Tablet computers - Which ones and why?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by renrut

As far as batteries dying and sending the tablet in to get it replaced, that depends on the tablet. My Toshiba has a removable back and the battery can be accessed and replaced very easy. The Tablet does not return to factory defaults when I remove the battery either.

There is mention of the BB Playbook. A guy on course with me here has one and really like it but, it has no place for additional memory. The Ipad tablets are the same. It's nice to have the ability to add storage for movies, songs, books and what ever else. The BB Playbook is suppose to be coming out with a new operating system that will allow it to run Android apps. I think it's suppose to be released in the new year. Android now has the 3.0 and up operating system which is specific for tablets. It's not the phone version. They too are working on a new version of their operating environment that will work on both the phone and tablet.

Features make a device have more uses. A full sized USB port and HDMI slot allows for the use of USB devices like external hard drive and, flash drives. The HDMI allows the device to be connected to a modern TV so you can watch movies through it. The additional memory (SD Cards) adds flexibility to storage needs. Everything depends what you want the device for.

Basically, the electronic word is advancing far too quick to keep up with. As soon as you think you have the latest, it's out-of-date. When you think you get a great price, the device goes down even cheaper before you know it.

Like I mentioned earlier, I like my tablet for doing quick things like news highlights, weather, email, Facebook and stuff like that. It turns on instantly and I can use it anywhere there is a WiFi available for Internet or just use it without WiFi. My laptop takes a lot longer to boot up but I will use it for typing letters and doing things that require more time and a good keyboard to use.

It would be nice if there were websites that would give good reviews and information on everything but when you search, you can find just about any opinion you want to find on things. It's frustrating with all the clutter on the net now.

Hey again renrut,
I saw the Toshiba Thrive(?) today at Best Buy, even though I was almost force fed an iPad by the unsuspecting
Geek Squadder that made the mistake of asking me if I needed help (which anyone who frequents classBforum
could have answered ). After fending off the Apple teleprompter pitch, I managed to examine the
Thrive for a few minutes. After some basic fiddling, and a few simple questions and answers, I broached the
subject of iPad/Playbook and other tablet battery replacement. At that point, I realized I was up against a hard
"core" Apple Betty. She absolutely wanted to assure me that most tablet battery replacements with out "the extended
plan" from them would cause me to suffer tremendous pain, and might even require me to send it back to the
point of origin, which would surely drain every financial resource I had remaining before I shuffle off this mortal
coil. I politely thanked her and suggested I'd direct any further general questions her way, if I had any. The End.

So, any other pros/cons with your tablet? It looks like a maybe. She demoed the little flap over the peripheral
ports, and she sort of waved vaguely towards the user replaceable battery flap, but I think she still hoped to
convince me that the iPad was the superior tablet. Since you have a Thrive, what's it mean when they say on the
http://www.Toshibatablet.com website that you have "WiFi access to all of the web including Flash"? Also, it says
it supports HTML so, I think one could download Firefox 4 and connect securely to any SSL enabled (HTTPS) website.
I know you mentioned you don't do online banking, but I believe it's possible, securely from what I've read so far.
Another feature is A-GPS with built in navigation? While I'm here what's an accelerometer and an E-compass?
Any further thoughts, or things it lacks, what you figure it's worth? I saw a 16GB model for C$399+tax and it's
supposed to be expandable with an SD card to 32GB?

Thanks, if you get some time, or are just plain bored between courses, or whatever you're up to these days.
Upon further review, it may have been the AT100-01/02/04 models I saw today. Are they also known as the Thrive
or do you know? They looked like the one on the internet at the Toshibatablet website. Great, more tablet confusion.
I think they're all Thrives, based on comparison and comment on the Canadian website to that effect.
The CNet reviewers didn't like the thickness and extra weight, but said that the extra "real estate" was used effectively
in spite of it, with the full sized peripheral ports, and the easy to replace battery (MSRP is $80). They thought the LED
battery charge/power on/ bezel lights were cloned from a laptop, but that it's more like a tablet with some laptop
features, and that they overall liked it. Also said the price was about right. Do you have either dock?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Interestingly, after my wife bought the Radio Finder app I mentioned from her iPhone I got an e-mail from Apple notifying me that it was done on a device that had never been used. If that had been fraudulent I would have known it immediately and would even had the option to stop it. That was besides the fact my wife for the first time had to fill out all the credit card info, security code, password and security question. It can be a wild world out there but it is the future we will have to trust. When I travel I trust the internet more than I trust traditional mail. Even at home I am reluctant to put a check in an envelope anymore when I can bank online.

I am familiar with cloud computing. I'm just sorting out how I want it set up between all our devices.

Ok, cool. I never know how familiar anyone is with tech stuff. Sorry.
I think I've found enough good info, tech and reviews about the Toshiba Thrive, that unless something catastrophic
occurs between now and next week, I may try one of them, just to see what they're like. They sound somewhat
different from the iPad2, and are at least twice the weight (1.5lbs.) and thickness (0.6"). That aside, they
have many features which appear cloned from laptops, and a user replaceable battery that runs around $80
(MSRP) about the same as an average laptop. In a tablet.
I guess I can figure out Android. I've figured out (more or less) everything else life throws my way. If renrut
has some time and can answer some questions as a Thrive user, maybe I'll head out next week and see if
there's any left.

[renrut]

I've enjoyed my Thrive (AT100) so far. One thing I do not like is the apps pre-installed on it just like on new computers. Since the apps are part of the ROM, they cannot be removed unless the tablet is rooted. Needless to say, rooting a device voids the warranty.

The Thrive does have a back that is easy to remove. In fact, you can buy different color backs so the tablet can be customized. Apps are free and purchased. I bought CoPilot Live GPS software for my Android phone for $15 and can install it on my tablet too. From what I know, once you purchase an app, it is linked to your Google account. Once the device is setup, the purchased apps show up in the Google Market on the tablet as "Purchased".

The Thrive is a bit bulky but I do like the 10.1 inch screen. It's large enough that I can browse the Net and read ebooks but small enough to be semi-portable. If it had a 7 inch screen, it could fit in a large pocket but the screen is a bit harder to see when browsing. As far as ebooks, a 7 inch is close to the size of a book. It is thicker than other tablets but it does have a full sized USB port and HDMI slot. No adapters are required.

Like I said before, the Ipad and Playbook do not have the option to expand memory. I currently have a 64Gig card in my Thrive to hold movies, technical publications for my course I'm on and songs. I can get larger cards but they get quite expensive any larger. I also have the case for the tablet. It adds bulk but it helps protect the Thrive and it folds out to a stand so the tablet can sit up like a regular monitor. I purchased a stylus for my tablet to save touching the screen with my fingers. The screen gets dirty quickly using fingers. The on-screen keyboard takes a bit to get use to but if you have WiFi working, the voice recognition works nice to add text. Bluetooth keyboards are available but they start at about $60.

The tablet comes with Android 3.1 but the 3.2 update is available. Updates are easy to do. There is a app that checks for updates; you download the update into the app and the tablet will install the update.

I'm not trying to push this tablet. I'm only letting you know what I've found with what I own. I think Best Buy has a 30 day return policy. If you don't like it, you should be able to take it back. I got a great deal on mine from Sears in Atlanta. It was an open box and was on sale for $130 off. Couldn't turn that down.

Just going back a bit and there are quite a few questions. Adobe Flash is available for Android but I don't think it is on the Ipad. This opens up the Internet Browsing capabilities. Flash is suppose to be fazing out but for now, most websites use Flash. The tablet only has WiFi and does not have a SIM card for 3G or 4G. It needs a WiFi hotspot to access the Internet. It has full Internet browsing including full security like a PC. There are bank apps if you want to do Banking. I have the TD app on my phone and will be putting it on the tablet when I can. Since I bought my tablet in the USA, it won't allow me to install the TD app because it is for Canada and not the US.

There is the default browser installed in the tablet which is what I use. There is also Skyfire, Opera, and Firefox available from the Market. Didn't really like the others so I use the default one.

The tablet has a full GPS. It takes a bit for it to lock on to satellites but it is quite accurate. I have CoPilot Live for road atlas since it comes with the maps to put on the memory card. I also have GPS Essentials which has a compass and other GPS features. One of my favorite apps that uses the GPS and accelerometer is Google Sky. It takes your position from the GPS, calculates the angle of the device using the accelerometer and will put an image of the stars on the screen. I do a lot of star gazing and it helps me identify planets to look at through my telescope. I haven't really had a chance to use this app on my tablet because I haven't been home in quite a while. I have used it on my phone a lot and do like it.

Here is a review that has some good pictures of the Thrive. You can see it has a large battery that is easy to remove.

http://www.slashgear.com/toshiba-thrive ... -23167092/

[Mike]

Thanks for taking the time.
Some follow ups. I've never had a data planned smart phone of any type, so some jargon eludes me, including rooting.
Is it overwriting the out of the box OS with a vanilla one downloaded from somewhere? Besides removing out of the box
apps what other benefits might one gain?
Are Android apps available online via my Google/GMAIL login? If I log in to Gmail, will I be able to navigate to the Android
App Store from there? YES / NO (please circle one ) I can probably figure this one out myself, given a few minutes.
I don't think it's too bulky, more like solid feeling, and with our eyesight, bigger might be better. The back looks like it would
be a good cutting board for preparing veggies and stir fry, when not used as a tablet. Add on SD cards and full sized
ports is a nice feature for the reasons you've mentioned, as opposed to the tablet purists position of it's not really a computer.
I've always used Firefox, so it might be my choice for browsers unless the ootb one is intuitive. Not a show stopper.
I'm not bothered that it needs wifi, I wouldn't have been able to afford either 3/4G for making phone calls and data
transfer with it. The GPS part is interesting as we do a heck of a lot of driving. Do all the apps for these things exist
in bricks and mortar stores, or is it all online shopping/downloads? I assume the Apple stuff is available at the
Apple Stores.

Thanks for taking the time. I may head back to BestBuy this weekend and see if they've got one. I was thinking
about getting the one with the least amount of on board disk space, and padding it with an SD card. What size did
yours come with 8, 16, 32GB? They are priced at $379, $399, $479, respectively I believe at those capacities.
They do have a pretty good returns policy and I've taken stuff back before without too much resistance.

[renrut]

You don't need a Google account to navigate the Market. You can check it out here:

https://market.android.com/?hl=en

Once you have a device and set it up on a Google account, it should show up when logged into the market. You have the option to select "Install" right from an app page on the Market, select your device and the next time it connects to the Net, the app will be installed. Is is highly recommended to check the User Reviews on any app you're looking at. They can help a lot on deciding if you want the app or not. Some apps may not be available for the device and the Market will tell you. If you browse the market directly from the tablet, only apps that are for the device will appear. Like I said, TD Bank shows up on the Market but when I select Install, only my cell phone shows up. It says the app cannot be installed on my tablet's country (ie: USA). It does not show up on my Thrive Market app.

Sorry about being a little too techie. There is an app called "Service Station" on the Thrive. This is the app that checks Toshiba for updates to the device. Clicking on the "Check for Updates" will show any upgrades available. If you decide to update, you download the file and follow the instructions. Rooting just allows you to install a few more apps and delete ones in the ROM. Deleting them has no real effect on the device either than a very small amount of storage space. I'm not rooting mine now but almost did to stop Kaspersky on it. Found how to disable it and everything is fine now.

I tried the Firefox app and didn't really like it. Also tried Opera and Skyfire. I just use the default one that came with the device. This is a personal like/dislike for each person.

Some apps I use are:
1. Adobe Flash Player (For browsing the Net)
2. CoPilot USA Premium (Full GPS with unlimited map updates and does have Canada for an extra $5)
3. Google Sky (for checking out stars and planets. Haven't tried it on my tablet yet)
4. BSPlayer (Movie player)
5. Weathereye (The Weather Networks own app for weather)
6. Patience Revisited (Complete Solitaire game)
7. Aldiko (Ebook Reader. Opens most ebook formats)
8. Apps Organizer (Allows you to group shortcuts into categories)
9. GasBuddy (Uses the GPS to show gas prices close to you)

Now, using the cover as a cutting board, I'm not too sure about that one.

No problem Mike. It's quite boring here and this helps pass the time. Been away from home for quite a while now and looking forward to getting back. Leaving here in 14-Dec, just in time for Christmas. I was in Atlanta Georgia for 2 months, had a 2 week break and now Little Rock Arkansas for another 5 weeks. At least my next class will be back home and only 3 weeks long. A lot of work to learn how to fix and airplane.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by renrut

You don't need a Google account to navigate the Market. You can check it out here:

https://market.android.com/?hl=en

Once you have a device and set it up on a Google account, it should show up when logged into the market. You have the option to select "Install" right from an app page on the Market, select your device and the next time it connects to the Net, the app will be installed. Is is highly recommended to check the User Reviews on any app you're looking at. They can help a lot on deciding if you want the app or not. Some apps may not be available for the device and the Market will tell you. If you browse the market directly from the tablet, only apps that are for the device will appear. Like I said, TD Bank shows up on the Market but when I select Install, only my cell phone shows up. It says the app cannot be installed on my tablet's country (ie: USA). It does not show up on my Thrive Market app.

I've got a google email account, hopefully it's a start. Thanks for the link to the market. I beat everything to death before
I do anything, so it's almost a sure thing I'd google everything before buying. I guess setting up a Google Account to buy
apps involves adding credit card info to your profile? Like Walmart.com? I guess I can do that if it makes shopping eaiser.
I wonder why the TDBank app cares where your box came from? I'd send TD Bank a note and ask, as I often bank from the
USA using SSL and my browser. It's just weird.

Originally Posted by renrut

Sorry about being a little too techie. There is an app called "Service Station" on the Thrive. This is the app that checks Toshiba for updates to the device. Clicking on the "Check for Updates" will show any upgrades available. If you decide to update, you download the file and follow the instructions. Rooting just allows you to install a few more apps and delete ones in the ROM. Deleting them has no real effect on the device either than a very small amount of storage space. I'm not rooting mine now but almost did to stop Kaspersky on it. Found how to disable it and everything is fine now.

Don't apologize, the more I learn the better decisions I make when it comes time to buy something. It's all good. I may
ask you about disabling Kaspersky if I decide to get a Toshiba. I'm thinking of waiting until after Xmas to see if they go on sale. I'm not hard pressed to replace my netbook, so can afford to dawdle a bit longer. Time to learn.
Is there a lot of non-OEM help out there on the net to bypass things which many find annoying or useless on these things? I know I've found countless cookbooks online to fix or improve things on the laptops I've had.

Originally Posted by renrut

I tried the Firefox app and didn't really like it. Also tried Opera and Skyfire. I just use the default one that came with the device. This is a personal like/dislike for each person.

I'll try it and decide if it's good enough, chances are it will be.

Originally Posted by renrut

Some apps I use are:
1. Adobe Flash Player (For browsing the Net)
2. CoPilot USA Premium (Full GPS with unlimited map updates and does have Canada for an extra $5)
3. Google Sky (for checking out stars and planets. Haven't tried it on my tablet yet)
4. BSPlayer (Movie player)
5. Weathereye (The Weather Networks own app for weather)
6. Patience Revisited (Complete Solitaire game)
7. Aldiko (Ebook Reader. Opens most ebook formats)
8. Apps Organizer (Allows you to group shortcuts into categories)
9. GasBuddy (Uses the GPS to show gas prices close to you)

2/3 ) sounds very interesting. GPS functionality is always useful. We enjoy star gazing too, and try to take advantage whenever we're in a NPS campground, as the ambient light is usually negligible and the views are spectacular. It would be nice to know what it is we're looking at like the Dippers, Orion's Belt, etc.....
4 ) sounds like the spiel I got at Best Buy about the iPad the other day. 6 ) was the way I reacted to it.
8 ) is it like a bookmarks manager then? sounds useful too.

Originally Posted by renrut

Now, using the cover as a cutting board, I'm not too sure about that one.

Sorry about my cutting edge humor.

Originally Posted by renrut

No problem Mike. It's quite boring here and this helps pass the time. Been away from home for quite a while now and looking forward to getting back. Leaving here in 14-Dec, just in time for Christmas. I was in Atlanta Georgia for 2 months, had a 2 week break and now Little Rock Arkansas for another 5 weeks. At least my next class will be back home and only 3 weeks long. A lot of work to learn how to fix and airplane.

Man, sounds like! There must be a nice airport near LR, AR. We saw some cool military transports last year near there on our way home. I've always enjoyed all types of flying machines, and used to park at the end of the Pearson (formerly Toronto IA when I was kid) airport runways and watch the heavies fly overhead. Very cool, but loud.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by renrut

The tablet comes with Android 3.1 but the 3.2 update is available. Updates are easy to do. There is a app that checks for updates; you download the update into the app and the tablet will install the update.

Hey renrut, while researching the Thrive, I visited the reviews page at the BestBuy.com site and discovered this issue with Android systems, in general. I believe it's worth a read. DON'T UPGRADE TO 3.2 !!! until you read this blog.

http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/THRiVE-Tab ... d-p/238836

It seems fairly up to date, and I thought I'd put it up as a warning, as it sounds like it negatively affects the Android - SD card functionality. If it's something you already were aware of then, never mind. I'm still reading the thread, so it may be fixed already, but as I said it sounded potentially like a major PITA.

[renrut]

Originally Posted by Mike

I've got a google email account, hopefully it's a start. Thanks for the link to the market. I beat everything to death before
I do anything, so it's almost a sure thing I'd google everything before buying. I guess setting up a Google Account to buy
apps involves adding credit card info to your profile? Like Walmart.com? I guess I can do that if it makes shopping eaiser.
I wonder why the TDBank app cares where your box came from? I'd send TD Bank a note and ask, as I often bank from the
USA using SSL and my browser. It's just weird.

When I bought my apps, I just purchased them from the market, gave my credit card number and the purchase was complete. I received an email to my Google account with the purchase information. The TD Bank app is just because they have a USA version of the app. Instead of using my Google account to decide where I am, it looks at where the device was made and sold. I can download the app manually when I get the chance. There are websites that allow you to download the install files instead of getting the app from the Market.

Originally Posted by Mike

Don't apologize, the more I learn the better decisions I make when it comes time to buy something. It's all good. I may
ask you about disabling Kaspersky if I decide to get a Toshiba. I'm thinking of waiting until after Xmas to see if they go on sale. I'm not hard pressed to replace my netbook, so can afford to dawdle a bit longer. Time to learn.
Is there a lot of non-OEM help out there on the net to bypass things which many find annoying or useless on these things? I know I've found countless cookbooks online to fix or improve things on the laptops I've had.

You won't need to disable Kaspersky if you don't activate it. I activated it but did not want to pay for it once the free trial ran out. It kept telling me the license had expired and to renew it. Found where to disable it in the settings and I'm no longer asked to renew the license. There's lots of free antivirus programs available on the Market. From what I have found, there's all kinds of help available for tablets in general. There are forums dedicated to the Toshiba Thrive. I've found new ROMs, instructions and all kinds of information. Since my tablet is still under warranty, I'm not going to mess with it.

Originally Posted by Mike

2/3 ) sounds very interesting. GPS functionality is always useful. We enjoy star gazing too, and try to take advantage whenever we're in a NPS campground, as the ambient light is usually negligible and the views are spectacular. It would be nice to know what it is we're looking at like the Dippers, Orion's Belt, etc.....
4 ) sounds like the spiel I got at Best Buy about the iPad the other day. 6 ) was the way I reacted to it.
8 ) is it like a bookmarks manager then? sounds useful too.

The movie player I mentioned is the actual app name. It's called BSPlayer. It's for tablets and plays all the movie files I have. Some are quite big but it has no problem playing them. The App Organizer is basically an app that creates folders on the desktop and you can put the shortcuts in them. I have a picture of my kids at sunset as my desktop and I like to keep it as empty as possible. Made some folders like Games, Internet, Books etc and it allows me to have a minimum amount of icons cluttering the picture. Of course, Android has 5 desktops to load up with shortcuts if you want.

I'm glad you're going to look into these before making any decision. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. I still like my laptop but the convenience of the tablet is nice some times.

As far as planes go, I've worked on 7 different aircraft now and am leaning a newer version of one I haven't worked on in 20 years. Been doing this for 26 years now. Spent the last 4 years behind a desk and am looking forward to getting out on an aircraft again.

[renrut]

Originally Posted by Mike

Hey renrut, while researching the Thrive, I visited the reviews page at the BestBuy.com site and discovered this issue with Android systems, in general. I believe it's worth a read. DON'T UPGRADE TO 3.2 !!! until you read this blog.

http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/THRiVE-Tab ... d-p/238836

It seems fairly up to date, and I thought I'd put it up as a warning, as it sounds like it negatively affects the Android - SD card functionality. If it's something you already were aware of then, never mind.

There is no problem with updating. In Android 3.1, the SD card is called SD Card. When the Tablet gets updated to 3.2, the folder names change. The SD Card is moved to MNT\SDCard. It confused me for a bit but once I found the SD card under the MNT (Mount) folder, everything was fine. I have a 32 Gig card in mine and have had no problems with the update. Another guy here on course with me had no problems with his either.

One thing I just thought of concerning the update; the first thing it tells you to do before performing the update is to remove the SD Card. A lot of people won't read basic instructions. This may have something to do with the problem if they didn't remove their cards. I always remove mind just to make sure it doesn't get accidentally erased.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by renrut

There is no problem with updating. In Android 3.1, the SD card is called SD Card. When the Tablet gets updated to 3.2, the folder names change. The SD Card is moved to MNT\SDCard. It confused me for a bit but once I found the SD card under the MNT (Mount) folder, everything was fine. I have a 32 Gig card in mine and have had no problems with the update. Another guy here on course with me had no problems with his either.

One thing I just thought of concerning the update; the first thing it tells you to do before performing the update is to remove the SD Card. A lot of people won't read basic instructions. This may have something to do with the problem if they didn't remove their cards. I always remove mind just to make sure it doesn't get accidentally erased.

Cool. When I see a bunch of folks having what sounded like a major problem (can't write to their SD card after updating
to a new software/firmware level) I thought you might be an interested party. It sounded like they could see their SD cards, but couldn't write to them unless they put them in their laptop, and then moved them back.

[renrut]

I didn't go through all the posts but did see a couple mentioning they were using rooted tablets. One person said they were having no issues at all. I'm having no issues with mine. I just tried copying and pasting files to and from the main memory to the SD card and back. I installed a USB drive and did the same thing. I am using the stock file browser though. I do know that some apps are meant for cellphones and not tablets. They won't see the SD Card because a tablet has the phone memory, storage memory and the SD card. A cellphone has the phone memory and the SD Card. On my phone, I use Adao File manager. It works great on my phone but will not see the SD Card on my tablet and never has.

Don't know what to say. Mine is working fine. For some reason, people want to install apps to the memory card even though the Thrive comes with 16Gig or 32Gig of space built in. Apps are very tiny and don't use much space. Why they would want them on the SD is beyond me. I use my storage card to hold my books, movies, music and some text files.

Thanks for the link Mike. I'll look into it some more. I'm sure Toshiba is working on any problem.

[Davydd]

Mike,

Had you bought that RIM Playbook for $300 you would have been looking at this today.

BlackBerry PlayBook Inventory Value Written Off By RIM

They are down to $200 and heading to the slate pile with the HP Touchpad. If what they do is enough for you today they might have some value but will slowly become obsolete. Further development is dead.

Is the Toshiba Thrive tablet upgradable to Android 4.0?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Mike,

Had you bought that RIM Playbook for $300 you would have been looking at this today.

BlackBerry PlayBook Inventory Value Written Off By RIM

True. Fortunately, I didn't after I found out about costly battery replacement issue inherent in most tablets, iPads included.
Since batteries are the Achilles heels of most electronics, and all eventually weaken and die, I would have that as one of
my must haves. A replaceable battery that I can do myself. That's what steered me towards the Thrive.
btw, does anyone actually still read the Huffington Post? Particularly for financial news?

Originally Posted by Davydd

They are down to $200 and heading to the slate pile with the HP Touchpad. If what they do is enough for you today they might have some value but will slowly become obsolete. Further development is dead.

They'll all become obsolete after the "trendiness" wears off, and people realize that they're just toys (albeit for kids of all ages). Based on what I've read so far, and in keeping with your "it does what I need it to do" comments, some tablets are limited in what they can do, compared to some other computing devices. I've seen some reviews that suggested the iPad(2) is just an iPhone with a larger screen.

Originally Posted by Davydd

Is the Toshiba Thrive tablet upgradable to Android 4.0?

No idea. Ask renrut?

[renrut]

From what I have read, Toshiba is planing on doing the upgrade to Android 4. It is suppose to be far better and will be for both phones and tablets. Right now, phone apps work on tablets but can have some issues. With Android 4, they are hoping to make all apps work on any Android device. At least that is what I have heard. Only time will tell if Toshiba does the update. I never believe any rumors until they are actually actioned and done.

[Mike]

The more I read about tablets and touch screen computers, the more I think I may hang on until
Win8 is released, and see what the user reviews are like, not just the computing mags and TV shows.

[Davydd]

Mike,

You might be better off looking into ultra light laptop computers (not cheap notebooks, btw) with solid state drives. I don't think you seem to grasp the difference between a computer and a tablet and you desire things on a tablet that lessen their function. I have an iPhone, an iPad and hopefully later a MacBook Air which is an ultra light laptop. I will use all three for very different reasons. I still want a full-blown computer but a crippled computer like a notebook. The tablets, mainly the iPad, have already decimated the notebook market.

On another note, this is a usability study of 7 inch tablet screens, specifically the Kindle Fire, that should give one pause. The 7 inch screen factor is not such a hot idea because you usability is stuck with mobile smartphone internet browsing as a full website is nearly impossible to use. Also, the 7 inch size cannot make use of the extra screen real estate for more usable apps like the 10" screens.

Kindle Fire Usability Findings

Summary: Mobile web sites work best on the 7-inch tablet. Users had great trouble touching the correct items on full sites, where UI elements are too small on the Fire screen.

Dell just announced they are dropping their 7 inch tablet. They dropped the 5 inch tablet last August. Previously mentioned HP Touchpad is gone and the RIM Playbook is in its death throes. In the meantime the Kindle Fire is "burning down" the rest of the Android tablet market by destroying their sales. The Android large size tablet market is not getting much traction with apps other than smartphone blowups and believe me they are not the same as what is getting developed on the iPad. You can wait for Windows 8 but it might end up futile. Microsoft is porting MS Office apps to the iPad.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Mike,

You might be better off looking into ultra light laptop computers (not cheap notebooks, btw) with solid state drives. I don't think you seem to grasp the difference between a computer and a tablet and you desire things on a tablet that lessen their function. I have an iPhone, an iPad and hopefully later a MacBook Air which is an ultra light laptop. I will use all three for very different reasons. I still want a full-blown computer but a crippled computer like a notebook. The tablets, mainly the iPad, have already decimated the notebook market.

On another note, this is a usability study of 7 inch tablet screens, specifically the Kindle Fire, that should give one pause. The 7 inch screen factor is not such a hot idea because you usability is stuck with mobile smartphone internet browsing as a full website is nearly impossible to use. Also, the 7 inch size cannot make use of the extra screen real estate for more usable apps like the 10" screens.

Kindle Fire Usability Findings

Dell just announced they are dropping their 7 inch tablet. They dropped the 5 inch tablet last August. Previously mentioned HP Touchpad is gone and the RIM Playbook is in its death throes. In the meantime the Kindle Fire is "burning down" the rest of the Android tablet market by destroying their sales. The Android large size tablet market is not getting much traction with apps other than smartphone blowups and believe me they are not the same as what is getting developed on the iPad. You can wait for Windows 8 but it might end up futile. Microsoft is porting MS Office apps to the iPad.

davydd, perhaps you didn't infer that I had decided that tablets weren't for me right now, a
few days ago. I had suggested I might wait and see if next years generation of them might be
more functional in a more traditional sense when Microsoft has a crack at them. I have seen/demoed most of the major players, including the iPad2, and I'm pretty sure they aren't for me in their
current form and with their current capabilities (the Toshiba was close, though).
My position is still that most, if not all, Apple products are over priced, based on their general functionality. I am just as happy with a I5 chipped laptop, for around the same price as an iPad,
which comes fairly well equipped, to do what I need it to do, right out of the box. Not much
additional pay per use software required, they're more secure, have more storage, faster
processors, are user customizable virtually for free, and they have been around for about a
decade, which speaks to their design, and usefulness in their current form.
I don't know what you mean when you say the tablets have decimated the market? The only
notebook market that has been affected by the iPad from what I've read, is the Apple notebooks. Apparently they have lost market share to their sister tablets. Perhaps Apple will get out of the notebook/laptop business altogether. Who knows?

I am happy that you are an Apple person, and are comfortable with that choice.
I am equally happy that I'm not. I'm comfortable with my choice.
End of.

[wabbit]

There is a new type of tablet that I'm keeping an eye on. It is a tablet that mates with a keyboard to create a netbook. Once mated, it folds up like a laptop or netbook. The keyboard has its own battery. They claim 12 hour battery life for the tablet and 18 hours when mated with the keyboard. The thing that intrigues me is that, when used as a netbook, you can use the touch screen and the trackpad interchangeably. It runs Android. Oh, I forgot to mention that it is the ASUS EE Transformer Prime.
http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-prime/features/

Someday, I expect to see a tablet that you slide your phone into, where the tablet gives a larger screen, more battery, and more memory. Then, this tablet would mate with a keyboard to give you keyboard, more battery, more memory, more connections, etc. Unfortunately no one makes one of those yet.

[Davydd]

Apple iPad 2 with the Zaggfolio

The Zaggfolio also works with the Apple iPhone. The truth is a tablet is not a computer yet, be it iOS or Android. My plans are to buy a MacBook Air laptop for my computer needs which provides a lighter and smaller footprint than tablet/keyboard combinations with performance no netbook can match. On the PC side they are labeling them Ultrabooks.

[wabbit]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Apple iPad 2 with the Zaggfolio

The Zaggfolio also works with the Apple iPhone. The truth is a tablet is not a computer yet, be it iOS or Android. My plans are to buy a MacBook Air laptop for my computer needs which provides a lighter and smaller footprint than tablet/keyboard combinations with performance no netbook can match. On the PC side they are labeling them Ultrabooks.

The MacBook Air is a nice system. The whole Ultrabook push is to compete with it (using an Intel CPU). My wife and I current take our individual MacBook Pros with us when we travel. When we got the iPad, it was primarily to replace the hard copy newspapers and magazines we get, plus to use as a book reader. We had thought that we would transition to taking one MacBook Pro and the Ipad, when traveling. That didn't work out well, due to the clunky on-screen keyboard. The Zaggfolio looks like it would help in that regard.