Could An Android Tablet Replace My Laptop?

[Covart]

That's one thing I hate about ios. It's very restrictive in many ways. Since getting my first phone about 13 years ago, I've changed my phone every 6 to 9 months. The iPhone 4 is the longest I've used any phone without feeling the urge to sell it and trade up.

There are lots of little things that annoy me though. For example, you aren't even allowed to remove the newstand app even though the app is terrible. You can't put it inside a folder to hide it either. It just stays there on your screen even though I have no intention of ever using it. Having to use itunes to upload music is a pain too.

This closed system does have some small benefits though (e.g. the android app store has a huge amount of crap on it).

You can hide the newsstand app icon, even with a stock idevice. There are tons of articles and YouTube vids on how to do this. Takes 2 seconds.

As for music, I don't bother downloading music anymore. Pandora or a site like mp3skull using a web browser like Atomic web browser is your best bet.

 

[System0]

Sorry, I edited the non jailbroken bit. It's been a long time since I had a stock ipad. I never use iTunes.

I own an ipad 2, Samsung Tab 8.9, HP Touchpad CM9 with 4.0.4 ICS in dual boot configuration and I had a Kindle Fire (returned). The 8.9 sits idle for now because Honeycomb sucks so bad and I have no need to root or put a leaked ICS rom on it with the official version coming soon. And I always jailbreak my idevices. They are useless to me otherwise. And loading the right tweaks is an art to ensure no fc's or slowdown. It also helps if you can alter files so winterboard is not needed.

That said, I am completely dropping my idevices on June 1, and will be Android only. I have grown tired of iOS.

I've had a look at the kindle fire in the store. It's ok but the lack of cameras is annoying. I think the blackberry playbook is a much better deal compare to it (though the app situation sucks).

I quote like the Samsung tablets. I've not seen the 7.7" version yet. It's got a good spec and the screen is apparently amazing. I liked the look of the Galaxy 2 but the reviews have been very disappointing. It seems like they are content going after the middle of the market rather than compete with the iPad or Asus Transformer. They've replaced the 2MP front camera with a VGA camera. As someone who uses Skype every day, the 2MP camera was a big plus for me. It seems strange that they are downgrading specs rather than keeping them the same or improving them.

I like the fact the device is lighter than the iPad though (it's about 565 grams). If I do use a laptop, tablet and phone combo - I'd want to keep the weight of the tablet down. My laptop is only about 1.2kg so is fairly light. When I'm travelling I could put that in my main bag and use the tablet in the airport and on the plane.

Out of interest, what's the significance of June 1? Are you selling your iPad or buying a new android tablet?

 

[System0]

You can hide the newsstand app icon, even with a stock idevice. There are tons of articles and YouTube vids on how to do this. Takes 2 seconds.

As for music, I don't bother downloading music anymore. Pandora or a site like mp3skull using a web browser like Atomic web browser is your best bet.

Thanks for the tip. The newsstand thing has annoyed the hell of out me. I've followed a guide on YouTube but for the life of me I can't get it to work. Not sure if it works on the latest version of ios.

I don't like relying on web connections for things like music and movies - doesn't really help if you're on a place or doing a 24 hour bus journey. I generally listen to music via my phone but a tablet would be good for music too (with the larger interface etc).

 

[Covart]

I've had a look at the kindle fire in the store. It's ok but the lack of cameras is annoying. I think the blackberry playbook is a much better deal compare to it (though the app situation sucks).

I quote like the Samsung tablets. I've not seen the 7.7" version yet. It's got a good spec and the screen is apparently amazing. I liked the look of the Galaxy 2 but the reviews have been very disappointing. It seems like they are content going after the middle of the market rather than compete with the iPad or Asus Transformer. They've replaced the 2MP front camera with a VGA camera. As someone who uses Skype every day, the u2MP camera was a big plus for me. It seems strange that they are downgrading specs rather than keeping them the same or improving them.

I like the fact the device is lighter than the iPad though (it's about 565 grams). If I do use a laptop, tablet and phone combo - I'd want to keep the weight of the tablet down. My laptop is only about 1.2kg so is fairly light. When I'm travelling I could put that in my main bag and use the tablet in the airport and on the plane.

Out of interest, what's the significance of June 1? Are you selling your iPad or buying a new android tablet?

Yep, putting my ipad up for sale and using the money to buy the SGS3 when it is released here in the US. June 20 is the rumor. I am upgrading from my SGS2. My HP Touchpad will be my main tablet until ICS arrives on the Samsung 8.9

 

[System0]

Yep, putting my ipad up for sale and using the money to buy the SGS3 when it is released here in the US. June 20 is the rumor. I am upgrading from my SGS2. My HP Touchpad will be my main tablet until ICS arrives on the Samsung 8.9

It's out in a day or so in the UK but I'm not back to the UK until the end of June so I'll probably end up getting it the same time as you. Haven't seen any prices for the 32GB and 64GB versions in the UK yet...or any release dates.

Buying the S3 is what is confusing me about my tablet purchase. If I do take my laptop, a 7" tablet would be better as it's lighter and more portable, but the samsung has a 4.8" screen so it's maybe better to make the jump to a bigger device for a tablet.

 

[Covart]

It's out in a day or so in the UK but I'm not back to the UK until the end of June so I'll probably end up getting it the same time as you. Haven't seen any prices for the 32GB and 64GB versions in the UK yet...or any release dates.

Buying the S3 is what is confusing me about my tablet purchase. If I do take my laptop, a 7" tablet would be better as it's lighter and more portable, but the samsung has a 4.8" screen so it's maybe better to make the jump to a bigger device for a tablet.

Tablet is better than a phone for doing photo editing, watching a movie or anything that makes life easier on a bigger screen. Even a 7" tablet is twice the size of a Galaxy Note. If you end up getting an Android tablet, make sure it has ICS installed, because Honeycomb is the absolute worst OS I have ever used!

You have a lot of options. I just came from England a few months ago and much prefer mobile plans and service providers there, but like most things look at the price in the U.S. and then just change the $ for a

 

[System0]

Tablet is better than a phone for doing photo editing, watching a movie or anything that makes life easier on a bigger screen. Even a 7" tablet is twice the size of a Galaxy Note. If you end up getting an Android tablet, make sure it has ICS installed, because Honeycomb is the absolute worst OS I have ever used!

You have a lot of options. I just came from England a few months ago and much prefer mobile plans and service providers there, but like most things look at the price in the U.S. and then just change the $ for a

 

[Covart]

Its 499 pounds for the 16GB version unlocked. It's not a bad deal. God knows what the 64GB version will cost - I suspect 600-650 at least.

I'm from Central Scotland.

Nice. 500 quid isnt a bad deal. But 16gb really limits what you can put on your tablet. I have the 64gb version and i am at 80% full with apps and vids on the ipad. I have to be much more careful on my 32gb Touchpad, becauese only 16gb is partitioned for Android. For either a phone or tablet, minimum space needed is 32gb, whether you can get that from an sd card or onboard storage. 16gb is just not enogh. I willbe getting the 32gb version and then add my 32gb mini sd card to it. If i need more space ill get a 64gb minim sd card. This is one of the main reasons i love my Samsung phones. Ability to change batteries on the fly and upgrade memory! Nice screens and ics doesn't hurt either!

 

[System0]

I'm hoping the release dates and prices for the 32gb and 64gb versions will be annouced soon. My 32gb iPhone is always full so I constantly have to delete apps etc

I'll probably get a 64gb micro sd card too. Most of the Samsung 7" tabs are only 8gb in size. I imagine that's a problem for some users.

 

[anjali189]

Well a touch display can’t work like a hardware component like mouse, keyboard etc… Tablets are made for entertainment like watching movies, listening music or viewing pictures or helpful in school or college going students. Well it’s Just A Beginning “Future is just on door step” we have to go and open door for it..

 

[System0]

Well a touch display can

 

[kristalsoldier]

The Asus Transformer tablets come with a great keyboard and have usb slots for plugging in a mouse.

See here is the problem I face with the Transformer and tabs like it which come with an external KB. If I am going to carry a tab + KB then I might as well carry an ultra thin laptop optimally with an instant-on feature. Why would I carry an extra KB? The second point is that if I was going to reduce the number of devices I carry, the I would.d probably go for a slate....like the Thinkpad X220T, which would not be light as the tab. But then again, I am partial to Think pads.

 

[System0]

See here is the problem I face with the Transformer and tabs like it which come with an external KB. If I am going to carry a tab + KB then I might as well carry an ultra thin laptop optimally with an instant-on feature. Why would I carry an extra KB? The second point is that if I was going to reduce the number of devices I carry, the I would.d probably go for a slate....like the Thinkpad X220T, which would not be light as the tab. But then again, I am partial to Think pads.

They are different devices. The majority of thin laptops don't have touch screens (I own an acer tablet with windows 7 but it has a capacitive screen - it's not practical for games or any other common tablet functions).

I agree with you that there would be no need to carry a second keyboard. Some of the slate devices look great. They're a little expensive but prices should drop within the next year or so.

I do think that for many people who go online, a tablet would be sufficient i.e. people who only boy a computer to use Facebook, shop on amazon and log into their online bank account, would probably be as well getting a tablet than a laptop. Those who type a lot could purchase the asus prime or a good keyboard case.

People who use more applications would be better with a tablet e.g. pc gaming, video editing, photo editing, heavy processing etc. For me personally, I think I still need to take a laptop as whilst it seems possible to work using an android tablet, it would surely make me less productive.

So my own dilemma is whether it's worth me taking a 7" or 10" tablet with me on my travels in addition to my phone and laptop.

 

[Stuntman]

My tablet comes close to replacing my laptop. I surf the web and participate in forums such as this often. I use an Asus Eee Pad Transformer (TF101) with keyboard dock. It is just easier to grab and open and start using than my laptop. The keyboard dock makes data entry almost as good as a full-sized keyboard. It took over a month to get used to the smaller keyboard, but I would say I can type about 80-90% of the speed I type with a full-sized keyboard.

What I cannot do on my tablet is play Dungeons and Dragons Online as there is not Android version for this game. Also, Google Docs suck big time as a spreadsheet. I expect Google Docs or Polaris Office (which comes with the TF101) to be able to handle the simplest spreadsheet well. Boy was it so frustrating to make a spreadsheet. You have to tap on the screen on whichever cell you want to enter data or text. You cannot use the tab or enter keys to advance to the next cell. I got fed up and went back to Excel.

Now, I haven't had a chance to try any other spreadsheet app. I believe there was one on sale earlier this month, but I was busy with other things and I didn't need to do much spreadsheet stuff. I haven't had the opportunity to try any others yet.

 

[kristalsoldier]

They are different devices. The majority of thin laptops don't have touch screens (I own an acer tablet with windows 7 but it has a capacitive screen - it's not practical for games or any other common tablet functions).

I agree with you that there would be no need to carry a second keyboard. Some of the slate devices look great. They're a little expensive but prices should drop within the next year or so.

I do think that for many people who go online, a tablet would be sufficient i.e. people who only boy a computer to use Facebook, shop on amazon and log into their online bank account, would probably be as well getting a tablet than a laptop. Those who type a lot could purchase the asus prime or a good keyboard case.
K
People who use more applications would be better with a tablet e.g. pc gaming, video editing, photo editing, heavy processing etc. For me personally, I think I still need to take a laptop as whilst it seems possible to work using an android tablet, it would surely make me less productive.

So my own dilemma is whether it's worth me taking a 7" or 10" tablet with me on my travels in addition to my phone and laptop.

Personally, I'd go with a 10" tab. I am traveling right now and I am carrying my Acer A500 tab, a X201 think pad and my (low grade) android phone.

 

[System0]

Personally, I'd go with a 10" tab. I am traveling right now and I am carrying my Acer A500 tab, a X201 think pad and my (low grade) android phone.

Good to see someone in the same situation as me. That's one route I might go down as when I'm on a plane or bus my laptop will be in my rucksack anyway. Just to need to figure out which one to buy

 

[System0]

My tablet comes close to replacing my laptop. I surf the web and participate in forums such as this often. I use an Asus Eee Pad Transformer (TF101) with keyboard dock. It is just easier to grab and open and start using than my laptop. The keyboard dock makes data entry almost as good as a full-sized keyboard. It took over a month to get used to the smaller keyboard, but I would say I can type about 80-90% of the speed I type with a full-sized keyboard.

What I cannot do on my tablet is play Dungeons and Dragons Online as there is not Android version for this game. Also, Google Docs suck big time as a spreadsheet. I expect Google Docs or Polaris Office (which comes with the TF101) to be able to handle the simplest spreadsheet well. Boy was it so frustrating to make a spreadsheet. You have to tap on the screen on whichever cell you want to enter data or text. You cannot use the tab or enter keys to advance to the next cell. I got fed up and went back to Excel.

Now, I haven't had a chance to try any other spreadsheet app. I believe there was one on sale earlier this month, but I was busy with other things and I didn't need to do much spreadsheet stuff. I haven't had the opportunity to try any others yet.

The games that are on tablets are fine for me on the road. For spreadsheets I have replaced MS Office with LibreOffice. It's free and with many things is actually better. Not sure of any tablet specific options though.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Which device do you think is getting used the most?

 

[itsallgood]

Well, I have sort of a different prospective on this. I don't own a tablet or laptop. (I have used my wife's netbook and my work laptop.) I needed something that I could watch movies, create/edit word and excel documents and view PDF's. Could play games and listen to music, all while on the go.

So I went with the Motorola Atrix 4G and the Lapdock accessory. (Although not perfect, it does get the job done.) I stream video's, movies, can play all of my games that's on my phone. Can check emails, facebook, surf the net either using the mobile or Firefox browser. I have replaced my work laptop with my Lapdock without any problems. (I use citrix for work.) I have "Quickoffice Pro" for all my word processing, since it works with Microsoft Office documents.

My Lapdock charges my phone when docked and will last up to 8 hrs. I don't have to transfer any of my files to other devices., since everything is on my phone. (This is so convenient) I have access to my entire phone and all apps. I can even resize the windows as I see fit. I can read books, although some apps are only viewable in portrait mode. I use ES File Explorer to manage all my files.

I can make phone calls, send text, etc. All from my Lapdock. It has an 11.6 inch. Screen and only weighs around 2.6 lbs. One last thing, I still have access to everything rather using the Lapdock or just using my phone.

It has been a blessing for me and has saved me a lot of money not having to buy a tablet, laptop or netbook. Also, I use my mobile data plan and wifi. No extra monthly fees.

 

[System0]

Which device do you think is getting used the most?

The tablet. Stop skiving

Well, I have sort of a different prospective on this. I don't own a tablet or laptop. (I have used my wife's netbook and my work laptop.) I needed something that I could watch movies, create/edit word and excel documents and view PDF's. Could play games and listen to music, all while on the go.

So I went with the Motorola Atrix 4G and the Lapdock accessory. (Although not perfect, it does get the job done.) I stream video's, movies, can play all of my games that's on my phone. Can check emails, facebook, surf the net either using the mobile or Firefox browser. I have replaced my work laptop with my Lapdock without any problems. (I use citrix for work.) I have "Quickoffice Pro" for all my word processing, since it works with Microsoft Office documents.

My Lapdock charges my phone when docked and will last up to 8 hrs. I don't have to transfer any of my files to other devices., since everything is on my phone. (This is so convenient) I have access to my entire phone and all apps. I can even resize the windows as I see fit. I can read books, although some apps are only viewable in portrait mode. I use ES File Explorer to manage all my files.

I can make phone calls, send text, etc. All from my Lapdock. It has an 11.6 inch. Screen and only weighs around 2.6 lbs. One last thing, I still have access to everything rather using the Lapdock or just using my phone.

It has been a blessing for me and has saved me a lot of money not having to buy a tablet, laptop or netbook. Also, I use my mobile data plan and wifi. No extra monthly fees.

I like the concept of lapdocks etc. I've read articles about how that is what the future will be i.e. everyone will have a powerful phone that is integrated into devices such as lapdocks, televisions etc.

I'm not sure it's practical (for me anyway) to use a phone as my main computer. I'd rather keep them separate. Though, admittedly, I really don't know much about it to be honest. I assume it still uses Android when docked etc.

The one reason I wouldn't want to use this solution is because it doesn't save much room i.e. it would take the same room in my bag from having a portable laptop and a phone. Most things like email and files etc can be synced pretty easily with dropbox etc too. Again, I really don't know much about it though and there are perhaps a lot of benefits I'm not considering. Plus, I'm a bit of a gadget geek - I think that's why I like the concept (even though it's probably not suitable for me just now).

 

[System0]

I was curious about the whole lapdock thing. The Asus padfone but it seems to have a lot of limitations. On cNet the point out that you can't use some aspects of the phone such as whatsapp etc when the phone is docked. Plus the whole thing weights 1.5kg (my 12" laptop is only 1.2kg in comparison). I do like the way this is all heading though.


A phone that worked with a tablet/laptop windows 8 hybrid would be awesome

 

[kristalsoldier]

The tablet. Stop skiving

Wrong! It's the phone!

 

[Stuntman]

The games that are on tablets are fine for me on the road. For spreadsheets I have replaced MS Office with LibreOffice. It's free and with many things is actually better. Not sure of any tablet specific options though.

Thanks. I'll keep this in mind. I may try it out later this week.

So I went with the Motorola Atrix 4G and the Lapdock accessory. (Although not perfect, it does get the job done.) I stream video's, movies, can play all of my games that's on my phone. Can check emails, facebook, surf the net either using the mobile or Firefox browser. I have replaced my work laptop with my Lapdock without any problems. (I use citrix for work.) I have "Quickoffice Pro" for all my word processing, since it works with Microsoft Office documents.

The Atrix and laptop dock really caught my interest when it first came out. I had just bought a new phone shortly before this came out, so I did not purchase it. After some thought and some experience with my phone, I feel that this is not the option for me. The reason is that I think the phone needs to be an independent device if you receive a call. I know you can put the call on speaker, but sometimes you want that privacy. Not sure how the Atrix handles it. I know you can answer the call while docked, but I think you have to undock to take the call. Then you wouldn't be able to use the dock if you are working on some file on your phone.

I like the concept of lapdocks etc. I've read articles about how that is what the future will be i.e. everyone will have a powerful phone that is integrated into devices such as lapdocks, televisions etc.

I prefer the concept of a laptop dock for a tablet. I think it is better to have a phone as one mobile device and then the second device is a tablet. The tablet would dock into a laptop/desktop dock accessory that provides a full-sized keyboard and larger monitor. When you are on the go, you undock your tablet and now have a compact device to take with you.

 

[System0]

I prefer the concept of a laptop dock for a tablet. I think it is better to have a phone as one mobile device and then the second device is a tablet. The tablet would dock into a laptop/desktop dock accessory that provides a full-sized keyboard and larger monitor. When you are on the go, you undock your tablet and now have a compact device to take with you.

I agree. The whole concept may change in the future when phones have more processing power. Perhaps you could dock a phone without physically integrating it i.e. it could all be done wirelessly. At the moment it does seem limited.

 

[mjohns12]

Worked well for me! barely ever use my laptop anymore. You get use to using the tablet more often.