Replace a laptop with a tablet. Is it possible yet?

We're using a $350 5-6 year old Dell Lowlineron x000 special at home. It's had a long and rough life. It's getting to the point where it needs to be replaced. The second battery won't hold a charge and the second battery charger won't charge it anyway. We don't need power. We pretty much do web/E-mail along with basic msOffice stuff (Onenote, Powerpoint, Word and Excel get used often). I'd like to be able to do skype type things as well, which this lappy isn't particularly good at, and have some sort of digital video output for a screen since we don't have a TV.

Ipad? Surface? Kindle (we already have the lower line, older Kindle Fire and like it a lot)? Are any of these or others capable of completely replacing a laptop?

What say the masses?

Almost.

Typing intensive work almost requires a real keyboard to avoid throwing the new device at a wall so some sort of USB/bluetooth keyboard/mouse so make sure whatever you get - that will work.

iPads are expensive, limited in what you can do and a little dated as far as hardware features. There is nothing particularly wrong with them. There are (IMO) just better choices avaialble today. While many Apple fans will offer contrary views - it's not 5yrs ago. The competition has surpassed them.

A Nexus is a pretty hard deal to beat. Affordable and powerful with just about any software you can think of available for it. Open standards... all usb chargers work, all headsets work, keyboards and mice work. They come in a couple sizes - but even the small one can do 1080i to your TV or a monitor.

The Kindle fire also looks pretty good (I have no experience with them though). It's really just an Amazon branded android tablet so... it should be fine too. They look sexy for the price.

With an accessory keyboard, I'd say it's 95% there. Since it sounds like you still need Office, I'd go with a Surface.

I wouldn't do it- but then again I expect far more horsepower from my electronics than the average bear. I'd think a properly loaded ASUS tab with Win8 or whatever on it could do it, if that's all you're talking about. Most modern tablets have HDMI outs on them (micro or whatever it is, hell my phone does) and forward facing cameras, etc etc. Downside- it's a tablet. Lots easier to break, keyboards are generally giant piles of E36 M3 (Unless you can get a tab with a USB and use a full 110, then game on) and touch screen can be frustrating, and expandability as far as increasing power is virtually non-existent. THAT being said- I think you might be able to pull it off. If you're limping along on an ancient base model Dell, and all you REALLY need to add is Skype and video out, A tablet oughtta do it.

Tom_Spangler wrote: With an accessory keyboard, I'd say it's 95% there. Since it sounds like you still need Office, I'd go with a Surface.

Microsoft Office Mobile 365 is available for Android and Apple. I have no experience with it - I use alternative software for that sort of stuff but it is in the google play store.

I got a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and I like it.

I bought a Bluetooth keyboard that acts like a bit of a case for the front from Amazon for a fifth of the cost of the same one at Best Bye. Shipped from china.

The stylus is fun and it's neat that the tablet is able to ignore your hand as you rest it on the screen and focus on what the stylus is doing. It even has an IR remote (I don't use it) It comes with Open Office type programs and version of Photoshop for tablets with a stylus.

It will also switch over to let you write things on a 'paper' space and it converts it to text. It's kind a neat but takes a bit to get used to.

You can even have two (or more?) apps open at the same time. Which is actually kind of nice. Like referencing a webpage while you type an email or what not.

It says you can host USB devices but you'd have to get through Samsung's proprietary port first () and it does have a Micro USB slot.

Intriquing. As a desktop user, I've never found a reason to compromise my computing experience with a laptop. Tablet seems like another order of magnitude in the wrong direction. That said, I should confess that our household contains two iPads, and an iPad mini but they are not mine.

Tablets aren't yet capable of completely replacing a laptop...but for your specific needs I think an Android tablet, iPad or x86-based tablet running Win8(.1 preferably...or Linux if they're available) could do the job.

iPads are kinda toys though...get a tablet with an OS that you can run any code of your choosing on.

Here is a question for those in the know: 95% of my computer use is browsing the internet (all if it is, or is similar to, GRM, Ebay, Facebook, stupid online games, "research" for stuff I'm going to buy, pandora, etc.) At the same time, I will have an excel file up, and a pdf or two. Would a tablet be able to handle this type of use?

EDIT: I will always have a computer, but I'm just wondering if there is a tablet to replace my laptop that is getting tired--the laptop will become a desktop, and the tablet would become the recliner computer.

On mine, I can have the pdf and excel side by side.

mtn wrote: Here is a question for those in the know: 95% of my computer use is browsing the internet (all if it is, or is similar to, GRM, Ebay, Facebook, stupid online games, "research" for stuff I'm going to buy, pandora, etc.) At the same time, I will have an excel file up, and a pdf or two. Would a tablet be able to handle this type of use? EDIT: I will always have a computer, but I'm just wondering if there is a tablet to replace my laptop that is getting tired--the laptop will become a desktop, and the tablet would become the recliner computer.

You could use a tablet for what you listed. I've done it with my 10.1" Asus TF700. It's nice to have something so small and lightweight when you're hanging out/lounging, BUT I get frustrated with how slow and sometimes buggy certain "office" apps are (google drive for example). In addition to that, even with a 10 inch screen (which is nice and big seeming when watching youtube/netflix or playing games/apps) it starts feeling really small and cramped when working on a document or spreadsheet. These are the inherent issues with a smaller form factor. Luckily I have a nice desktop so I use that for all the real work.

My wife would say yes and I still say no. Perhaps it is just the Ipad, but I still think it needs better functionality.

I effectively did this several years ago- replaced my laptop with an iPad and an iMac. I don't do at whole lot in the way of document editing or real hardcore computing these days, so 95% of the time I'm just fine with the iPad and the iMac sits idle. It's still useful just for as exponentially larger its storage devices are for holding all the music/videos/etc. that would never (for now) fit onto the tablet.

When I travel, the iPad has long proven to be more than sufficient. If I'm going to be doing anything that involves lots of typing, I'll likely bring along a bluetooth keyboard- the iPad on-screen keyboard works well enough for most things, but I'm a touch typer and really prefer a physical keyboard for typing any decent amount of text.

My iPad being jailbroken helps a lot in expanding what it can do- without that I'd not be able to download things as easily to the iPad and fill in some of the gaps in functionality Apple allows in stock devices.

A surface is on the holiday wish list. As an excel freak, its quite intriguing.

Just bought my daughter a used iPad 3 (last gen) for $230 delivered. It is going to be a Christmas gift. Same site we bought our used iPad 2 when the : came out. You get a limited warrantee and I think a week to return it for any reason. Lots a people selling "old" iPads to get the newer one.

Btw: I always hated apple. Love the iPad/ iPhone.

To me, a tablet is only a toy and if that's all you need then by all means go for it. So far I have not seen one that I can burn a DVD with (important with race car camera) or will accept an SD card. HDMI might get me around the SD card thing but that's a pain in the ass since I would need something capable of reading the card, we are back to a real computer. I may get one to fart around with, i.e. just to surf but I'm gonna keep a real computer too.

My Asus tablet came with a keyboard dock with a touchpad that also doubles the battery amount and includes a full size SD slot and a USB port. The tablet itself has a microSD slot and a micro USB port along with an HDMI port.

With a USB OTG adapter and a powered external burner, you should be able to access an external drive, but I've not tried it since I don't have the OTG adapter yet. Since it is an Android device, there might be a way to leverage a USB DVD burner with an app, etc.

I bought it on closeout from Woot, so its not an up to date model.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Apple sells a camera kit that allows you to hook up cameras directly via USB (or some other things that don't require power through the USB if you're using a jailbroken device) or an SD card using adapters that hook into the 30 pin or lightning port. It's how I manage pictures on vacations- take with my 'real' camera, pull SD card and put into adapter and transfer them to the iPad for viewing and sorting.

DVD burner- no, can't do that directly yet with any I've seen. For that, yes having a real computer is still necessary- but that seems only logical for ANYTHING that involves more substantial physical media...

I have dozens of GoPro and other videos saved to Dropbox and backed up on a external hard drive.

Why would you need a DVD? That is so 2008.

I'll be the voice of Mac here. The iPad can seamlessly do everything that you want to if your needs are basic. Surfing the web? Excellent. Handling family e-mail? Excellent. With AppleTV, you can wirelessly watch any content you want on your TV. As for word-processing type stuff and presentations, the iPad is pretty awesome. The native Apps (Pages, Keynote, Etc) are really well designed for mobile use.

If you try to replace a computer with an iPad however, you start noticing some issues. Sure, you can use a larger display and a keyboard very easily, but not a mouse. That to me is a deal-breaker. I need a mouse to be able to do a lot of my work. And where do you save all those attachments that come in your e-mail? You loose the basic filing structure you are used to with a computer. You can work around it, but its an adjustment. And you can't connect a USB drive or external hard drive. iCloud is nice, but I need at least a Terrabyte available for all the photos I take in a year!

I have limited experience with what is out there for Surface, but the last time I tried to use a PC with Windows 8 and PowerPoint I had to walk away it was so darn confusing. They seem to be embracing the idea of moving away from a traditional PC however, so they might be further along. IMHO, Apple does not want you to do that. They want you to buy an iPhone, iPad and PowerMac. And I did. And the system works great. But it wasn't cheap.

Dropbox and the like. You get lots of free storage, my phone automatically syncs photos to photo stream which is also kept on Dropbox (granted, it is when I log into my work or home laptop).

You can also save attachments and call them up from Dropbox on you tablet. I use Dropbox a lot for work, they also have an app and you can get to it from the web page as well.

In reply to pinchvalve:

My Asus and many other Android devices support USB mice with the proper adapter, whether USB or Bluetooth. I think Apple allows this now with the latest version of iOS.

Saving files is best done with iCloud, Google drive or DropBox and while it requires you to be connected to the internet, you can at least work around it. Of course Android allows you to save the files locally on your internal storage space or on an external location.

Rusnak_322 wrote: I have dozens of GoPro and other videos saved to Dropbox and backed up on a external hard drive. Why would you need a DVD? That is so 2008.

I'm olde skool. Honestly, I don't really trust magnetic media (see Gameboy's thread about a new hard drive which took a crap) and as long as I don't leave them in direct sunlight DVD's are pretty much forever.

The mouse thing is a biggie too. I use an iPad for work, the damn thing is honestly a bigger PITA and slower for writing a repair order than the older methods. Even my customers comment on that and it's not just me, the punk kids that work with me say the same thing.

A lot of the problem is Reynolds and Reynolds is super ancient technology (their tech guy carries a mallet and chisel to install updates) but it has other issues as well, chief among them limited wireless range (I can't write an RO in the parking lot on a tow in, for instance), can't print until I go to the main computer, access Chrysler's website, click on four or five links then finally I get a PDF.

You will have a very difficult time doing anything related to eCommerce on a tablet, unless the vendor has a mobile-specific site. Apple products also don't support Flash. There are many, many websites that I have had difficulty accessing on mobile devices that would require a "real" computer with a "real" browser to access.

I'm saying this because you said one of your primary uses for the computer is surfing the intarwebs.