What use are tablets?

[pustyak]

This might be a heresy, but I must ask this question. I recently bought a Nook color and also received a Viewsonic G-Tab as a gift. I'm having trouble justifying my purchase, not that I have anything at all against the Nook Color or the G-Tab. I have rooted the G-Tab and installed a 3-party rom on it, and I intend on doing the same to the Nook.

Could someone tell me what use a table is right now? To me it seems the the tablets are like PCs were when I was a kid - good for hacking and seeing what they can do, but without any real use until, in the case of the PCs, cheap high-quality printers and the internet came along. What is the killer application for the tablet? What do they do that is unique to tablets?

To me, it seems the all the apps are superficial or games. I can't really even find an app that will let me write notes by hand to take the place of a clipboard and pen. I found one, Tabnotes, but it is pretty poor and tough to use on the fly. It's also just a trial version, but I can't find the full version. To me, this seems like the most obvious use.

 

[uplade3]

This might be a heresy, but I must ask this question. I recently bought a Nook color and also received a Viewsonic G-Tab as a gift. I'm having trouble justifying my purchase, not that I have anything at all against the Nook Color or the G-Tab. I have rooted the G-Tab and installed a 3-party rom on it, and I intend on doing the same to the Nook.

Could someone tell me what use a table is right now? To me it seems the the tablets are like PCs were when I was a kid - good for hacking and seeing what they can do, but without any real use until, in the case of the PCs, cheap high-quality printers and the internet came along. What is the killer application for the tablet? What do they do that is unique to tablets?

To me, it seems the all the apps are superficial or games. I can't really even find an app that will let me write notes by hand to take the place of a clipboard and pen. I found one, Tabnotes, but it is pretty poor and tough to use on the fly. It's also just a trial version, but I can't find the full version. To me, this seems like the most obvious use.

Checking email, browsing the internet, listening to music, watching videos, all of these things justify the price. Basically what you are buying when you buy a tablet is an internet gateway. Extremely portable, easy to use, and usable on the fly is the three main reasons why I would buy one (why I did buy one). Also to experience the wonders of the Android OS is a great reason.

 

[jmcauliffe800]

Hello! I was in your postion (trying to decide between the nook or a tablet). The main reason I went with the tablet was that it gave me more options that matched my paper planner and an eReader combined. I hope this helps you.

 

[pbrauer]

i know where you are coming from, it took me at least a month before I had found the "constellation" of apps that took it from being a novelty to an invaluable must have. Here are the apps for me that I use all the time. My main tablet is a G-Tablet, although I have several others that family members have adopted from me.

First off, I have two docks for mine, one for work and one for home. Convenient for charging, and when I am at work to make it my extra screen. I also have a Menotek Flexible Bluetooth keyboard. Another really nice accessory. Finally, I use the Clip case for the G-Tablet from electroniccrap.com. The stand and cover combo make it very nice to have. The docks and case take care of the viewing angle issues that the G-Tablet has.

So now software:

Feedly for news reading finally brings an actual magazine-like reading experience to the tablet, so there is that (Pulse is also good for this). I still have two magazine subscriptions for actual print, but everything else is now on the tablet.

QuickOffice for working with docs etc. I paid for the full version so now I can not only view, but I can create Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs on my tablet

Evernote, this is my main notetaking/notekeeping app. Syncs between my desk and tablets, lists, links, etc. LOVE it

SmartDiagram Pro, also the paid version so i can diagram, this is invaluable in meetings for what I do

Touchdown for my MS-Exchange client. Full client integrates all of the Exchange functions, not just mail.

GTasks for my task list, since I use Google Tasks instead of Exchange.

Logmein so that I can remote control my desktop for when I forget a file or need something from the work pc.

So, those are my apps, along with the widgets that I have picked through trial-and-error, and now I have not brought by work laptop home in 6 months.

 

[Stephen Streater]

I bought a tablet so I could port my Cloud video editing App. (The Nokia N900 wasn't quite up to it.) The tablet has everything I need to make home videos: a camera, a touch screen for the drag and drop interface, and internet. Here are some of my videos: Published videos by ss1 - most recently made on tablets.

The 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab fits in my pocket - so I can always have it with me - not like a PC at all. The ARM CPU is an added bonus, as I learned computing on those back in the 1980s. The FT app was a nice addition.

But then I discovered the App store. This is one of the most financially effective ways to entertain my young children - and allows them to gain new skills. Suddenly an 8 hour flight needs only $1 extra. And all my apps are available on all my tablets (I also have an Advent Vega and a Motorola Xoom, which has a very good browser). Long battery life, light (compared to a 2 year old) and fully equipped for my video hobby - so not like a laptop at all!

 

[durendel]

I have a commute where I sit on trains and stuff, the Nook Color that I got filled in for all those books I like to read and the news papers. I read manuals in PDF format or novels from my favorite authors. It allows me listen to music or watch a movie if I want something. I have children and like Streater it's a great form of entertainment for them. The Nook has become my portal to the internet.

I haven't found a productivity use for it with my work but they have some strict security there and computing devices that aren't officially approved by my employer aren't supported. So no way to check my e-mail, etc..

 

[KiwiNessie]

As a health professional my tablet is instant on and I have performed these in my clinic or in a client's home
- show videos
- search medicines
- use Evernote
- make appointments for myself and my colleagues
- view and collaborate on a variety of documents
- email
- browse internet
- distract kids

Add to this my own reading, games and photo fun and my Acer A500 has quickly become indispensable.

 

[drdarwin]

I too am a health professional. My tab is my right hand. i follow journal articles. read medical articles, get my email, give information to patients from the web, use it on planes to readvbooks watch.movies, and now with my blue tooth keyboard write articles,outline talks and when away skype friends and family.
use med apps for pharmacy data, and first aid info. thesis so much more portable than an ipad.
now if only there were more hidden object or big fish games would be a happy camper

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Android Tablet Forum

 

[Bec]

I too am a health professional.

Not to mention editing documents and presentations everywhere while keeping a small profile

 

[fondoo]

i use my tablet to read rss, check gmail, and read tweets.

 

[toomuch]

Tablets are in their early days, what you can do with them is very limited, especially the piece of junk I purchased.
Right now the Android OS is pretty half baked, you cannot do any serious type of document editing or productivity work on it, the tablet I have is just about useless even for the slightest thing, it takes 10 minutes to even bring p a web page.
Look to the future though, once they get the android OS to actually work and get some decent "non junk" apps for it then tablets will be worthwhile.
Just watch and wait, sooner or later they will take over the PC's and Mac's

 

[kich]

There are people on this thread that have mentioned writing on their tablets. It's certainly possible to do some document editing on a tablet, though you lack some variety in that task. That's to be expected.

Frankly, I load pages in less than 30 seconds usually, even when I have Edge reception several miles from shore. You might want to take a look at what's causing that.

I use mine for reading comics (the aspect ratio is just about perfect for that), pulling tech RSS news feeds, and researching various oddball topics. Then again, I haven't had mine for that long.

Pulling data from Facebook or Wikipedia via an app is usually faster than from a website, too.

 

[Charliebee]

As a health professional my tablet is instant on

How is your tablet "instant on"? Mine takes several minutes to boot. (Ouku MID)

 

[Spider]

@pustyak,
I personally have a PC, laptop, cell phone, and tablet and use them all. However, I have several friends and relatives as well as many neighbors who don't have any of those things and are perfectly happy without them. They really don't have any use for them, and I'd never try to convince them that they should get one. If you can't figure out what you need a tablet for, quite possibly you really don't need one. If that's the case, consider yourself blessed. You'll be saving lots of money and headaches by not having one. For example, you'll never have to take your clipboard and pen in for repairs or try to figure out what to do with it because it's "bricked".

 

[PeteDee]

@pustyak,
I personally have a PC, laptop, cell phone, and tablet and use them all. However, I have several friends and relatives as well as many neighbors who don't have any of those things and are perfectly happy without them. They really don't have any use for them, and I'd never try to convince them that they should get one. If you can't figure out what you need a tablet for, quite possibly you really don't need one. If that's the case, consider yourself blessed. You'll be saving lots of money and headaches by not having one. For example, you'll never have to take your clipboard and pen in for repairs or try to figure out what to do with it because it's "bricked".

Yes I also have one of each and not giving up any of them. Love my A500 for the convenience and instant on factor.

Pete