Using a Tablet As Your Primary Computer 627
harrymcc writes "Three months ago, I started using an iPad 2 (with a Zagg keyboard) as my primary computing device--the one I blog on, write articles for TIME magazine on, and use to prepare photos and other illustrations that go with my writing. I now use it about 80 percent of the time; my trusty MacBook Air has become a secondary machine."
Fine then (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:...Good for you? (Score:4, Insightful)
He's the 99% I guess.
I'm an amateur photographer. I upgraded from a Core 2 Duo laptop which was working GREAT (and I still use) to a Core i5... gasp! DESKTOP! Because I like having a 27" monitor and I use the 8GB of RAM and all 4 cores of my CPU to process photos. And of course, USB ports and SD card readers are nice too.
So, thanks for your suggestions iPad fanboys. I'll stick with my desktop machine for the next few years.
Expensive and limited netbook (Score:5, Insightful)
So it's like an expensive netbook, but you can only run programs approved by Apple?
What's the point?
Re:...Good for you? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let me be the first to say (Score:5, Insightful)
Conglomeration.
FTFY.
Since no one else reads the article, I'll have to explain: it has many incorrect/missing words. It's as if it was written on a phone keyboard, with word completion, or something. "unless I have specific reason to think I’ll never a full-blown computer" "most iPads cost only a few dollars" "Or at least I was at firs–at this point"
It sounds like what the author appreciates is decent battery life and an efficient small-screen-friendly window manager.
It really was kind of surprising for an author who claims to be writing for Time magazine.
Her's not using a tablet. (Score:5, Insightful)
When youd add a physical keyboard to it, it's just not a tablet any more, functionally. It's either a two-piece notepad, or if the keyboard is attached, even with just a cover, it's a notepad period.
The form factor changes. I expect tablets to be just one piece. A salient feature of a tablet is the LACK of a keyboard.
But if he was saying that adapting his tablet for everyday uses onle required adding a keyboard, well, doh. This is news for nerds? Not for a few years.
By TFA measure, my X41t is a tablet. Oh, sure, it needs a stylus and comes with a keyboard, and most of the logic is in the 'keyboard part', but it's touch sensitive (just the touch of the stylus, I know), has an onscreen keyboard etc. and folds over so it's just screen. and the stylus.
In today's world, it isn't what most people think they mean by 'tablet'. Adding a keyboard muddies this even more.
I've seen this discussion before (Score:5, Insightful)
And it wasn't pretty [arstechnica.com] Somebody points out that a tablet can only be a good primary computer if one's primary work is non-computer intensive, like an editor with a light workload; use-iPad-for-everything people get defensive about the technical rigor of their work, and computational significance of their needs; comments section gets shut down due to hurt feelings.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't think iPads and the like are supposed to replace desktops. But they might replace laptops for some use cases. I have to admit, I pretty much just use my big grunty desktop (serious work, gaming) or my iPad (quick web browsing, email, watching Youtube etc.) now. The laptop is gathering dust. I used to take it when I went on trips but now I just throw the iPad in instead - it's lighter and has better battery life, and it does all I need it to when travelling (basically email, Skype, web) and a few things the laptop doesn't (GPS + maps).
Having said that I would never use a tablet as my PRIMARY machine (the premise of this thread). Nor would most Slashdotters. A proper PC will always have its place for coding, gaming and heavy duty processing of media (video, audio and photos - as you will no doubt agree). But for the average Joe who just uses their computer to check a few websites and send an email or two, a tablet fits their needs nicely.
Re:Have done the same as a developer, sort of (Score:3, Insightful)
What is the benefit of using something "more powerful" than a console for development? I've yet to meet a graphical IDE that actually works better than vim
Stop this. Forever. If you need to design GUIs in your software development, a console only approach is undoubtedly inferior. Not using an unquestionably inferior development environment would be a benefit. There are loads of other examples. For some development, absolutely, a console meets the needs perfectly. But different requirements often require different solutions. If you don't know that as a developer, I do not want to use your software.
Re:I read the article... (Score:5, Insightful)
This is someone that doesn't program, doesn't write long docs, is used to surfing a lot, and probably just does blog updates. A tablet is perfect.
Others with differing job needs would toss that tablet like a TV from a balcony. Except for a few rare ones, tablets can't hold much data, don't have a variety of ports, must download everything (and no DVDs, etc), and most importantly: you can't do a user-changes-battery. Yes, there are exceptions.
They have tiny screens, and by the time you add an external keyboard, it's back to the size of a netbook. As media consumption devices, they're spectacular. They're less expensive than a Macbook Air, but so is a Porsche 914.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:2, Insightful)
After the KB his main point was (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the master point he made was that it's actually the OS he likes. Or rather the lack of an OS to deal with. No real responsibilities to manage. Just a pure application interface. He also liked the long battery life.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's also a misleading summary. The guy isn't truly using a tablet as his primary computer, because the first thing he does is get a Bluetooth keyboard. What he likes is super-long battery life, built-in mobile broadband, and a clean user interface. Everything tablet-specific -- the touchscreen, the apps, the screen size -- he describes as worse than a laptop.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:3, Insightful)
costs on the order of a thousand dollars
throws away 30 years of office app development
can't play a dvd
can't store more than a couple dozen gigs
doesn't allow installation of different OSs
runs anemic, "power-friendly" processors
can't multitask well
all of the above
Re:I've seen this discussion before (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Have done the same as a developer, sort of (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Not surprising (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think anyone is pushing the idea that tablets can fulfill every need of every computer user. I'm not sure what you are responding to.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:2, Insightful)
So... You're like a truck driver. All 18 wheels... and maybe I'm like a bicycle commuter. All 2 wheels...
I don't even have an interest in a tablet, but I was commenting on the pissy wording of the "hipster freelance writers that have nothing to do with our day" and "sitting in Starbucks taking up space that should be reserved for paying customers," portions of your comment.
Mean spirited words... apparently for no greater purpose than pumping your sense of esteem.
Take what you need. Don't hate what you don't need.
Re:Fine then (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact that you have to Jailbreak and land on the wrong side of an EULA proves that it isn't.
Re:Let me be the first to say (Score:4, Insightful)
Only if he carries the dock around. Otherwise, we could make the argument that a laptop is really more like a desktop just because somebody hooks up a monitor etc to it.
Re:...Good for you? (Score:4, Insightful)
> costs on the order of a thousand dollars
Weasel words. Base model iPad 2 is $499.
> throws away 30 years of office app development
Don't care. Don't use Office or any competitor. Do not need it, do not want it.
> can't play a dvd
Don't need it to. My iPad has 32gig of storage on it. Right now I have seasons 3 and 4 of the Venture Brothers on there, as well as a few movies for my kids. If that's not enough I can stream stuff from my media server, or from Netflix.
DVDs are a dead storage medium.
> can't store more than a couple dozen gigs
So what? It's not a file server. It's a tablet. It has more than enough storage to do the job. And as mentioned before, streaming options are also available.
> doesn't allow installation of different OSs
So what? What if you don't care about installing different OSes?
> runs anemic, "power-friendly" processors
Powerful enough to run Lego Harry Potter, watch a movie, or anything else I want to do with it. What are you prevented from doing?
> can't multitask well
Same question: what are you prevented from doing? It polls for new emails in the background, if I get an IM I'm notified, etc., etc. What's your bitch?
Re:Not surprising (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think anyone is pushing the idea that tablets can fulfill every need of every computer user. I'm not sure what you are responding to.
You're exactly right, no one is pushing that idea. However, the fact that this is posted on Slashdot (where a disproportionate number of users are software developers, engineers, and other professions that require high powered computing) kinda implies that some of us can replace our desktops with a tablet. We know we can't and never will (unless the conditions laid out by the GP are satisfied), so this is just another one of those articles that are completely irrelevant to this demographic. What's next, links to Cosmopolitan articles?
Re:Let me be the first to say (Score:3, Insightful)
"Content generation" is a term used by people to whom the actual content of the content is secondary and is simply a commodity to be "monetized".