What is the point of a tablet?
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Original post by SMEGGGY
My thoughts exactly.
I have a Desktop
Laptop
Android Phone
Smart TV with web browser
Why do I need a Tablet too? Just so I can say I've got one too? No thanks.
Posted from TSR Mobile
I have a Desktop
Laptop
Android Phone
Smart TV with web browser
Why do I need a Tablet too? Just so I can say I've got one too? No thanks.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Some people find it useful. Nobody is saying you need one.
It's like a desktop and laptop, you don't need both, I'm sure you'd survive and get by with just one but if you can have two, and it's not a financial burden on you to keep two then why not.
Original post by ddtown
The only thing I can think of is if you want to watch movies/tv shows on a long distance journey.
Actually you can use 'internet sharing' and get your mobile internet to work on your laptop. 4G is very fast of course.
more portable, they tend to be cheaper than a laptop so people would be happier taking them out too... screen is bigger than on a smartphone so good for movies/gaming/emulators. You can also get keyboard cases so you can use it as a netbook which is easier to use for notes than a phone and again, easier to carry and cheaper than a laptop.
I only have it to watch TV on the go... and because I can't be bothered to turn my laptop on sometimes.
Plus, it was a gift, so I didn't complain.
I mean, would you refuse a free Ipad?
Plus, it was a gift, so I didn't complain.
I mean, would you refuse a free Ipad?
I bought the Samsung tab 2 10.1" tablet as I wanted a tablet, but did not want to spend a small fortune. I used it for a while, but once the novelty wore off I hardly ever use it, apart from times when I quickly need to search for something or make rare long journeys. I expect I'll use it more when I start university. However, my great nan in her eighties has an iPad which she's a wizz on and speaks to family members who live abroad on Skype - similar to my nan who also has an iPad. So they definitely help the older generation who need something light, easy to operate and portable!! 
Original post by 885588
So the people who buy smartphones aren't sheep? Ok...
Smart phones have some sort of practicality though, a tablet is more or less a large smartphone with features disabled.
Original post by Stinkum
Tablets are a gimmick. Basically, for some unknown reason, people seem really into them. People are like sheep, they love to blindly follow trends.
How on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop?!?! That makes no sense. In this day and age, laptops are so thin, so light and so tiny, you can take them anywhere and use them wherever. Long gone are the days of heavy, thick laptops. I've seen notebooks that are so incredibly tiny and featherweight. So how on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop? What's the advantage of not having a keyboard and not being able to sit on a flat surface??
Tablets just don't make any sense. I can understand the point of a smart phone - fits in your pocket, can be used to make phone calls and for instant messaging, access to internet (e.g. for checking emails). It's a pocket-sized, portable device. But a tablet? What on earth is the point? Why not use a laptop which is the same size, weight and dimensions as a tablet except it has much more functionality (keyboard, ability to connect external usb devices, access to microsoft office etc etc)
How on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop?!?! That makes no sense. In this day and age, laptops are so thin, so light and so tiny, you can take them anywhere and use them wherever. Long gone are the days of heavy, thick laptops. I've seen notebooks that are so incredibly tiny and featherweight. So how on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop? What's the advantage of not having a keyboard and not being able to sit on a flat surface??
Tablets just don't make any sense. I can understand the point of a smart phone - fits in your pocket, can be used to make phone calls and for instant messaging, access to internet (e.g. for checking emails). It's a pocket-sized, portable device. But a tablet? What on earth is the point? Why not use a laptop which is the same size, weight and dimensions as a tablet except it has much more functionality (keyboard, ability to connect external usb devices, access to microsoft office etc etc)
I use a tablet. I can use it for 10hours without the battery having a panic attack. Can carry it around better then a laptop in my price range. Can take photos on it (better camera then my phone) I can instant message people use apps that are easier to install then laptop software. Less chance of viruses (although this is bound to change soon enough)
Original post by Jammy Duel
Smart phones have some sort of practicality though, a tablet is more or less a large smartphone with features disabled.
Personally I've never owned one since my £15 phone (with £10 top-up) is still going strong in its fourth year
. To answer the original question, I bought my tablet because it wasn't too expensive and I needed something convenient to carry around and save my lecture notes. I wouldn't see the point of owning a smartphone and a tablet to be honest, but that's me. People have more money than sense
I think it feels much more natural to read ebooks and pdf lecture notes on a tablet than on a laptop. I like watching films or playing basic games on journeys as well, but don't really want to take out my whole laptop in a small car a busy train. I don't actually have a tablet myself, so I currently use my phone or laptop for these purposes - but I do often find the phone screen a bit too small, or the laptop not be quite portable enough.
A tablet is also good when you just want to do a small task quickly, then go back to whatever you were doing before. Switching on your laptop and waiting for it to boot up seems a bit of a hassle if you just want to watch a short YouTube video, or do a quick Google search, or read one news article. Plus, most of the time you leave your laptop plugged in upstairs on a desk, whereas it's easier to carry a tablet around the house with you, and conveniently find that it happens to be nearby when you need it. Especially if you want other people to be able to see the screen as well, e.g. a few people flipping through a photo album together, or playing a turn-based multiplayer game, it's better to have a bigger screen on a tablet, than trying to do that on a phone.
I suppose since there isn't much you can do on a tablet that you can't do on a phone or laptop, it's debatable as to whether a tablet is actually worth all the money that it costs. But it certainly can be much more convenient at times, to use a tablet.
A tablet is also good when you just want to do a small task quickly, then go back to whatever you were doing before. Switching on your laptop and waiting for it to boot up seems a bit of a hassle if you just want to watch a short YouTube video, or do a quick Google search, or read one news article. Plus, most of the time you leave your laptop plugged in upstairs on a desk, whereas it's easier to carry a tablet around the house with you, and conveniently find that it happens to be nearby when you need it. Especially if you want other people to be able to see the screen as well, e.g. a few people flipping through a photo album together, or playing a turn-based multiplayer game, it's better to have a bigger screen on a tablet, than trying to do that on a phone.
I suppose since there isn't much you can do on a tablet that you can't do on a phone or laptop, it's debatable as to whether a tablet is actually worth all the money that it costs. But it certainly can be much more convenient at times, to use a tablet.
Original post by Stinkum
Tablets are a gimmick. Basically, for some unknown reason, people seem really into them. People are like sheep, they love to blindly follow trends.
How on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop?!?! That makes no sense. In this day and age, laptops are so thin, so light and so tiny, you can take them anywhere and use them wherever. Long gone are the days of heavy, thick laptops. I've seen notebooks that are so incredibly tiny and featherweight. So how on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop? What's the advantage of not having a keyboard and not being able to sit on a flat surface??
Tablets just don't make any sense. I can understand the point of a smart phone - fits in your pocket, can be used to make phone calls and for instant messaging, access to internet (e.g. for checking emails). It's a pocket-sized, portable device. But a tablet? What on earth is the point? Why not use a laptop which is the same size, weight and dimensions as a tablet except it has much more functionality (keyboard, ability to connect external usb devices, access to microsoft office etc etc)
How on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop?!?! That makes no sense. In this day and age, laptops are so thin, so light and so tiny, you can take them anywhere and use them wherever. Long gone are the days of heavy, thick laptops. I've seen notebooks that are so incredibly tiny and featherweight. So how on earth is a tablet more usable than a laptop? What's the advantage of not having a keyboard and not being able to sit on a flat surface??
Tablets just don't make any sense. I can understand the point of a smart phone - fits in your pocket, can be used to make phone calls and for instant messaging, access to internet (e.g. for checking emails). It's a pocket-sized, portable device. But a tablet? What on earth is the point? Why not use a laptop which is the same size, weight and dimensions as a tablet except it has much more functionality (keyboard, ability to connect external usb devices, access to microsoft office etc etc)
Umm, to be honest, though I understand where you're coming from, I don't completely agree.
I have an android tablet. The most important factor for me personally, is that I need it for my lectures at medical school. I tried bringing in my laptop a couple of times. They weren't as convenient to use. They take up a bit too much space. They also require use of a trackpad (well lots of laptops have touchscreens now, but they're not as comfortable and usable as a tablets touchscreen. In a lecture, I just need the lecture slides in an accessible form, that I can highlight and underline quickly and easily, not using too much space.
then there's also the large range of apps, which again, are so useful. Laptops don't have that quick and accessible mobile app functionality. Things like dictionaries, ebooks, translators, maps, google now, news, videos, pictures, it's all a lot quicker to access than on a laptop. Tablets are a useful portable way for me to consume media and play games. There's also cameras, front-facing for skype which is always nice and a better one at the back. Faster booting time...
I use a 7 inch tablet, so I can also put it in my jacket pocket and carry it around. Now why should I have one, when I already have a smart phone? Well personally, primarily it's because my phone is too small to use in my lectures. I also have a windows phone, which lacks the app support and vast app ecosystem of android. It also has a smaller display, lower quality sound, and less storage space and RAM, worse graphics card etc.
What I do think is that all apple tablets are ridiculously overpriced. The power of the branding just makes Apple so dominant really. People just save up and spend so much on their products that aren't that good - certainly not for their price. I do find iOS inferior to android primarily because of the customisability of android OS. I bought my tablet with student entitlement, so I wasn't massively fussed on price, but I do think the android ones are decent value (eg Nexus 7/10, Memo Pad HD 7).
PS oh about the really thin laptops. Those are always so expensive. Ultrabooks are ridiculously expensive when you consider the power they have. If I want portability, just by the nature of my work, I don't really need to be able to run desktop computer software, I just need apps and books. Otherwise I'll just use a desktop computer - get so much better specs for the price. But for people who do need to be able to carry around a powerful multi-tasking computer, ultrabooks and laptops are useful. It's about the user really. I do have a laptop (from 2007 I think), but I'm in no hurry to upgrade it, cos I don't really need a more powerful one. I'd just use a desktop.
(edited 9 years ago)
Better than a phone for browsing the internet while on the toilet.
Original post by bertstare
These new "phablets" like the ipad mini are even more mind blowing. brainless sheep gonna sheep
The ipad mini isn't a phone, so it doesn't really count as a phablet. Phablet might be a OnePlus One, Samsung S5, Oppo Find 7 etc...
and though I would never buy an iPad mini, I guess it's a bit like an eReader size isn't it? Do you think eReader buyers are brainless sheep?
Original post by Pride
Umm, to be honest, though I understand where you're coming from, I don't completely agree.
I have an android tablet. The most important factor for me personally, is that I need it for my lectures at medical school. I tried bringing in my laptop a couple of times. They weren't as convenient to use. They take up a bit too much space. They also require use of a trackpad (well lots of laptops have touchscreens now, but they're not as comfortable and usable as a tablets touchscreen. In a lecture, I just need the lecture slides in an accessible form, that I can highlight and underline quickly and easily, not using too much space.
then there's also the large range of useful apps, which again, are so useful. Laptops don't have that quick and accessible mobile app functionality. Things like dictionaries, ebooks, translators, maps, google now, news, videos, pictures, it's all a lot quicker to access than on a laptop. Tablets are a useful portable way for me to consume media and play games. There's also cameras, front-facing for skype which is always nice and a better one at the back. Faster booting time...
I use a 7 inch tablet, so I can also put it in my jacket pocket and carry it around. Now why should I have one, when I already have a smart phone? Well personally, primarily it's because my phone is too small to use in my lectures. I also have a windows phone, which lacks the app support and vast app ecosystem of android. It also has a smaller display, lower quality sound, and less storage space and RAM, worse graphics card etc.
What I do think is that all apple tablets are ridiculously overpriced. The power of the branding just makes Apple so dominant really. People just save up and spend so much on their products that aren't that good - certainly not for their price. I do find iOS inferior to android primarily because of the customisability of android OS. I bought my tablet with student entitlement, so I wasn't massively fussed on price, but I do think the android ones are decent value (eg Nexus 7/10, Memo Pad HD 7).
PS oh about the really thin laptops. Those are always so expensive. Ultrabooks are ridiculously expensive when you consider the power they have. If I want portability, just by the nature of my work, I don't really need to be able to run desktop computer software, I just need apps and books. Otherwise I'll just use a desktop computer - get so much better specs for the price. But for people who do need to be able to carry around a powerful multi-tasking computer, ultrabooks and laptops are useful. It's about the user really. I do have a laptop (from 2007 I think), but I'm in no hurry to upgrade it, cos I don't really need a more powerful one. I'd just use a desktop.
I have an android tablet. The most important factor for me personally, is that I need it for my lectures at medical school. I tried bringing in my laptop a couple of times. They weren't as convenient to use. They take up a bit too much space. They also require use of a trackpad (well lots of laptops have touchscreens now, but they're not as comfortable and usable as a tablets touchscreen. In a lecture, I just need the lecture slides in an accessible form, that I can highlight and underline quickly and easily, not using too much space.
then there's also the large range of useful apps, which again, are so useful. Laptops don't have that quick and accessible mobile app functionality. Things like dictionaries, ebooks, translators, maps, google now, news, videos, pictures, it's all a lot quicker to access than on a laptop. Tablets are a useful portable way for me to consume media and play games. There's also cameras, front-facing for skype which is always nice and a better one at the back. Faster booting time...
I use a 7 inch tablet, so I can also put it in my jacket pocket and carry it around. Now why should I have one, when I already have a smart phone? Well personally, primarily it's because my phone is too small to use in my lectures. I also have a windows phone, which lacks the app support and vast app ecosystem of android. It also has a smaller display, lower quality sound, and less storage space and RAM, worse graphics card etc.
What I do think is that all apple tablets are ridiculously overpriced. The power of the branding just makes Apple so dominant really. People just save up and spend so much on their products that aren't that good - certainly not for their price. I do find iOS inferior to android primarily because of the customisability of android OS. I bought my tablet with student entitlement, so I wasn't massively fussed on price, but I do think the android ones are decent value (eg Nexus 7/10, Memo Pad HD 7).
PS oh about the really thin laptops. Those are always so expensive. Ultrabooks are ridiculously expensive when you consider the power they have. If I want portability, just by the nature of my work, I don't really need to be able to run desktop computer software, I just need apps and books. Otherwise I'll just use a desktop computer - get so much better specs for the price. But for people who do need to be able to carry around a powerful multi-tasking computer, ultrabooks and laptops are useful. It's about the user really. I do have a laptop (from 2007 I think), but I'm in no hurry to upgrade it, cos I don't really need a more powerful one. I'd just use a desktop.
Hey. I'm a med student too!! I never used a laptop or tablet for taking notes during lectures, just used good old fashioned pencils and handouts. What I really hate about tablets is that they're very awkward and stupidly designed. A laptop can rest easily on a flat surface while at the same time holding up the screen a nice, comfortable viewing angle. Unfortunately, a tablet can't do that (unless you have one of those attachments that can hold the screen up at an angle, but who even uses those?)
That's what really confuses me about tablets. Their design is so...stupid. There's no keyboard. You have to hold it with your hand the entire time to get a good viewing angle, whereas with a laptop, you can just set it down and freely adjust the screen as you wish.
There are some really, really light and thin laptops on the market today. Same screen size, same weight and same thickness as a tablet! Except they have a keyboard, adjustable screen tilt, infinitely more functionality (e.g. access to word processor, presentation tool, etc). Gone are the days of huge, thick, bulky laptops. You mentioned bulky laptops...but hardly anyone uses those any more, they're old fashioned and outdated.
The only situation where I've seen a tablet being put to good use is in certain shops, where a salesman comes with his iPad and shows you the store catalogue on the tablet, that's pretty neat.
There are so many tiny, light, thin laptops out there with super fast processors. They provide you with full functionality - i.e. super fast internet browsing, ability to download stuff, ability to connect external storage devices, CD/DVD drive, MUCH larger hard drive storage capacity...it's (almost) the same thing as a desktop computer, except it's extremely light, very thin and very small. There's no need for a tablet, especially when you have a smartphone that gives you access to all those apps you mentioned.
Original post by Stinkum
Hey. I'm a med student too!! I never used a laptop or tablet for taking notes during lectures, just used good old fashioned pencils and handouts. What I really hate about tablets is that they're very awkward and stupidly designed. A laptop can rest easily on a flat surface while at the same time holding up the screen a nice, comfortable viewing angle. Unfortunately, a tablet can't do that (unless you have one of those attachments that can hold the screen up at an angle, but who even uses those?)
That's what really confuses me about tablets. Their design is so...stupid. There's no keyboard. You have to hold it with your hand the entire time to get a good viewing angle, whereas with a laptop, you can just set it down and freely adjust the screen as you wish.
There are some really, really light and thin laptops on the market today. Same screen size, same weight and same thickness as a tablet! Except they have a keyboard, adjustable screen tilt, infinitely more functionality (e.g. access to word processor, presentation tool, etc). Gone are the days of huge, thick, bulky laptops. You mentioned bulky laptops...but hardly anyone uses those any more, they're old fashioned and outdated.
The only situation where I've seen a tablet being put to good use is in certain shops, where a salesman comes with his iPad and shows you the store catalogue on the tablet, that's pretty neat.
There are so many tiny, light, thin laptops out there with super fast processors. They provide you with full functionality - i.e. super fast internet browsing, ability to download stuff, ability to connect external storage devices, CD/DVD drive, MUCH larger hard drive storage capacity...it's (almost) the same thing as a desktop computer, except it's extremely light, very thin and very small. There's no need for a tablet, especially when you have a smartphone that gives you access to all those apps you mentioned.
That's what really confuses me about tablets. Their design is so...stupid. There's no keyboard. You have to hold it with your hand the entire time to get a good viewing angle, whereas with a laptop, you can just set it down and freely adjust the screen as you wish.
There are some really, really light and thin laptops on the market today. Same screen size, same weight and same thickness as a tablet! Except they have a keyboard, adjustable screen tilt, infinitely more functionality (e.g. access to word processor, presentation tool, etc). Gone are the days of huge, thick, bulky laptops. You mentioned bulky laptops...but hardly anyone uses those any more, they're old fashioned and outdated.
The only situation where I've seen a tablet being put to good use is in certain shops, where a salesman comes with his iPad and shows you the store catalogue on the tablet, that's pretty neat.
There are so many tiny, light, thin laptops out there with super fast processors. They provide you with full functionality - i.e. super fast internet browsing, ability to download stuff, ability to connect external storage devices, CD/DVD drive, MUCH larger hard drive storage capacity...it's (almost) the same thing as a desktop computer, except it's extremely light, very thin and very small. There's no need for a tablet, especially when you have a smartphone that gives you access to all those apps you mentioned.
I would say maybe almost half the people in my lectures with a tablet actually do have one of those foldable flipcase things, which does make typing easier. But yeah, I do find following lectures a lot easier on the tablet than on a laptop. The angle is actually more comfortable when using the touchscreen of a tablet than tapping the screen of a laptop to highlight and underline text.
Like I said, sure, there are thin laptops, ultrabooks, netbooks etc. But they are so expensive, when I just don't need that kind of power to be portable. I like just having mobile apps. If I need the power of an ultrabook, I will always use a desktop computer or my old laptop. I'd rather save £300 and buy a tablet. I have also said my phone doesn't have the same capabilities as my tablet.
It all depends on what the user uses the tech for
(edited 9 years ago)
Who would want to take out a laptop on a train to watch a YouTube video, when you could just do that with a tablet? When you're lying in bed, why boot up the laptop for 5 mins, when you can boot up the tablet. Things like this, and so many others make tablets such a great invention. As others have said, they bridge the gap between laptops and phones.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by -TheSpecialOne-
Who would want to take out a laptop on a train to watch a YouTube video, when you could just do that with a tablet? When you're lying in bed, why boot up the laptop for 5 mins, when you can boot up the tablet. Things like this, and so many others make tablets such a great invention. As others have said, they bridge the gap between laptops and phones.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Why do that on a tablet when you can do it on a phone?
I used to think they were pointless, but I've warmed to them. I see them as a way to browse, check internet, watch films etc without having to get a laptop out. My laptop isn't particularly hard to carry round etc, but it still takes up room and is inconvenient on trains etc. So, yeah, long distance journeys. They're also quite useful to have in the house for things you can't be bothered to pick up a laptop for. Just simple browsing news stories, or generally reading anything; it's nicer to hold something in your hand. We have an app on ours which controls our speakers. It takes a couple of taps on the iPad screen, and then you can switch it off, whereas it'd take a few more clicks on a laptop, and then you'd have to leave it open and switched on while the song is playing, whereas you can just put the laptop on standby and put it down and it continues to operate. General stuff. They're scarcely a necessity, but they're useful and convenient to have around for one or two things.
A friend of mine uses an iPad to read things, whilst typing in word documents on his laptop. That's a legitimate good use for a tablet. You don't want to sit there with two laptops, but if you're reading in one window and typing in another it's inconvenient to have to keep switching.
A friend of mine uses an iPad to read things, whilst typing in word documents on his laptop. That's a legitimate good use for a tablet. You don't want to sit there with two laptops, but if you're reading in one window and typing in another it's inconvenient to have to keep switching.
(edited 9 years ago)
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