I was reading Sharon Hurley Hall’s latest article, Is It Time to Swap Your Dell PC for a Tablet?, and I’ll admit — she’s got me thinking. I thought I wanted a laptop because I like to see the screen. But I really love the idea of a lighter, more portable form of computing.
Sure, her article talks about desktop PCs, and that’s one area I won’t change. I love my screen, my keyboard, my desk, and my space. What I can’t do is downsize the font and the screen too much. I won’t be able to function.
But I applied the info in the article to my latest need – a new laptop. I have a laptop I rarely use, partly because it’s slow, but mostly because I don’t like the keyboards or the screens. And they’re heavy. I don’t want to lug office equipment around. It has to be light.
So now I’m thinking maybe a tablet with a keyboard. It’s certainly portable. Light? Sure. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Oh, yes.
But ten-inch screens? Am I ready for that?
What’s your take on it? Which would you choose? Why?
How much work outside your usual work space do you do?
I just had a long conversation yesterday with the guys at my local store. They can only keep MacGeorge running another year, and then I need to buy a new laptop. I like the idea of an iPad, but you can't use flash drives with them, and there's no way I can keep enough text on it to work for me. I need a laptop. I've got a case with wheels to cart it around, along with my files and my yoga mat and my corkscrew and my can opener. So I'm all set.
And I'm grateful that I have a year to put aside money instead of, say, a week.
Great minds, Lori. I am having the same discussion with myself. At least this time when I'm talking to myself, it's a bit more productive. 🙂 And, yes, Sharon's article added fuel to the discussion.
My laptop keeps freezing so it's time. I think I am coming to the same conclusion as Devon. Although there is a lot I like about a tablet from lightweight, etc. standpoint, I don't think it has all the functionality that I need for my purpose.
I want to use my laptop to pick up time spent on my personal writing.
I used to have a 12-inch laptop, and I don't think I would miss the extra inches if I needed to switch over to a tablet with keyboard. However, in addition to writing, I also do a fair bit of graphic design, and I don't think I could manage that as well on such a small screen. I think a tablet would be great for working while traveling, but for everyday use, I like my laptop.
If you're looking for a lighter laptop, have you looked into the new MacBook Air? It's super light and they've added a USB hub on the new version so it's easier to use.
I want one. Bad. I'm actually shopping around for one, despite my husband's protests. He barely even checks his email so…
My business is pretty mobile – I get more mileage out of my laptop than my desktop. Twice a week I take my mom out to run errands. She takes her time shopping and I go to a coffee shop across the street for a couple of hours to work instead of staring her down and constantly asking, "Ready to go now?"
A while ago I read a post by a writer who said she uses her tablet as a demonstration tool during in-person client meetings. She can quickly access her portfolio and other websites she's written for. I think that's pretty smart idea. I'd consider a tablet more as a business tool. I don't see it replacing my laptop or PC because I need to store content; and as Devon pointed out, you can't do that. Yet.
Just bought a new laptop about a month ago, and I couldn't go with a tablet. Since I'm on this darned thing for so many hours a day, I don't want to have to keep adjusting the screen so I can see all I'm writing or reading. If it's just for fun, I'd go tablet. But not for the heavy use I give my device.
I'd like both, please. Of course the irony is I finally got a new desktop, and my DSL provider seems to have slowed its speed. (Everyone I know with the same provider started having issues when streaming videos just a month or two a go…coincidence?)
I don't have a laptop now, and I don't have a tablet, smartphone or any wireless devices. I would like to be able to go online without being tied to my desk, so I enter every sweepstakes I see with an iPad as a prize. Of course, then I'd have to figure out what I need to be able to use it.
Devon, I didn't know you can't use flash drives with tablets. That could be an issue – but couldn't you used the magical "cloud" to transfer files? (That's another thing I need to figure out how to use.)
Despite the article (thanks, Lori), I don't have a tablet yet, but using my new smartphone has woken me up to the possibilities. According to my research, the highest spec Samsung Galaxy tab would be a good bet because it has USB ports. This week I've been doing a lot of work in Google Docs because my PC crashed and I realize that I could do the same with a tablet. I think tablets are great for presentations and on the fly connectivity – would I want to write 3,000 words a day on them? Probably only if I were using a dictation app.
PS Lori, you're tapped for "7 Things" on my blog, http://devonellington.wordpress.com
I have a 17" Toshiba laptop that I keep in the motorhome as my go to workstation. Since my dear wife wanted my Kindle for her library, she gifted me a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I am really stoked because it seem to outperform my sister-in-law's MacTablet and like the full multitasking it offers.
I just ordered a Bluetooth keyboard for it and I'm hoping it will arrive at our campground in the next couple of days. I like being able to use it with Google Drive, etc. The keyboard should make that even easier.
So, my vote – Galaxy Tab by a large margin
Devon, easy solution. Cloud storage. You don't need USB drives if you store online.
Cathy, I'm tending toward your conclusion, too. I may look into a notebook. I use it so infrequently that a smaller laptop will work.
Allie, thanks for the suggestion. Because I'm a PC, I want to keep everything compatible. But I do want something as light as that! I can see where the tablet wouldn't exactly work for design.
Kim, I want one too, but not for the right reasons, I think. They would be fun for "play" but I'm not sure I could see the screen well enough.
Gabriella, it would be for business for me, so your comments are very helpful. I'm still leaning toward an actual laptop device.
Paula, I was anti-smartphone until I got one. Last week it was essential in clearing up a client miscommunication, in scheduling these 14 interviews, and it checking on dinner reservations (girl's gotta eat!).
I'd seen the same thing about Samsung, Sharon. And I'd have the same reservations about being able to type very long on it.
Thanks, Devon. Got it. 🙂
Harry, let us know how it works in practical application. My questions would be about long-term typing and how easy that is, as well as how well it's working on a smaller screen.
I do not trust cloud storage alone. I need to have physical backups. I've lost too much work over the years and too many contracts and had too much heartache to EVER give another entity that kind of control over my work again.
Hard copies, USBs, flash drives, all of that. That's my line in the sand. yes, everything can fail, but usually it doesn't fail all at once.
It's just a matter of time before cloud hacking becomes the norm.
If you don't mind typing on glass, then a tablet is ok for surfing the net and emails.
I personally need a keyboard and mouse. I need to hear clicks :)Notebooks are pretty slim nowadays and at least they will run any windows based application.