Poll: Do you own/use a tablet?

[DementedSheep]

I have a windows RT Surface 2. Its basically for the purposes of Microsoft office, One Note, e-reader, access to something that can read icals (which is outlook) and internet for study. It's very locked in since it app based but I don't mind because it came with everything I needed anyway and unlike some of the alternatives dose have a usb port. I wanted a tablet because they tend to have much better battery life than a small laptop (my laptop died so this is replacing it) and I actually use the touch screen quite a bit. It's cover doubles as keyboard and flips back when you aren't using it which is surprisingly useful and its great for doing group projects. I don't use it much outside of tech but then I haven't bothered to get anything else on it. I like it much better than my old laptop and if this dies I'll probably replace it with another tablet. I only have some brainteasers on it for games. I could get more games but honesty it probably better I don't. If I want to game it's with my desktop.
The kindle app has no folders or collections through. WTF!

Pro which runs full windows is better of course but its was more expensive and didn't come with office so I'd have to buy that on top.

 

[teqrevisited]

I've got a kindle fire hd. Once I got dolphin and the java plugin for it I was set. Perfect for being away from the desk and browsing the web and watching films in bed. I had it on for the whole week when I was ill recently; it was the only comfortable way to stay in touch and not die of boredom.

I've got a few free games on there but I rarely play them.

 

[AuronFtw]

I have a laptop, a desktop and a smartphone - I don't need a fourth device halfway between the phone and the laptop. The laptop is, IMO, already as pared-down as a device can be without simply losing functionality. They're thin, they're light, they've got plugs and compatibility with a lot of standard PC accoutrements, including external keyboards and mice for precision input with no muss or fuss. Making it any smaller, or with fewer ports, is simply too large a loss in functionality for literally nothing gained aside from herpderp touchscreen gimmicks, which are slower than mouse input at best and actively frustrating at worst (and let's not even mention the myriad problems touchscreen *gaming* has, where your hand gets in the way of the fucking screen half the time, a problem no developers seem to understand or attempt to address). The phone is fine for anything else - listening to music, watching videos on the fly, reading email (and even sending it with speech-to-text is fairly painless nowadays).

The only thing that could possibly tempt me toward a pad of any kind is some kind of exclusive app that is life-changing and so intrinsically connected to the design of the pad that it can't simply be better ported to any other platform. Until then, I'll pass on the mouse-incapable laptop-wannabe with even less beefy hardware (and thus less games compatibility). Pads seem like a niche technology aimed at people who would otherwise use a laptop, but can make do with losing half its functionality and adaptability. Great on them if they find it suitable; shit just ain't for me though. I need a computer that is still a computer.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I used to be in the 'don't have one, don't want one' camp, but I got an iPad for Christmas a few years ago and I'll be honest I wouldn't be without it now. It's the strangest thing, but when I didn't have one I couldn't imagine ever having a use for one, but now I have one I can't imagine not having one.

 

[Something Amyss]

I have a Tegra Note 7. Admittedly, it mostly gets used for comics and RPG books. I use it a lot, though, as it's more convenient than a notebook for those.

 

[kasperbbs]

I never really wanted a tablet until i tried watching stuff on my phone while lying in bed and it was a lot more comfortable than using my loud, unvieldy laptop that has to be always wired because its battery life is crap, then i thought to myself that it would be even better if the screen was bigger so i got a Nexus 7, now i use it every day before going to sleep to read some manga or to watch an episode of some TV show.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

My girlfriend has a Kindle which I've used before and I have a wacom tablet which is in storage. Aside from those however, I just don't really care to own one. I would probably like using one if I owned one of my own but at the moment I prefer watching stuff on my laptop or, on TV.

 

[wcaypahwat]

I got a Kobo Arc 7 a while back. Mostly just for reading. Tried a regular e-reader, But didn't like that I couldn't use it with the lights off, and figured for the price of a decent illuminated one, I was better off investing in a cheap tablet.

It's not super powerful, but handles most games okay, and it's marketed as a reading tablet (like the kindle) so has an excellent reading mode built in.

 

[fletch_talon]

I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 2.
As well as using it as my main web browsing and video watching device, I can draw with pressure sensitivity on screen as though it were a portable Wacom Cintiq and I can play plenty of full windows games on it so long as they aren't overly intensive.

Specifically I can comfortably play civ V in any room in any position I want. Worth every cent.

 

[Quellist]

I'm a taxi driver and quite honestly my Tablet is the perfect entertainment device for me. I love my Android...in my job its become indispensable

 

[Artina89]

I haven't got a tablet, nor do I have any plans to obtain one, at least not yet. I have a perfectly good phone and laptop for all my internet needs, I prefer having physical a physical copy of a book over a digital one, and I am getting enough use out of my Nintendo 3DSXL for my gaming needs. I am not ruling out getting one eventually, but right now it would just be a waste of money for me to get one, and I despise wasting money.

 

[viscomica]

I own a tablet and only used it for angry birds and candy crush. I hardly ever use it anymore. It's just there.
I guess if I was a graphic designer or had to travel a lot and work in the meantime I would get an IPad but I just know if I bought an IPad now I would only use it for its crazy apps and not for work.

 

[Krustosaurus]

I didn't really see the point in having a tablet so wasn't really interested in getting one. However, it was a bit of a pain when my flat had no internet and I wanted to contact people back home. My birthday was coming up and there was nothing I really wanted, then my mum suggested a tablet since I could pop into places with wi-fi with it without having to lug my laptop around.

I got the Nexus 7 and I use it EVERY day.
I wasn't interested in getting an ipad and after carefully comparing the other tablets I decided that this one was the one for me. It seemed to have pretty much everything I wanted, and beat the other tablets I looked at hardware-wise. The only thing that made me think twice was the lure of a bigger screen on the galaxy tab 10, but I don't regret going for the nexus. The size of the screen is perfectly fine. I use it to look stuff up if I don't want to turn my laptop on for whatever reason, or if I'm watching something on it and want to talk to people on Skype. Recently my laptop had overheating problems so I sent it in to get repaired, and having the tablet meant that I could just carry on as normal. I use it to make presentations if I've got spare time at work, to play some crappy games when I'm waiting for something. It's also good for reading in bed once I've switched my laptop off. So yeah, I would feel lost without it now.

I'm sure there are people out there that are quite happy just having a tablet and don't see the need for a laptop. For me, it's not a replacement, but it does have its uses.

I'm pretty happy with the Nexus 7. It performs pretty well, although it has been having some trouble with the camera lately, but that can be fixed by restarting it (and this could just be caused by one of the apps I've downloaded and not the system itself). Mine doesn't have mobile internet, so to be able to use it you have to have a wi-fi connection, but I haven't found that to be too annoying since most places have it now. The only other thing that is a little annoying is that it doesn't come with an SD slot for extra storage. Although you can buy an adaptor and stuff to fix that if you're really desperate for more storage. Although considering how popular they are now there'll no doubt be a better model along soon. Although, I don't think I'll be upgrading for quite some time.
Hope this helps in some way

 

[Auberon]

If I have gaming to do, I have my desktop. If I need to do something with portable (coding at school, brief visit back home) I have laptop for that.

Tablet might have some use for reading, games very light for power and such but I love dead trees and play nothing that simple. Half the reasons I've stuck to my 6 years old phone, too.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

You mean those smartphones you can not put in your pocket?
Or those laptops you can not write fast on?
Never considered buying one
Whenever i read ''tablet'' i think of multivitamins

The only real application of those devices i can see it using it for digital books

 

[ViridianV6]

You mean those smartphones you can not put in your pocket?
Or those laptops you can not write fast on?
Never considered buying one
Whenever I read ''tablet'' I think of multivitamins

The only real application of those devices I can see it using it for digital books

Wow, get out of my head!

OT:

I've always thought of the tablet as the worst mix between laptop and smartphone; lacking the power and functionality of a laptop and lacking the portability of a smartphone.

That being said, to each their own.

 

[Story]

Yeah, I have one and I love it.
I got an IPad 2 for a graduation present three years ago it wasn't exactly something I wanted initially either but I've gotten more use out of it than anything else. I don't even take it everywhere either it stays in my house, I just like using it without worrying about it overheating like my laptop or struggle to see the things I'm reading like with my phone. Plus, there are done great games on IOS so I consider it another gaming console.
My family actually has four of the things and my mother actually recommends getting a tablet instead of a computer to her friends and family because of how easy they are to use.

Whenever people mention tablets my first thought isn't those weird doohikies that people bang on about nowadays, but drawing tablets.
I have one of these:

Ha! That used to confuse me as well.
I also have one of these (same model, different size). I usually call them a drawing tablet or graphics tablet.

 

[seris]

Ive had an HP touchpad since it went on firesale a few years ago. Rooted with cm 10.2 and running android 4.4. Its hardware is getting a little dated, such as the newest smartphones being faster than it with their fancy octocore processors, but its still a great tablet

 

[9of9]

I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 2.
As well as using it as my main web browsing and video watching device, I can draw with pressure sensitivity on screen as though it were a portable Wacom Cintiq and I can play plenty of full windows games on it so long as they aren't overly intensive.

Specifically I can comfortably play civ V in any room in any position I want. Worth every cent.

This, basically. My answer to the question of "When is it worth owning a tablet?" is "When your tablet is also a fully functional PC that can be used with a full copy of Photoshop and can be used to play Battlefield/Titanfall/Most Other PC Games Since the History Of Mankind". My only complaints are that I wish the screen were a little bigger and the unfoldable keyboard can be a little tricky to use in bed.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Does a Kindle Fire HD count? I had an old school Kindle for years and my wife got me the new one as a Christmas present.

It works okay but (don't tell her this) I kind of hate it. I use my Kindle for reading and I like to go outside, reflective tablet screens suck ass for reading outside. It also doesn't have the full functionality of other tablets since it isn't compatible with as much stuff as iPad's or Android tablets.

First world problems are a *****.