4 ms·
I think part of the confusion is that "mobile" means both phone and tablet. Phones and tablets might run the same OS, but tablets are much more viable as a PC/
by Roboprog 13y ago
I think part of the confusion is that "mobile" means both phone and tablet.
Phones and tablets might run the same OS, but tablets are much more viable as a PC/laptop replacement. Maybe not yet, but soon.
I can "dock" my Nexus tablet with an external monitor, and bluetooth keyboard & mouse, and do a considerable amount on it (email, taking notes, even some development), then take just the tablet with me for review or minor changes, as well as simply looking at things with a mostly big enough screen. For that matter, adding just the b/t keyboard is pretty useful. In a pinch, I can run the same apps & content on my phone, as well, which complements the system, though the phone is a poor viewport for most content.
People might downplay the capabilities of a tablet, but the configuration mentioned above is considerably better than anything that I used to do actual work in the 80s, and the resolution, though not size, matched most of what I worked on in the 90s.
- mtdewcmu 13y agoI too use my tablet and phone these days for things I used to do on a pc. The natural question to ask, then, is what's the difference? What differentiates pc from mobile? I guess it's the OS, mostly. Android uand iOS are distinctly different from windows/OSX now, mostly because they're stripped down. But if they take on the same tasks as pc OSes, they'll have to get bigger, and then will the difference still matter?
- Roboprog 13y agoYou can use the apps on mobile devices w/out the keyboard in a pinch, of course. The way the apps are partitioned so they can't crap all over each others' DLLs and registry entries helps some as well. The single-source app store may or may not be a win for everyone, but making apps keep to themselves helps avoid fouling the whole OS install.
- mtdewcmu 13y agoI'm proposing that the more iOS/Android devices grow to intrude on the PC's domain, the more they will become just like PCs.
- scholia 13y agoA cheap ($218) 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet like the Toshiba Encore can certainly replace a desktop or laptop for many if not most purposes.... because you can use it with a full size keyboard and four screens. OK, you need a USB 3 docking station as well, but it runs Microsoft Office perfectly well. http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Encore-WT8-A32-8-Inch-Tablet/dp/B00G1YKHHA http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Encore-WT8-A32-8-Inch-Tablet/d...
- tunap 13y agoCheap Win tablet w/ RT is essentially a relatively big screen phone when comparing mobile to PCs. Most people will be taken aback when they cannot load non-AppStore software onto Windows. A $1000+ Slate Pro w/ full on Windows however... now there is a mobile device for more than just consumption. edit: + 'mobile' in last sentence