more on tablets

[MaryAnn]

I almost hijacked the other tablet thread but decided to be nice.

I looked at tablets, and can't figure out why I would want one. a) you get charged for data downloads, and so reading Tubenet for an hour a day could get really expensive. b) you can't install any programs on them; what use is that? I need Finale. c) they have a contract like a cell phone. Why would I want that? Can I even play DVDs on it? I don't think so.

obviously I need/want/would use a computer, but if I get wifi, which I'm thinking of, it has some of the same problems as the tablets, in terms of browsing. Like minutes on a cell phone; you pay through the schnoz.

I have dial-up at home for my ancient iMac; it costs me $9 a month (the wifi I just had installed on my work laptop, which I still am in possesion of, is slower than my dialup; a tubenet page takes five minutes to load. Why would I want wifi? I have a land phone line that costs me $23 a month. I'm going to have a really hard time moving into a scenario where I have to pay $100+ a month for the same services. (no cable at all, actually no TV at all for the last several months, so there is no cost to compare on that.) So when I encounter a sales guy who says, "Oh, you're paying X dollars a month now for these services that we will give you for only $80! And I say, eh, no I'm not. Their eyes bug out when I tell them what I have and what I pay.)

MA

[The Big Ben]

I have dial-up at home for my ancient iMac; it costs me $9 a month (the wifi I just had installed on my work laptop, which I still am in possesion of, is slower than my dialup; a tubenet page takes five minutes to load. Why would I want wifi?

Where is the wi-fi you are connecting to? In a coffee shop or library? How up-to-date is the work laptop?

Since you want a "real" computer which runs Finale and other programs and plays a DVDs, why not an up to date laptop (since you have a Mac now, perhaps a MacBook.)? Accessing wifi in a coffee shop or library can be a little bothersome but it is cheap and frequently is fast. I call it 'joining MoochNet'- get a 'free' web-based e-mail account and use free wi-fi hotspots.

[Donn]

obviously I need/want/would use a computer, but if I get wifi, which I'm thinking of, it has some of the same problems as the tablets, in terms of browsing. Like minutes on a cell phone; you pay through the schnoz.

The way I'm used to seeing "wifi" is wireless network access within your house (or coffeeshop or whatever.) The house, in turn, must be connected to the internet via some other means - cable, DSL, etc. Of course in this scenario, the ongoing cost would be for the internet service, probably a phone service upgrade to DSL? (Or the internet service could be a wireless broadcaster like Clearwire.) I've never heard of a provider charging for minutes used, for me it's just a fixed fee per month.

Why would I want wifi? I have a land phone line that costs me $23 a month. I'm going to have a really hard time moving into a scenario where I have to pay $100+ a month for the same services.

Do you mean, is a high speed internet connection worth a couple dollars (*) a day? It is for me, but I could imagine circumstances changing so that it would not be. (One of those changes of circumstance would have to be going off to live by myself - with more than one person in the household, high speed internet starts looking much better.)

(* ... maybe closer to one dollar a day. Money goes to broadband provider (phone company), and to Internet Service Provider if you get a choice there.)

[Uncle Buck]

FWIW, we've been testing some tablets at work to see if they are just toys, or if they could replace other devices and improve productivity.
The verdict is leaning heavily to "toys." I have spent some time with both a Blackberry and Apple tablet. The Apple is better, but both are much more like a bigger smartphone (except without the phone) than a smaller computer.
I think the problem is inputs. We still don't have anything better than the old standard keyboard and mouse. And those two devices haven't REALLY improved much in the last 25 years or so.

[bort]

FWIW, we've been testing some tablets at work to see if they are just toys, or if they could replace other devices and improve productivity.
The verdict is leaning heavily to "toys." I have spent some time with both a Blackberry and Apple tablet. The Apple is better, but both are much more like a bigger smartphone (except without the phone) than a smaller computer.
I think the problem is inputs. We still don't have anything better than the old standard keyboard and mouse. And those two devices haven't REALLY improved much in the last 25 years or so.

My wife has an iPad, and I would agree with your assessment. Certainly has potential for use as a tool, but no way would I want that as my only device, not even close (though really, that's not what they are intended for anyway!). It's fun to surf on and play some games and stuff, and it's nice to travel with (super easy to look stuff up from your hotel room).

The other thing is that after a while, it's annoying to keep smudging up the screen. And keyboard/mouse ain't perfect, but I like it a whole lot better than typing on a touchscreen.