Tablet shopping advice

[Masakari]

Sigh.

Tablets work best as media consumption devices, not as productivity devices. What do I mainly do with my iPad? I read books, websites, and watch videos - usually in places that a laptop would be inconvenient.

[Cpt._Keyes]

i read books, websites and watch movies on my laptop...havent found an inconvenient place to do so, also can be productive (lol) on it...without the need to carry another piece of hardware

[OldMan]

Ok, you guys are gonna love this. I use my Ipod Touch as an inventory device for my restaurant. I walk around and make tic marks on a spreadsheet I developed for my monthly inventory. I then download that to my on line foodservice provider and generate my food cost and projections based on sales and such. I am using my tablet now for that same function. It's a much bigger surface and I can see more on the screen at once and it's easier to train my staff using it! I also use it for ebook reading, I read about three to four books a week as well as e-mail and web surfing. I'm very pleased with the technology. I'm sure I'll find more uses for it as I learn what it can do!

I'm considering writing a simple app that my customers can download while they are dining that allows them to access our website and order catering, and plan functions. I've been asked about this a few times and it seems pretty straight forward. So probably next winter I'll be writing a "Plan your function with us" app. Integrating e-mail communications, photos, and scheduling. We do a ton of weddings, graduation parties, birthdays and such, this would make it easier and more fun!

[Cpt._Keyes]

i use tic marks to manage my crypto inventory with a pen and paper, all you have is a fancy 500 dollar sheet of paper, and again, nothing that cant be done on a laptop...or touch phone, as i said, it is trying to force it's way into the market, doing things that devices already exist can do just as well (or even better)

My argument from day 1 is that a tablet is nothing special over a laptop and/or phone, there is nothing in that list that proves otherwise, so instead of speadsheet managing on your phone or laptop, you add a third device in there, a phone, laptop and tablet, all capable of doing the same things.

Laptop: mobile data managing, internet access, communication, media consumption

Phone: super mobile data managing, internet access, communication, media consumption

Tablet... do we really need to add a third device?

[MrBlah]

That's what I suggest the Asus EEE transformer.... use it as a laptop or as a tablet.

[OldMan]

Keys, keep in mind, I got my tablet for $85... I would not have spent $500 for it, I can't justify that type of cost, but for the sub $100 range, it's nice. And if you don't have a laptop or smartphone already, a tablet is a viable alternative.

[Cpt._Keyes]

WARNING, STAND BACK EVERYONE!

Ok...for 85$ i can conceede to owning one


(still say a smartphone is better)

[Zork Nemesis]

Allow me to elaborate on my current situation then if we're having a debate about the portability of devices and the potential need for the tablet.

My phone: due to my current plan (which is protected under a Grandfather clause), I have opted to have it do nothing more than call people. There is no data plan, and no text messaging, which means it can't really do anything besides phone calls and pictures without paying extra charges. It's not even a smartphone, it's a Sanyo, which doesn't even have a keyboard.

My laptop: is a gaming laptop and isn't the most portable device in the world. Weighing as much as my algebra textbook, I'd rather not lug it around if I can help it, and since it's got the graphics card to worry about, i'd be lucky to get up to 2 hours on battery.

The tablet allows me to do what my phone would be able to do if it were a smartphone (or better) and give me the capability to do what my laptop can do while only weighing a fourth of it and allowing for a longer battery life.

Also, I paid $280 for the Tablet, i'm pretty sure much of that price came from the nvidia Tegra graphics card that's built in. It works very well for this too; I have a free version of Dungeon Defenders that runs without a hitch.

[Dirty Dan]

Also, I paid $280 for the Tablet, i'm pretty sure much of that price came from the nvidia Tegra graphics card that's built in. It works very well for this too; I have a free version of Dungeon Defenders that runs without a hitch.

The Tegra is a main processing CPU

[Zork Nemesis]

Also, I paid $280 for the Tablet, i'm pretty sure much of that price came from the nvidia Tegra graphics card that's built in. It works very well for this too; I have a free version of Dungeon Defenders that runs without a hitch.

The Tegra is a main processing CPU

Well, whatever it is i'm sure that's what I paid for.

[l33tOMGlolz!11!shift]

Well considering one of my company's tablet products (software) allows customers to stop carrying around tons of paper, reference materials, and equipment I'd say that tablets do in fact have uses.

Just because you can't think of one doesn't means others can't. The sales figures aren't made up. People do use them for things.