feeds, anything more intense on the go and I'll use my netbook which is plenty portable, backed up every time it's on when I'm at home, and so cheap that it wouldn't break my heart if it took a flying leap.
 
I think the tablets are a glorious waste of money, to be honest.

iPad is made by apple. Garbage. Samsung Tab and the Motorola whatever.. You have to have a data plan, which in some plans is $50 or more. And for what? A really big phone that can't make phone calls. It does everything a phone can, without the phone calls part.

I think they are indeed cool, but if I was buying a tablet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220961

I think the price is a bit exaggerated though.
 
Mister Adam said:
I think the tablets are a glorious waste of money, to be honest.

iPad is made by apple. Garbage. Samsung Tab and the Motorola whatever.. You have to have a data plan, which in some plans is $50 or more. And for what? A really big phone that can't make phone calls. It does everything a phone can, without the phone calls part.

I think they are indeed cool, but if I was buying a tablet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220961

I think the price is a bit exaggerated though.
Click to expand...

Now that is a tablet. Keyboard, lots of RAM and a nice processor.
 
I like tablets but I can't think of a reason why I'd need one. They look cool and stuff but I can't see any practical uses for one in my life.
 
I'd rather have a ZiiO than a netbook or cheap laptop that you MIGHT get for the ?200 that it costs. (It's got Android 2.2 now too)
creative_ziio.jpg

Also there's such thing as a plastic screen cover protector...
 
I have no use for one. My phone does everything the tablet can do and my PC and laptop do everything else.

I always thought of them as useless. Also, how are you going to carry it...in your pocket?
 
eurocracy said:
I'd rather have a ZiiO than a netbook or cheap laptop that you MIGHT get for the ?200 that it costs. (It's got Android 2.2 now too)
[img removed to save space]
Also there's such thing as a plastic screen cover protector...
Click to expand...

It's running Android, does that mean it has to have a phone plan?
 
The iPad is great. I couldn't really imagine life without it at this point. The battery life is incredible. I charge the thing maybe twice a week and am constantly using it. It's the first thing I look at in the morning and the last thing I look at before I go to bed. It's a great tool for web browsing, vnc connections to control the computers around the house, email, quick ssh into a server, etc. With dropbox it doesn't really need a lot of storage space, and can access my entire library of books, sheet music (this thing is great for sheet music! -- backlit for playing at night), photos, music, etc. For traveling it's great -- it fits in the magazine slot behind my seat in my truck. It's a luxury browsing device and media consumption machine for sure, but I can't live without it anymore. It's basically a lightweight screen for viewing your data from the cloud and controlling your computers remotely. It never gets warm and you don't ever have to worry about your battery dying. I know people will hate on it because it's an Apple product and that's the cool thing to do on the internet, but I'm a pc user and have learned to open my mind a bit and accept things for what they are. If I lost it today I would order a new one immediately -- I can't say that about a lot of my other things.
 
I agree that tablets are great to replace college textbooks. I'm not buying into it yet, but maybe in a couple semesters.
 
FreakingHell said:
I agree that tablets are great to replace college textbooks. I'm not buying into it yet, but maybe in a couple semesters.
Click to expand...

I only think that would be a viable option if the school gave out a tablet to each student (who has to pay a hefty fine with immediate action if they try to steal it). Else, it would just cost a bunch more to get the convenience of not carrying around books.

That would be pretty awesome, though.
 
eurocracy said:
I'd rather have a ZiiO than a netbook or cheap laptop that you MIGHT get for the ?200 that it costs. (It's got Android 2.2 now too)
creative_ziio.jpg

Also there's such thing as a plastic screen cover protector...
Click to expand...

Yeah but that screen protector wont protect against a force that is applied directly upon it. Say if a basketball hits your backpack while your tablet is in it.
 
Mister Adam said:
I think the tablets are a glorious waste of money, to be honest.

iPad is made by apple. Garbage. Samsung Tab and the Motorola whatever.. You have to have a data plan, which in some plans is $50 or more. And for what? A really big phone that can't make phone calls. It does everything a phone can, without the phone calls part.

I think they are indeed cool, but if I was buying a tablet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220961

I think the price is a bit exaggerated though.
Click to expand...

if only w7 didn't suck for touch input.


Krause said:
Yeah but that screen protector wont protect against a force that is applied directly upon it. Say if a basketball hits your backpack while your tablet is in it.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that would break a laptop too.
 
Krause said:
Yeah but that screen protector wont protect against a force that is applied directly upon it. Say if a basketball hits your backpack while your tablet is in it.
Click to expand...

I don't really think I would be too worried about it.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4vvQq7BpiE[/ame]

Drops are an entirely different issue, but that would kill a laptop too. My case has a screen cover and I have never been worried about it getting damaged when it's in a bag. Tablets are pretty stout devices. No moving parts either.
 
I got a Xoom, but had buyer's regret, so I returned it (didn't really need it, especially at the price it was being sold for).

Of course, Asus has an interesting tablet offer coming out sometime this month.

Specs:
* Unique two-part design with docking keyboard
* Android 3.0 operating system & ASUS Waveface Interface
* NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor for optimum performance
* Up to 16 hour battery life for all-day computing (pad + keyboard dock)
* 10.1” LED backlit high resolution, scratch-proof screen
* Lightweight, non-slip design for practical portability
* Front and rear facing high quality cameras
* Access to thousands of home and work applications via Android Market
* 10 Finger Multi-touch support and sensors including GPS
* Preloaded utilities including remote access, work suite and library
* Mini HDMI output to extend stunning visuals to external devices
* 3D Stereo audio quality with SRS sound technology

Some of the articles says it can get up to 16 hrs of battery life with the doc, otherwise it'll be about 9.5 hours.

Here are some links:
http://www.slashgear.com/asus-eee-p...slate-ep121-officially-priced-dated-30143364/
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/03/asus-eee-pad-transformer-tablet-has-16-hour-battery/

Oh, and if the Best Buy leak is accurate, you can get the 16GB version for $400.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Tegra-2-EeePad-Transformer-Price-Release-Launch,12494.html
 
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