• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • Tablets and e-Readers
Novice question. What are the benefits/uses of tablets?
<<
<
1 of 2
>>
>
Campcrusader
02-02-2012
I have a laptop, which I use daily, and serves its purpose well. Are there any advantages to a tablet over a laptop, also are there any pitfalls? I have no experience of tablets, but keep seeing people with them. I'd really like someone to explain their uses and benefits. Thanks in anticipation!
bobcar
02-02-2012
Originally Posted by Campcrusader:
“I have a laptop, which I use daily, and serves its purpose well. Are there any advantages to a tablet over a laptop, also are there any pitfalls? I have no experience of tablets, but keep seeing people with them. I'd really like someone to explain their uses and benefits. Thanks in anticipation!”

They're smaller and more portable but that's about it. They do have a touch screen as standard which may be an advantage though if you do serious drawing etc you can do that with a laptop. There are a lot of apps around to take advantage of the portability of a tablet and because tablets are trendy there are more and more of these.

For serious computing there is no comparison a laptop (or desktop) is much better. The apps for the tablet will have been created on either a laptop or more likely a desktop.

It depends if you want the portability of a tablet.
rjb101
02-02-2012
There quite good fun And they are very portable, our sales force use them, for them they work on all sorts of levels.

There nice to lounge around on the sofa with, and if your the sort of person who takes a newspaper into the toilet...
DarthFader
02-02-2012
They are instant on great way or surfing whilst watching TV or checking the odd email which is great not having to wait to fire up the laptop. It is also great on holidays and Tain journeys. I don't think it is a laptop replacement as for typing anything more than the odd forum post or email it can get tedious but they are great and the games are fun too. iPads at least have virtually zero chance of getting a virus.


PJ
djleekee
02-02-2012
Originally Posted by rjb101:
“There quite good fun And they are very portable, our sales force use them, for them they work on all sorts of levels.

There nice to lounge around on the sofa with, and if your the sort of person who takes a newspaper into the toilet...”

RUMBLED!
They make LESS noise than newspapers aswell!
horns
02-02-2012
They're large-print smartphones for the aging population who's eyesight isn't what it used to be.
neo_wales
03-02-2012
Small, limited computing power, small storage space but fun I suppose.
flynn
03-02-2012
I've got one, and I really like it, but for me....

It's a toy.

If you can afford one, and you want something for casual browsing/watching video/reading/the odd game then they're great. For anything more than that I'd say don't bother.
c4rv
03-02-2012
We use ours for,

- Watch videos, mainly in the car for kids and me in the gym while on exercise bike
- e-mail, facebook, forum browsing, etc
- ereader, PDF and comic book
- play games
- kids can use use educational android apps
- Basic web browsing
lamblamlamb
03-02-2012
Since getting mine, my late night desktop web surfing has stopped as I surf the web in bed before sleeping. I would stop using the desktop completely if I could but certain things like facebook games, long flash videos (the flash on my tab crashes far too much) are just better on the pc.
spendleb
03-02-2012
Originally Posted by c4rv:
“We use ours for,

- Watch videos, mainly in the car for kids and me in the gym while on exercise bike
- e-mail, facebook, forum browsing, etc
- ereader, PDF and comic book
- play games
- kids can use use educational android apps
- Basic web browsing”


Sounds about the same as me, plus I now use it to video chat and keep all my recipes on so easy to use in the kitchen, tbh I rarely put the laptop on now unless I need to download something, the tablet is far quicker, more reliable and more fun to use.
Millands Green
03-02-2012
Pretty much what I use mine for as well, but also use it for Sky sports viewing.
Eater Sundae
03-02-2012
I bought a cheap 7" chinese android tablet, last month. I bought it as a toy, and could not really justify spending more. I like it, and use it for lightweight browsing, posting this etc.
Tbh, I don't see much advantage over a lightweight netbook. I also have a 7" Asus Eee 4G netbook, which can do most of what I need, plus a handy combined input device cum folding screen protector. It also has proper usb ports for peripherals. Although these types of netbooks appear to have gone out of fashion, I would quite like an updated version of my Asus
cnbcwatcher
05-02-2012
I don't have a tablet but I can't ever see them replacing laptops. They're probably great for a few games (Angry Birds anyone? ) and light web browsing. There are a lot of tasks which good old keyboard and mouse are better for.
kobashi100
05-02-2012
Use mine for email, surfing, streaming football games, comic reading and watching HD video.

Never play games on it. Have a 3DS which does that a whole lot better.
IvanIV
05-02-2012
Originally Posted by djleekee:
“RUMBLED!
They make LESS noise than newspapers aswell!”

Just don't swat flies with it I thought tablets had no future, but I was proven wrong. A typical home computer user does not use it to create things with it. It's all about consuming. A web, media, anything. They don't miss a keyboard, it's enough if you can point at things you want. And tablet can do all that.
sheppy124
05-02-2012
I am going through a similar exercise at the moment in my household, and the only thing I am struggling with compared to the laptop/PC is using e
xcel, word etc and kids PC based homework. If I didn't have kids my laptop I would only use know and again. The dawn of tablets is coming as the big brands are putting there money into these and cloudstuff, even Microsoft are starting to move this way as well. The tablet wars have started.
Rolnikov
08-02-2012
Tablets are ideal for consuming content - reading comics, books, websites; listening to radio, music, audiobooks. Power on the iPad lasts for ages and it never overheats.

For creating content, they can be quite fiddly. One of my main reasons for buying an iPad was to write on it, but after a while I gave up and bought a Chromebook instead.
omnidirectional
08-02-2012
Originally Posted by Rolnikov:
“For creating content, they can be quite fiddly. One of my main reasons for buying an iPad was to write on it, but after a while I gave up and bought a Chromebook instead.”

I hope Chromebooks get a bit of a push (and price cut) this year to increase interest, it's good that Google are sticking with them and releasing an updated Samsung model this year. With the amount of cloud apps available now, they're certainly more attractive and able to do a lot more. Price is the main issue, I think.
Rolnikov
09-02-2012
The Chromebook's been a massive hit with our family. The school is starting to set homework for the kids via sites like Frog and Education City, and they love being able to log themselves in and get on with it.

The Chromebooks seem expensive when you look at what they can do, and compare it to netbooks that in theory can do more, which is I guess why they haven't taken off, but it's so easy to use. I've a friend with an Apple laptop that cost seven hundred quid more, and I wouldn't trade them.
TerryH
09-02-2012
Originally Posted by flynn:
“I've got one, and I really like it, but for me....

It's a toy.”

I completely agree with this.

I have one and it is just that, a toy. It's not a laptop or desktop replacement but it's quick and fun to use for basic(ish) tasks and games etc.
alanwarwic
09-02-2012
Yes they are good fun though it only takes a day or so for the fun toy reaction to wear off. I'm not into the (simple) games so this was to be expected.

It's quick and simple for Netflix and a browse of the web. iPlayer sometimes blips on voice sync depending on the connection.

Obviously it is dumb and stupid when it comes to having to finger poke type using the other one hand to hold it. I don't yet use the 'on sofa, knees to the chest' hands free position that is obviously popular.

Mine only weighs 350 grams and at what I paid makes a great portable 3G device. (using Velcro for the dongle) In its base form it does not compare it to a laptop and obviously tablets will take a few years to evolve into something all round software decent. For now X86 Windows really has it all.
Stuart_h
09-02-2012
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Yes they are good fun though it only takes a day or so for the fun toy reaction to wear off. I'm not into the (simple) games so this was to be expected.

It's quick and simple for Netflix and a browse of the web. iPlayer sometimes blips on voice sync depending on the connection.

Obviously it is dumb and stupid when it comes to having to finger poke type using the other one hand to hold it. I don't yet use the 'on sofa, knees to the chest' hands free position that is obviously popular.

Mine only weighs 350 grams and at what I paid makes a great portable 3G device. (using Velcro for the dongle) In its base form it does not compare it to a laptop and obviously tablets will take a few years to evolve into something all round software decent. For now X86 Windows really has it all.”

i have the ASUS transformer and use it mostly in keyboard/docked mode using it more like a netbook but with the ease of thouchscreen and the benefit of thousands of apps.

no... its not a vital piece of hardware but if you have money to spare its a 'nice to have' ......
TheBigM
09-02-2012
It's fairly simple. It's a laptop minus the keyboard and because of that you can hold it at different angles which make it friendly to use in sitting down positions on your lap.

The other main differences include: long battery life (on some), lightweight (some), touch and can't run desktop apps.
Mark Hewitt
10-02-2012
The main advantage I see is that it's easier to use while sitting on the sofa as it's lighter and easier to position. It's not really for doing serious work, for that you need a laptop - or even a desktop
<<
<
1 of 2
>>
>
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map