Windows tablet vs. iPad?

Baz · Baz's Garage

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!

DARISC · 06-18-2013, 06:21 PM

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

Hugh R · 06-18-2013, 06:31 PM

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.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

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.

DARISC · 06-18-2013, 06:48 PM

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?

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

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.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

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.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

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.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

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)...

enzo1 · 06-19-2013, 05:04 AM

1 vote for Ipad....

stealthn · 06-19-2013, 05:30 AM

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

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

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

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

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.

stealthn · 06-19-2013, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

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

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

)

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreit

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.

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

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

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.