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With iPad Pro, big tablets are suddenly a thing, but would you consider such a device over a laptop?
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With iPad Pro, big tablets are suddenly a thing, but would you consider such a device over a laptop?
Seems a rather silly question as the answer is obviously "if it does what you want".
There is no yes/no right answer.
With today's tech, no, I wouldn't. I hesitate to say never, but for me, tablets and laptops are for different uses. Tablets for for portability, and informal use. Laptops are for more serious, sat at a desk, use. Neither laptop nor tablet suit the other purpose, which is why I have both.Quote:
So let's ask the question: would you consider a big-screen 'Pro' tablet over a laptop? ....
For me, a big tablet (over 10") is bigger than I want from a tablet, but 10" is not big enough for what I want from a laptop. So .... no.
Well my 11.6" laptop is as big as I want to go. That was the ideal portable form factor for me, smaller I will usually just use my phone, bigger I will use a desktop or for media consumption watch it on TV :D
I think that is a no :D
I do have a tablet, a Hudl bought with tesco vouchers, and I don't use it as much as I expected to.
What I want is a new 15W APU 11.6" lappy, my old E350 based one is very dated but I struggle to find anything like it.
Not for me, I'm no fan of using tablets for anything other than entertainment and I don't own one anymore as I never even used it for that.
My order of preference is to use a desktop PC, then if that isn't an option use a laptop and finally if that isn't an option use my phone.
For me yes it is. I currently use a Linx10, and might upgrade a bit later in the year. I mainly use it for various hobbies, including camera control, astronomy mount control, and being windows its easy to get RS232 stuff to work with it.
Nope. Big tablets are far too unwieldy. Having the bulk under the keyboard and the light display adjustable to whatever you want is much less of a hassle and far less fatiguing.
If they had big handles on the sides like in Stargate Atlantis then i'd consider it but even my old 10" tablet I wouldn't consider portable enough for what its designed for. My current 8" nvidia tablets are a good size for portability but aren't very productive unless you like to draw with a stylus.
To directly answer the question: NO, reason: laptops are just way more functional than tablets and a lot of that is down to the software however the hardware is of course guilty too.
I have already replaced my laptop, I've been using iPad much more. I do still have a laptop, but barely use it. My trio is, smartphone, tablet and Desktop
Laptop Work, Note 10.1 Reading listening in fact anything you do at home (Except Gaming ;) ) ... I do like like my Note but can be heavy with Cover / Stand
First, why is everything "the next big thing(tm)" just because Apple suddenly "invents" it (i.e. brings out its own version)?
Second, in my opinion tablets aren't really suited for proper work, more for faffing around. An oversized specimen won't change that. But then again, I don't even consider notebooks suitable for real work. It's a bit like comparing a Walkman (anyone remember those?) with a high-end stereo system. Both are capable of playing music, but that's about it.
For my personal usage scenario (design) yes a surface pro could replace a laptop, it would arguably better than a laptop due to the stylus. The reason I'm saying a surface pro is because I wouldn't be able to replace a laptop with a full os and full programs with a 'consumption' focused operating system like iOS/Android and it's 'apps'.
Of course it is, as long as you're among the latest swarm of iLemmings... otherwise, no. If I'm going to carry something that large, I may as well have a full-sized laptop that runs actual programs, instead of apps... programs of my choosing, and not what a specific iManufacturer dictates I can use.
Not yet. Power isn't quite there yet but give it a few more years miniaturisation and it could be?
Certain application perhaps, stock checking, POS terminals. Fuji did a tablet form factor about 10 years ago, essentially a laptop in a no clam shell case. It didn't catch on then, possibly because of the price and weight.
But it won't be a replacement, more complementary (IMHO)
A couple of years ago, the choice between a Thinkpad Yoga and the Surface Pro 2 was down only to the Thinkpad being more stable in your lap on a train than the Surface's kickstand.
I have a tablet I bought thinking I'd use more for the basic stuff like emails and web browsing - however find myself going for the Laptop all the time as the tablet just doesnt cut it.
I don't think it's at the replace stage yet, but it's getting closer. But, if they get much bigger they'll be the size of a laptop anyway. Maybe tablets are morphing into laptops ?
depends - my Notepro 12.2 and a bluetooth keyboard do what I need...
It really depends on one's needs - I've used 14' inch ultrabook for almost two years now and it's really handy thanks to it portability AND the ability to be used as a desktop (dual monitors + keyboard + mouse - I'm using it this way right now). But since I'm buying a desktop this month, I might be able to replace my notebook AND my tablet with a Surface Pro - it won't do desktop's job so good, but I won't need that anymore, and for light work on the go it would be more than suitable.
A tablet is a better form factor for interactive work, looking at or manipulating visual objects, or limited data entry (barcode scanned sales, limited choice questionaires or most forms).
A laptop is there for heavy data work, word processing and the like.
For most members of the public, a tablet is all they'll ever need but in a work environment you want a laptop or a desktop PC
If money were no object, and I wanted a portable device, I'd like to have a gaming powerhouse of a laptop with the keyboard half able to fold completely flat behind the 17" 1440p touchscreen
Big tablet, yes but silly, viable alternative to a laptop.........hell no. A high spec laptop costs about the same as the base model and has better hardware. It also isn't restricted to the Apple ecosystem. My surface Pro runs all of the same software that my desktop does. iOS can not do that.
Well, from my experience, yes and no, about two years back I asked the forums here what would be a good yet affordable large tablet for use with keyboard as a laptop and there was a somewhat overwhelming response for the sony tablet z, which I have found an excellent alternative to a laptop, I have been using it for note taking ect in lectures and it has been mostly excellent. However, this is where the praise ends. I found, living in Aberystwyth where my only way of getting to friends and family is a five hour plus train journey through rural Wales with no mobile data connection, I miss the ability to play physical media and the better battery life of a laptop (when fully upgraded that is) such as an old thinkpad with batteries coming out of every port. And it is for that reason that there is a place in my heart for both a good old laptop like my old T60 running Linux Arch alongside a newfangled Android tablet.
Surface Pro 3 for me ...really has replaced my ipad + laptop.
Ive had to repair a couple of Surface Pro tablets for customers recently. I must say I was impressed with them (core i5 versions) and if they had keyboards that were a bit more solid like a laptop then I would certainly use one.
That being said I currently use a dell xps laptop (macbook clone) with 8gb ram, core i5 , GT640m 2gb and a 256gb SSD.
It would take a a very good offer to make me change.
I do have a standard tablet, an original Nexus 7 which I have modified to fit the dash in my car where it is used as a juke box via the head unit.
Personally I think big tablets (larger than 10") are pretty pointless unless you've got a very specific need. I also find that tablet keyboard have unnatural feel and are unusable for anything more than hunt 'n' peck typing. You've also got the expandability - or lack there of - although I've got to say that Microsoft seem to have tried to address that idea as have some Android tablet makers. Apple and Samsung are pretty woeful.
Other issue I've got is that these "tablet max" devices also pretty much need to have a table to rest on if you want to use them in "desktop replacement" mode. The only one that doesn't force that was the Asus Transformers where the keyboard dock (with proper ultrabook keyboard please note) also had enough weight to be usable in your lap.
Whole selling point for tablets is that they're light and eminently portable - but those large screens seem to need heavy batteries, and the necessary bulk hits the "portability" too.
No, for me I'd be looking at one of the many excellent 2-in-1 devices. So that's laptops with either detachable screens or keyboards that fold back so you can use the laptop as a "large tablet". To me that give the best of all worlds, albeit at the price of some extra bulk and weight. You can also spec i7 in those form factors which - lets be honest - will wipe the floor with most tablets.
I suspect we'll see a marked rise in the Asus Transformer type tablets powered by Baytrail quads, with the keyboard dock adding additional connectivity and battery power. That will likely be the crossover point.
That being said, my tablets are purely for sofa-surfing and portability. Any serious work will be carried out on a laptop or desktop.
Most budget laptops have poor screens.
Most tablets at the same price point have very sharp screens.
One of my directors has already shifted to a SFP3 from a laptop and is very happy, so I'd say the answer is a qualified "Yes, but that tablet ain't going to be running iOS crippleware...."
Nick
Well I have a 4 year old iPad 3 (Retina/64Gb/3G) and I must admit that back when my phone couldn't hold a candle to it in performance and had a 4" screen, and my laptop weighed 2.5Kg, it was a very welcome addition to my gadget collection. I am still using it, but my phone is an octa-core 5.7" item with 64/3Gigs, and my laptop is a 14" mobile workstation on an m.2 PCI-E SSD and 16 gigs of RAM that weighs 1.5kg. I am seeing less and less need for that tablet, and I am pretty sure that I will not be replacing when mine dies, especially not with another premium price model. I think the iPad pro will not be a success, and that only Apple drones will buy it.
We use two Nexus 5s, two Nexus 7s (2nd gen), and one Nexus 9.
There is no functional difference between the N7 and N9. The larger N9 screen is a tradeoff for worse battery life and more weight compared to the N7.
If you're using a tablet exclusively for Netflix and don't have a larger screen, or a way to hook up to a larger screen (like Chromecast), then it's possible that a large tablet might fit your needs. However, the input interface will always suffer. (Our homebuilt desktops use mechanical keyboards.)
I would have answered no, but my wife went out to buy a MacBook Pro yesterday and came home with a Surface Pro. I must admit to thinking she made the right choice. A big tablet that runs
Photoshop vs a small laptop is no contest. Can't quite see the point of the Apple one though, as all iOS apps are optimised for small screens.
I am rather impressed with the Surface 3 Pro, and if I could actually afford one, I would gladly replace my Toshiba laptop with a Surface. I no longer have a need for a big "gaming capable" laptop, and the Surface would fill my needs as a virtual "cookbook" (smaller, so it takes up less room on the kitchen bench). I could also still use it for web browsing while I'm out and about, and leave all my gaming, and other "serious" work to my desktop PC.
2 words: Lenovo Miix
- proper laptop replacement with better keyboard than the Surface Pro at a much lower price (hopefully)
Stupid: iPad Pro running iOS for Fruit Ninja purposes costing more than a proper full-fledged laptop PC replacement like the Surface Pro and Lenovo Miix.