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Tablet or laptop?

SirSpace

SirSpace

Well-Known Member
got a question for everyone do you think in the near future tablets will replace laptops i mean like in business or schooling terms instead of getting a laptop from your company you now get a tablet anyone see this happening?

IMO i love my laptop and i wouldnt trade it for a tablet ever just so much more a computer can do that a tablet cant.
 
Absolutely, and sooner rather than later. Desktops have been being phased out for years for laptops because they are more functional and portable. The same will happen to laptops for the same reason and it is going to start very soon with the release of the Microsoft Surface.

Still need full PC functionality? Just get the surface that has an intel chip and runs a full version of Windows 8.

Don't need it? Get the Surface RT, an Android tablet, or an iPad, all of which can use an attached bluetooth keyboard if you prefer.
 
I agree with chrlswltrs... tablets will be the work and school tool of choice in the very near future. I was just at that buying crossroad this fall and opted for a new laptop.. but, I'm not the norm. My wife teaches in the middle school here. All of the students are to be issued a tablet next semester. It will be their research tool... books... testing platform... attendance record.. etc. The grand plan is for that issued tablet to stay with each student through high school. I think that might be a pipe dream considering the six years off of the leading edge factor by the time they are seniors.. but we'll see. I've not seen the tablets yet but the rumor is... they are specially designed (and marketed) iPad of some sort specifically for schools. Reminds of the Mac attack years ago.
 
i just went to best buy and they had a lenovo windows 8 touch screen laptop on display. its screen can fold all the way back so that you can use the screen like a tablet. so yes tablets have now become computers now. they classified it as an ultra book as it has a 128g ss drive. pretty cool except for windows 8 being installed.
 
Touch screen is the way forward.

I had to replace the whole screen & top half of macbook pro, still very expensive even when buying & repairing it myself, & tricky too. I vowed never to do it again!

When my mbp dies I'll look at some form of desktop (probably a mac mini) & an android tablet. With tablets you have a big enough screen to control your home computer with over VNC; there is also cloud storage. If I want repairs I'll just hand it in like I would a phone.
 
!on said:
Touch screen is the way forward.
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Oh yeh touch screen is definitely the way to go when mobile. I love using a tablet now when I'm travelling and out and about. However when I'm in the office at my desk, wouldn't really want to be raising my arm in the air using a touch screen here (gorilla arm), given that I have a 23in monitor on my desk.
 
As of the moment, I'd love an ASUS 808. Full PC capability with a detachable keyboard and mouse-trackpad running an i5 processor. Basically a laptop with a detachable screen that you can use as a tablet.

Personally, I really don't mind Windows 8. The new Metro Start isn't really that big of a deal for me, since the desktop is just a button away, and I can put just my most used programs to be a click away. In fact, I sort of like the Metro UI, but tastes really vary. I won't be buying a Windows phone (at least not soon) or a non Intel running Windows tablet anyway.
 
I own all 3 computer pc laptops and tablets at home the tablet is easy to used and light but if i have to edit pdf files or write and upload to the internet i go grab my laptop,
at work im looking to purchase a new Dell workstation in the next few days, i need dual processors and 12g of ram i also use 2 monitors no laptop can do that, so there a lot of people that still need full case pc's
 
The ASUS line of tablets comes closes to replacing a laptop today. The keyboard dock is a must for any type of productivity.

I have the TF101 Transformer with a keyboard dock. Even though it is a first generation tablet by ASUS, it does an admirable job at nearly replacing my PC. What I still need that tablets do not have is large scale storage comparable to a PC and the ability to play PC games or have tablet equivalents. I think that by the time I am due to upgrade my PC (2015), the device that replaces it may be a tablet.
 
chrlswltrs said:
Chromebooks are nice, and really the best computers for the average person. I've had mine for about 2 years.
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It's a bit tough to try and explain to my non-techie sister that she can't prepare and print her Christmas cards when there's no internet, and she can't really do much with it, except for browsing, when she comes and visits me.

chrlswltrs said:
The one thing Google HAS to fix though is that movies rented from Google Play can not be played on a Chromebook, but they work just fine on a windows computer. :confused::confused:
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Probably divisions of Google not singing from the same hymn book.
 
I have a Transformer Prime and while it cost the same as my Gateway laptop, it's not a replacement. My biggest gripe is constant screen smears from touch despite all the oleophobic (I'm sure I used the wrong word :rolleyes:) coating goes into them. I just ordered the new Chromebook. Looking forward to it. I think 7" tablets are great but larger ones are just a bit more cumbersome. I prefer a laptop style at that point.
 
dreadnatty08 said:
I have a Transformer Prime and while it cost the same as my Gateway laptop, it's not a replacement. My biggest gripe is constant screen smears from touch despite all the oleophobic (I'm sure I used the wrong word :rolleyes:) coating goes into them. I just ordered the new Chromebook. Looking forward to it. I think 7" tablets are great but larger ones are just a bit more cumbersome. I prefer a laptop style at that point.
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I read a pretty extensive review of this on Pulse yesterday. After reading the review and the comparisons on all the devices is was tested on vs screen protectors vs bare screens I am completely convinced. I'm going to give it a shot when I get a new phone and tablet.

Dynaflo Corporation
 
Stuntman said:
The ASUS line of tablets comes closes to replacing a laptop today. The keyboard dock is a must for any type of productivity.
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Far from it actually, but that depends on what you do with your tablet. Even with a keyboard, iPad or Android tablets cannot match a PC for productivity. Even using the Evernote app, it pales in comparison to using Evernote on a PC, much less OneNote. Even the best Office apps in iOS or Android cannot match MS Office, or even WordPerfect. Then you have to take into consideration how much more better web browsers are, and other programs like photo editing and drawing (Adobe and Corel), Video production (Final Cut, Premiere/After Effects, Vegas), and you will see how far a tablet is from a laptop (I do all of these on my laptop running i5 and just 6GB RAM). A tablet can replace a netbook, but not a full laptop.
 
chanchan05 said:
Far from it actually, but that depends on what you do with your tablet. Even with a keyboard, iPad or Android tablets cannot match a PC for productivity. Even using the Evernote app, it pales in comparison to using Evernote on a PC, much less OneNote. Even the best Office apps in iOS or Android cannot match MS Office, or even WordPerfect. Then you have to take into consideration how much more better web browsers are, and other programs like photo editing and drawing (Adobe and Corel), Video production (Final Cut, Premiere/After Effects, Vegas), and you will see how far a tablet is from a laptop (I do all of these on my laptop running i5 and just 6GB RAM). A tablet can replace a netbook, but not a full laptop.
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I think Asus with the Transformer line has the hardware side down. It's the software that is the issue. Excel is heads and shoulder above any spreadsheet app I have tried on Android.

I got a chance to try the Surface tablet today. I tried the one with the tactile keyboard. Excel on it is as good as a PC. Only problem is that you cannot disable the track pad on the Surface tablet. I keep hitting it by accident moving the cursor. Asus understands you need to turn it off to prevent accidental touches. I asked the MS rep and he said you cannot on the Surface tablet. Big fail if that is the case

I think Asus will be making some Win8 tablets. If their hardware matches their Transformer line, then it can succeed on on the productivity side because it will have MS Office software on Transformer-like hardware.
 
chanchan05 said:
Far from it actually, but that depends on what you do with your tablet. Even with a keyboard, iPad or Android tablets cannot match a PC for productivity. Even using the Evernote app, it pales in comparison to using Evernote on a PC, much less OneNote. Even the best Office apps in iOS or Android cannot match MS Office, or even WordPerfect. Then you have to take into consideration how much more better web browsers are, and other programs like photo editing and drawing (Adobe and Corel), Video production (Final Cut, Premiere/After Effects, Vegas), and you will see how far a tablet is from a laptop (I do all of these on my laptop running i5 and just 6GB RAM). A tablet can replace a netbook, but not a full laptop.
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Office won't be much of an argument once Microsoft releases Office for Android and ipad which they have said is coming Q1 2013.

They might not be all the way there yet, but eventually tablets will replace laptops.
 
chrlswltrs said:
Office won't be much of an argument once Microsoft releases Office for Android and ipad which they have said is coming Q1 2013.

They might not be all the way there yet, but eventually tablets will replace laptops.
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If we're basing it on what they currently have from Office on Android and iPad (OneNote), its not gonna be all fun and a lot of features won't be there. Not even Windows 8 RT has all Office features, and it already runs the same kernel as Windows 8 on desktops.
 
As much as I love my tablet, I am still comfortable with my laptop. It seem more reliable for now. But sure, in the future i wouldnt mind trading my lap top in for a tablet.
It can probably add in one of those laser keyboards :)
 
The only use for a tablet in my work place is to test applications compiled on our laptops.

Our company has a variety of software and hardware requirements that can never be serviced by a tablet. We need Linux build machines, PCI, RS232, CAD, SVN, Bridged network connections.. no chance.

They tried tablets before and it didn't work. Apple's revival of the tablet is more entertainment than enterprise.

Sure, if you're an office worker who does little in the way of actual, maybe but generally? Nah. You'd need to take ergonomics into account. As a daily driver, youd need dock, monitor, keyboard, mouse. Its not workable without that
 
For me? I would have to run with a laptop. Sure, those tablets are cute and all.

But they way they want to lock them down and make it illegal to jail break them, I'll never buy one. Unless you want to give me one, then I would just sell it! lol

I got a decent smartphone, why would I want a tablet? Those in my opinion are more of a want than a need for many whom purchase them.
 
Tablets will continue to move forward and evolve, that we know. Processors will eventually be nearly onpar with Intel desktop offerings and RAM will improve and apps will evolve.

What I see as tablet drawbacks:

1. Can you live in the cloud? To my tastes cloud storage is OK for movies/music and such but not sensitive/personnal data. Once cloud storage security improves enuff that businesses trust their sensitive data to the cloud tablets will skyrocket, then consumers will follow.

2. When will internet connections be truly reliable as 'always on?' With smaller HDD access and cloud storage usage internet access is vital but, for numerous reasons, not always reliable in all locations.

3. True gamers will prolly never make the full switch to tablets. Gamer specs obviously outweigh tablets and game HDD space outweigh the cloud. Eventually this could change as developers evlove and also make the switch to smaller HDD storage requirements.

4. Internet speeds also need to improve. If tablet use was widespread and 80% or so of users relied on the cloud, broadband pipelines could be a serious bottleneck.

That being said, I could see the majority switch to hybrid tablets in the next 5-10 years.
 
@kevincott

1. HP Envy X2, MS Surface Pro and ASUS 808 all run Windows 8 Pro, and are hybrid tablets. They have about 128GB hard drive space, and AFAIK have 250GB versions. Not bad considering that's the normal space for Macbook Air and netbooks.

2. The Windows 8 Pro tablet PCs can access external hard drives. No need for cloud.

3. The ASUS 808 runs an i5 processor and is rumored to also have an NVIDIA GPU. No it may not be able to run Crysis on high, but then again, when did laptops ever were real gaming rigs?
 
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