6 ms·

I still don't "get" tablets. What are they good for again? If I need/want to code (or type anything longer than a text message), I want (at least) a laptop.

by jcadam 12y ago

I still don't "get" tablets. What are they good for again? If I need/want to code (or type anything longer than a text message), I want (at least) a laptop. If I want to consume media while on the go, I care more about portability than anything else, so I use my smartphone -- it fits in my pocket so I always have it with me (unlike a tablet). If I want to sit up in bed (or on the couch) and read a novel, I use an e-reader. It's MUCH easier on the eyes (and I think I spend enough time staring at LCDs as it is). There's nothing I want to do these days that would be better served by a tablet than a more specialized device. I bought a Gen1 iPad when they were new. It sat unused 99% of the time, until my kids got a little older (they love tablets, huh).

Touche 12y ago
A tablet is the best way to consume digital comics. That's the only area where I think it's better than alternatives. Niche market though.
erichmond 12y ago
I use a tablet to do all my reading, 95% of my media consuming, and it's an integral part of my music studio. I may be an anomaly, I do not like having a smartphone, and am looking forward to the day when my device set will be watch, tablet & desktop.
- Silhouette 12y ago
  I'm similarly anomalous, for whatever that's worth. I prefer a feature phone and sometimes a tablet as well when I'm out but wanting some basic tools and connectivity. I use high-spec desktop workstations for most real work, proper servers for shared facilities and larger-scale storage, and a mid-range laptop for things like meetings or on-site client visits. I don't really see the attraction of smartphones given the alternative devices you can use today -- they're sort of half-OK at lots of things but not really great at anything, and a lot of them seem to have worse stability, security and privacy problems than every other device I use put together.
Retric 12y ago
Tables are great for consuming content. Think eReader for websites and YouTube. There also nice for phone games at home on a couch etc. The built in keyboards are good enough for a short HN comment, but not a novel. IMO, if you’re doing serious work then you want a laptop/desktop with a real keyboard not an Ultrabook. What's important to remember is they don't really have moving parts and are unlikely to be dropped. So, they probably have fairly long update cycles after their 'good enough'. For example, I use my 2 or 3 year old iPad every day and other than wishing it was lighter I really see no need for an upgrade.
nakedrobot2 12y ago
Me too, I agree with everything there. Bought an ipad mini in 2013, kids use it now for games (good for them ;) and I never use. Phone (that barely fits in my pocket) and laptop are enough.
mynegation 12y ago
I use iPad Air to read tons of technical papers, books, and magazines - and no - phone - just will not do for it, let alone lugging stacks of paper. I occasionally read fiction on an iPhone 6, but anything that has charts, formulae, source code, or good typography and photos (as in magazine articles) is a pain to read on a phone. I also watch TV shows, videos and movies on iPad when I feel like doing it on a couch, as laptop is a bit too heavy and bulky and I just do not bother buying a TV set.
- imh 12y ago
  Reading papers on it was the killer app for me. Nothing else had a decent screen size/aspect ratio. If there was a huge e-reader that could handle pdfs properly I'd have gotten that, but there wasn't so I shelled out way too much money on an ipad. Very happy with it.
bluedino 12y ago
I don't think I could live without my iPad Mini. Couch surfing, YouTube, games...barely use my laptop much anymore
dspillett 12y ago
A lot of people do little more than web browsing, youtube, facebook, some other instant messaging (though that is more commonly done on phones instead), and maybe a bit of email. For that a tablet does rather well and can be more convenient to carry around than a laptop. That seems to be the most common use for ~10 inch tablets in my experience, I know many people who use them quite a lot that way. If you have relatively large pockets a 7 inch tablet is quite carryable and does noticeably better for video and text reading IMO due to the larger screen unless you have a huge phone (though huge phones are getting more and more common - I use a tablet a less now I have a 5" phone screen). You sound like you need at least one step more than that though, at which point yes you will probably find a tablet frustrating as it nearly does what you want but is far enough away to not be practical. Something like a transformer might work, but they tend to be pretty expensive. I have a "poor man's" version of that: an 8 inch tablet (both my winter and summer coats have large inner pockets!) with a bluetooth keyboard & mouse and a simple stand for when I need/want to use it more like a laptop. The tablet was less than 100ukp so the who kit cost a chunk less than a laptop or a transformer-style hybrid. It runs full Windows too which is a bonus for me (it means I can run anything I do at home rather than being limited to tablet apps) though the Windows desktop interface can be a bit fiddly at that size unless you drop the DPI a bit. There are similar 10 inch devices too if you want something with a bigger screen. Of course a tablet may just not cover your use cases at all. Different strokes for different folks! There is a lot of one-up-man-ship in tablet owning of course especially in the case of iDevices in my experience - in some circles having the latest of those is a style statement, and some people just get bought them as presents, though I'll stick to talking about more practical reasons for ownership!
rifung 12y ago
I use mine almost exclusively for reading. I don't want an e reader because they don't have color and also because as far as I know you can't read pdf's on them
bane 12y ago
I use mine for 3 things where my largish Note won't cut it - light, but extended, web browsing. Usually long-form articles - comics - tv, movies while lying in bed or on a couch in a room without a tv or just resting somewhere.
zem 12y ago
they're good for watching movies while lying in bed - phones are too small, and laptops too inconvenient.
thedrbrian 12y ago
Not seen it mentioned yet but the 4g iPads make for a fantastic GPS replacement. £579 for 64gb 10 inch nav that is streets ahead of any manufacturers' system.

by jcadam 12y ago

Touche 12y ago

A tablet is the best way to consume digital comics. That's the only area where I think it's better than alternatives. Niche market though.

erichmond 12y ago

I use a tablet to do all my reading, 95% of my media consuming, and it's an integral part of my music studio. I may be an anomaly, I do not like having a smartphone, and am looking forward to the day when my device set will be watch, tablet & desktop.

Silhouette 12y ago
I'm similarly anomalous, for whatever that's worth. I prefer a feature phone and sometimes a tablet as well when I'm out but wanting some basic tools and connectivity. I use high-spec desktop workstations for most real work, proper servers for shared facilities and larger-scale storage, and a mid-range laptop for things like meetings or on-site client visits. I don't really see the attraction of smartphones given the alternative devices you can use today -- they're sort of half-OK at lots of things but not really great at anything, and a lot of them seem to have worse stability, security and privacy problems than every other device I use put together.

Retric 12y ago

Tables are great for consuming content. Think eReader for websites and YouTube. There also nice for phone games at home on a couch etc. The built in keyboards are good enough for a short HN comment, but not a novel. IMO, if you’re doing serious work then you want a laptop/desktop with a real keyboard not an Ultrabook. What's important to remember is they don't really have moving parts and are unlikely to be dropped. So, they probably have fairly long update cycles after their 'good enough'. For example, I use my 2 or 3 year old iPad every day and other than wishing it was lighter I really see no need for an upgrade.

nakedrobot2 12y ago

Me too, I agree with everything there. Bought an ipad mini in 2013, kids use it now for games (good for them ;) and I never use. Phone (that barely fits in my pocket) and laptop are enough.

mynegation 12y ago

I use iPad Air to read tons of technical papers, books, and magazines - and no - phone - just will not do for it, let alone lugging stacks of paper. I occasionally read fiction on an iPhone 6, but anything that has charts, formulae, source code, or good typography and photos (as in magazine articles) is a pain to read on a phone. I also watch TV shows, videos and movies on iPad when I feel like doing it on a couch, as laptop is a bit too heavy and bulky and I just do not bother buying a TV set.

imh 12y ago
Reading papers on it was the killer app for me. Nothing else had a decent screen size/aspect ratio. If there was a huge e-reader that could handle pdfs properly I'd have gotten that, but there wasn't so I shelled out way too much money on an ipad. Very happy with it.

bluedino 12y ago

I don't think I could live without my iPad Mini. Couch surfing, YouTube, games...barely use my laptop much anymore

dspillett 12y ago

A lot of people do little more than web browsing, youtube, facebook, some other instant messaging (though that is more commonly done on phones instead), and maybe a bit of email. For that a tablet does rather well and can be more convenient to carry around than a laptop. That seems to be the most common use for ~10 inch tablets in my experience, I know many people who use them quite a lot that way. If you have relatively large pockets a 7 inch tablet is quite carryable and does noticeably better for video and text reading IMO due to the larger screen unless you have a huge phone (though huge phones are getting more and more common - I use a tablet a less now I have a 5" phone screen). You sound like you need at least one step more than that though, at which point yes you will probably find a tablet frustrating as it nearly does what you want but is far enough away to not be practical. Something like a transformer might work, but they tend to be pretty expensive. I have a "poor man's" version of that: an 8 inch tablet (both my winter and summer coats have large inner pockets!) with a bluetooth keyboard & mouse and a simple stand for when I need/want to use it more like a laptop. The tablet was less than 100ukp so the who kit cost a chunk less than a laptop or a transformer-style hybrid. It runs full Windows too which is a bonus for me (it means I can run anything I do at home rather than being limited to tablet apps) though the Windows desktop interface can be a bit fiddly at that size unless you drop the DPI a bit. There are similar 10 inch devices too if you want something with a bigger screen. Of course a tablet may just not cover your use cases at all. Different strokes for different folks! There is a lot of one-up-man-ship in tablet owning of course especially in the case of iDevices in my experience - in some circles having the latest of those is a style statement, and some people just get bought them as presents, though I'll stick to talking about more practical reasons for ownership!

rifung 12y ago

I use mine almost exclusively for reading. I don't want an e reader because they don't have color and also because as far as I know you can't read pdf's on them

bane 12y ago

I use mine for 3 things where my largish Note won't cut it - light, but extended, web browsing. Usually long-form articles - comics - tv, movies while lying in bed or on a couch in a room without a tv or just resting somewhere.

zem 12y ago

they're good for watching movies while lying in bed - phones are too small, and laptops too inconvenient.

thedrbrian 12y ago

Not seen it mentioned yet but the 4g iPads make for a fantastic GPS replacement. £579 for 64gb 10 inch nav that is streets ahead of any manufacturers' system.