I've been toying with the idea of getting SOME form of tablet, but I see plenty on Kijiji where the seller says "Bought it, used it a few times, got bored and it hasn't been touched in a year". Presuming they're being honest, I can't afford to buy a toy which might sit in a box after the first 6 months, no matter how little I paid for it (seems like a decently appointed model with light wear is going for about $200 these days, except HP units lol).

Anyone actually buy a tablet for school? Did it get used? What kinds of work was it best for? I'd be interested in remote file access from a home server, some basic group work functionality, email, and maybe some Google Docs editing. Bonus marks if it's compatible with some kind of 3D CAD model viewer (in Poli Sci, but moonlight as a CAD/CAM programmer), and has an HDMI output.

Given my perpetually empty wallet, I'd end up with an Android based unit, probably used and at least a year out of date, but I'm more interested in whether the tablet concept has any real use in an academic setting, or if I should keep lugging my laptop around?

Thanks!

My girlfriend uses her tablet all the time and rarely uses her laptop anymore. That being said I would never buy a tablet because everything I can do on a tablet can be done on my laptop or even my 2 year old android phone (which has hdmi output). If you don't have a smart phone I'd buy a smartphone before a tablet.

just shiny for the first couple of months

i agree with Julian, my phone could do everything a tablet can do. Email, chat, video chat, simply text editing, dropbox, google drive, games, camera, fb ...

Originally Posted by jon.john23

just shiny for the first couple of months

i agree with Julian, my phone could do everything a tablet can do. Email, chat, video chat, simply text editing, dropbox, google drive, games, camera, fb ...

ya I think of a tablet as a phone that can't call or text message and can't fit in my pocket.

Yes, a tablet is useful. I use it for surfing the net, reading ebooks etc.

Originally Posted by jon.john23

just shiny for the first couple of months

i agree with Julian, my phone could do everything a tablet can do. Email, chat, video chat, simply text editing, dropbox, google drive, games, camera, fb ...

It's not possible to comfortably surf the net or read ebooks on a tiny phone.

Originally Posted by Alexmahone

Yes, a tablet is useful. I use it for surfing the net, reading ebooks etc.



It's not possible to comfortably surf the net or read ebooks on a tiny phone.

It is possible on a big phone though

http://www.samsung.com/global/micros...html?type=find

Galaxy note. The bridge b/w the phone and the tablet

But how much of useful work can u do an a tablet? Idk 300 to 500 bucks for a fancy internet browser and ebook reader? Ur laptop is more than enough.

I've got the new iPad and it is godly for reading. If you can download course textbooks onto your tablet that should a justify the price alone.

Originally Posted by guerilla

I've got the new iPad and it is godly for reading. If you can download course textbooks onto your tablet that should a justify the price alone.

But the thing is you can do that on both your laptop and your phone

Originally Posted by jon.john23

But how much of useful work can u do an a tablet? Idk 300 to 500 bucks for a fancy internet browser and ebook reader? Ur laptop is more than enough.

If you have a tablet, which is far more portable than a laptop, you will find yourself using it in many scenarios where you would not use a laptop: travelling in a vehicle, reclining on the couch and other times when you're just too lazy to start up your laptop.

Apps I use all the time on my iPad: Kindle and iBooks (for reading ebooks), Safari, Youtube, Chess, Adobe Reader (for viewing pdfs). You can also read some magazines (like Time). That said, it is not practical to type out Word documents or Excel spreadsheets on a tablet.

Originally Posted by Alexmahone

If you have a tablet, which is far more portable than a laptop, you will find yourself using it in many scenarios where you would not use a laptop: travelling in a vehicle, reclining on the couch and other occasions when you're too lazy to start up your laptop.

Apps I use all the time on my iPad: Kindle and iBooks (for reading ebooks), Safari, Youtube, Chess, Adobe Reader (for viewing pdfs). You can also read some magazines (like Time). That said, it is not practical to type out Word documents or Excel spreadsheets on a tablet.

Ya I agree with all that it's just that the OP has said the cost was a concern and so some of us are trying to say it is a luxury item more so than a laptop or cell phone since the tablet can be replaced with both of those although those two cannot be replaced by a tablet.

Originally Posted by julianface

But the thing is you can do that on both your laptop and your phone

the reading experience on a tablet is just that much better in my opinion, very convenient and manoeuvres as a book would

using a laptop or phone to get through a good amount of reading material can get pretty uncomfortable

I think a conclusion can be made. A table definitely has its uses, and one can definitely live without a tablet. It's up to you if it's worth the cost depending on how you would be using it.

@ Alexmahone

k, if u looking for weight and portability, add the 500 bux for the iPad to the price of a laptop and buy and buy an ultrabook. Super fast, light, portable and no compromise on performance

Originally Posted by jon.john23

@ Alexmahone

k, if u looking for weight and portability, add the 500 bux for the iPad to the price of a laptop and buy and buy an ultrabook. Super fast, light, portable and no compromise on performance

I just Wiki-ed ultrabook and the various models seem to be quite heavier than the iPad, which weighs only 662 g. For a skinny guy like me, that makes a difference.