Omnimaga
General Discussion => Technology and Development => Other => Topic started by: Hayleia on August 10, 2013, 04:57:40 am
-
Note for the ones who can't make a difference between trolling and a serious discussion: this is a serious discussions, I am waiting for arguments, and for a valid reason, I am not going to say "nuu it is useless !!1!1!" (and I never did something like that).
So yeah, tablets are everywhere, yet I don't understand why. I'll explain here why I don't see the point of them, and of course, I hope the discussion won't stop here. I don't say "why" in a rhetorical manner, expecting a "no reason", I'd like reasons.
- So when you are at home, you have a computer (we are talking about people who can afford a tablet, I guess they all have a computer at home), so your tablet is useless since when you need to browse the internet, you can use your computer. An argument in favor of tablets would be that you can use it in any room. But that is the same with laptops. And even if you only have a desktop, I think that walking 10 meters is not a big loss when you can get a keyboard instead of a touchscreen.
- When you are outside, you have a smartphone (not everyone has, but again, I am talking about people who can afford a tablet). An argument in favor of tablets could be the size of the screen, which is much more convenient to browse the web. But that is a lot less convenient to carry in a pocket than a smartphone, and if you have enough space to carry a tablet, why not a laptop which has a large screen too, and a keyboard moreover ?
So the question is, is there something I missed about tablets so that "everyone" buys them ?
-
People buy tablets because
* They boot up faster than laptops or desktop PC's. People always leave their tablet on standby, so it starts up in an instant.
* Tablets can be a lot cheaper and lighter than laptops.
* To play candy crush
* To feel fucking sophisticated
There is no excuse for preferring a tablet over a netbook though.
-
I don't get it much either, but I think one of the main selling points is the touchscreen. Sure, there are laptops with touchscreens (even ones that have the keyboard come off) but it's kind of awkward switching between keyboard and screen, and what's the point of buying a switcher if you aren't going to use the keyboard half the time? Seems like it's either full laptop or full tablet for most people, unless they go out and buy a Surface or something.
For the record, I've yet to see a Surface IRL, and this area's pretty densely populated :P
From what I've seen around my house, tablets are mostly used for their games. Laptops/computers are more of a 'serious business' sort of a thing (except for large, graphics-card-requiring games, but there's not many around this house), where one could do better with a typical, often quicker physical keyboard/mouse combo.
Also, tablets are lighter than laptops, so that's a point I guess?
-
Pros :
-Much more portable than a laptop (a 7-8" tablet fits in a small bag while you need a backpack for a laptop).
-More powerful and potentially cheaper than a netbook. Heck, you're comparing an Intel Atom to a Quad Core tablet with an awesome GPU. Plus, netbooks are now over €400 while in the beginning they were €200-300 (the Nexus 7 is $229 for the 16 GB model).
-Bigger screen and battery than smartphones. That's pretty much the only thing since the hardware is essentially the same.
Cons :
-If you already have a netbook/laptop, it's effectively not really necessary.
-Calculators are about 20% cooler.
-Not enough USB ports.
-
To me it's just another portable gadget to play with. For others I'd guess:
-People think they are easier to use than a PC.
-Usually they have larger screen than phones.
-Angry Birds, and other portable gaming.
-Watching videos/ internet/ebooks/social media etc.
-More portable than a laptop?
-The convience, (they do boot up awful fast).
-To be Trendy
I have a small one (more of a media player), but I hardly ever use it. I either have my shitty phone or sometimes a laptop with me. Oh, and I've no idea why someone would use one at home. If I'm in my room I use the PC. If I'm in the den, I can use my laptop. I guess they're kind of middle ground between a laptop and a phone and some people find them convenient and cool. and I guess if you didn't have a laptop you might use it at home for convenience.
-
According to some research I read recently, tablets are almost exclusively used to check mails and post on facebook. And therefore, they are entirely useless in my book, thanks to lack of a proper keyboard. Maybe that will change when tablets with flexible softscreens that can form keys are introduced next year. But until then, they're just overpriced gadgets that people buy because of peer pressure and advertisement hype.
Also, the point about them having more processing power is kinda invalid, thanks to tablet OSes being bloated and inefficient. Heck, when the Ipad came out it couldn't even multitask. How ridiculous.
-
As I said: it boils down to this:
People want to feel fucking sophisticated when they bring over their new iPad to Starbucks.
-
Keoni, you nailed it.
-
Agree, that is a large part of it for many. Also: many of them have keyboard attachments that prop the screen up essentially making them a netbook...
-
My parents got a windows 8 netbook with a touchscreen :P
-
I guess people get them because they feel smartphones are too weak, hardware-wise, but find laptops too big.
I personally never felt like carrying a computer that can't fit in my pocket everywhere I go, because i like to keep my hands free, so I prefer a smartphone.
Just get a Samsung Galaxy Note or something if you want a powerful phone. They are almost tablets, due to their size.
-
A samsung galaxy note is a tablet, not a smartphone (or at least, there are tablets that are called samsung galaxy note)
But basically, people buy tablets because they're a lot lighter than laptops. And a tablet doesn't need much space in a backpack, where as a laptop takes up almost half of the backpack. Further, there's the battery life. Most laptops have a very crappy battery that only manages to power it for an hour or two, while a tablet can often last a lot longer witouth needing a recharge. This makes it very suitable to use it in a train, bus, boat,...
An other argument for tablets is that they have tons of free or cheap games, that are very aesy to download and install.
And for the touch screen, it makes it look and feel more modern, and it makes the device a lot more user-friendly. Even very young children (from 4-5 years) can use a tablet because of it's touch screen.
Finally, an other important factor may be that you can get them for free in a lot of places. And some other people may buy them because 'everyone' has got one these days.
Oh, and by the way, they are useful to have an even surface to move the mouse on when your using your laptop while sitting in the couch (yes, I did that once).
-
* They boot up faster than laptops or desktop PC's. People always leave their tablet on standby, so it starts up in an instant.
Not if you use a SSD. Also, nothing prevents you from leaving your netbook on standby, so that argument doesn't only apply to tablets.
* To play candy crush
That game could run on half a z80.
I don't get it much either, but I think one of the main selling points is the touchscreen. Sure, there are laptops with touchscreens (even ones that have the keyboard come off) but it's kind of awkward switching between keyboard and screen, and what's the point of buying a switcher if you aren't going to use the keyboard half the time? Seems like it's either full laptop or full tablet for most people, unless they go out and buy a Surface or something.
For the record, I've yet to see a Surface IRL, and this area's pretty densely populated :P
I've seen a Surface IRL. It is more a PC with a detachable keyboard and a touchscreen than a tablet.
From what I've seen around my house, tablets are mostly used for their games. Laptops/computers are more of a 'serious business' sort of a thing (except for large, graphics-card-requiring games, but there's not many around this house), where one could do better with a typical, often quicker physical keyboard/mouse combo.
Well, "large, graphics-card-requiring games" usually are the best games. I agree that spending 2000€ just for that can be hard, but in my opinion, spending 300€ to play JetPack JoyRide on a tablet is not a smarter move since it runs on your calc.
According to some research I read recently, tablets are almost exclusively used to check mails and post on facebook. And therefore, they are entirely useless in my book, thanks to lack of a proper keyboard. Maybe that will change when tablets with flexible softscreens that can form keys are introduced next year. But until then, they're just overpriced gadgets that people buy because of peer pressure and advertisement hype.
Also, the point about them having more processing power is kinda invalid, thanks to tablet OSes being bloated and inefficient. Heck, when the Ipad came out it couldn't even multitask. How ridiculous.
Well yeah, this is why I was wondering why there were a hit. I was thinking that I might have missed an interesting point about tablets.
I guess people get them because they feel smartphones are too weak, hardware-wise, but find laptops too big.
But tablets are not any more powerful than smartphones. I have yet to hear about an octo-core tablet while the S4 exists in an octo-core version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7CaozGh8ZE).
I personally never felt like carrying a computer that can't fit in my pocket everywhere I go, because i like to keep my hands free, so I prefer a smartphone.
Just get a Samsung Galaxy Note or something if you want a powerful phone. They are almost tablets, due to their size.
I completely agree with that, and what you say about the inconvenience of computers applies to tablets too.
A samsung galaxy note is a tablet, not a smartphone (or at least, there are tablets that are called samsung galaxy note)
I don't know about Note tablets, but Galaxy Note is also the name of a smartphone.
An other argument for tablets is that they have tons of free or cheap games, that are very easy to download and install.
Free and cheap games are usually not the best ones. I don't say "they are all crap" but the best ones usually are paid. Moreover, there could be stores with free and cheap games for PCs too.
Finally, an other important factor may be that you can get them for free in a lot of places.
Bring me to one of those places lol. I have never heard of such a thing (I don't say "LIES !", I just say that if that happened in France, there was not much advertising about it).
Oh, and by the way, they are useful to have an even surface to move the mouse on when your using your laptop while sitting in the couch (yes, I did that once).
Lol.
So here are the "arguments" in favor of tablets I'll remember so far (I didn't include repetitions).
People want to feel fucking sophisticated when they bring over their new iPad to Starbucks.
Also, tablets are lighter than laptops, so that's a point I guess?
Further, there's the battery life. Most laptops have a very crappy battery that only manages to power it for an hour or two, while a tablet can often last a lot longer witouth needing a recharge. This makes it very suitable to use it in a train, bus, boat,...
And for the touch screen, it makes it look and feel more modern, and it makes the device a lot more user-friendly. Even very young children (from 4-5 years) can use a tablet because of it's touch screen.
If you have other arguments coming to your mind, please share !
-
Finally, an other important factor may be that you can get them for free in a lot of places.
Bring me to one of those places lol. I have never heard of such a thing (I don't say "LIES !", I just say that if that happened in France, there was not much advertising about it).
Have you never seen an advert on tv where you get a free tablet when you buy something? Or an advert in a magazine where you get a free tablet with a subscription?
I once got a tablet for free when buying printer ink, and 2 of my cousins got a tablet for free when buying a tv.
EDIT: an other argument: Most people don't have graphing calcs, or don't know their potential, so they start looking for things to replace it with, and a tablet is a candidate for that.
-
Oh, and by the way, they are useful to have an even surface to move the mouse on when your using your laptop while sitting in the couch (yes, I did that once).
This. Though usually I end up using on of those huge hardback Dr. Seuss books, and those are bigger anyway :P
-
(http://img.ourl.ca/both_convertible.jpg)
EDIT: For reference, from left to right, those are an HP EliteBook (http://www.amazon.com/HP-EliteBook-2760p-XU103UT-Tablet/dp/B0050JSA2Q/), an Asus Taichi (http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_TAICHI_21/), an Acer Aspire R (http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/NX.M9UAA.002), a Dell XPS 12 (http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-12-9q33/fs), and a Samsung ATIV Smart PC (http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/XE700T1C-A03US).
-
That just looks like a laptop falling apart... Especially the one on the right.
-
Can someone please come up with something truly revolutionary? The last decade we have just been inproving on old concepts and combining them to make mediocre products.
-
Where does one get a free tablet?? O.O
-
I've seen a Surface IRL. It is more a PC with a detachable keyboard and a touchscreen than a tablet.
I have one of these and this is true, it is more of a pc than a tablet.
-
Where does one get a free tablet?? O.O
^This. :P I've really not seen those kind of promotions around here either.
-
Can someone please come up with something truly revolutionary? The last decade we have just been inproving on old concepts and combining them to make mediocre products.
The last two decades, actually.
But well, mass market cyber glasses are around the corner. Google Glass will remain somewhat of a curiosity (just like early laptops), but otherwise, that's the general direction for the next decade (unlike tablets, which are a dead end of technological evolution imo). And the decade after that will be the age of direct-to-brain interfacing, combined with "intelligent" clothing. The question of course being, if that's the future we want. I suppose it's unavoidable though. We'll become cyborgs eventually, because that's the only possibility of survival in the ruined environment of the future. Btw, ever thought about why the name Google resembles the term "goggles"? The path has been laid out... Will probably get cyber/Google Glasses once they are available for a reasonable price, just to be able to understand the technology (and to hack it, of course).
-
wearable tech is definitely the "next big thing". hopefully the future turns out well (i.e., robotics/3d printing/etc allow for self-sustaining systems that allow humans to survive without ever having to do a day's work in their lives, thus doing away with stupid capitalism and allowing innovation to take over [remove all the money grabbers from the equation, leaving only those who actually want to improve things]) rather than the alternative (capitalism realises the threat to itself and creates more stupid stupid restrictions in the same vein as copyright, resulting in a continuation of today's rapidly-degenerating worldwide police state developments and general unhappiness for everyone apart from those who are already without a care in the world financially).