So tablets then...

I honestly didn't think that i would find a use for them over laptops. After a couple of weeks use I cn now say wih a definate degree of certainty that i do!
I only have a rommed advent Vega but it's brilliantly portable and perfect for me... Thing is i use it at work for quickly reviewing autocad documents and pdfs. I try to use it for browsing and talking to my friends but for prolonged use I go back to my laptop as overall its mor comfy.
Kinda begs the question, if your not me and this thing isn't used to increase productivity, what do you use it for?
Genuine question?! I payed £140 for mine and its easily saved the company that in my time so far, 500-600 for personal use though, i need some help understanding.

I've got an iPad 2.

I find that they're just a lot more portable than a laptop but a lot more useable than my iPhone.
They're good for talking to people on Facebook and browsing the internet. They're also very very good for games, the battery lasts forever and they'll slot into my gym bag, work bag, glovebox, they'll go anywhere.

Can't wait for iOS5 with the split keyboard, should make typing a lot easier.

well see as i have an android i already have split typing as i can choose whatever keyboard i want. Problem is its just not as good as having a proper keyboard. As you dont rest your palm on the device you are kind of reaching over the bottom of it and tapping it or stretching your thumbs across it, for me thats just not as comfy. Its fine for short spells but if you are in an involved conversation it soon becomes frustrating and uncomfortable :( Maybe this is my small hands or he fact its a 16:9 android tablet?

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Originally Posted by Biscuit

I honestly didn't think that i would find a use for them over laptops. After a couple of weeks use I cn now say wih a definate degree of certainty that i do!
Snip--->

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Pretty much sums up my feelings, until I was fortunate enough to pick up an HP touchpad in the recent sell off. Although I'm not (yet) convinced that it would have been worth paying full price for it...

Before the start of this week I thought tablets where totally pointless but since buying a Sony tablet S I am addicted :D

Been using it sat in the front room whilst the missus is watching crap on the box. I`ve had it sat in the cradle on my desk streaming videos from my file server whilst I have been using my laptop to catalogue stuff,

I've also found my iPad 2 to be a total life saver while doing security work, since I got my SIA license I've been doing site security, on and off, without the iPad 2 them 16 hour shifts would've been intolerable.

They're really handy for watching films on.

Typing hasn't ever been an issue for me really, I just think te split keyboard will make life a little easier.

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Originally Posted by Hoonigan

I've also found my iPad 2 to be a total life saver while doing security work, since I got my SIA license I've been doing site security, on and off, without the iPad 2 them 16 hour shifts would've been intolerable.

They're really handy for watching films on.

Typing hasn't ever been an issue for me really, I just think te split keyboard will make life a little easier.

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Now that i can definitely understand!

I love my tablet tbh, I was thinking about it for ages before I bit the bullet and got the Xoom (I ordered the iPad2 at the same time but the Xoom turned up first so I got rid of that and kept the xoom) and tbh I havent looked back, I use it looads more than I do my laptop and I will most certainly be getting a Win8 based one when they come out...

I've said this before, but when I had my etouch and no laptop my internet usage pattern changed dramatically, as browsing was *much* easier and more comfortable than on a laptop, but typing was much more difficult. I'd love another tablet as I far prefer them to either a laptop or a smartphone for reading, general web browsing, news feeds, viewing documents, and for general portability. There's just something fitting about the small screen and touch interface for a lot of day to day tasks. Having had a 10" tab already though, I'd definitely go for a 7" if i get another one - the 10" is just a little large to hold comfortably in one hand, which makes it a lot harder to tap, swipe and generally interact with.

Text input is definitely the big issue with most tablets at the minute. I think I'd have to stick swype on any new Android tablet I picked up, I've been really impressed with it on my phone. I've yet to find a good enough handwriting recognition program for Android, plus handwriting recognition only really works with either expensive digitiser / pen setups, or resistive touch + stylus which is then pretty poor for general touch interactivity. Although my old TC1100 with digitiser was the nuts for handwritten input... I've never made as many notes in business meetings as I did with that thing! But nothing really seems to "just work" yet...

I certainly wouldn't give up my ultraportable for a tablet - I love this thing far too much - but if I was given the choice between an entry level 15" laptop and a tablet I'd take the tablet every time. The main thing I'm after now, though, is an x86 tablet so I can mess with the Windows 8 preview. Finding a 7" capacitative x86 tablet, however, is proving.... challenging ;)

I have been using a win7 tablet for a while (laptop replacement), and have just acquired an android tablet for living room use. Despite being an android phone user for a while, I hadn't figured on one of the biggest failings with Android tablets for casual use in the home. Unlike windows tablets they lack proper account seperation, so you end up sharing all your emails, contacts, calenders, Facebook, etc.

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Originally Posted by Flibb

... casual use in the home ... they lack proper account seperation ...

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I'm not sure account separation is something that would bother most casual home users ;) But yes, they're designed to be a personal device, not a shared device, and one issue with Android is that it needs to be tied into a google account, so on a shared device the only real option is to have ashared google account...

I would count a phone as a single user device, but tablets are more multi user.

That depends entirely on how you use your tablet, surely ;)

I'm sure I saw something over on the Xoom forums (XDA) that had some sort of multiuser setup..

Had a play with my sister's iPad 2 and I'm honestly quite taken with it. Enough that I'm considering stumping up for one when funds allow.

I'm not keen on being restricted with online video but that's gradually becoming less of an issue. I detest iTunes with a passion but I doubt I'd have any need for syncing anyway; the device I want will primarily be for consumption of content rather creation. If a site/service/etc. announces an app, it seems there's a better chance of having a tailored experience that works on your device with Apple at the moment. I have an Android phone and fear that app compatibility issues will plague their tablets just as it's done with their phone market. For now, Apple trumps Google in an all-round tablet offering as far as I can see.

Windows 8 looks promising, particularly in a cross-platform solution that I'm already invested in. So long as Microsoft aren't serious about having Metro as a Start Menu replacement with no alternative, and the tablet hardware is up to snuff, I'll likely jump on board.

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

10" is just a little large to hold comfortably in one hand, which makes it a lot harder to tap, swipe and generally interact with.

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Now that shouldn't be taken out of context but it's going in my sig. Sorry, couldn't resist :p

iTunes isnt just syncing tho, its also updates which with ios5 or whatever its called just round the corner, you may well have no choice...

Bugger, I forgot about that. iTunes in a VM it is then.

If your VM will support USB passthru or whatever the tech term for it is..

Should be fine. It's been a while since I've seen a VM without USB passthrough. I can always test my sisters tablet.

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Originally Posted by pauldarkside

Now that shouldn't be taken out of context but it's going in my sig. Sorry, couldn't resist :p

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No worries, I knew as I was typing it that it'd get sig-quoted, and thought about rewording it less ambiguously, but I couldn't resist the oppotunity for a knob joke. I'm immature: so sue me :p

One of iOS5's features is PC free use, so updating to this version will hopefully be the last time you are forced to use the abomination that is itunes on windows. All future updates should be done directly on the iOS device.