Laptop or iPad?

Flounder · August 15, 2012, 07:55:51 PM

I have a desktop PC at home, but am considering getting something portable in addition. The choice is iPad for speed/video/pictures/taking abroad and continuing to use the PC for word/excel etc, or going for a laptop and effectively doubling up on what I already have (only portable).

Any advice?

EtchedPixels · August 15, 2012, 08:03:43 PM

I think you'll get a thousand answers all differing

Personally I loathe and detest tablet devices for travelling - they are too big to pocket and too small to use for creating stuff. I do have a cheap tablet I use for some stuff around the house (Cheap android tablets also make awesome JMRI DCC remote controllers. Each device also somehow ends up with its own personal collection of "string" and power supplies and covers and stuff.

Nowdays I find though that I'd rather have a decent mobile which I *can* pocket and use that for picture taking and the like, and a laptop which has keys and other traditional features so I can actually type stuff or even design etches on the train.

The better Android phones do everything I normally want basically. I can take photos, annoy people on Google+, use web forums, check train times, do ebay, read my Kindle books (without a Kindle), play music, film, run the layout and so on. It even tells the time.

(Amazingly I had to go and find an app so I could use it to time pasta.... they didn't include a stopwatch!)

The PC just gets used for writing things and stuff which either needs big displays or a lot of input.

Pengi · August 15, 2012, 08:20:36 PM

I'd advise you to go along to an Apple store (or any store that sells them) and try one out alongside an iPhone and possibly a MacBook Air - if your budget will stretch to it. You can buy refurbished iPads etc from the Apple on-line store and save quite a bit of cash.

I've had the original iPad since they first came to the UK - never had a problem with it (or any of my Apple kit - touch wood!).

iPads do not support Flash though

Mustermark · August 15, 2012, 08:33:26 PM

I can wholeheartedly recommend the iPad. I am not sure I can think of anything much that I would want to do on-the-go that I would need a laptop to do better. I agree with Pengy that the main drawback is that Flash is not supported on the Safari web browser. That is a bit crap when half of what you use it for is the web! But not all that many sites depend on Flash that much and it is only occasionally a nuisance for me.

If you are happy having all the 'Office' stuff on the PC and the big screen at home (which is what I do, except it is a Mac), then the iPad is a great device for carrying around. It is small enough to be easy to stow, but big enough to have a great screen.

I have some fantastic games on mine (Real Racing 2 HD is the best racing game I have played and XPlane is a great flight sim) and it is great for the web (apart from Flash), email, etc. The iCloud thingumajig keeps my calendar, contacts, bookmarks etc synchrionized, and saved safely. It does have a Notes app so you can write, and later e-mail the text to yourself to use on the PC back home.

It does all the camera/video stuff and is easy enough to handle (compared to how cumbersome a laptop would be to shoot video with). But I haven't been overly impressed with the picture quality in low light... you might want to check that if it's important to you.

The thing that still gets me everytime is that you don't have to boot it up. I love not waiting while that hideous Windows screen sits there. Biggest advantage is not running Windows - my iPad hasn't crashed once. I loathe Windows.

If you want Office, Apple has apps that are compatible with Word, Excel and Powerpoint and you can import and export to Office on the PC. Each app is about 10 quid, and I haven't felt the need to buy them yet. If you plan to do a lot of typing you can get plug in poratble qwerty keyboards so that you aren't faced with using the screen keys for hours... that would be tedious.

All in all, I love that my iPad never needs to be off (except on the plane), and I love flipping the cover off my iPad, pressing refresh on the browser to see the new posts on the forum and flipping the cover down again. Ten seconds to see what's new. Less time than it would take to boot up a laptop.

I do own a laptop, but it only runs my layout (because the CTI control software doesn't run on my Mac). I haven't found another use for it yet.

The only thing I think I would like on my iPad that I currently can only do on my Mac desktop is website design - that would be a nice thing to be able to mess with on-the-go. There are even apps for that on the iPad, but I can live without it.

Newportnobby · August 15, 2012, 09:06:43 PM

Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 15, 2012, 08:03:43 PM

The better Android phones do everything I normally want basically. I can take photos, annoy people on Google+, use web forums, check train times, do ebay, read my Kindle books (without a Kindle), play music, film, run the layout and so on. It even tells the time.

I notice you haven't said if it can make calls or text

EtchedPixels · August 15, 2012, 09:20:50 PM

Quote from: newportnobby link=topic=7169.msg81531#msg81531
I notice you haven't said if it can make calls or text :whistle:
/quote]

Fortunately yes - although it must be said a lot of smartphones aren't that good phones

It'll also video conference via Google+ and stuff if you are on wireless.

Newportnobby · August 15, 2012, 09:26:50 PM

Returning to topic - iPad every time

Tank · August 15, 2012, 09:31:34 PM

How many more times are you going to use that joke NewportNobby?!?!

Stevie DC · August 15, 2012, 09:33:27 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on August 15, 2012, 09:26:50 PM
Returning to topic - iPad every time

Is there an app for that?

longbridge · August 15, 2012, 09:37:53 PM

Interesting read but I am with Alan "Etched Pixels" and stick with my Android Smartphone, to me an iPad looks like an electronic photo frame or has something missing.

zwilnik · August 15, 2012, 10:20:20 PM

The only thing I use my MacBook Air for now instead of my iPad is writing iPad games

scotsoft · August 15, 2012, 10:42:10 PM

Quote from: EtchedPixels on August 15, 2012, 08:03:43 PM
(Amazingly I had to go and find an app so I could use it to time pasta.... they didn't include a stopwatch!)

That does surprise me as my last three Android phones have all had timers on them.

I use them for timing flights on my helicopters so I don't ruin the lipo batteries

Oldman · August 15, 2012, 10:52:03 PM

7" Android tablet with optional usb keybpard(hdmi ready) and 10.2"netbook running xp all using a mifi dongle

buckle247 · August 15, 2012, 11:47:39 PM

My phones battery only used to last half a day, since getting an iPad it will almost last two days! Some days I don't even bother turning my pc on now.

I got it as an impulse buy on eBay deal of the day, thinking it wouldnt get used much and could easily sell it on, but it gets used loads. I was looking at getting a laptop to take on holiday, but the problem was battery life on them. IPad battery life is great, should be able to watch three films and play some games on a single charge. Plenty for your average flight/journey.
Would even consider buying a second now to save fighting with the other half over it lol.

silly moo · August 16, 2012, 07:20:55 AM

I love my iPad and hardly ever use my desktop computer now. The iPad is so easy to use and such fun.

A major benefit for me is getting Hornby Magazine and BRM in electronic form, the latter is not available here without a costly subscription, I've saved a fortune in subscription costs and always have something to read when I'm traveling. I have also downloaded a few novels for longer journeys.

The email and office side of things are adequate they only thing I miss occasionally is CorelDraw.