Do you ever see Tablets taking over laptops?

Ill admit there are nice traits with a tablet. But honestly with my laptop there isnt much of a noticable weight difference, and Ill wait an extra ~25 seconds to boot my laptop in order to have a much fuller feature set.

But dont get me wrong I await the day when tablets can replace laptops (as long as they offer good keyboard options.

 

I believe I mentioned my encountered before. I take bus and like to observe what people do when commuting. I have seen one fellow carried an iPad who was using pen and paper to do his work for over 45 minutes on the bus(and use the iPad as the backing board, I didn't notice that until he flip that over and go online to check for something for a bout 30 seconds). This is one case I thought iPad is perfect(no keyboard needed) but he seems to think otherwise.

On the other hand, I saw lots of people use their laptops on the bus doing all sorts of thing.

Then, there are numerics people use all form of smart phones(iPhone, blackberry) and a few using kindles as well.

So no, iPad is still just a super sized iPhone which is not good for commuting as it is too large/heavy to put into pocket and too limited for anything beyond browsing/reading(iPhone or kindle can do that).

 

Thats true. My MBP is only 4.5lbs or so, the ipad 2 is 1.5lbs and sure the weight difference is huge but its not like 4.5lbs is all the heavy to begin with. Tablets need to have more functionality.

Well thats exactly why the ipad is so popular, cause a lot of people prefer it over a laptop when on the bus, in bed, couch etc. Ive used a laptop on the bus before and its not very fun having to pull it out of the bag, then sleeve, then prop it up, open the lid, power it on yada yada yada. Ipad you just open like a book and its on.

I agree that the ipad is too big though, what i cant stand is how you cant type on it properly without having to have it on either your table or lap (unless you dont mind 1 finger typing with one hand, but whos going to enjoy that!). Thats why iphone/blackberry is still the best device for commuting.

 

Well that fellow obviously was a iPad believer going to the length of buying it and carrying it and used it as the backing for his pencil and paper and use it as an iPad for 30 seconds out of 45 minutes.

You were specifically talking about commute and I was talking about what I have observed.

Another case, at work I know a gadget lover who buys every new gadget, and use the same line as you mentioned for iPad(best thing since slice bread) and carry it with him everyday(he drives) together with notebook. How many times have I seen him using the iPad, only when he wants to demonstrate to me how user friendly iPad is, the rest of the time notebook and occasionally iPhone. Oh, he bought an iPad 2 just recently.

 

Yes, if you can carry a laptop around with you, then yes a tablet is likely to be superfluous.
But they're well suited to times when you can't carry a laptop around.

Your co-worker's problem is that from the sounds of things he's bought his iPad ( and most likely his iPad2 as well) purely for the sake of having it as opposed to actually needing it.
Obviously this is just a presumption given it's based only on your observations, which are far from conclusive.

 

Most people buy something thinks they 'need' it.

I was given a choice of a free iPad or iPhone 4. I picked iPhone4(because saying no is not an option). Used it for a week and gave it to someone as even the iPhone 4 I can only use it less than 30 minutes a day(when commute) if not for the phone function. Now settle with a Nokia C3(lighter, cheaper, battery last longer and still let me do those 30 minutes commute non-phone use).

If you read back, I have mentioned that we have some serious project exclusively design around iPad so I very much aware of situation when it is very appropriate.

We are talking in general here.

 

no!~you are big ye!

 

Yes you save money on most tablets, but there are actual slates/tablets that could probably kick your laptop's specs in the euroarse. Some of you would do well to open your minds. My slate is not like a Nintendo. I use mine for work. I have a saying... If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense (cents). I rely on my computer to make dollars.

I have computers to play with, but my work computers are for work. I just do not like to watch people read the popular reviews, sponsered by ??? and make judgements without trying out the actual hardware. Makes no sense, therefore, makes no dollars. Open your minds, try things out, then give your responses. Throw up your specs. Let me know what your comparing. But the OP stated tablets, Asus among them. I have one. Don't qualify your statements by saying you were talking about ipads.

OP stated what he was refering to. My slate kicks some of your lappys in the you know what. Apples to apples, oranges to oranges. State exactly what your laptop can do, that you think my slate cannot do. Do not try to say youcan sit on a train and type. I can do that on screen, with a pen, use finger or bring out the BT KB. I have 4 ways to do what you can do one way. Get original. But tell me what you can do with your lappy. I have 4, nothing I haven't tried, And except for hard gaming, It does more than any other laptop I have tried. I am not trying to be a jerk. But I use this bad boy. I know what it can do. So give me a challenge.

And Gracy, I didn't mean to pick on you, you just had the most relevant post on why people sterotype tablets. Sorry I used your post.

 

It is just a laptop with an additional input device.

 

It is actually a lappy with pen, touch and OSK (besides the KB). But it has much more power than many laptops. And the ability to write to text. And you can write on the go, unlike laptops. In all truth, laptops are like this slate without the touch, pen and OSK, and in many cases, without the performance.

 

Everything I have said notwithstanding, I do not see tablets taking over. Too many factors stopping it from happening. But I love having a slate that kicks butt on many laptop levels, including performance.

 

Honestly speaking, no. As of now, I haven't seen any tablet which has the specs to surpass that of a laptop. For regular users, well, maybe they'd prefer that. For tech enthusiasts, definitely a no go.

 

No is my answer too. They're far from being perfect substitute. As far as I'm concerned there's nothing I use a computer for that I'd rather do on a tablet. Except web browsing maybe (compared with a laptop with a standard - I mean crappy - touchpad). But again I'm not really into tactile device. I guess I'm too deep in the "you don't put your fingers on the screen" leitmotiv (it's always hilarious when I see older people owning a tactile phone trying that on their computer screen). I like the idea of hybrid netbook / tablet though, if they can pull the best out of each.

 

@Abidderman
As has been discussed before, there is a big difference between a 'Tablet PC' and a 'entertainment tablet'. And this discussion is about the 'entertainment tablets' like the ipad, or android tablets and if those will take over the market of laptops (Tablet PC's are already under the categorization of 'laptop')


Your EP121 is a Tablet PC (the active digitizer makes it so), but it really isn't more powerful than most any laptops (the Ultra Low Voltage core i5 470UM and only Intel HD gfx make it equal to [or lesser than] entry level laptops available today, though it has a brilliant Hydis screen and the Wacom Pen + Touch which IMO make it far more usable than a comparable laptop)

Oh, and if you haven't already done so, browse the EP121 section - EP121 Slate- on the sister site to NBR (Tablet PC Review that is TabletPCReview.com - Tablet PC Forums . There are lots of users there who have the device and love the thing; good people to talk to, or get help from with things (and get inspired to use it for other things like art and such)

 

Since when is an active digitizer the measure of whether a device is a 'tablet' or a 'tablet PC'?

The HTC Flyer has an active digitizer developed by N-Trig, does that make it a 'tablet PC'?

 

Yes it is a 'Tablet PC' because if the N-trig active digitizer... the difference between a 'entertainment tablet' and a 'Tablet PC' is the massive ability to create, rather than just consume (and it is in fact the active digitizer pen that brings that).
If you were to use a Pen + Touch device and compare the usability of the pen, and the usability of touch, you would likely find that touch is [on a whole] not very useful, while pen can be used for everything very easily (precise input, pressure sensitivity, side buttons, an 'eraser', and no interference from hands/ other things)... a active digitizer is a must for digital art or digital notes (ah ah ah don't go saying you can do those without a active digitizer, because while it is *possible*, it in no way compares in terms of usability or quality output)

sure if you are looking to only consume media with the device, touch will be a better input for you (then you fall under the cover of the 'entertainment tablets' out there); but if you find that touch is not all its cracked up to be, and that the pen is better most of the time (then you are far better off with a Pen, or Pen + touch Tablet PC)... finger paints vs a high quality pen for writing a letter, ect...



So it boils down to one's own needs for creation/ consumption, hence the division based on creation/ consumption with 'entertainment tablets' and 'Tablet PC's'

 

I am sorry. I just read the title, didn't realize tablet in the title meant "entertainment", thought it meant "tablet". Perhaps change the title to say what it really means. Very deceptive. And the OP states Asus in the original post. Which is what I use, Asus. Maybe my english is not so good? Again, sorry. I will not intrude again.

 

Here to defend the iPad again. (Bring out the tomatoes.) Am I the only one who uses it as a serious creation tool? Sure, I sketch more on my small paper pad than my iPad, but that doesn't mean I don't find much use for it. Last minute hand-drawn designs (with the authentic feel) with color: perfect. No mess.

Music creation: Just great. I have fun exploring new ideas on the iPad on the go. I dare say that 50% of my time on the iPad goes here. (The rest being on movies.) If you have fully used most of the music apps on iPad, I think you'll find yourself appreciating its depth, with the added bonus of intuitive touch (which would be lacking on a normal laptop).

I pretty much tune my guitar, practice new scales, have my scores and tabs on it, and record new ideas on the DAWs available. It's perfect for capturing your moment's brilliance. You can transfer it later at your own pace onto the main computer. Only someone with no experience in the creative field could not appreciate the necessity of having to instantly capture on the spot the rare, sudden moments of inspiration coming out of nowhere.

Also, another small app I like: Keynotes is just perfect for presentations. The transitions are more graceful and less tacky than the ones I've experienced in Powerpoint in the past. (Maybe that's changed now—who knows.)

The arguments about it being just an "entertainment tablet" seems most dubious. Yes, typing on the iPad is probably an elaborate practical joke. So any work related to that would be a pain in the, unless you have a keyboard extension. But other than that, I dare say anyone who can't work on an iPad won't be doing much on a laptop in any case. Some just need excuses.

(Disclaimer: That said, it's still not a substitute for a laptop—duh—nor is it on par with it. No one's claiming it.)

P.S. Love Amplitube on the iPad. Oh, and I'm not an Apple fanboy or anything. I really can't stand Mac.

 

That's what the discussion focused on, but I think both debates are running at the same time, and poorly separated. Don't feel like you should withhold your opinion - this is a forum for expressing your opinions. You're not always right, but always remember that EVERY post should be read preceded with "In my opinion," because there is little to no actual fact ever represented.

Sidenote: I giggle inside a bit whenever someone tries to equate a slate touchscreen input with a digitizer interface, whether on this forum or others - the commenter has clearly never tried to create content with a high quality digitizer with a pressure sensitive stylus. Stop doing it, you lose lots of brownie points from otherwise thoughtful comments.

The iPad and other slates end up falling below notebooks for productivity and content creation, but aren't quite the "toys" or entertainment only devices that some are suggesting they are. Given the right app, you can do simple tasks much more quickly on a slate than on a laptop - jotting down thoughts (whatever the format), or taking in content. However, get more complex and a slate simply can't "replace" a notebook, as the thread originally discussed - you CAN arrange an orchestral score or layer on multiple audio tracks synced to a video stream on a slate, but you can do it much more quickly on a notebook. I'd note that a few of the examples you gave are done equally well on a smartphone (guitar tuning and music recording) or a piece of printed paper (practicing tabs). As far as Keynote (and the blackberry projector and other crap) we spent a few weeks at work trying to get it to cooperate with complex .ppts - you MUST have a laptop if there's anything remotely complex in it. It's at best a decent stopgap for simple work.

Third note: There's plenty of work to be done with a laptop that doesn't involve a keyboard at all that can't be done on a slate, mostly related to multi-display work or multi-tasking. You're just as guilty of disparaging and making excuses for love of the iPad as the defenders of notebooks.

Last thought, for now: Yes, slates beat clamshell notebooks for portability and ease of use in tight situation anyday. But, in a throwdown vs. a tablet, it really becomes a functionality fight that I think the slate cannot win.

 

I would say not just content creation but consumption as well. Go to a non-mobile awared website and the limitation of the iPhone/iPad style interaction shows immediately.

 

For the record, again, I've never claimed it surpasses the laptop in any work. That's just the obvious. I'm simply making a case against lazy arguments that it's nothing more than an entertainment device. This thread is getting ridiculous because there seems little room for nuance. Throughout the thread, no one seems to be able to think of being able to do any work on it at all.

Like most, I do most work on my laptop. So if it's simply about whether the tablet will surpass the laptop anytime soon, the answer's an obvious no, and that'd be the end of the thread. But right now, it's not so much of a discussion going on---more of a slaughter.

 

Actually, I am quite interested to know real usage cases for iPad style device(and their average time in usage). I have mentioned some that I have observed and that we have real project going on specifically for it. Just that what those people queuing up in front of Apple store, I have no idea.

BTW, if this class of device is really that useful(say in commute or situation where notebook is cumbersome), how come no one queue up for the Blackberry playbook ?

 

It's a bit of a stretch, since I don't know anything about the Playbook or about queuing up in front of an Apple store. I'm currently in a third world country where iPad ownership is probably a two-digit number.

But if people queuing up for a product suggests usefulness of a device, then you've answered your own question: Playbook fails where iPad succeeds. Of course, that's not my opinion.

 

No. my question is about 'this class of device', not a particular product(this thread was talking about anyway). Of course I know iPad succeed and Playbook failed.

I was saying no matter how one wants to look at it, iPad is in the same class as Playbook. So anything that can be done on iPad can be done on Playbook(in terms of interaction). Sure there are applications that are already available on iPad but not playbook(which can coin as a factor) which is why I said, I am interested to know what people are doing with their iPad.


EDIT:
say for your example, it seems that what you have done one iPad can be done equally well on iPhone(if portability is a concern when notebook is not an option).

 

You should go try out the Playbook, I played it with yesterday for 20mins in the store and have to say its much better for multitasking than ipad 2. In fact the entire OS is much better than IOS4. The fact you have to hit the home button twice on ipads just to bring up the task bar, then hold the home button again to bring up the close option is a nousense. Blackberry playbook you just swipe up and you navigate all your open programs like a visual filer.

Having used an ipad for 2 weeks I absolutely hate copying and pasting and fixing typos on it. Having to hold the spot for a second for the magify glass to pop up then adjust your cursor manually is a total pain in the %%%. One of the reasons why i got rid of it. At the end of the day i just hated typing on it, it was a total nousense. For short quick stuff its ok but longer stuff like posting replies on message boards, forget it. Typing with your index fingers only is just not productive or logical. its time consuming and a pain in the %%% and really annoying. It was tolerable at first but over time it got on my nerves more and more wishing i had my laptop with me.

Id even prefer to type on my blackberry than on the ipad2 for long write ups.

 

Before I reply: If you go around throwing down phrases like "Some just need excuses." someone like me will latch on and flame it. This is the internet, I cannot hear sarcasm in your voice if that was your intent.

Too lazy to find more links than this, but slates are showing up in hospitals for surgery Mumbai surgeons perform knee surgery replacements using an iPod touch, as well as for access to medical records without flipping through scribbled doctor's notes on a chart. The retraining of (tech-unfriendly) personnel is the primary barrier.

Also, anywhere you don't have much laproom for a notebook and need to do quick and "simple" stuff. Simple != entertainment.

• respond to emails in an airplane where the traytable is made for food an not laptops

• on a carpool/bus/train commute without sitting room or a comfortable angle

• as a standalone streaming device for watching video (e.g. MLB on mute)

• in car center consoles as all-in-one devices music/gps/clock devices

• for fat fingered kids who like buying expensive smurfberries

• and most of the other uses already listed in this thread (av playback, audio editing, etc)

Personally, I don't think "using my computer in bed" is even remotely slate specific or anything special. A slate as an e-book reader is absurdly expensive.

I truly don't think a slate can be good for recording audio or video though, or at least, not superior to a smartphone. They're superior to laptops only because carrying a 5 lb laptop for the sake of its built in webcam or mic is absurd. Video is at limited resolution and framerate, and the built in mics are crap at best. Enough to get by, but the camera and mic on most slates is near identical to smartphone quality. Editing that content is better than on a smartphone, though.

 

If only we could do an intonation check, eh? Anyways, that was meant to be a blanket statement about this thread in general—not directed at you. Some have made a case for the hybrids (laptop/tablet), but any mention of the tablet seems to be a lonely walk of shame.

(Okay, the smileys were a bit sarcastic, I'll admit.)

 

The funny thing is, all those things you listed can and ARE easily done on a smartphone (Blackberry/iphone). Again this is another reason why i didnt end up keeping my ipad 2. Besides when i commute i just listen to my music, i couldnt care less about watching movies or playing games on the bus/train. I only game when im at home and i have my xbox and ps3 for that. Everything i would do on it, is easily done on my blackberry. And im getting an iphone4 next month when my contract is up for a really good price, so thats another reason why i had no use for ipad 2. Even when im out, i just dont see myself carrying a tablet around everywhere i go if I have an iphone 4.

To me, this is where the ipad (and other tablets) excel the most at is used in bed or laying down. But that alone is not worth the $600+.

Maybe its just me, but I personally dont see tablets being anything more than a toy. When I had the ipad 2 for a couple weeks and left the Macbookpro at home, there was a lot of times that i wish i had my Mac with me cause 1) physical keyboard 2) can access all my files 3) can properly multi task

Viewing all your documents and stuff on an ipad 2 is just a nousense. You literally have to get an app for every single thing. Hence if it had USB and could at least run office on it, you wouldnt have this problem. Apple could have easily solved all this run round with at least 1 USB port on the ipad.

Pretty much, and on top much quicker bootup time on a tablet. but a 5lb laptop really isnt that bad carrying around.

 

There was no sarcasm as I have mentioned that we are already working on projects like your mentioned surgeon usage, well in other fields. These are we I call 'specific' needs where say a notebook doesn't make sense due to its screen/keyboard combination.

Though for the other generic usages, I simply cannot see an iPad being better than notebook/netbook.

airplane tray is small but if I want to answer email, a keyboard is a more important factor.

same goes for carpool/bus/train commute. The only time an iPad is better is when there is no seat and if there is no seat, an iPhone would be better(using one hand to hold the iPad and the other to operate is quite cumbersome). For the others that have been mentioned, they seem to be nicely fit into the entertainment/toy category.

And again, all these 'generic' usage is their inside Playbook, so why doesn't people see it just as useful as iPad.

BTW, the generic category is the 'what can it be used for' which I know. What I want to know are they being actively used for these purposes and how often.

 

Well, the tablet is, more or less, a bigger iPod. I don't know if that means smartphones are catching up, or tablets are dumbing down. If we think of them as just computers, then the OS, at its infancy, is at fault.

But it wouldn't be fair to say sound/video recording isn't good on a tablet intrinsically. That would be way too steep a grading curve. Even the laptop doesn't do that very well, if I had to use just its in-built mic and webcam. For sound recording, it's still suggested you get an external audio interface; for a laptop, an actual video camera.

 

bootup is a non issue when we begin to see the new Sandy/Ivy Bridge CPU trickling down the chain when a netbook/notebook can handle a full day(say 8-10 hours) task without recharge. Just use the sleep/resume and it comes up just as fast as a tablet.

 

Playbook is much better hardware than ipad 2. Its much faster, can multitask a lot better, 1GB ram vs 512 on ipad 2 and the 7" makes it much more portable than ipad 2. You can actually pocket the playbook, thats not possible with ipad 2.

Just watch this video, no way ipad 2 could handle this many apps at once.

YouTube - Blackberry Playbook Review!

When you have an ipad 2 you jsut feel so limited. No USB, no flash, no 16:9, no muiltasking.

 

We get it, we get it. It's not a laptop. Only in bed would a tablet be any fun (though not quite much as ... never mind). I think the arguments would be better served in a comparison against the laptop rather than pitting the Playbook against the iPad. That'd be probably another thread. (I hate iTunes. Did I mention that?)

But I would still highly recommend exploring the music apps. Programs such as iMS-20, SoundPrism, ThumbJam and MorphWiz are brilliant ways to explore new tunes. Yes, it's not better than what's on a laptop, for the millionth time. And what's more, the tablet doesn't diminish the usefulness of these programs. If anything, the intuitive touch brings a lot of freshness.

 

The "can be done just as well on my smartphone" is the EXACT same argument as is given for why slates are better than laptops for X, Y, and Z. Yes, they can all do it, it's just that one device has an edge. Slates are better where you need more screen real estate than a smartphone, smartphones are good where a slate is just unwieldly, and a laptop is best where you need to do a pile of text input. Can you do most things across all devices? Of course, it's just that one is better than another.

Analogy: I can demolish a house, hang a picture frame, shape a weld, and pull a piece of plywood off a window with your average clawhead hammer. However, if I want to be efficient about my time, I'm going to be sure to grab the sledge/clawhead/ballpeen/crowbar so I can get it done faster.

Tablets in their current incarnation are an obvious fail for a simple reason - they run the exact same damn OS as their smaller smartphone counterparts, and off the same internals. The form factor and interface have alot more potential, but the hardware and software haven't kept up. Blame the Open Handset Alliance and Google/Apple for that - mobile development stalled when iOS and Android took over.


As far as the Playbook goes, it's been out for two days, so any potential isn't realized yet. For every iPhone I see, I also see a blackberry carried simultaneously. It will eventually get picked up by jetsetting exec types, and (hopefully) development of the OS and apps (wth, no email on release?) makes it a better contender. The Bridge is a feature I'd love to see on Android and iOS devices, for sure. It has huge potential, and was implemented in a way that IT Security shouldn't have much issue with Playbooks, UNLIKE iPads and Android tablets.

 

I was not pitching Playbook against iPad, I put them under the same column(and pitch against laptop) and truly wonder why people play a 'yawn' on it yet queue over nights for iPad.

 

True. But what if you are only allowed to pick one and only one with you all the time ? That was the implicit assumption.

As otherwise, we can have a PS3/Xbox for console gaming, gaming desktop for PC games, a laptop to work outside and enjoy the sun(ok, get a better screen), a iPad for use on the couche, an iPhone so I can still browse when I am in the washroom ...

If iPad is 50 bucks(I mean the market value, not someone give it to me free), I have no problem pick up one for the occasional cases that it would be useful.

 

Well, surely you know why: Marketing, timing, reinventing the paradigm, an app that tells you why you're clearly better than most tablet users at night, etc.

I don't think there's much of a mystery to it, given the nauseating lengths to which people have gone on about the iPad on every news site. (Thus, why I was initially reluctant to defend the tablet on this thread. But with everyone going on and on about why it's not a laptop ... well, yea.)

 

I know why from the 'business' perspective. I want to know why from the 'buyer' perspective as that was what I have read so far about 'iPad can do this and this and this but a laptop cannot'.

 

You sound like a disillusioned wife finding out her husband's cheating with another woman. "I don't get it. She doesn't do your laundry." =)

I don't know if I can add much at this point. Quick accessible ?

 

I can't say that, either. Haha.

 

I doubt you can add much at this point unless you really want to say it, such as 'because she has big ...' and the original explanation was 'she can make muffin'.

 

Can't argue there!

 

Well im going to pick up the playbook right now from my local best buy. I need more than 20mins that i had in the store with it yesterday. I need to test drive it for at least the weekend to see if its something id use everyday.

To me, this is what a tablet should be. 7" 16x9. Not 4:3 9.7".

Playbook is actually pocketable.

 

though the analogy is a bit off.

It is more like a husband trying to confess and rationalize his affair by saying something like 'the only reason I like her is because she can make muffin' and was later found out to be picking his wife's muffin 9 out of 10 times or picking a granny's muffin but refuse to have an affair with the granny.

So either don't confess(and tried to rationalize it to make one looks good) or say the true reason.

 

That was my thought too though it seems that the first gen is incomplete. Again using my only one device is allowed criteria, A built in 3G chip is a must.

 

FTFY

10char

 

Well playbook tethers with any blackberry. A lot are having issues I read in the crack berry forums but I hope I don't cause to me that is a major selling point. I'm gonna post my thoughts when I get back with a 16 gb playbook.

 

tethering is not ideal when I am on the road. As that means the blackberry now needs to be a robust wifi router(power drain).

 

I guess thats why 3G Ipads are so in demand, dont have to tinker with tethering each time and it always has 3G service. I wouldnt mind it on a tablet, but not for $30 a month! Starting!

 

This is what should be the future of laptops and tablets: Tablet+keyboard

ASUS EeePad Transformer review | Android Central

YouTube - eee pad transformer home review Asus