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Tablets replaced computers for the most part. They are just a good bit smaller than we expected and have the capability to do phone calls. Mobile is a much big

by TekMol 4y ago

Tablets replaced computers for the most part. They are just a good bit smaller than we expected and have the capability to do phone calls. Mobile is a much bigger market than Desktop these days.

mtgx 4y ago
[dead]
camhart 4y ago
I find tablets are good for one thing--watching movies on the go. Desktops/Laptops do a ton more than that for me. I disagree that tablets replaced computers. I've seen no evidence of that in my life. Maybe I'm an anomaly though?
- hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
  Parent comment is making a joke - "small tablets" that can make calls are mobile phones.
rowanG077 4y ago
This is a pretty bad take. The mobile market is much larger precisely because they AREN'T computers. They are mobile companions. But you don't do the same things on a computer and on a mobile phone. Who edits their movies on a phone? Who codes on a phone? Who writes their PhD thesis on a phone? You will be hard pressed to find professionals who do these things. Because a phone is not a computer.
- TekMol 4y ago
  The main usage of computers even before mobile phones was to browse the web, read and write emails and play games. Web and mail is mostly done on phones now. Not sure about games. The use cases you mention are much smaller. Steve Jobs had the right analogy: Tablets are cars, desktop computers are trucks. Few people use trucks. Most use cars.
  - rowanG077 4y ago
    There is absolutely no one I know who uses a tablet as their primary work computer. No one. That analogy instantly breaks down because of this. As if everyone drives to work primarily using their trucks. The even more sad thing is that the iPad hardware is absolutely capable to be the primary computer for people. It's simply Apples refusal to allow a real OS to run on it that keeps holding it back.
    - yourusername 4y ago
      Young people, the poor, many people in developing countries tend to all be mobile only. I don't have hard figures but i would estimate the number of people who do all their "computing" on a phone or tablet numbers in the billions.
      - rowanG077 4y ago
        Right. a phone/tablet is still better then nothing.
    - BlueTemplar 4y ago
      It's not so much about having a real OS than about the input. Mouse & keyboard is just so much better.
      - rowanG077 4y ago
        Ipad has Mouse & keyboard
        BlueTemplar 4y ago
        As a secondary option. Compare with Surface (Pro), which has the opposite "issue".
  - ReptileMan 4y ago
    And yet SUV/Pickup is the most popular category of vehicles in the USA
dougmwne 4y ago
I think this is an insightful take. My first tablet was 7”. Most phones are 6” now. The extra size of a 10” tablet does not buy much extra functionality and we all basically have “phablets” now. And in the end, these big smartphones did end up taking up 80% of the tasks I used to do on my laptop and I don’t hesitate to leave it at home for a trip unless I know I’ll need to do a heavy creative task.

by TekMol 4y ago

Tablets replaced computers for the most part. They are just a good bit smaller than we expected and have the capability to do phone calls. Mobile is a much bigger market than Desktop these days.

mtgx 4y ago

[dead]

camhart 4y ago

I find tablets are good for one thing--watching movies on the go. Desktops/Laptops do a ton more than that for me. I disagree that tablets replaced computers. I've seen no evidence of that in my life. Maybe I'm an anomaly though?

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
Parent comment is making a joke - "small tablets" that can make calls are mobile phones.

rowanG077 4y ago

This is a pretty bad take. The mobile market is much larger precisely because they AREN'T computers. They are mobile companions. But you don't do the same things on a computer and on a mobile phone. Who edits their movies on a phone? Who codes on a phone? Who writes their PhD thesis on a phone? You will be hard pressed to find professionals who do these things. Because a phone is not a computer.

TekMol 4y ago
The main usage of computers even before mobile phones was to browse the web, read and write emails and play games. Web and mail is mostly done on phones now. Not sure about games. The use cases you mention are much smaller. Steve Jobs had the right analogy: Tablets are cars, desktop computers are trucks. Few people use trucks. Most use cars.
- rowanG077 4y ago
  There is absolutely no one I know who uses a tablet as their primary work computer. No one. That analogy instantly breaks down because of this. As if everyone drives to work primarily using their trucks. The even more sad thing is that the iPad hardware is absolutely capable to be the primary computer for people. It's simply Apples refusal to allow a real OS to run on it that keeps holding it back.
  - yourusername 4y ago
    Young people, the poor, many people in developing countries tend to all be mobile only. I don't have hard figures but i would estimate the number of people who do all their "computing" on a phone or tablet numbers in the billions.
    - rowanG077 4y ago
      Right. a phone/tablet is still better then nothing.
  - BlueTemplar 4y ago
    It's not so much about having a real OS than about the input. Mouse & keyboard is just so much better.
    - rowanG077 4y ago
      Ipad has Mouse & keyboard
      - BlueTemplar 4y ago
        As a secondary option. Compare with Surface (Pro), which has the opposite "issue".
- ReptileMan 4y ago
  And yet SUV/Pickup is the most popular category of vehicles in the USA

dougmwne 4y ago

I think this is an insightful take. My first tablet was 7”. Most phones are 6” now. The extra size of a 10” tablet does not buy much extra functionality and we all basically have “phablets” now. And in the end, these big smartphones did end up taking up 80% of the tasks I used to do on my laptop and I don’t hesitate to leave it at home for a trip unless I know I’ll need to do a heavy creative task.