5 ms·

I've never understood the 7" tablet argument. Yes, the size and price makes it far more appealing for kids. And women who want a Kindle++ that fits in the purs

by roc 14y ago

I've never understood the 7" tablet argument. Yes, the size and price makes it far more appealing for kids. And women who want a Kindle++ that fits in the purse they already carry everywhere (but is too small for a 10" tablet) could make a stronger case than most. But, in general, half the size of a 10" tablet doesn't make it half as useful as a 10" tablet and thus worth half the price. Half the size makes it really hard to argue that the apps or browsing experience is notably better than a phone. And not being able to pocket the thing, thus necessitating a bag only raises the question of: is this thing good enough to justify bringing a bag when you otherwise wouldn't? And half the size of a 10" tablet again makes this a hard pitch. Even if you're extremely price-bound, I just don't see the point. The price-bound have, at this point, waited three years to make a tablet decision anyway. Going without for a year or so to save for something that makes a stronger case can't be all that unacceptable.

dagw 14y ago
7" tablet fits in a jacket/coat pocket. 10" tablet does not. I also find the 7" tablet is more comfortable to hold in one hand. I have both a rooted Nook Color and an iPad, and while the iPad is undeniably a better piece of hardware, I find Nooks size more convenient to hold and use.
- barista 14y ago
  second that. 7" is a great size for a tablet. I used fire for some time and it was quite useful to take it with me. If I am going for a larger tablet though I'd much rather prefer a more functional Surface over iPad... if only it was available :)
  - bronson 14y ago
    That's hard to believe since we don't even know what the Surface is yet. Microsoft's tablet history is full over over-promising and under-delivering.
- roc 14y ago
  I'm not trying to say it's the wrong size or anything. I have a friend who lives in a warm climate, wears cargo shorts year-round and couldn't care less about anything other than long-form reading on the thing. And he won't shut up about how awesome his Nook Color fits his life. I get it, for him. Or for a hypothetical mad-reader who has a purse or pouch they carry everywhere. I just hear a lot of chatter about how the 7" size is desirable coming from people who don't/can't already wear clothing that makes sense of the form-factor. [1] Or don't have that long-form reading focus. [2] And I don't get that. I figure there has to be something to it. Which is why I still talk about it. I'm just not seeing it. [1] e.g. they don't live in a climate or work environment where they can sport cargo pants/shorts all the time, or they don't already wear a jacket everywhere with pockets big enough, etc. And there, "it fits some pockets" sounds more hypothetical and comes off like they've just turned "you have to carry a bag that you don't already" into "you have to carry conforming_clothing, that you don't already". [2] Personally, that's the only time I wish my iPad was more comfortable to one-hand. It doesn't come up often. But during long reading sessions, while I'm rotating postures and grips, I miss the one-hand grips that are available with a paperback, magazine, or 7" tablet. But I'm not so short on comfortable grips that it matters much. That said, I never found the weight of an iPad to be a problem either. So maybe that's just me.
  - notatoad 14y ago
    If the only real good use case for the 7" tablet is long-form reading, why not get an e-ink device? better to read on, weighs less, thinner, cheaper, better battery. My kindle 3 perfectly complements my smartphone and 10" tablet.
    - icebraining 14y ago
      Because many of us can afford a single $200 tablet, but not an E-Ink reader plus a 10" tablet?
    - roc 14y ago
      Short version? Instapaper, PDF and CBR/CBZ. There tend to be workarounds for some of these depending on the eInk tablet, but none do all three well. (Frankly, none that I've seen do any of them well. It's more a question of whether they do them acceptably-enough to bother.)
ido 14y ago
I don't have an ipad (had one in previous job), but my 7" galaxy tabs is worlds more comfortable to use than my phone. Can't even compare the two.
ajross 14y ago
I don't see how that works logically. A 7" tablet is just about exactly as much bigger than a 4" phone as a 10" tablet is bigger than a 7" tablet. Why is one quantum more important than the other? I could just as well say "Double the size makes it really hard to argue that the iPad is notably better than a 7" tablet." with exactly the same justification. I think it's very much taste-dependent. I've used an iPad and been broadly unimpressed with the form factor; you have to "put it on something" to use it, it's too big to hold for long periods in one hand. I've never used a 7" tablet but it seems like for simple browsing on a plane or whatever like it might be a better fit.
- drzaiusapelord 14y ago
  >Why is one quantum more important than the other? I've owned both. Long story short, things like comics, magazines, non-mobile web, etc are terrible on a 7". Consuming this media often involves lots of tapping and zooming. Its annoying. Two people can sit together and watch a TV show or movie comfortable with a 10" tablet. With a 7" its almost like crowding around someone's phone. Oh, and the 10" opens up this world of remote desktop/citrix apps that suddenly are usable. I'd also argue that a 10" is just a sexier and more futuristic device. A 7" is typically fatter and has a larger bezel while a 10" has a lot more area to spread this stuff out. There's something really fun about having a thin 10" screen that weighs next to nothing in your hands. This is sci-fi territory here. I'd also argue that no 7" is really pocketable. Unless you're a woman with a purse or are wearing massive cargo pants, you'll be carrying a bag anyway.
  - ajross 14y ago
    Right: taste dependent. I see what you're saying on some of that, but others just sound ridiculous (e.g. Watching a movie on 10" is bad enough, but sharing the screen? Not in my lifestyle, sorry.) And some of your points (non-mobile web, remote desktop) mostly just amount to "10 inches is closer to a laptop", which prompts the question of why bother with the tablet when you already have a laptop? And the rest just sounds like fanboism: why isn't it "really fun" and "sci fi territory" to have a 7" screen that weighs next to nothing in your hands? (And as I stated before, I have to quibble with the weight comment: the iPad is definitely not a one-handed device; I get tired using it like that.) I'm not really defending the "paperback" form factor, as I haven't used it. I'm just very surprised at the level of resistance. It looks cute to me.
bitwize 14y ago
I own a 10-inch tablet (Transformer Original) and a 7-inch-tablet (Nook Color with CM7) and I can say that the 7-inch form factor more beautifully fits the hand, and is easier on the eyes (and grip) for things like reading, light browsing, and email. And not being able to pocket the thing, thus necessitating a bag only raises the question of: is this thing good enough to justify bringing a bag when you otherwise wouldn't? It fits in a purse, so that's only an issue for us guys (unless you're man enough to carry a man-purse and not give a fuck what people think). My NC can slide into some large coat pockets.
icebraining 14y ago
Personally, I already have a 12" laptop and no smartphone (my wifi-less S60 doesn't really count), so a cheap and small tablet would cover the "really portable media/web viewing" nicely. A 7" fits in my trouser pockets; for a 10" I'd need to carry my satchel, and then I'd just bring my laptop instead.

by roc 14y ago

dagw 14y ago

7" tablet fits in a jacket/coat pocket. 10" tablet does not. I also find the 7" tablet is more comfortable to hold in one hand. I have both a rooted Nook Color and an iPad, and while the iPad is undeniably a better piece of hardware, I find Nooks size more convenient to hold and use.

barista 14y ago
second that. 7" is a great size for a tablet. I used fire for some time and it was quite useful to take it with me. If I am going for a larger tablet though I'd much rather prefer a more functional Surface over iPad... if only it was available :)
- bronson 14y ago
  That's hard to believe since we don't even know what the Surface is yet. Microsoft's tablet history is full over over-promising and under-delivering.
roc 14y ago
I'm not trying to say it's the wrong size or anything. I have a friend who lives in a warm climate, wears cargo shorts year-round and couldn't care less about anything other than long-form reading on the thing. And he won't shut up about how awesome his Nook Color fits his life. I get it, for him. Or for a hypothetical mad-reader who has a purse or pouch they carry everywhere. I just hear a lot of chatter about how the 7" size is desirable coming from people who don't/can't already wear clothing that makes sense of the form-factor. [1] Or don't have that long-form reading focus. [2] And I don't get that. I figure there has to be something to it. Which is why I still talk about it. I'm just not seeing it. [1] e.g. they don't live in a climate or work environment where they can sport cargo pants/shorts all the time, or they don't already wear a jacket everywhere with pockets big enough, etc. And there, "it fits some pockets" sounds more hypothetical and comes off like they've just turned "you have to carry a bag that you don't already" into "you have to carry conforming_clothing, that you don't already". [2] Personally, that's the only time I wish my iPad was more comfortable to one-hand. It doesn't come up often. But during long reading sessions, while I'm rotating postures and grips, I miss the one-hand grips that are available with a paperback, magazine, or 7" tablet. But I'm not so short on comfortable grips that it matters much. That said, I never found the weight of an iPad to be a problem either. So maybe that's just me.
- notatoad 14y ago
  If the only real good use case for the 7" tablet is long-form reading, why not get an e-ink device? better to read on, weighs less, thinner, cheaper, better battery. My kindle 3 perfectly complements my smartphone and 10" tablet.
  - icebraining 14y ago
    Because many of us can afford a single $200 tablet, but not an E-Ink reader plus a 10" tablet?
  - roc 14y ago
    Short version? Instapaper, PDF and CBR/CBZ. There tend to be workarounds for some of these depending on the eInk tablet, but none do all three well. (Frankly, none that I've seen do any of them well. It's more a question of whether they do them acceptably-enough to bother.)

ido 14y ago

I don't have an ipad (had one in previous job), but my 7" galaxy tabs is worlds more comfortable to use than my phone. Can't even compare the two.

ajross 14y ago

I don't see how that works logically. A 7" tablet is just about exactly as much bigger than a 4" phone as a 10" tablet is bigger than a 7" tablet. Why is one quantum more important than the other? I could just as well say "Double the size makes it really hard to argue that the iPad is notably better than a 7" tablet." with exactly the same justification. I think it's very much taste-dependent. I've used an iPad and been broadly unimpressed with the form factor; you have to "put it on something" to use it, it's too big to hold for long periods in one hand. I've never used a 7" tablet but it seems like for simple browsing on a plane or whatever like it might be a better fit.

drzaiusapelord 14y ago
>Why is one quantum more important than the other? I've owned both. Long story short, things like comics, magazines, non-mobile web, etc are terrible on a 7". Consuming this media often involves lots of tapping and zooming. Its annoying. Two people can sit together and watch a TV show or movie comfortable with a 10" tablet. With a 7" its almost like crowding around someone's phone. Oh, and the 10" opens up this world of remote desktop/citrix apps that suddenly are usable. I'd also argue that a 10" is just a sexier and more futuristic device. A 7" is typically fatter and has a larger bezel while a 10" has a lot more area to spread this stuff out. There's something really fun about having a thin 10" screen that weighs next to nothing in your hands. This is sci-fi territory here. I'd also argue that no 7" is really pocketable. Unless you're a woman with a purse or are wearing massive cargo pants, you'll be carrying a bag anyway.
- ajross 14y ago
  Right: taste dependent. I see what you're saying on some of that, but others just sound ridiculous (e.g. Watching a movie on 10" is bad enough, but sharing the screen? Not in my lifestyle, sorry.) And some of your points (non-mobile web, remote desktop) mostly just amount to "10 inches is closer to a laptop", which prompts the question of why bother with the tablet when you already have a laptop? And the rest just sounds like fanboism: why isn't it "really fun" and "sci fi territory" to have a 7" screen that weighs next to nothing in your hands? (And as I stated before, I have to quibble with the weight comment: the iPad is definitely not a one-handed device; I get tired using it like that.) I'm not really defending the "paperback" form factor, as I haven't used it. I'm just very surprised at the level of resistance. It looks cute to me.

bitwize 14y ago

I own a 10-inch tablet (Transformer Original) and a 7-inch-tablet (Nook Color with CM7) and I can say that the 7-inch form factor more beautifully fits the hand, and is easier on the eyes (and grip) for things like reading, light browsing, and email. And not being able to pocket the thing, thus necessitating a bag only raises the question of: is this thing good enough to justify bringing a bag when you otherwise wouldn't? It fits in a purse, so that's only an issue for us guys (unless you're man enough to carry a man-purse and not give a fuck what people think). My NC can slide into some large coat pockets.

icebraining 14y ago

Personally, I already have a 12" laptop and no smartphone (my wifi-less S60 doesn't really count), so a cheap and small tablet would cover the "really portable media/web viewing" nicely. A 7" fits in my trouser pockets; for a 10" I'd need to carry my satchel, and then I'd just bring my laptop instead.