Laptop, tablet or phone next?

[boyo1991]

Hi everyone! I've been debating this for some time now and can't quite figure it out.

I've had multiple tablets, and honestly find them a waste, a tablet seems like the easiest option to rule out as anything I want to do on a tablet I can do on my phone. I know most like more screen relastate, but if I got a phone, it would be the GS3 (virgin mobile). I currently run on the evo v 3d 4g, and it runs decently enough. Nice screen size and all, but ever since the s3 came out on contract phones I've really been wanting it but never really justified it. Then everyone asks well what about power computing?! Get a laptop! But for whatever reason its pretty easy for me to use my phone, I can go anywhere with it, it has a constant internet connection, and I type 40 words per minute using it (not fantastic but hey.). Obviously I can type faster on a laptop, plus there's much more I can do with it! I can be taken more seriously about my work (which can be done on my phone as well) with a professional grade laptop, I don't have to stare down at a smaller screen or worry about it being scratched. But its bulky, any time I have ideas its harder to put them down if I don't have my laptop, not to mention with my current laptop I really don't use it at all honestly. It sits there and I use it occassionally but I only use it when say my battery has died, or when I meet with clients. Who wants to see the service provider working mainly exclusively on their mobile device such as a phone?

If you do enough looking, there are apps for anything that a laptop does, but that doesn't make them better, the ability to use it anywhere, including my own office which is where I use it most as my laptop gathers dust.

But what if my laptop is too old and this is why I'm not using it? This is what's got me confused. The tablet idea is in the mix as an inbetween for both devices, laptop, and phone. I've tried it before and it doesn't work very well, I NEVER use a tablet. So pretty much rule that one out lol.

So laptop or gs3?

Appreciate it!

 

[saptech]

Well I got rid of my Acer Aspire One netbook because of the bulkiness and small screen. I think it was the 8.9 inch screen size. Being that I'm an old fart, the bigger the screen the better for me. I did buy a 7 inch Galaxy tablet, which for me is much better to handle then the netbook. I can move it closer to my eyes to read and watch videos/movies with and alot easier to handle when on the go.

At home I use my desktop with the 19" screen more then anything but I use the tablet when in the bedroom or on the couch to surf or whatnot. I will eventually buy another laptop with at least a 15" or bigger screen. I don't think I would like carrying a phone with a large screen size, such as 5" or bigger but that is just me.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

I am a big fan of tablets.

 

[boyo1991]

From what I see its tablet from you guys but it seems like that's the one I'd want least... I really never use a tablet, ever lol

 

[saptech]

I never used one before buying mine. But I decided to buy one anyway and enjoyed using it more then I did my netbook, so I gave my netbook to one of my grandkids. I wasn't using the netbook much anyway, because of the small screen & bulkiness. Again, I will get another laptop one day, but with a bigger screen then the netbook had.

Why not visit a store and play around with some of the tablets to get a feel of how much you may or may not enjoy using it?

 

[boyo1991]

@saptech like I've said, I've had multiple tablets, including tegra devices from Samsung, and terrible ones from eBay. My eyes are pretty darn good for these small screens if I use my glasses.

I pretty much am against a tablet, it was a mistake to include it in my list of options.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting a laptop. And I've figured out which one, its by Asus. My only problem is that right now I have a terrible laptop, and I hardly ever use it. Will I use it more if I get a new one? My thought is hopefully, because since I moved back into the folks place after learning we had plans of moving, they say I have to get the laptop. Lol. But I'd still like to know if its the right choice...

 

[mikedt]

To share my thoughts, experiences and ideas on this....

I used to have a 7inch Android tablet, but found much of the time I was only using it for watching videos in bed, and then in the end it was just sat around gathering dust, so I gave it away. I've looked at and tried a hell of a lot of tablets, mainly because I'm interested in tech, mostly Shenzhen cheapies though.

When I go out during the day I just take my phone, which can do pretty much everything a tablet can. When I travel, like to the UK last month and Xi'an next month. I take a small 10inch Lenovo laptop(netbook) running Linux Mint, in addition to my phone. At home I'm currently using a Macbook. Although for the start of next term, I am going to be buying an Apple iPad or iPad Mini, that I can use for one-to-one lessons and English corners. But I wouldn't get an iPhone, much prefer Android phones, and are more suitable for me.

Now my father on the other hand, he's got rid of PCs and laptops completely, and now just uses a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. But then he's really only browsing the internet and sending the occasional e-mail, and that's about it.

 

[SiempreTuna]

I think this comes down to what you want to do with your new piece of kit.

There are some things that definitely work better on a laptop - anything MS Office-y, photo and video editing, games, IT development etc - and if you're doing a lot of those kind of things, then I'd vote laptop. On the other hand, if you rarely or never need to do those things, then there's not too much point in having a laptop IMHO.

 

[trophynuts]

i used to think tablets were a waste also. I travel a lot for work. When i finally bought my Ipad i wished i had bought it sooner. I use it strictly for watching movies and tv shows. It's handy as hell on a 12+ hour flight. ....yes i have a 10,000mah external battery pack to recharge it

 

[boyo1991]

For those of you telling me about tablets, I'm severely against them. Here are my reasons:

1. I've used plenty before and they end up gathering dust.

2. For the time I do use the tablet both my phone and tablet become disorganized because I don't know which to use.

3. The apps are virtually indistinguishable. Especially through hdmi.

I also heard a vote for laptop if an it field is used. I'd like to say more and more content creation apps have shown up lately that I'm very pleased with. This is not to say they are the best method, just, a viable method.

Many people I've spoken to have also said its like saying I should replace my pc with a gaming console, they're for different things. But the lines have become much more blurred as everything nowadays is more or less a pc. I've even pondered how they could make it moreso that a console could replace a pc (of course this was just a random thought...)

The plan is the laptop, mainly for browser games and content creation.

The thing I'm worried about is how rapidly mobile technologies are growing. What if I get the laptop just to find out that adobe really stepped up its game and restores flash for android development? What if my laptop takes a dive rather quickly and I have to factory reset a lot (had this happen waaaay too many times..)

I've seen a couple good answers, the main ones were "my family member has gotten rid of his pc altogether and replaced it with an iPad" and the other "if your in the it field and need ms office'y stuff, go laptop"

I don't use ms office too much, but I am in the it field. He may have gotten rid of it altogether, but with a tablet, especially one I'd really rather not have any part of..

However someday I may get an iPad.. I don't like apple.. I don't like ios but ik its the "defacto" and if I go anywhere some places may require a specific app that's only available on iPad.

Well its a cheap laptop I'm getting.. and then I'm saving for the phone... Then possibly maybe an iPad.. lol

Thanks everyone for the great input!

 

[trophynuts]

FWIW a lot of Android enthusiast actually like the Ipad because of the app quality alone. Android's Tablet specific apps are a joke.

 

[boyo1991]

That's a good point. However my argument is not geared toward ios vs android necessarily. I don't like ios this is true. However I'm moreso worried about tablet v laptop v phone.

In the past I had been an android extremist. I actually one naught an ios device simply to amuse myself by crushing it. The reason is because of (and not all are this way ik but..) their advertising making everyone think they're fantastic. When people knew I liked android just generally over ios people would say "oh, well ios is better, and your stupid for not owning ios" which is a load of bull. I don't really mind the os itself, its alright, not really what I'm looking for but it made me so mad when people would call me an idiot for not owning ios and then they come to me to jailbreak it or replace their cracked screens among other things.

Now I'm back to that "whatever" feeling and if I ever do get a tablet again it may be an iPad/ios device.

 

[AndyfromVA]

Devices are only worthwhile if you actually use them.
Right now I'm in the market for a 7 inch tablet, mainly for using the internet outside the home (at restaurants, hotels, other places with wifi access).
My problem with phones is the the screen is too small, even on large phones like the S4. That's probably the main reason I've held off buying a smartphone.
My laptop is really too large and bulky for me to use it outside the home.
One device I take with me all the time is my Kindle. I'm hoping that a 7 inch tablet will give me the good wifi internet functionality I need with the portability of my Kindle.

 

[rabidhunter]

Devices are only worthwhile if you actually use them.
Right now I'm in the market for a 7 inch tablet, mainly for using the internet outside the home (at restaurants, hotels, other places with wifi access).
My problem with phones is the the screen is too small, even on large phones like the S4. That's probably the main reason I've held off buying a smartphone.
My laptop is really too large and bulky for me to use it outside the home.
One device I take with me all the time is my Kindle. I'm hoping that a 7 inch tablet will give me the good wifi internet functionality I need with the portability of my Kindle.

The Kindle Fire is a great device with a low cost. Downside, it also has limited functionality by not having direct access to the Play Market. My sister-in-law received a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 for her birthday. That's a sweet device. Otherwise, you can wait for the Nexus 7 reboot.

 

[trophynuts]

If someone is looking at an Android tablet and you're on this site i have no idea why anyone would be looking somewhere other than the Nexus 10 or Nexus 7

 

[rabidhunter]

OP, have you considered the Samsung ATIV Q. It's not out yet, but it will have Windows 8 and Android. Also comes with a keyboard doc making it more like a laptop.

 

[Frisco]

Hi everyone! I've been debating this for some time now and can't quite figure it out.

I've had multiple tablets, and honestly find them a waste, a tablet seems like the easiest option to rule out as anything I want to do on a tablet I can do on my phone. I know most like more screen relastate, but if I got a phone, it would be the GS3 (virgin mobile). I currently run on the evo v 3d 4g, and it runs decently enough. Nice screen size and all, but ever since the s3 came out on contract phones I've really been wanting it but never really justified it. Then everyone asks well what about power computing?! Get a laptop! But for whatever reason its pretty easy for me to use my phone, I can go anywhere with it, it has a constant internet connection, and I type 40 words per minute using it (not fantastic but hey.). Obviously I can type faster on a laptop, plus there's much more I can do with it! I can be taken more seriously about my work (which can be done on my phone as well) with a professional grade laptop, I don't have to stare down at a smaller screen or worry about it being scratched. But its bulky, any time I have ideas its harder to put them down if I don't have my laptop, not to mention with my current laptop I really don't use it at all honestly. It sits there and I use it occassionally but I only use it when say my battery has died, or when I meet with clients. Who wants to see the service provider working mainly exclusively on their mobile device such as a phone?

If you do enough looking, there are apps for anything that a laptop does, but that doesn't make them better, the ability to use it anywhere, including my own office which is where I use it most as my laptop gathers dust.

But what if my laptop is too old and this is why I'm not using it? This is what's got me confused. The tablet idea is in the mix as an inbetween for both devices, laptop, and phone. I've tried it before and it doesn't work very well, I NEVER use a tablet. So pretty much rule that one out lol.

So laptop or gs3?

Appreciate it!

Fwiw, my tab provides a better game experience for me.. slightly better than my Note 2, but enough to have them both.

The whole "phablet" notion is lost on me, as two more inches of screen size is quite a big difference on something like Golf Extreme or any of the "flick" games, etc.

Not to mention checking in the forums when my laptop is at home.. the Note 2 is great, but the tab is better when participation is needed (moving threads, etc).

So, for some of us, big phones and tablets both have their uses. I'm really glad Android has come along with these big phones and medium sized tabs.

 

[An Engineer]

Ultimately depends on use case, I use a nexus 7 tablet and Samsung Galaxy S3 phone, both are great however I must say that now I have the S3 I can get by without the tablet. Still prefer it for browsing and video due to the larger screen. What I can't manage without is my laptop, writing documents, technical drawings, PowerPoint etc. All so much easier on the go with a laptop. Result is I carry all three devices...

 

[itsallgood]

OP I know what you mean. When I was in the market, back in 2010 for an upgrade from my Motorola Backflip phone, I choose to go with the Atrix 4G. This phone, which I still have and use, had a Laptop Dock basically turning my phone into a netbook. (Had to have the right apps on the phone though.) Even though the technology really never took off, I really love the concept and still use them for work and play. I have a SGS4 now and I pretty much do everything on it from emails, text, reading digital book/magazines, scanning documents, playing games, productivity, etc. When I need to create or edit documents, I use my Atrix 4G and Laptop Dock. I use it for reading, web surfing, playing games, watching videos, etc. (I really like having an 11.6 inch screen, keyboard and mouse.) I considered the tablet, but when I looked at how I would use it, It just didn't work for me. I wanted something small, light weight and that I didn't, at the time have to remember what was on what device.)

So, I think in your case, sounds like you need a laptop. If you get one with the Windows and Android OS, then you can still work on both devices, cellphone and laptop, and have the same contents sync to both. (I do this now with my setup.) Most devices have where you can send/receive things wireless by bluetooth, etc. (Which is what I use right now between my devices sometimes.)

There are things that I can do much easier and faster on my Laptop Dock, then I can on my SGS4.

 

[MichealShawn]

Well i m in the favor of tablets as compared to Personal computers or laptops because of the small size and can be carried easily with you at any time.

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[mikedt]

Well i m in the favor of tablets as compared to Personal computers or laptops because of the small size and can be carried easily with you at any time.

Think it ultimately comes down to personal preferences and what you do with them. To carry a tablet with me at any time, I'd have to put it in a bag. Android tablets at the moment, don't really do any thing more than what phones can do, apart from having a larger screen. That's my opinion and ideas.

Some tablets are not that small these days..like this 13 inch monster.
Android Quad Core Tablet 13 Inch Quad-core A9 Allwinnera31 Ram 2gb,Hdd 8gb 1.5ghz Support Wifi Android Tablet - Buy Android Quad Core Tablet,Android Quad Core Tablet,Tablet Pc Product on Alibaba.com
...it's as big as a laptop. It's a cheapo thing from Shenzhen, but wouldn't surprise me if the mainstream manufacturers, like Samsung, start pushing towards that size sooner or later.

 

[nickdalzell]

Typing on an S3 is a royal pain, and my laptops have been the devices gathering dust since my tablet life caught on. I can type at least 65wpm on my Nexus 10 and over 100wpm on my iPad. Tablets are far less bulky and get much better battery life. Carrying around a laptop with its case, external trackball (hate touch pads) and power supply to keep it going wasn't nearly good enough. What I can do on a laptop I can do on a tablet in a much lighter package.

while the S3 is huge for a phone, it doesn't do tablet duties well. Squinting at scaled text on an AMOLED display is an excellent recipe for a migraine, as I've found out the hard way too often when I used my PlayStation Vita handheld.

 

[mikedt]

Typing on an S3 is a royal pain, and my laptops have been the devices gathering dust since my tablet life caught on. I can type at least 65wpm on my Nexus 10 and over 100wpm on my iPad. Tablets are far less bulky and get much better battery life. Carrying around a laptop with its case, external trackball (hate touch pads) and power supply to keep it going wasn't nearly good enough. What I can do on a laptop I can do on a tablet in a much lighter package.

Probably if you're just surfing, or reading e-books, or playing casual games. Presumable you're not doing office productivity or preparing presentations. Although iWork on iOS is a pretty competent office suite, certainly compared to the Android offerings IMO. I know you can't play Flight Sim X on an Android tablet or an iPad for that matter.

while the S3 is huge for a phone,

I don't think the S3 is huge for a phone now, not these days. Even the mid-range dual SIM Samsung Win I bought recently has a larger screen. I was using an iPhone 5 a couple of days ago, it just seemed so small because of what I got used to. I could still see and use it OK though.

it doesn't do tablet duties well. Squinting at scaled text on an AMOLED display is an excellent recipe for a migraine, as I've found out the hard way too often when I used my PlayStation Vita handheld.

That's an issue that you find and is personal to you. I've never had problems like that, and I don't think many other people do TBH, although I'm not a doctor. But I know that squinting is never good anyway. As people get older they often need reading glasses, stop them squinting. Some visually impaired need large print, so a tablet is probably much better than a phone. Even better if the tablet includes phone functionality.

It's already being mentioned, and I've found it myself, there's very few tablet specific Android apps, so most of the time it's the same as what you see on a phone, but larger. Even with those HDMI dongles, what you get on them is pretty much same as a phone, but spread across a large TV screen.

 

[nickdalzell]

Mike, i haven't used MS Office since the year 2001, and only then because it was required as part of the A+ courses. mostly for a class like writing or office

While i have one gaming-spec laptop, i hardly use it, even for FSX or Star Trek Online. mostly i cringe at the idea of lugging the huge thing out of the closet and setting it up, and just use my Nexus

Text on a S3 (4.8 inch) especially for serious web browsing like accessing these forums, it is extremely tiny, especially if you want the entire page to show. that is always bad for one's vision, looking at extremely undersized text. it does do well for ebooks but that is because Play Books can show enough in one page in larger size without the side-to-side scrolling issue that Chrome has on webpages

 

[mikedt]

Text on a S3 (4.8 inch) especially for serious web browsing like accessing these forums, it is extremely tiny, especially if you want the entire page to show. that is always bad for one's vision,

If it's AF you're having difficulty with. Have you tried the Phandroid app? It's what I'm using now.

looking at extremely undersized text. it does do well for ebooks but that is because Play Books can show enough in one page in larger size without the side-to-side scrolling issue that Chrome has on webpages

Try a different browser. Opera is very good.