So the holiday season Christmas is around the corner and Mrs. JJD and I are having a hard time trying to decide which tablet is the way to go. In my mind, an iPad is basically a laptop with no keyboard and no CD/DVD drive...is that a fair assessment? Is there anything that anyone who bought an iPad thought they would be able to do with it that they ultimately had to use a computer for? We're leaning iPad because we are already an iFamily so it would pretty seemlessly integrate into our other iStuff, but we don't want to do it without making sure it's the right thing for us.
EDIT: I called the thread "Tablets" hoping to get some real feedback when it came to going iPad vs. Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire. I realize that I was only talking about iPads, but we're pretty open to buying whatever.
(edited by JayJayDean on 3.12.12 1538) Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
My opinion is that unless you are tech illiterate or you are already tied into the Apple ecosystem, a non-iPad tablet will definitely be a better value. Plus you have external storage capability (with microSD cards), which is very important in my book.
Then think about size. Most tablets are 7 or 10 inches. 7 inchers are light and easy to hold/carry. 10 inchers give you more room to read comics, watch video, etc.
Then think about OS (Android vs Windows 8 in the case of a non-Apple tablet). If you value customization and things, Android is an obvious choice. If not, then try each one out in stores to get a feel for them.
There are some other wildcards out there, but these considerations will narrow things down quite a bit. And if you really want some expert advice, just scour the tech sites (Engadget, Gizmodo, Slashgear, etc) for reviews of tablets you find interesting. If it's a recent product with a good review you really can't go wrong.
I used Black Friday this year to upgrade from a Kindle Fire to an iPad2. The Fire was decent, but for the $400 I spent on the iPad, it's completely worth it for the larger display, wider app selection, and processing power. I found on the Fire it didn't do well when it came to trying to use it for browsing purposes.
I don't have any experience with any of the Android tablets, but as satisfied I've been with the iPad already, I think I would have a hard time recommending anything else over it.
Originally posted by JayJayDeanIn my mind, an iPad is basically a laptop with no keyboard and no CD/DVD drive...is that a fair assessment? Is there anything that anyone who bought an iPad thought they would be able to do with it that they ultimately had to use a computer for?
I don't think that is a fair assessment. I love all things Apple and purchased an iPad 2 when it came out with the same belief that you have. At first I was astounded by the product and its simplicity, then grew to become quite annoyed with its limitations for web browsing and word processing. It is very frustrating to use as a primary device (which I did for about six months) mostly due to the lack of physical keyboard and lack of Flash. I know Apple's stance on Flash and agree with it, but it doesn't make for a complete and robust browsing experience without it. I also type relatively well on a real keyboard and found myself not trusting my fingers without any kind of physical feedback from the touch keyboard. The lack of USB, or any other input for that matter, really cramps using it as a primary device. In my opinion, the iPad is an excellent companion device. I Jailbroke mine, sold it on ebay and used the money to buy a new Air. Similar functionality, but with real keyboard, inputs, and flash. I haven't looked back and don't regret my decision at all.
The Nexus 7 interests me mostly because it's an actual Nexus device and will receive support from Google for as long as it has the capabilities to run said support. But then I look at what I have and ask "why?" They're nice toys to have on the coffee table for when you're watching tv or laying around and whatnot, but it never became an essential part of my existence. And I never understood the reason why people would want to buy a real keyboard for the iPad; just buy a laptop in that case.
I knew about these shortcomings when I bought it, but I thought they wouldn't matter as much as they did (to me) and/or I would get over them. They did, I didn't.
Of course, there are all sorts of Bluetooth keyboards and card readers that plug into the power port available for iPad. Still, I wouldn't call any tablet a laptop with no keyboard and no CD/DVD drive...they're just not on that level of power and ability.
I played around with Microsoft Surface at a Microsoft store a couple weeks back, so I figured I'd throw that into the conversation. The keyboard cover thingy seemed like something I could get used to, but it's not like a real keyboard. I found you need to touch each key for a little longer period of time to get the character to take on the screen.
Also, I don't know if I was doing something wrong, but opening Word seemed to require double-tapping on the screen. And programs were slow to load.
Bottom line...I feel a tablet is complimentary to a computer, not an outright replacement, and I feel iPad is still the best quality device in the marketplace.
Originally posted by Mr Heel IIBottom line...I feel a tablet is complimentary to a computer, not an outright replacement
I love love love my iPad. And when my laptop died last week, I bought a new laptop instead of trying to rely solely on my iPad.
iPads are great for portability, for most browsing, for (relatively casual) gaming, for FaceTime, for reading, for listening to music, for short emails - in essence, for 75% of what I want a home computer to do. But that other 25% - long-form writing, more substantial gaming, Flash support, various other programs that I don't use often but need them when I need them - are important enough that I just can't go iPad-only.
The Apple Store closest to me is at the mall. Do I *want* to go to the mall any time in December? No. Therefore I love each and everyone of you.
Originally posted by StefonicsIt is very frustrating to use as a primary device (which I did for about six months) mostly due to the lack of physical keyboard and lack of Flash. I know Apple's stance on Flash and agree with it, but it doesn't make for a complete and robust browsing experience without it.
Originally posted by KJames199But that other 25% - long-form writing, more substantial gaming, Flash support, various other programs that I don't use often but need them when I need them - are important enough that I just can't go iPad-only.
So basically the iPad browsing capability is just like an iPhone, where you can open any website but if it uses Flash you won't be able to do anything on it? That's going to be a deal-breaker for the iPad, I think.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
Nous ne nous pouvons pas sortir. Allow me to be that guy and point out that the Surface has gotten good reviews from most places and it's keyboard looks awfully dreamy.
I steal his iPad to play Fruit Ninja, otherwise I prefer the Nexus for browsing, reading comics, reading books, etc.
It is a little annoying for chatting or typing (tablets in general) and I prefer a bluetooth keyboard for that. I have an iPad keyboard I use with the Nexus that works just fine. I don't have any problems with tiny keyboards though, because I am a tiny person and have tiny hands.
The iPad is great if you already have a ton of Apps from other devices. I use ours for browsing a lot, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The iPad mini really is almost nicer in a lot of ways for those things though since it's easier to hold in one hand.
I haven't found any Android tablets that I liked much.
I've been testing the Surface at work and it has a lot of promise(actually the Windows 8 phones are great), but I think I would wait until January when the next version of the Surface comes out. It'll likely be more expensive, but that one will be a true "laptop" rather than just a tablet. By that I mean the current Surface is like Windows 8, but you can't install anything not from their App store. The next one will be full Windows 8 Pro, can be added to a domain, install whatever you want...like I said, it's a laptop. That could be very interesting. Not as easy to hold a Surface as an iPad though. The longer shape and weight make it awkward. Keyboard is nice, upgraded one with keys that depress is worthwhile.
Since (despite using PCs for almost everything) I'm already swaddled in the iOS ecosystem thanks to my iPhone, I was planning on getting an iPad, and my wife comes from an Apple family already. But after playing around at the Apple Store, we both decided to go with iPad Minis. We both already have computers for most of our needs as it is, so the tablets would just be companions, and the Mini performs extremely well, compared to the full-size iPad, and just feels like a better value.
Alas, I don't have any experience with non-iOS tablets or the Surface, but I think I'd rather wait for the obscenely overpriced Surface Pro or get a convertible Windows 8 laptop instead.
You wanted the best, you got... the Out of Context Quote of the Week.
"£8.70 for a measly 16 out of your average fag machine." (dMr)
I have an iPad2 and a Galaxy Tab 10.1. The iPad has better battery life (it goes for like 2 weeks in the bathroom without a charge and lasts through Fruit Ninja and web surfing).
I use it for checking gmail, checking stock prices, checking news - and we basically don't buy magazines any more. It's not a computer. It fits a niche where we didn't have a computer (bathroom).
Sorry if that sounds crude but it is where it is used the most.
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My work is desktop support. We have one lady who uses a Mac, she does web/multimedia stuff, you know the drill. One of our external providers changed their setup for how she can do web page updates, no FTP for her anymore.
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