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I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

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Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#81

Post by marcosdumay »

Funny thing that the author gets a Transformer, and then claims that tablets may have a chance now that MS "invented" the hybrid PC.

I've recently brought a Transformer for upgrading my 2008 laptop. The main differences are:

- The tablet needs rooting, I could find no good development enviroment for Andoid, but Debian runs well as a userspace system. (Asus distributes the rooting software, I wouldn't even buy it otherwise.)

- The tablet has less USB ports (but has more I/O options). It still wasn't a problem, but I've already needed more than the laptop had.

- The tablet's keyboard is smaller, but better designed. Up to now, I'd say they are equivalently hard to use.

- The tablet has a slightly slower processor, but enough battery for an entire day with keyboard, or an entire working day without keyboard (the laptop lasted for 3 hours), and weights about 10% of the laptop's weight. Also, it's smaller (10" vs. 14") what is both good and bad.

- Touchscreens are simply great. It's still worse than a proper desktop, but it is much more convenient than plugging a mouse at a laptop.

- Also, you can unplug the keyboard when you just want to browse the web or read something, getting a much more convenient format and just half the weight.

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#82

Post by Mz »

Probably stupid to admit this, but I bought a tablet to go homeless. It has a longer battery life, which is extremely important when access to electricity is limited. It is also far more user-friendly when in a tent or otherwise without proper desk facilities, which is the norm for me, not the exception. Given my medical condition, I view paper as evil. And normal keyboards get pretty disgusting. My tablet is surprisingly clean. Yes, it can be annoying in all the ways he lists. But it is my personal lifeline. I make money with it. It allows me to participate in online forums, which helps me keep my sanity. And a million other useful, productive things.

I had dual monitors at work when I had a job at a Fortune 500 company. Yes, they can be great. But I posit that tablets aren't useless, the author is merely too rich and spoiled (as are lots of people on hn, who no agree with him). Not everyone can afford dual monitors and multiple other electronic devices to choose from. That's like saying cars are passe and going out of style since I got my pilot's license. Why would I want to drive when I can fly? Hey, good for you. But there are quite a lot of people on planet earth of more modest means (maybe he has heard of third world countries?) who, like me, might well appreciate the hell out of having a tablet. I am sure I would happily go back to a netbook should my circumstances suddenly change. For now, I cannot imagine how painful that would be under my present circumstances.

Back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#83

Post by 8ig8 »

greggman wrote: post #61

I have an iPad3 and a Nexus 7. They sit mostly unused. I'll pick up the iPad3 once in while just for fun. I've played a few games to completion (Sword and Sworcery, Groove Coaster) but that's about it. I don't find them good for consuming except for movies on a plane. Movies at home? The bigger the screen the better. I'd much rather watch movies on my 42 inch TV from my sofa than my tablets. Reading? I'd much rather…

> I'm a curious person and I click lots of links. So for example I'll come to HN and ctrl click every title that sounds interesting. Tablets hate this workflow as they start removing tabs.

I'm the same way on my desktop, but on my iPad, I accomplish this by using the 'Add to Reading List' functionality. Just tap and hold a link and it is queued up.

I used this all the time for HN and Google News. I like not having the clutter of tabs.

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#85

Post by rockfort »

greggman wrote: post #61

I have an iPad3 and a Nexus 7. They sit mostly unused. I'll pick up the iPad3 once in while just for fun. I've played a few games to completion (Sword and Sworcery, Groove Coaster) but that's about it. I don't find them good for consuming except for movies on a plane. Movies at home? The bigger the screen the better. I'd much rather watch movies on my 42 inch TV from my sofa than my tablets. Reading? I'd much rather…

I recommend SwipeSelection on your iOS devices (needs a jailbreak though). It makes text editing so much more easy on touch devices.

Here's a video of it in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#87

Post by pawelwentpawel »

greggman wrote: post #61

I have an iPad3 and a Nexus 7. They sit mostly unused. I'll pick up the iPad3 once in while just for fun. I've played a few games to completion (Sword and Sworcery, Groove Coaster) but that's about it. I don't find them good for consuming except for movies on a plane. Movies at home? The bigger the screen the better. I'd much rather watch movies on my 42 inch TV from my sofa than my tablets. Reading? I'd much rather…

I've recently got kindle paperwhite - definitely the best purchase of this year so far. Pretty much the only thing I use my smartphone for now is splitting internet connection and picking up calls. Even the kindle experimental browser is not that bad as one might expect. I don't really see much use for myself in a tablet apart from using some interactive apps/games and watching movies on the go.

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#88

Post by mamcx »

lnanek2 wrote: post #63
Bud wrote: post #49

I would say that it is notable that the author has apparently never used iOS. Setting all subjective judgments of whether iOS or Android is better to the side, what that means is that the author hasn't even tried out what is by far the largest app/developer base available on a tablet. So I don't really think the author's opinion bears much weight, when we have facts staring us in the face such as the near-universal a…

If by developer base you mean market share, Android tablets are selling more than iOS nowadays. Apple is 43.6%, Android over 50%. Nowhere near the huge lead Android has in smartphone market share, but still enough that people going for the biggest market should chose Android: http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/31/technology/mobile/android-ta... Not really surprising considering competitors like amazon aren't even trying to…

What? Developer base mean developers, not users. Developers are more with iOS (better dev tools, better monetization, less tech problems, etc) Is well understood. The most quality apps are in iOS. That is a fact. The most qualified devs are in iOS, that is another.

Android have the market share, but the quality is not there yet (as compared with iOS)

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#89

Post by phaus »

Mz wrote: post #82

Probably stupid to admit this, but I bought a tablet to go homeless. It has a longer battery life, which is extremely important when access to electricity is limited. It is also far more user-friendly when in a tent or otherwise without proper desk facilities, which is the norm for me, not the exception. Given my medical condition, I view paper as evil. And normal keyboards get pretty disgusting. My tablet is surpris…

It's not stupid at all. If you didn't buy it, you would have lost a source of revenue, which would have made your situation worse in the long run.

I'm definitely spoiled, as in, I've never had to worry about having food and shelter. I've been close to that point while looking for work, but its never actually happened.

I'm fortunate enough to have a tablet and a computer, and while my computer is clearly better suited to some tasks, I could do pretty much everything that I have to do with a tablet, a Bluetooth keyboard, a $5/month vps, and an internet connection. It might not be ideal, but if it were my only option, I'd be just fine. There's actually people out there who prefer to work like this.

In short, I don't always create content on my tablet, but it definitely helps me be more productive.

Re: I Can't Find a Single Productive Use For My Tablet

#90

Post by corresation »

pjmlp wrote: post #41

Fully agree, it is nothing more than an expensive toy to browse the Internet and play games. A proper computer wins hands down for any type of productive work.

I am sitting at a rec center right now while my son attends a birthday party, having just finished updating a slew of items on Asana from my Nexus 7, tethered through my smartphone. It has been an incredibly productive hour or so.

I wouldn't have brought a laptop, but a little pad tossed in the swim bag...perfect.

That is how it often is. The tablet saves the day where alternately I had no real convenient options. It allows me to read up on technologies, learn language innovations, send missives, complete to do lists, etc.

If you always have the option of a full PC, as apparently the author does, of course it is a poor substitute. Yes I prefer my dual big monitors, VMs galore, and killer compute box. That isn't always an option.

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