Tablet
It has been awhile since the first Ipad hit the stores. Most likely I am one of those who wanted to get their hands on an Ipad as it was for sell.
However due to some financial matters (read no money), I didn't buy one.
Later came Ipad 2 and many more to follow. Too many to choose from and that doesn't make it much easier.
Each tablet has it own strenghts and flaws. Things you like and things you hate.
For example, the Ipad 2 doesn't support flash and I don't know if I need it or not. It sure has alot of accessoiries for sale.
As I have been waiting patiently, I came across Sony Tablet S. It does come with some interesting features. Is it usefull, not really sure.
Some of the features I found while trying:
- it is a portable PSone, Crash Bandicoot already pre-installed. More games should be available.
- it can be programmed to be a remote control.
- it can act as a digital clock or photoframe (fill with photos of Japan to make you long for it ^^), if you buy the docking station.
- SD card slot avialable if you need more space.
- direct connection with your main machine using USB cable.
Now on to the bad things (I think) of the tablet:
- it has a "weird" shape compared to other tablets.
- limited accessoiries, namely Sony supplying them thanks to the weird shape.
- slow reaction when changing from horizontal to vertical, at least I have the feeling it is "slow".
- having the docking station allows only horizontal placement, no vertical sollution.
The complete useless feature, which I do like about is:
- changing screen when you move left or right to another "screen" (sorry for the bad pictures).
If I ever got a tablet, I would most likely get the Droid Xyboard.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5822
That said, prices would have to be dropped substantially for me to do that. As it stands, pricing on tablets is just too much for my taste, even with a contract. Then there's the whole data package issue. I already pay for an internet connection through my ISP and I have an unlimited data plan for my phone. If I were to get a tablet, I'd essentially be paying for 3 internet connections. No, thanks. I wouldn't want to hunt down a wireless spot if I wanted to use a network connection on my tablet. Yea, there pretty much are a metric ****-ton of wireless hotspots around now, but still...
Pricing on tablet is pricy indeed. Wish they make it more affordable. Also having multiple internet connection on different machines is also too much to ask for. For internet you could "connect" it to your phone, like Mim described. Tablets have its own strenght and weaknes, just have to figure out what is more important.
I recently bought an iPad2 and themed it up like my iPhone with cases and screen protectors ie http://www.figure.fm/post/en/33363/Mim+s+Nov+Loot.html
My experience with owning the 3G and then 4G iPhone has been fantastic. I contstantly download and play around with different apps, take a huge amount of photo's and videos all the time and watch a lot of movies / shows. It was those great experiences with iOS that led me to bying an iPad2.
Origionally I didn't want one thinking they are a waste of time and money as I'm an IT man and so have computers everywhere around home and work so why would I use an iPad? That slowly changed when I got to play with them as I set them up with corporate e-mail and software for our users where I work so I've had a good chance to play with both generations of iPads.
I played with a few Android devices including a co-workers Asus Transformer, but although I'm a huge Asus fan, having bought three of their Netbooks in a row so far, I found as a tablet it totally missed the mark. With the keyboard connected it weighs 2.5 times as much as the iPad, is a shed load thicker (by 3x), has a pile of pointless extra ports on it and the Honeycomb OS is, although a lot better than past Android OS's, still not the most brilliant to use.
With the iPad I got the 64gb Wifi unit so when I'm at home or work it auto connects to wireless and if I'm out and about I simply wirelessly tether it to my iPhone for internet. I use a mindblowingly brilliant app called GoodPlayer that allows you to drag and drop unencoded video files onto the device and play out to a video cable I connect to my TV. If you have Apple TV it also supports airplay so you can simply wirelessly play out to your TV.
Goodplayer even does neat stuff like play Dual audio MKV files and alows you to swipe left and right to change the audio tracks along with up and down to change the sub titles layer mid play.
With iOS 5 and the cloud syncing all the pics I take with my phone auto appear on the iPad and apps sync together also. All my existing apps from the phone come accross for free to the iPad also (sly entrapment you have going there Apple) and I've been bying a bunch of iPad HD games lately and having a great time playing them.
All said and done I'm looking foward to the next iPad, which is coming in the next 6 months and will have some pretty mindblowing features. Having a retina display and being a quadcore would be the two deal breakers for me if not pressent though, but likely are going to be pressent. I'll just e-bay this iPad and upgrade so its really not an overly painfull proces.
Do you mind if I raid your place sometime in the future for some nice machines ^^
As I have only played with Apple Ipad and Sony Tablet S in the stores, it works surprisingly well.
Have to play with the Samsung Galaxy Tab and whatever is in the store to compare it.
Tablets seems to be the "in" thing now where i live. I myself found it interesting and since i never used an Android based gadget, i decided to get my hands on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 which runs on the Android v3.x platform. Found it interesting since it is also a phone which is pretty useless as the wifi feature is what i want. And yes, Tablets are costly. For the same price, i can get another Dollfie Dream or a Laptop for that matter. lol