Are tablets worth it?

[niv3d]

As the title states... Are tablets worth the money? For instance at this moment I am out of a laptop due to a hardware issue and am looking into to buying a new one. However, I'm also interested in a tablet, (not sure which one though) my question is. Can a tablet replace a laptop? I love the portability idea of a tablet, but can it function as a laptop? I use my laptop for word documents, music, internet browsing, the basics really other than rooting and using ODIN for my phones. Any input would be awesome! Thanks!

 

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[NateC]

In my opinion a tablet can't fully replace a laptop unless you only use your laptop for web browsing and media consumption.

 

I have a netbook and a tablet, and whenever I need to do anything requiring a fair amount of typing or quick multitasking involving copying/pasting stuff, I switch to my netbook. But if I'm just watching videos, playing games, or browsing some web sites, the tablet is great.

[digiblur]

I fully agree. The tablet is in between the phone and a laptop. If I just have a bunch of typing I switch to my phone due to the slide out keyboard. But if I need some other apps and keyboard I switch to the laptop or desktop.

 

I do have to say I would feel lost without the tablet on the coffee table.

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[cletus]

In my experience, no. A tablet cannot replace a laptop quite yet. And when it does it requires nearly as much bulk as a laptop does (Asus transformer with keyboard dock, Padphone, etc). The IPAD is a slick piece of hardware but I returned mine after a week. Why? Because it simply was not quite there yet. Want to watch Netflix? My phone (Evo3d) does that just fine. My laptop does it while I can adjust the window size and get work done etc.

 

 

I guess I just don't get tablets.They do, however, make great presenting tools and are much better than laptops for this specific use.

[shaunm82]

If the laptop is your only means of computing, then no, I don't think a tablet can replace a laptop just yet. But if you have a desktop in the household, then I really see no need for a laptop/netbook. I've had my Prime for almost 4 months now, and I can honestly say I have used my laptop or netbook maybe 3 times since then. If I need to do heavy typing I just turn on the desktop, or throw my Prime in the keyboard dock that I have for it.

 

My wife was the heavy user of our netbook, but since I've gotten her the new iPad both our laptop and the netbook are now sitting in the cases unused.

 

So, I think it highly depends on individual situations. For me, laptops/netbooks are done in my book.

[niv3d]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I do have a desktop at my home and really the only thing I NEED it for is Microsoft office, torrents, music, DVD editing/burning, internet browsing etc... oh also rooting and flashing with my ET4G! So what would be a good tablet to look into. Wifi only would be just fine

 

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[cletus]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I do have a desktop at my home and really the only thing I NEED it for is Microsoft office, torrents, music, DVD editing/burning, internet browsing etc... oh also rooting and flashing with my ET4G! So what would be a good tablet to look into. Wifi only would be just fine

 

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Yeah absolutely a tablet would be okay for you then. A tablet as it currently stands is really for consumption of media and not suited for production of media. For having around the house to watch Netflix on a bigger screen wherever you are it is cheaper than buying a second TV, etc. However, if you are just buying a tablet for this purpose then keep in mind a new Ipad is probably more than you REALLY need power wise so I would recommend a used ipad 2 or a comparably priced android tablet. The Kindle fire is unsuited for HD video watching (loaded DVDs, Netflix is compressed HD) and stutters occasionally so I do not recommend you consider that tablet.

[niv3d]

 

Yeah absolutely a tablet would be okay for you then. A tablet as it currently stands is really for consumption of media and not suited for production of media. For having around the house to watch Netflix on a bigger screen wherever you are it is cheaper than buying a second TV, etc. However, if you are just buying a tablet for this purpose then keep in mind a new Ipad is probably more than you REALLY need power wise so I would recommend a used ipad 2 or a comparably priced android tablet. The Kindle fire is unsuited for HD video watching (loaded DVDs, Netflix is compressed HD) and stutters occasionally so I do not recommend you consider that tablet.

 

Wonderful! Thanks! However I think I would rather have an Android tablet... Any suggestions on one of those?

 

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[cletus]

Wonderful! Thanks! However I think I would rather have an Android tablet... Any suggestions on one of those?

 

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Hmm, my friend has a Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime (he calls it Tranny, ugh) that I have found quite slick. Asus in my experience has the best feel and overall complete package of the producers of Android tablets. Full disclosure though many Primes did suffer from low wifi and GPS performance.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4277/asus-eee-pad-transformer-review

 

This is also a good choice and has a chart listing the differences between the Asus products

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5756/asus-transformer-pad-300-review

 

Generally I personally would stay away from the Toshiba Thrive, the Droid Xyboard, the Xoom 2. The new Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a stale refresh of the old one.

 

Even as an Android fan the best bet if you are not interested in loading ROMs etc and are primarily using this for youtube and Netflix is probably still a refurb/used ipad 2.

[shaunm82]

Hmm, my friend has a Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime (he calls it Tranny, ugh) that I have found quite slick. Asus in my experience has the best feel and overall complete package of the producers of Android tablets. Full disclosure though many Primes did suffer from low wifi and GPS performance.

http://www.anandtech...nsformer-review

 

This is also a good choice and has a chart listing the differences between the Asus products

http://www.anandtech...-pad-300-review

 

Generally I personally would stay away from the Toshiba Thrive, the Droid Xyboard, the Xoom 2. The new Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a stale refresh of the old one.

 

Even as an Android fan the best bet if you are not interested in loading ROMs etc and are primarily using this for youtube and Netflix is probably still a refurb/used ipad 2.

 

I have the Prime and I love it. Though I've never called it the "Tranny" lol, I unlocked the bootloader, rooted it and put a pretty 'stock' rom on it. And have have zero problems with it since I've owned it.

 

I've never seen the low wifi or gps issues that some are reporting. Also that first report you listed was for the original Transformer TF101, and not the Transformer Prime, which is the TF201. Comparing my Prime and the wife's new iPad, our wifi signal was pretty much on par with each other in every part of the house.

 

The Transformer Pad 300 was just released, and it has similar specs to the Prime, minus the Super IPS+ display, and slightly lower clock speed, but still has the Tegra 3 quad. They also got rid of the alum casing, and replaced it with plastic. Which should help with GPS/WiFi signals. Price is @ $399 brand new.

 

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 2 is also priced at $399, but like cletus mentioned its really just a refresh of the original 10.1, a friend of mine/coworker bring his original 10.1 in, and its a pretty solid tablet as well.

 

I have no experience with any other manufactures so I can't weigh in on those. But I think an ASUS or Samsung tablet would be a nice choice also

[niv3d]

 

I have the Prime and I love it. Though I've never called it the "Tranny" lol, I unlocked the bootloader, rooted it and put a pretty 'stock' rom on it. And have have zero problems with it since I've owned it.

 

I've never seen the low wifi or gps issues that some are reporting. Also that first report you listed was for the original Transformer TF101, and not the Transformer Prime, which is the TF201. Comparing my Prime and the wife's new iPad, our wifi signal was pretty much on par with each other in every part of the house.

 

The Transformer Pad 300 was just released, and it has similar specs to the Prime, minus the Super IPS+ display, and slightly lower clock speed, but still has the Tegra 3 quad. They also got rid of the alum casing, and replaced it with plastic. Which should help with GPS/WiFi signals. Price is @ $399 brand new.

 

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 2 is also priced at $399, but like cletus mentioned its really just a refresh of the original 10.1, a friend of mine/coworker bring his original 10.1 in, and its a pretty solid tablet as well.

 

I have no experience with any other manufactures so I can't weigh in on those. But I think an ASUS or Samsung tablet would be a nice choice also

 

Yea I was definently looking into an ASUS tablet. I was just looking over the TF300 actually. Is there really a noticeable difference when it comes to IPS and IPS+? Or the brightness difference they have between the two? I will for sure be installing custom ROMS on it.

 

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[shaunm82]

Yea I was definently looking into am ASUS tablet. I was just looking over the TF300. Is there really a noticeable difference when it comes to IPS and IPS+? Or the brightness difference they have between the two? I will for sure be installing custom ROMS on it.

 

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You can certainly tell when you turn on Super IPS+ mode. But I rarely use it on my Prime. For the most part it sits on good ole IPS+ and at 50% brightness and the screen still looks great. If anything I would just turn up the brightness a little bit as opposed to turning on Super IPS mode

[niv3d]

 

You can certainly tell when you turn on Super IPS+ mode. But I rarely use it on my Prime. For the most part it sits on good ole IPS+ and at 50% brightness and the screen still looks great. If anything I would just turn up the brightness a little bit as opposed to turning on Super IPS mode

 

Well the TF300 only has IPS not IPS+. Also would the Prime see more ROM/dev support than the TF300?

 

Well hell ASUS might be producing the Google Tablet and it might be out this summer? Hmmm.....

 

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[bigsnake49]

I have both a laptop and a tablet. And a dual monitor desktop. It really depends on what you use them for. Just like I would never think of doing heavy duty development/debugging on my laptop unless I docked it to my dual monitor setup, I would not think of doing heavy word processing on my iPad. It is mainly a media consumption device for me. I do have a keyboard case for it so I can type longer docs if the need arises. Now, when Microsoft releases Office for the iPad, and they will, then I would definitely consider using it for more heavy duty word processing. I would never use it for heavy duty development, ever. I miss my dual monitor setup when I'm on the road. Heck, I might add another monitor!

[jefbal99]

As the title states... Are tablets worth the money? For instance at this moment I am out of a laptop due to a hardware issue and am looking into to buying a new one. However, I'm also interested in a tablet, (not sure which one though) my question is. Can a tablet replace a laptop? I love the portability idea of a tablet, but can it function as a laptop? I use my laptop for word documents, music, internet browsing, the basics really other than rooting and using ODIN for my phones. Any input would be awesome! Thanks!

 

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I say yes they are worth it, but not a full laptop replacement. I got a TF101 a year ago instead of getting a laptop (I have a work laptop) and am very happy with it. I can use it for most all functions I do, however, there are times that I need the laptop. I have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that I use with the tablet when I have to do more intensive document or email work. I also find them very handy when working in 2X RDP to remote to Windows boxes on my home network and when VPN'd into work.

 

The biggest issue I have with my tablet is Adobe Flash, streaming video from ESPN3 and less "clean" sporting events. When I really needed to ensure a clean viewing I would get my laptop out.

 

It is very nice when I travel to only carry the tablet, cell phone, & a small bag of accessories

[iansltx]

I'm in a similar boat as bigsnake49; my dual monitor desktop is where I get hard work done, unless I'm away from it, in which case my MacBook works just fine (especially now with 8GB of RAM!). But for lighter tasks, my iPad gets used heavily. The proptortion of time spent between my workstation, my notebook and my tablet varies depending on the day, but unless I'm on the road the notebook goes pretty much unused, primarily due to the iPad.

 

I was very close to getting the Transformer Prime, but the third-gen iPad is actually superior to the Prime tech-wise, and I could get the iPad with built-in VZW LTE. The LTE, paired with a built in GPS, proved to be incredibly useful over the past few weeks when travelling and apartment-searching. I could have done similar things with my Epic, plus a tethering app and a Prime or other WiFi-only tablet, but for my purposes the additional $130 I spent to get the cellular-enabled model has been money well spent.

 

One thing I wouldn't consider at this point is using the iPad as my only computer. Nor does it negate the need to bring a laptop on trips longer than a day or two. There's just too much it still can't do at this point...and an Android tablet would be in a similar boat, at least for now. Same reason I have at multiple points carried two laptops around when going on trips. Laptop #1 was my MacBook most of the time. Laptop #2 was either a Windows machine (for light-ish gaming; my MacBook's HDD isn't big enough to dual boot) or a Chromebook (for excellent battery life while doing web stuff).

[JohnHovah]

I have the Asus TF300. I really want the Infinity or perhaps a Prime 64gb when available. It would be nice if there were more than a GB of RAM though.

Edited June 9, 2012 by JohnHovah

[bigsnake49]

I'm in a similar boat as bigsnake49; my dual monitor desktop is where I get hard work done, unless I'm away from it, in which case my MacBook works just fine (especially now with 8GB of RAM!). But for lighter tasks, my iPad gets used heavily. The proptortion of time spent between my workstation, my notebook and my tablet varies depending on the day, but unless I'm on the road the notebook goes pretty much unused, primarily due to the iPad.

 

I was very close to getting the Transformer Prime, but the third-gen iPad is actually superior to the Prime tech-wise, and I could get the iPad with built-in VZW LTE. The LTE, paired with a built in GPS, proved to be incredibly useful over the past few weeks when travelling and apartment-searching. I could have done similar things with my Epic, plus a tethering app and a Prime or other WiFi-only tablet, but for my purposes the additional $130 I spent to get the cellular-enabled model has been money well spent.

 

One thing I wouldn't consider at this point is using the iPad as my only computer. Nor does it negate the need to bring a laptop on trips longer than a day or two. There's just too much it still can't do at this point...and an Android tablet would be in a similar boat, at least for now. Same reason I have at multiple points carried two laptops around when going on trips. Laptop #1 was my MacBook most of the time. Laptop #2 was either a Windows machine (for light-ish gaming; my MacBook's HDD isn't big enough to dual boot) or a Chromebook (for excellent battery life while doing web stuff).

 

Either get a bigger HDD or get your windows operating system on a stick. Or you can stick an extra hdd or ssd for your DVD bay. I already have an ssd in my MacBook Pro and it flies. I'm looking for a good deal on a second ssd.

[iansltx]

 

 

Either get a bigger HDD or get your windows operating system on a stick. Or you can stick an extra hdd or ssd for your DVD bay. I already have an ssd in my MacBook Pro and it flies. I'm looking for a good deal on a second ssd.

 

Trust me, I know. There's no way I'm running windows off of a flash drive, and I don't want to replace my optical drive. When I get the money, I'll get a Crucial m4 256GB, but it's a lower priority behind the SIIi

[bigsnake49]

Trust me, I know. There's no way I'm running windows off of a flash drive, and I don't want to replace my optical drive. When I get the money, I'll get a Crucial m4 256GB, but it's a lower priority behind the SIIi

 

I just bought a pair of those for $189 each for my server.

[jcrowder3]

I have several desktops, a notebook, netbook and a phone. I originally got a tablet (Motorola Xoom) to try out ICS. I really like it and find i take the tablet with me more often than the netbook. Somethings either will do (Checking/updating schedules, taking notes, etc.) Some apps only run on Windows so I use the tablet, it is nice to have the option to have both. I find that there are a HUGE amount of software on Android that I would not even try if I had to pay $20 for it. I really enjoy being able to try out versions of software to see if I like it and if its worth the extra few bucks.

 

In my opinion, I think tablets are good for simple things. You can add a keyboard, but it is still not a netbook (android vs Windows). some things are just easier to do with a larger screen.

[Mondays In Flames]

I personally use my tablet for everything. I have my laptop stashed away in my closet, only bringing it out when I need to repair a phone, root, or just install some software for one of my classes. Other than that I use my tablet for everything. I have the Transformer Prime with the Keyboard so typing is not a problem for me. My favorite thing about my tablet is the battery life. I charge is about once every week and a half. I would buy a tablet if you're not too dependent on a laptop for very serious heavy program.

 

 

-Luis

[koiulpoi]

I use my Asus Transformer Pad TF300T mostly to connect to my desktop via Splashtop 2. Lets me lie on the couch and have a real computer in front of me.

 

It works well enough for other things. But I sometimes miss the WinXP-based netbook I used to have.