Ditching the tablet, going back to a laptop
GeordiePaul
Posts: 1,323 Forum Member
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TL;DR - I'm more of a laptop man than a tablet man.
For starters, I should tell you that I am a techy pervert. I love gadgets. I'm someone who my friends come to when they want advice about a potential purchase.
I'm currently rocking what is arguably the best 'droid 10" tablet out at the moment, the Xperia Z2 Tablet. I also own an iPad Mini Retina, Nexus 7 (2013) and have used other iPads (10") and Asus Transformers (including the T100) and the like.
My aim was to use it as my sole device, and have a cheapo laptop as a backup plan for when a task required a computer.
While I have experimented with tablets lots, I always end up preferring laptops. This time is no different, and I have to say, while I think tablets have their place (I'll get to this later), I think they are still nothing other than toys which when you want to do anything even vaguely "serious", are nothing but a totally frustrating compromise.
I love my Nexus 5, and I also like my Nexus 7 (a bit glitchy, for my liking though). I recognise the Z2 Tablet as being the cream of the crop of Android tablets at the moment; I tried the Samsung Pro 10.1 but it was laggy and had a poorer screen than the Sony, and full of bloatware.
The giveaway though is how much I end up using my ancient Lenovo T61 laptop with a knackered battery (but on the plus side an SSD and RAM upgrade).
This morning - good example: I picked it up, started surfing and the browser crashed. So I ended up using the PC. The apps for a large Android tablet flat out suck in most cases (even though large Android tabs have been out for years!) and the browsing experience is a distant second to a computer. Chrome on Android isn't great (I get sick and tired of choosing "Desktop user agent" when using it). Firefox is feature rich but unstable, Dolphin is slow and the best of a bad bunch is Opera. It's acceptably fast and decent to use.
Other things like the typing experience is second rate compared to a real keyboard, it is frustrating to type things and even just navigate the UI. The scrolling (especially in the browser) isn't great (weird as my Nexus 5 is great using the same OS and a slightly older CPU!), and overall, trying to do anything productive, no matter how trivial, is just an exercise in frustration.
I thought it would be liberating ridding myself of Windows unless strictly necessary, but I'm beginning to realise how stifling it is in the real world. I'll happily put up with slow and numerous patches for the ease of use and extra functionality it offers. I didn't realise how much I appreciated even small things like keyboard shortcuts and powerful file functionality embedded into the OS, not to mention that a desktop OS has been developed over many years to be as efficient as possible.
Ultimately then, I find tablets kind of fun when in the mood, but most of the time, quite frustrating.
I do think there is a case for stuff like the Nexus 7 as its an ideal travel companion, but the 10" version is nothing like as portable.
Is anyone else with me on this or is it just me?
For starters, I should tell you that I am a techy pervert. I love gadgets. I'm someone who my friends come to when they want advice about a potential purchase.
I'm currently rocking what is arguably the best 'droid 10" tablet out at the moment, the Xperia Z2 Tablet. I also own an iPad Mini Retina, Nexus 7 (2013) and have used other iPads (10") and Asus Transformers (including the T100) and the like.
My aim was to use it as my sole device, and have a cheapo laptop as a backup plan for when a task required a computer.
While I have experimented with tablets lots, I always end up preferring laptops. This time is no different, and I have to say, while I think tablets have their place (I'll get to this later), I think they are still nothing other than toys which when you want to do anything even vaguely "serious", are nothing but a totally frustrating compromise.
I love my Nexus 5, and I also like my Nexus 7 (a bit glitchy, for my liking though). I recognise the Z2 Tablet as being the cream of the crop of Android tablets at the moment; I tried the Samsung Pro 10.1 but it was laggy and had a poorer screen than the Sony, and full of bloatware.
The giveaway though is how much I end up using my ancient Lenovo T61 laptop with a knackered battery (but on the plus side an SSD and RAM upgrade).
This morning - good example: I picked it up, started surfing and the browser crashed. So I ended up using the PC. The apps for a large Android tablet flat out suck in most cases (even though large Android tabs have been out for years!) and the browsing experience is a distant second to a computer. Chrome on Android isn't great (I get sick and tired of choosing "Desktop user agent" when using it). Firefox is feature rich but unstable, Dolphin is slow and the best of a bad bunch is Opera. It's acceptably fast and decent to use.
Other things like the typing experience is second rate compared to a real keyboard, it is frustrating to type things and even just navigate the UI. The scrolling (especially in the browser) isn't great (weird as my Nexus 5 is great using the same OS and a slightly older CPU!), and overall, trying to do anything productive, no matter how trivial, is just an exercise in frustration.
I thought it would be liberating ridding myself of Windows unless strictly necessary, but I'm beginning to realise how stifling it is in the real world. I'll happily put up with slow and numerous patches for the ease of use and extra functionality it offers. I didn't realise how much I appreciated even small things like keyboard shortcuts and powerful file functionality embedded into the OS, not to mention that a desktop OS has been developed over many years to be as efficient as possible.
Ultimately then, I find tablets kind of fun when in the mood, but most of the time, quite frustrating.
I do think there is a case for stuff like the Nexus 7 as its an ideal travel companion, but the 10" version is nothing like as portable.
Is anyone else with me on this or is it just me?
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Comments
Have you looked at the new laptops that have detachable screens so you can sort of get the best of both worlds.
But it would be very interesting to know how well (or otherwise) people adapt from Windows laptops to Chromebooks. While Chromebooks are currently not without their drawbacks, I suspect that they might become the standard means of computing before long, with Windows 8 greatly hastening the migration away from all things Microsoft.
I upgraded the RAM in my Netbook and only really use it for Web, word documents, long emails and transferring stuff to an external drive and burning CD's.
I've now bought a mid range tablet - Asus ME180A MeMo Pad 8 inch Tablet - mainly so I can use it for web stuff and youtube. The Netbook will be put aside for when I need a PC.
Yes, I had an Asus Transformer T100 which was a convertible. I tended to use it more as a laptop than a tablet, and for that it was too small for me, again it seemed like too much of a compromise.
Well as it happens, I've also got a Chromebook (told you I was a techy pervert!). I think having used all if I had to pick between a tablet or chromebook I'd probably choose the latter, but its still not a replacement for Windows, I find it rather too stifling to use a primary machine. However, for someone who just does basic stuff on their computer, then they're a good maintenance free option, however, at this point in time, it's still no rival to Windows.
And for me, thats why the Nexus 7 makes more sense. It's not trying to be anything else. The bigger tablets lose out in portability, the apps are crap (iPad excepted) and don't do traditional web browsing / desktop like stuff anywhere near as well as a laptop which is why I'm ditching it.
I have noticed since the kitkat update both that and my z1 have slowed down noticeably, i don't think android is as fast as it used to be.
Having said that i will be replacing the nexus with a z2 in a few weeks.
Thats weird because ever since Android 4.0 they have made an effort to make Android quicker and take less hardware than previous versions.
That said I'm not denying your experience, maybe try clearing the cache, that sometimes gives a speed boost.
Play - tablet
True, but I think what I am also trying to say is that in most respects, playing on the computer is still more fun and easier to do (IMO anyway).
Same here. I rarely use anything other than a tablet at home these days.
But I do spend a lot of hours just loafing in front of the tv, so my iPad has become the perfect coffee table device.
To be honest, I've never tried to do anything "serious" on a tablet, but I can imagine it could become frustrating. I just love tablets for leisure activities, browsing, looking up things, email, reading the papers, pretty much everything I do in my spare time.
Actually stands for "Too long; didn't read"... misused in many places...
Thanks for replying. I did google and that is the result I found but, as you say, it doesn't make sense in the context of the OP.
It cropped up in another thread in Advice that I was reading earlier and it made no sense there either!
I'm glad it works for you. The thing is, for the stuff you say you use your tablet for, I can use my cheapo Nexus 7. Even for some none serious tasks though they are frustrating, especially when its something that costs nigh on £500.
Example: Browsing some fun sites? Oh look there's a flash video. Oh dear, I can't play it. Need to turn the PC on. Want to browse digitalspy? Fancy replying to something (like this) = takes twice or three times longer to type. Some sites don't display properly so I can't see what I'm typing. Or even work at all. Then I'm back on a PC again. Want to plug my phone or camera in. Oh I have to use the PC again. And on and on it goes. You can do many things on tablets, but for me they just aren't as easy to do stuff on as a PC, and for the stuff that they are suited for, a small cheap tablet, I dare say, does it better than a bigger one.
Everyone is different though and your mileage may vary - but I can't imagine I'll get another big tablet for the forseeable future - they just aren't quite there yet. They are decent, but still compromised devices for consumption and pretty terrible for productivity.
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The laptop I use more rarely for things like ripping DVDs and word processing.
I use my tablet a lot more but there are something's that you need a proper computer for.
Yes, I suppose everyone's needs are different. I must admit, my needs to do anything productive at home on a PC are very limited these days.
Your post did get me thinking about what I actually use a tablet for, after all it wasn't that long ago when all I had was a desktop PC. But taking yesterday for example, I was browsing for bathroom accessories (we're having the bathroom done) and they were reserved online. We were thinking of taking a long weekend away to Barcelona, so I spent a long time on Trip advisor checking out hotel reviews. That's all done with a cheapish flight arranged as well. Then I spent far too long on DS, mainly just reading what people had to say about football and tv, but also making a few posts myself.
But the main point is, that was all done from the comfort of my armchair. I could carry on a conversation with my wife, even if I was only half listening.
I find the tablet much more social than going into my office/spare bedroom to use a PC, and far more comfortable than using my laptop..though it is a heavy old stone-age laptop, I must admit.
I bet it can't do everything my Pc can do. Try editing some HD video with some effects and you will it will come to a standstill, try and play some of the games that are around on it as well and again it will come to a standstill, not that you would be able to load them onto the a windows RT tablet anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J5pmkr4Uao
The Surface pro works well for video editing although at home I'd prefer my PC simply because of the much bigger screen, my 'work station' and nice comfy chair... my space. I would guess my Pro would edit faster than your older quad core AMD based system. I've taken some great HD video on Gran Canaria and used my Pro and Sony Vaio laptop to edit for my family.
You can't do this type of editing on little tablets like the Nexus but newer tablets are pretty much full blown PC's but on a smaller scale.
Personally I like to own and use a PC (as above, its in 'my space'), bigger screen laptop and/or a good Windows 8 based tablet like the Pro.