iPad or another tablet?

Barrowboy · 19 November 2013, 18:33

After much discussion, the leader of the opposition is quitting her job and starting up on her own in the New Year so, changes at home are being negotiated.

One change that's almost agreed is that I relinquish my 'home office' so she can take it over but one of the keys to this being successful is me migrating from laptop to tablet.

To be honest, these days I don't need to work with the microsoft suite of programs from home as I have in the past, so 95% of my time in 'my' office is spent browsing, researching, reading, googling, RIBnetting, etc all of which I'm reliably informed can be done from the comfort of my armchair on a tablet.

So, I recently recall a debate started by Anchorhandler regarding iPhone v. other smart phones and some interesting opinions were shared based on actual user experience with the various options out there.

I'm hoping to tap the forum's collective knowledge on the subject of tablets in a similar manner. I'm heavily 'Appled' at the moment with iPods, iPhones, B&W Zeppelin, Parrot system in the cars and about 30k tunes on iTunes so would naturally start by looking at the Apple products but help me out here guys, what should I embrace/avoid and what should I look at apart from Apple tablets?

Chris Caton · 19 November 2013, 18:41

I bought HP Envy laptop a little while back, been ok up till recently, looks like a intermittent internal wiring fault to the screen

if I were starting again I'd stick to apple, seems to fairly bomb proof

whisper · 19 November 2013, 19:07

Bought an ipad of Wilk and it's been perfect

quite fool proof really

kids use it which gives me some time on the computer. Mrs W does the weekly shopping on it too.

But I guess it does have it's limitations compared to others but to be honest for what we use if for it's been great.

GJ0KYZ · 19 November 2013, 19:17

I'd buy a Note 3 over an IPad. Better quality screen, more RAM, faster than blazes and you can make calls on it.

Barrowboy · 19 November 2013, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by whisper

.... kids use it which gives me some time on the computer. Mrs W does the weekly shopping on it too.

But I guess it does have it's limitations compared to others but to be honest for what we use if for it's been great.

Forgive my ignorance on tablets but there's the first question right there; why do you need to get on the computer if you've got a tablet? Without meaning to pry in any way, what do you have to do that means you have to get on the computer?

What are the tablet's limitations?

willk · 19 November 2013, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by whisper

Bought an ipad of Wilk and it's been perfect

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

What are the tablet's limitations?

It sends me all his credit card and bank account details?

Into The Blue · 19 November 2013, 19:39

Some thoughts;
Had a Macbook pro and Ipad for a couple of years, tend to use the MacBook when ever there is serious typing to do. G/Fs got a bluetooth keyboard for the Ipad to get over that but seems to defeat the object. I just fing typing on the touch screen slow and error prone.

Love the Ipad, probably the best toy I've ever been given.

Ipads are not so clever if you want to watch Flash content, IIRC it's a video file format that Apple really don't like, something to do with power consumption.

Some websites are really not set up for tablets, sometimes you just have to go back to a laptop to make them work.

Battery life has always been good on the Ipad but charging time is correspondingly long.

Sure others will be along soon with their views

claretcass · 19 November 2013, 19:46

iPad, Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, office suite (pages, numbers and keynote), everything saved into "iCloud", no wires, no back up disks, everything 99% Microsoft compatible, even legacy stuff from Microsoft.
All work transferred between iPad, iPhone seamlessly.
All files can be saved in word/excel format and ported onto any PC or converted to PDF for emailing and easy distribution.

Rokraider · 19 November 2013, 20:49

I have several Mac items, the i pad being the newest. My only problem really is connectivity if you rely on using USB devices. Despite having a Mac adapter whenever I try to use USB devices it doesn't want to know. It is primarily aimed at wireless based communications and seems to have stepped away from the older ways. I use the ipad to browse, e mails etc when watching TV, if I have anything serious to do, I use my i mac or macbook pro.
If I was looking for a new toy, I would probably have a close look at the Macbook Air.

Peter_C · 19 November 2013, 21:01

I have a Lenovo and an iPad. To me they both have their places. I use my laptop more than the iPad. My iPad has a Clamcase keyboard with I am happy with as it becomes a very functional stand.

I am surprised to hear the Note 3 has a better screen than the iPad? Either way I am happy with the screen on my iPad, and the latest iPad is even faster and smaller.

What I want to know, is how claretclass is using a mouse on an iPad?

Lee argyle · 19 November 2013, 21:23

Easy, ipad

Black · 19 November 2013, 21:28

iPad and MacBook Air. Both have their place, the MBA is so good, I use it most of the time, the iPad for cruising the web, stalker book and rib.net app on the sofa.

Sent from my iPad using Rib.net

Black · 19 November 2013, 21:29

Oh and I use Dropbox on all my devices, including the iPhone. Works perfectly!

Sent from my iPad using Rib.net

Bigmuz7 · 19 November 2013, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black

Oh and I use Dropbox on all my devices, including the iPhone. Works perfectly!

Until you get a trojan on one of your pc's and all your synced drop boxes get corrupted

dont ask me how I know

As to tablets .. a nexus 7 is cheap and well good

for pro use its a 3rd gen ipad or the new air, every time

.. i mean every time .. did I say every time ?

jordan-11 · 19 November 2013, 22:27

Have you looked at a Microsoft Surface, RT version for general tablet stuff and has USB or the Pro version if you want to keep iTunes etc..

gennaro · 20 November 2013, 00:34

Love the iPad although I wish I'd waited a couple of months to get the new Air model

Just got a great wee toy to go along with it - the EasyAcc wifi/USB/SD card reader which also acts as a backup battery device for phones and tablets. Amazon currently doing them for only £35

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyAcc®-Wir.../dp/B00CSFCYFY

GJ0KYZ · 20 November 2013, 06:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

I am surprised to hear the Note 3 has a better screen than the iPad?

I don't know for certain if the Note 3's screen is better but I just bought one so I'm willing to believe it is; after all, conjecture is kind of evidence innit? One thing's for certain, the camera on the Note 3 is better than a GoPro Hero 3 Black. It shoots 4K at 30fps c.f. 15fps on the GoPro.

Barrowboy · 20 November 2013, 07:23

Hmmmmm, interesting, hadn't really considered this but where does a tablet begin and a phone end? The Note 3 is a tad big for me to lug around in my pocket to be honest so don't really want a bigger phone!

Looks like I'll keep the iPhone 4s for now and get an iPad Air.

The missus can then have the office!

biffer · 20 November 2013, 08:49

Ipad is good but apple the self is crap, they change the plug on the 5, no USB ports, no adobe, I tunes try to control all your music, they told me they changed the plug because the pins on the plug break, bollox, same plug on the ipad and 4, buy the converter only £20, you've got me started now, time for a cuppa

Chris Caton · 20 November 2013, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by biffer

Ipad is good but apple the self is crap, they change the plug on the 5, no USB ports, no adobe, I tunes try to control all your music, they told me they changed the plug because the pins on the plug break, bollox, same plug on the ipad and 4, buy the converter only £20, you've got me started now, time for a cuppa

have a chill pill Biffer, they is all crap really, we should be spending more time on our ribs n less on the ol interweb