Tablets, a second look.

My early thoughts on tablets have changed, and here's how.
If it's not a good game or catholic...who do you call?...why Pokematic "hi."

I just reread my post called "what's the point of tablets?" where I basically said tablet computers are stupid and are just wanna be laptops, and while that is true to an extent, it was half a year ago back when tablets were relatively new and uses were unpolished. I feel I bashed this emerging tech to much and should give it a second chance. There was also heavy emphasis on merging ipad and tablet and some things I got wrong, mainly naively believing apple would ever support flash on a portable device and thinking hp touch pad was the only OS with flash. Apple may now think "maybe flash is a good idea" with Steve gone, but I'm not holding my breath. I also learned that Android, the other common tablet OS does flash.

What remains constant.

• I still hate the ipad like all apple crap. Ipad sells with the blind following of apple and I have seen and demoed far superior tablets.
• I don't foresee myself buying a tablet anytime soon, because I still prefer my laptop. My laptop can just do way more than a tablet. I have some new found issues with tablets that make my laptop superior but I'll get to that.
• While it is better now, there is still an air of "ipad=tablet" and "non-ipad=what are you thinking?" but with the fire and what not, I can tell there's pubic knowledge that all ipads are tablets but not all tablets are ipads.
• Apps are still inferior to programs, but then again these aren't designed to run autocad.
• Still can see these being great for business presentations and educational settings.

Originally I mentioned that an ipad is an itouch you can't fit in your pocket and a macbook that has no ports and no laptop. While that remains true with the ipad, unless you want to buy some blue-tooth keyboard add on that, knowing apple, will probably jack the total cost up to over the price of a laptop, it isn't true of all tablets in general. I saw someone with an hp slate, which has standard usb ports, runs windows 7 in full, and in addition to touch screen works with an hp wireless mouse and/or wireless keyboard with no attachments. While I'm not fully knowledgeable on hp wireless add ons, I can't imagine that they'd set you back a whole lot. Plus with the usb and windows 7, I can't perceived a problem when connecting a wired keyboard and/or mouse through one of the usb ports. There was also a stand that from what I heard came with the tablet. That right there is a good move. Toshiba also has a tablet that has usb, hdmi out, standard SD card slot, and probably something I'm forgetting. This is good, I like expansion ports and such, because I use them all the time. I know there are other tablets that have docking ports that add expansion or keyboard functionality, but can't name any off hand.

There was also the bulk factor that I mentioned earlier, but that was more of a comparison to smart phones and handheld gaming. That was before I realized how easy it is to transport my laptop which takes up more space than probably the largest of tablets. I may not be able to fit an ipad in my pocket, but I probably could a nook or fire, because I love cargo pockets. But then again, why would I? This thing isn't my durable phone or handheld gaming console, it's far more fragile. If I were to have a tablet, I would probably put it in the laptop section of my back pack or in my shoulder bag.

Before I mentioned that I can only see tablets being useful in a business presentation or education scenario, and while that use is still a great use for them, there are other great uses. Tablets could really easily replace the clipboard, and in many industries probably did. I also read that American Airlines, or some air travel company, has replaced all the pilots charts and books with 2 ipads saving tones in fuel and easy access. I don't know if the ipad is actually an ipad or a tablet wrongly being called an ipad, but me personally I would prefer a specialized tablet, and I would say this even if it was say, a galaxy tab. While unprofessional and maybe not important, but personally I would fly calmer knowing that the pilot is using a specialized tablet only capable of reading charts and the like, because I don't want the temptation of angry birds to be present.

Before I think my mindset might have been that "people would actually replace a computer with this? Pa-lease." Now instead of a computer replacement, I see this tech being used in a much more understandable way, coexisting. I have heard of so many devices using tablets as input devices for controlling, or to have something interact with them. Sure I can see them having merit on their own, but the coexisting really works for it. They also aren't to be seen as being able to do all a computer/laptop can do, like how the DS isn't expected to do all the wii can do. I don't know of a better example, but tablets are easier to carry with one hand than a laptop.

Another previous killer was the price/ability ratio between laptops and tablets. Back when I wrote "what's the point of tablets," most tablets on the market were either the same price or more expensive than a laptop, and didn't have all the ports and such I could get with a laptop. If they were cheaper, it wasn't enough to give up ports and a keyboard for. Now many tablets have come down in price, or were released cheap like the fire and nook. Ipad still ridiculous, but that's apple. I'm not saying that I consider it a good investment, but it's definitely more reasonable now, especially with fire and nook.

Touch screens as they currently are, are a big thing that keeps me from getting a tablet. Before I didn't have enough experience with tablets to know the true hell that static electricity/electrolyte whatever touch screens are for someone with nails. I keep my nails long for practical reasons. I can do many daily tasks easier with long nails than short, but nails are a hindrance with the standard touch technology with touchscreens where they read electricity from the skin your fingers, which is why touchscreens don't work with gloves. Most of the time when I type I find myself typing with my nails, and that wouldn't be a problem if the touchscreens were pressure activated like the ds, but they aren't. I find myself having to rather awkwardly touching when I try to use tablets or smart phones, and sometimes those touches don't even register. This is just me, I know most people like their nails short and the electric thing prevents false reads with things hitting it or they're more durable, but it just doesn't work with my nails.

I still think tablets aren't wholly worth it, but I see they have potential and aren't all Itampons. Well this has been Pokematic signing off and bu-bye.