Tablet, like a computer

[Guest nvkid909]

Ok so I'm ignorant of tablets, but it becomes apparent to me that if they have less moving parts they must have much less failure rate than laptops or desktop PCs. We store much of our lives on our computers but despair when something fails. And if your computer is a certain fruit based brand then despair some more 'cos the cost will be two or three times that.

So how about a tablet that has a big SSD, a proper OS (not a mobile phone one), & some decent connectivity (card slot, ports, disc drive...). Does such a thing exist?

It occurs to me that todays laptops are like the mobile phones of old - rattly battery compartments, other things to come loose etc... tablets seem the way forward (even if I did mention disc drive in a tablet). We should be able to send tablets in for repair that doesn't cost hundreds of £ (so that rules out Apple).

I think if / when my laptop snuffs it for good, I'd like to move to something VERY cheap to fix (like a non-apple tablet). Something that has much less part failure rate.

[Guest Atomix86]

There are windows tablets available with varying sizes of internal storage space, however I don't believe they can truly replace home computers. A tablet just doesnt have the same versatility as a "true" pc/laptop, I see them more as an extra side option, to do simpler tasks a little faster.

[Guest nvkid909]

Aye.... I still can't help feeling there are holes in the market though. Tablets come in very handy for electronic musicians, they make cracking control surfaces for soft instruments & the apps are much cheaper. In the home, some kind of wall mount could make them the centre of ones media (TV, HiFi, etc...). We could even begin to see, at last, the pipe dream of a computerised home (lights, thermostat, any connected mechanical things like blinds... fridges...) actually happen. I think belittling the tablet with a phone OS could actually be holding them back! Maybe it's time to break free of the procrastination, being slumped over the desktop or the sofa surfing laptop. And my post was about reducing repair costs!

So maybe I should pose another question: should we have a new kind of computing (we currently have mobile & desktop)? One that isn't about gazing into the web, but instead for controlling things. Use a big screen as a control surface in the home, similar to how electronic musicians can control things over midi & what not.... ?

Edited August 6, 2011 by nvkid909

[Guest wicced247]

I use my Coby Kryos as my laptop replacement and soon ill upgrade to the Archos G9. Specs can be found here> http://www.archos.com/products/gen9/specs.html?country=us&lang=en

On my Kryos i can remotely control my Pc running Ubuntu and the Entertainment Pc running Windows7. I can also browse, transfer an stream all my content. Guess i just know what to find and download online to make my devices work they way i want.

Edited August 7, 2011 by wicced247

[Guest McSpoon]

... We could even begin to see, at last, the pipe dream of a computerised home (lights, thermostat, any connected mechanical things like blinds... fridges...) actually happen. I think belittling the tablet with a phone OS could actually be holding them back! ...

Do a search for "Android@Home". Android will soon be able to connect to any device around the home. It remains to be seen if people will buy household appliances controlled from their phone/tablet though.

Starting out as a constrained phone OS could be a benefit. It's far easier to grow the level of information displayed to suit the screen size than to shrink it. Android was always designed to adapt to different screen resolutions. It is already expanding to the TV and will ultimately reach PCs. Admittedly it will take several more years of evolution before it could replace your PC operating system.

The future operating system will run on every device. In your car infotainment system; In your TV; In your home entertainment hub; Perhaps your fridge too. To be truly useful they should all run the same software. And there will be no need for fragile hard drives because, like it or not, the data will be stored in the cloud and shared between all of your devices. As Microsoft recently said “The game has changed from a battle of devices to a war of ecosystems.”

You'll still need a laptop + tablets + phone and more. They each have their own uses. If the data is moved to the cloud they may have lower failure rates but they'll still need regular upgrading.

[Guest nvkid909]

This is good stuff, I'm quite liking the Archos, I think if I was replacing a Macbook Air I'd be seriously interested in that.

I also like the idea of cloud computing (in theory) but I read a change in Dropbox T&C said something like "all your files belong to us" kinda put me off installing it, even the free version. But ofcourse I think people trust google more (they do Android backups) so yeah, I see your point.

As for backups I think the mobile phone way of having removable media is another way; imo we're just waiting for the high capacity memory cards so we can pop 'em out, say when getting the phone / tablet repaired. Isn't there an issue with expresscards getting rather warm?

[Guest ando79]

There are windows tablets available with varying sizes of internal storage space, however I don't believe they can truly replace home computers. A tablet just doesnt have the same versatility as a "true" pc/laptop, I see them more as an extra side option, to do simpler tasks a little faster.

Actually I have seen a windows tablet pc that is just like a computer, has the performances of a computer. Here is the link: http://crvc11.ecrater.co.uk/p/10429294/10-iiview-m1touch-capacitive-tablet-pc-with it has 1.6 ghz cpu, 1gb ram and 160gb hdd. This is like a real pc. I have never seen so high specs on a tablet, even on the ipad.

[Guest Atomix86]

Actually I have seen a windows tablet pc that is just like a computer, has the performances of a computer. Here is the link: http://crvc11.ecrate...-tablet-pc-with it has 1.6 ghz cpu, 1gb ram and 160gb hdd. This is like a real pc. I have never seen so high specs on a tablet, even on the ipad.

I still think the versatility is missing. I mean it's running a single core Atom CPU, a really old Intel GMA graphics chip, has a low resolution (in comparison to pc monitors and laptop screens), no hardware keyboard & mouse, no upgradability etc. It would be ok for basic web surfing, but nowhere near as useful as a "real" computer when it comes to business use/word processing/gaming/video encoding/programming... the list really does go on and on.