[chevelle]

Originally Posted by navin

Ok guys please exuse an old man but can a tablet replace a laptop?

For what I have understood so far a tablet is only a slave like an ipod and needs to be synced to a master like a laptop/desktop. Right?

So if one is already carrying an ipod (music, photos, video, etc..), a phone (email, internet, etc..) and a laptop (master for the above as well as larger screen for non mobile use) what does the tablet do that these 3 devices cant.

Let me give a shot to answer your question..

There are some tablets which can replace laptop and your ipod depending on use. Here is how i think.

Get an ipad that does what ipod does. Same music quality, bigger resolution for photos and media. No need of ipod then. It also can be connected to TV through HDMI. Since most modern hotels have good LCD/LED tv's with HDMI out, you can take your ipad and hook it up and get bigger picture of ipad. watch movies, listen to music and work while you play.

If you consider the upcoming Transformer Prime, you have even more advantage. It has mini hdmi, so you don't need proprietary adapter. It has USB 3.0 so you can transfer photos from camera on trip. You can connect a keyboard or mouse to use it too.

It has 32gb/64gb of space, so you can load all kind of movies, songs, photos and still have space to put your documents. It also has memory card slot so you can expand your capacity

It also has an optional docking station which will make it act as a laptop and it includes keyboard and touchpad. It also adds to battery life which will be doubled(around 15 hours). Prime has good processor and good memory and Android ICS has good memory management with respect to apps. So you won't feel very slow. You can do video/audio chat using chat, google talk, yahoo since it has front camera. You can also click photos on the go since it has a good camera at back too.

There are office apps available on both OS, so you can edit/view documents in word, excel, powerpoint, pdf and other supported formats. You can also use your tablet as a digital photo frame.

There is remote desktop connection apps available on iOS and Android so you can login from tablet to work/home desktop and work on it.

you can also play some good games too on tablets. Not as good as laptop but still desktop is better than laptops for gaming.

Also, tablets are light weight and you can easily carry it anywhere. if you don't need the docking station you can leave it in bag and just carry tablet anywhere else.

So yes, i do think by dec 2011, laptops can easily be replaced by tablets. you won't even need a separate mp3 player.

some disadvantage: graphics card, memory, hdd capacity and processor still can't be beaten compared to laptop. But for above stated use, it is not a problem. For everything else, there is a desktop.

so phone, tablets and desktop will make a perfect combo. i hope i answered your question.

sorry for long post.

[navin]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Fortunately not. tablets now sync directly to servers and do not need a PC as a go-between. If you trust Google/Apple/Blackberry's servers with your data, then its a benefit.

It keeps its charge for 6 -9 hours (v.s. couple of hours for laptops), has a good enough screen to read/consume content, you can play games on it and it is far more interactive than a laptop.

A-ha now I see something. This is for young people who play games on PCs and have faith in "The Cloud". I dont so it wont work for me. Forget "Clouds" I dont even trust my office servers with my data. My laptop has all my data and backs up to a hard disk at lunch time 5 days a week.

With my use (not very heavy) my X220 battery lasts for 4-5 hours. I tire before the laptop battery runs out anyway. My office has given me an extension battery that sits where the dock sits (under the laptop) that can extend this to 8-9 hours (in case I go on a trans-pacific flight) but I have not used this battery as yet.

Originally Posted by chevelle

Get an ipad that does what ipod does. Same music quality, bigger resolution for photos and media. No need of ipod then.

If you consider the upcoming Transformer Prime...You can connect a keyboard or mouse to use it too.

It has 32gb/64gb of space, so you can load all kind of movies, songs, photos and still have space to put your documents. It also has memory card slot so you can expand your capacity

It also has an optional docking station which will make it act as a laptop and it includes keyboard and touchpad.

There are office apps available on both OS, so you can edit/view documents in word, excel, powerpoint, pdf and other supported formats.

Also, tablets are light weight and you can easily carry it anywhere. if you don't need the docking station you can leave it in bag and just carry tablet anywhere else.

So yes, i do think by dec 2011, laptops can easily be replaced by tablets. you won't even need a separate mp3 player.

some disadvantage: graphics card, memory, hdd capacity and processor still can't be beaten compared to laptop. But for above stated use, it is not a problem. For everything else, there is a desktop.

so phone, tablets and desktop will make a perfect combo. i hope i answered your question. .

Chevelle. Thanks a lot. You more than doubled my knowledge about tablets with just one post.

But now I will ask you some more stupid questions. Sorry.

This Prime thingy has only 64GB. Not enough for my music, photos or video unless it cab play video, music etc.. directly off the memory card. Can it? I am told the ipad cannot play music directly from a memory card. The music needs to by synced to it via iTunes which makes the ipad a slave.

Also fom what I understand tablets dont have the power to drive an external hard disk, Maybe the Prime can do this via it's docking station I dont know. That would give you the ability to use 1TB hard drives alsong with the tablet.

Yes tables are light weight so the ideal thing would be to keep the tablet on you and check the docking station, hard drive and all the heavy stuff (powr adapters) in when you travel.

I dont worry about graphics cards and that sutff. In 2 generations they will have fixed this too.

Maybe a tablet with a docking station as an apendage can work giving you the flexibility/expandibility that a dock provides and the light weight that a tablet has but all that is equal to having a laptop anyway.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by navin

Chevelle. Thanks a lot. You more than doubled my knowledge about tablets with just one post.

But now I will ask you some more stupid questions. Sorry.

This Prime thingy has only 64GB. Not enough for my music, photos or video unless it cab play video, music etc.. directly off the memory card. Can it? I am told the ipad cannot play music directly from a memory card. The music needs to by synced to it via iTunes which makes the ipad a slave.

Also fom what I understand tablets dont have the power to drive an external hard disk, Maybe the Prime can do this via it's docking station I dont know. That would give you the ability to use 1TB hard drives alsong with the tablet.

Yes tables are light weight so the ideal thing would be to keep the tablet on you and check the docking station, hard drive and all the heavy stuff (powr adapters) in when you travel.

I dont worry about graphics cards and that sutff. In 2 generations they will have fixed this too.

Maybe a tablet with a docking station as an apendage can work giving you the flexibility/expandibility that a dock provides and the light weight that a tablet has but all that is equal to having a laptop anyway.

I haven't yet used the Prime, but i did use the 1st gen Transformer and you can directly play audio/video/photos from microSD. its very unlike ipad which is quite restrictive. I think its true for most android based tablets with memory card slot. I haven't spent much time with ipad to figure it out.

I also used a 500gb WD portable xhdd with transformer. I haven't tested with a 1TB or more but i will do so soon. The good thing is, i used HDMI to do a presentation using Transformer and WD portable hdd at my client's place. it worked flawlessly. saved me hassle of carrying my 16.4 inch laptop and should i say, i am very happy.

But i agree, the next generation tablets will be more powerful and better to use in terms of graphics, media management and power. So it is either a wait and watch policy or go ahead and grab a Prime or a Tab 10.1

[phamilyman]

no navin saab, no. Hold on.

Firstly, the iPad2 post the iOS5 update has broken free of the desktop. You get the office suites like QuickOffice which help you review all the work while one is on the road.

Secondly, forget this transformer business - its a niche requirement but you should not complicate your life with it. I mean, kudos to the designers - but I'm sure you already have a work laptop, no?

Between apple and android - just go to croma and use both. The answer will be clear as day. Apple atleast today in India is more VFM than the Galaxy Tab 750!!

Why do you again want to use an external hard drive (of course, android through ROMs or ice cream sandwich version will let you do that) on the move? Instead, load up the music/videos from home when required.

iPad does not take memory cards so therefore cannot play from memory cards! music or video libraries ofc, you'd need to sync with your desktop.

I look on the iPad for the following uses:
a. Family gaming, skype and suchlike - both for the toddlers to the oldest
b. Senior management travel device - 10 hour battery life (where most others fall behind) so u cna watch videos, mail / review/(lightly) edit documents etc while traveling
c. family laptop replacement - my wife doesn't need to open the laptop for any facebook or gaming usage at home or her office email checking (unless some work needs to be done).

Of course, for substantial document editing/typing it has to be a laptop (or to that extent maybe a transformer) - just like a 'berry is a 'berry!!

PS: i've got myself an android midrange phone but only the iPad2 for the wife. Horses for courses.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

no navin saab, no. Hold on.

Firstly, the iPad2 post the iOS5 update has broken free of the desktop. You get the office suites like QuickOffice which help you review all the work while one is on the road.

Secondly, forget this transformer business - its a niche requirement but you should not complicate your life with it. I mean, kudos to the designers - but I'm sure you already have a work laptop, no?

Between apple and android - just go to croma and use both. The answer will be clear as day. Apple atleast today in India is more VFM than the Galaxy Tab 750!!

Why do you again want to use an external hard drive (of course, android through ROMs or ice cream sandwich version will let you do that) on the move? Instead, load up the music/videos from home when required.

iPad does not take memory cards so therefore cannot play from memory cards! music or video libraries ofc, you'd need to sync with your desktop.

I look on the iPad for the following uses:
a. Family gaming, skype and suchlike - both for the toddlers to the oldest
b. Senior management travel device - 10 hour battery life (where most others fall behind) so u cna watch videos, mail / review/(lightly) edit documents etc while traveling
c. family laptop replacement - my wife doesn't need to open the laptop for any facebook or gaming usage at home or her office email checking (unless some work needs to be done).

Of course, for substantial document editing/typing it has to be a laptop (or to that extent maybe a transformer) - just like a 'berry is a 'berry!!

PS: i've got myself an android midrange phone but only the iPad2 for the wife. Horses for courses.

Navinji already mentioned he is not into gaming and cloud storage. So i feel, he will still have to sync with itunes on his laptop and that is why i feel android based tablets makes more sense.

Also since he may not be very comfortable with touch typing and working with touch all the time, docking station with tablet is a boon. Add in compatibility with any wireless keyboard and mice and its a cherry on cake.

One more thing i forgot to mention is using a Bluetooth mouse. In ipad 2 you will have to jailbreak your device in order to use it. Not the case in android. Just plug and play. With Prime getting ICS early next year, it will be at par with ios as far as ease of use is concerned.

for documents, quickoffice is available on both platforms and is free. There is another nifty office app called Documents to go. Its a great app to work with spreadsheet.

Another important thing is screen resolution. most current tablets have 1280x800 resolution. ipad 2 is still stuck with 1024x768 which in current tablet scenario is not good. Again a big boon when doing VPN or working on spreadsheets and docs.

For all the uses you have mentioned, a tab 10.1 or transformer will do just about same thing as ipad and for lesser price.

I agree though that one has to try both platforms before making a decision. Also, just to be a little clear, i was just taking example of Transformer Prime because it is one of the most anticipated tablet that is releasing early decemeber and one of the few tablets to get ICS. Also i was just trying to answer his query about tablet-laptop replacement and so used Prime as an example. All i was trying is to explain Navinji how a tablet can possibly substitute laptop in near future.

You can also read i mentioned similar use for ipad too. But since his requirement seems to be tailor made for a Prime with a docking station for about same price as a 32gb ipad i don't hesitate in recommending him one.

P.S: I am not familiar with pricing in India w.r.t tablets. But i have never used it as a yardstick. It is up to individuals to determine their budget and buy accordingly.

P.S1: I am not trying to compare two O.S and tablets. Just mention some general difference between the two in order to get a clear picture of what to expect from ipad and android tablets viz-a-viz laptop.

[skdking]

I am buying an iPad1, 3G, 16 GB to mainly browse the net, use Google Maps, read eBooks, and play computer games with my kids. I have a Sony Vaio laptop. I find it heavy, bulky and cumbersome to carry around.

I want to request iPad1 owners for valuable inputs: -

1. Can I do all the things given above, and similar things, without any additional software?

2. What is the implication of iPad1 not having Java or Flash support? Does it affect the experience much?

3. What apps are very much essential? Are they available only on payment? Do I need to buy apps for doing routine tasks?

4. I read that iTunes are required to listen to music on iPad1. Does it mean that I can not transfer my music collection to iPad1 via usb? Does it have regular usb port for transfer of other data?

5. Considering that I have never used any Apple device till now what other surprises should I be ready for?

Thanks.

Note for mods: I posted this post on another thread earlier. So technically this is a spam post. After going through this thread I realise that this is a better forum for getting my answers. Please pardon me.

[Rameshdude]

Originally Posted by skdking

I am buying an iPad1, 3G, 16 GB to mainly browse the net, use Google Maps, read eBooks, and play computer games with my kids. I have a Sony Vaio laptop. I find it heavy, bulky and cumbersome to carry around.

I want to request iPad1 owners for valuable inputs:

I have an ipad. It is good for browsing and for games.

You cannot do multi tasking or open some files in ipad. But then,you have the laptop for those. Ipad is not a substitute for a laptop. You need the laptop for doing all regular works like excel,Power point or word.

Sound is good in ipad.

It doesn't have a usb port. You can sync your music and photos with your laptop through itunes. Yes,you need itunes for all file transfer or downloads.

Most of the apps and games are free. Games are good,and your family would love it.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by Rameshdude

It doesn't have a usb port. You can sync your music and photos with your laptop through itunes. Yes,you need itunes for all file transfer or downloads.

Thanks, Ramesh.

One query please. It does not have USB, as you wrote. How does one transfer data to it from other computers via a pen drive?

And, is file transfer through iTunes as simple as it is on windows XP or other OS?

Thanks again.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by skdking

Thanks, Ramesh.

One query please. It does not have USB, as you wrote. How does one transfer data to it from other computers via a pen drive?

And, is file transfer through iTunes as simple as it is on windows XP or other OS?

Thanks again.

if its drag and drop functionality you are looking for, this aint your street.
For me personally, its a pain transferring data to and from an idevice, compared to anything else under the sun.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by mayankk

if its drag and drop functionality you are looking for, this aint your street.
For me personally, its a pain transferring data to and from an idevice, compared to anything else under the sun.

Haha. Thanks again. I spent last five minutes browsing cursorily through the online user manual of iPad. It does show a cable for connecting it to a computer. Seems like a non-USB cable. Not of much use, haan?

Through this cable can I transfer and read my huge collection of eBooks while I am stuck at airports, or such things?

[Rameshdude]

Originally Posted by skdking

Thanks, Ramesh.

One query please. It does not have USB, as you wrote. How does one transfer data to it from other computers via a pen drive?

And, is file transfer through iTunes as simple as it is on windows XP or other OS?

Thanks again.

The files are "synchronised" and not transfered. That means,some photo files from your laptop goes to ipad, another photo album which is in ipad may move over to laptop ! Yeah,it is a headache. It is not easy either. There must be some other way,i couldn't figure it out. It is through the cord. Your laptop should have itunes too.

[phamilyman]

replies inline since there's alot u wrote.

Originally Posted by chevelle

Navinji already mentioned he is not into gaming and cloud storage. So i feel, he will still have to sync with itunes on his laptop and that is why i feel android based tablets makes more sense.
err - i'm not advising cloud storage myself here! Neither does my iPad have an iCloud connection setup

Also since he may not be very comfortable with touch typing and working with touch all the time, docking station with tablet is a boon. Add in compatibility with any wireless keyboard and mice and its a cherry on cake.
That is bunkum. ipad's on-screen keyboard is brilliant and like i said, if he has alot of typing to be done, the x series is unbeatable.

One more thing i forgot to mention is using a Bluetooth mouse. In ipad 2 you will have to jailbreak your device in order to use it. Not the case in android. Just plug and play.
err? for a touchscreen? woh bhi iPad? hello???

With Prime getting ICS early next year, it will be at par with ios as far as ease of use is concerned.
err, no. Apple is the king of usability. i've bashed my head enough around android to say that confidently

for documents, quickoffice is available on both platforms and is free. There is another nifty office app called Documents to go. Its a great app to work with spreadsheet.
QuickOfficeHD is paid (10$) and is worth the money. The latter i'd rather not comment on.

Another important thing is screen resolution. most current tablets have 1280x800 resolution. ipad 2 is still stuck with 1024x768 which in current tablet scenario is not good. Again a big boon when doing VPN or working on spreadsheets and docs.
I've played enough on the samsung galaxy tab to find it just not upto scratch in terms of usability (its android vs iOS). the screen is a valid point but frankly not that big a deal. Its like defy's got much more pixel density than Galaxy SII but does anyone care?

For all the uses you have mentioned, a tab 10.1 or transformer will do just about same thing as ipad and for lesser price.
10.1 was costlier last i enquired? the 32gig version was some 36k INR in gurgaon.

I agree though that one has to try both platforms before making a decision. Also, just to be a little clear, i was just taking example of Transformer Prime because it is one of the most anticipated tablet that is releasing early decemeber and one of the few tablets to get ICS. Also i was just trying to answer his query about tablet-laptop replacement and so used Prime as an example. All i was trying is to explain Navinji how a tablet can possibly substitute laptop in near future.
You are taking the specs a bit too literally in this case - there is a reason most tablets dont come with keyboard/mouse docking stations - because there's hardly any demand for that thing (and because its normally called a laptop!!)

You can also read i mentioned similar use for ipad too. But since his requirement seems to be tailor made for a Prime with a docking station for about same price as a 32gb ipad i don't hesitate in recommending him one.

P.S: I am not familiar with pricing in India w.r.t tablets. But i have never used it as a yardstick. It is up to individuals to determine their budget and buy accordingly.

P.S1: I am not trying to compare two O.S and tablets. Just mention some general difference between the two in order to get a clear picture of what to expect from ipad and android tablets viz-a-viz laptop.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by mayankk

For me personally, its a pain transferring data to and from an idevice, compared to anything else under the sun.

If iDevice is jailbroken, then there should be bunch of apps that would enable file sharing. I used similar approach on Android to share files over SCP.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

If iDevice is jailbroken, then there should be bunch of apps that would enable file sharing. I used similar approach on Android to share files over SCP.

Jailbroken?

Can you please point me to a site that explains how to do it?

Thanks.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by skdking

Jailbroken?

Can you please point me to a site that explains how to do it?

Thanks.

Go to jailbreakme.
Or just google it.