Windows tablet vs. iPad?
 

Just saw an ad on TV for the tablet.

Of course it made the iPad look inferior.

I have always used PC's - never Apple....and been OK with them for my purposes.

Any downside to going with a tablet over an iPad?

Thanks for any input!

Not if you can do everything on an IPad that you need a computer to do. Can you?

IPad doesn't have Flash, so you can't see a lot of videos.

I have an IPad, but would seriously consider a tablet if/when I get another one. Much cheaper, and more ports on many tablets for memory cards, USB, etc.

My new job at Boeing; they issued me one of each, plus I have a personal Ipad. The "Surface" is amazing, really. You can plug any USB device into it which makes it so much more handy than the Ipad.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but tablets are input devices, as are keyboards and mouses (no, not (for reasons I don't know) mice).

To clarify, you're asking about a laptop (as opposed to a PC) compared to an iPad, right?

Pairing an external keyboard with an Ipad or Surface is a very nice compliment to the device. It's also handy to use external memory readers and other such items.

Android is the way to go. Unless you need to run some specific windows application. Android offers a lot more flexibility and configurability than the iPad. You can even pair a keyboard AND a mouse with Android.

Use (and love) the iPad here. Maybe the others are superior on features but I'm happy with what I have. Does everything I need and then some. Get the 64 GB (or 128 GB) version, and the retina display is definitely worth it.

On a similar note, I won a Kindle Fire HD in a sales contest recently. Worthless unless you void the warranty: no Flash, no Google Play Store (where all the decent apps are located)...

1 vote for Ipad....

It depends what you need it for...

I have one of everything for testing except the Surface Pro which I really wanted until I saw the battery life and price. I can do everything on my iPads except run an exe. I like the Android tablets too, but just prefer the iPads. I would still keep my MacBook Air if it was the only device I was allowed to use as it is light, fully featured with great battery and I can run Windows on it (for the exe programs).

If one device is going to be it, you should consider the Air

What would be your non-Mac choice to be close to the Air?

Flash is becoming less important as HTML5 takes over. IN 2 years it will be dead.

That said, Android is probably a lot more popular than Windows Tablets.

I dislike Apple but unless you are a tinkerer, the iPad is solid... Androids allow a lot more freedom (widgets, non Google sources, etc..) if you like to tinker and think outside the norm.

Uh, good question, I haven't found a Windows device that I think competes with the Air. If the SurfacePro was about half the price and double the battery life, I guess it would be my choice (Did I mention I hate Windows 8 :D )

I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus as a mini laptop at times. I have a real key keyboard cover and a mouse which connect with Bluetooth.

I have VPN access back to the office. I can connect to the network drives and do what I need to do. The file structure is open so I can copy and paste files where I want. The expandable storage allows swapping of memory cards or almost infinite storage.

Finally, Office to Go simply works. If there was a basic Android App for QuickBooks, I'd be able to do almost everything.

If you want to play movies, surf, play Angry Birds, listen to music and read e-mail, the iPad is fine. It is probably more idiot proof than Android.

I do need to upgrade soon to something newer. It is almost 2 years old! I did just dump my iPhone 4S for the Galaxy 4S. Even my TV has a quad core Android box hooked up.

Again, it all depend

Agreed - I can't stand flash sites for the most part and there's always a nagging in the back of my mind about potential security risks and exploitability. I stay on top of updates as best I can and set security to restrict just about everything (most flash users probably don't even know how to do this which I find irksome since adobe isn't exactly up-front about the potential exploits and how to prevent them). It's nice to be able to browse more or less worry free on apple products with only a few little setting changes. Big peace of mind.