iPads and Droid/Blackberry based tablets

[xjsb125]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with these? My laptop died about a year and a half ago, and I've thought about replacing it with a snazzy i5 Pentium, or snatching up an iPad or Droid tablet. Thoughts?

[Flynner]

I have a samsung galaxy tab, they're pretty cool to have full access to the internet and everything on the go, But you still need a full computer whether it be a lap top or desktop. If you have a desktop too then it's totally worth getting a tab instead of a laptop. I got the samsung tab because it supports flash and ipads don't and I love it, it is 2 inches smaller than the ipad i believe so in most my pants it fits in my back pocket, I can download torrents and everything straight to it. In summary lol they are really cool and i definitely use it more than my laptop but obviously don't have the power of a full computer, i was kind of rambling but I hope it was a little bit helpful ha ha.

[Joe Cooler]

I think it depends on what kind of user you are. If you are a power user, a tablet device like the iPad any Android device will never be able to completely replace a laptop. If you just want to surf the web, email and play with a few cool apps then maybe a tablet is best. However, if you decide to go the tablet route, stay away from Android or Windows 7 tablets that try to be laptops. I truly believe that manufactures that approach tablets like touch screen laptops will fail while those that approach it as a separate platforms with separate conventions will succeed. I think Apple's iPad is the industry leader for this reason.

However, Androids open source environment will give you more freedom than the iPad. If you are careful, this could certainly be a good thing. Conversely, while many people bemoan Apple's "hedged garden" approach to the app store, it ensures that nothing you install will negatively effect your device.

I've used the iPad as well as a few Android tablets. I liked both, but I found that the iPad was quite a bit snappier than the tablets I tried. Of course, I was borrowing tablets from Android users who loaded their device with all the bells and whistles imaginable so that might of hindered them.

Considering how late this reply is, you've probably already made your decision. I'm sure you will enjoy whatever you chose.

[xjsb125]

No purchase made yet.

I think it depends on what kind of user you are.

There is my problem. I don't really know if I want a laptop for all the times I'm on the road and need to transfer or edit concert recordings, or if I just want something that I can sit on my front porch and get online with. I'm not a gamer, so that much isn't important. There are times where I may need to get online for something, but have Owen running wild in the living room and can't escape to the basement to do so. If I get a new laptop, definitely going with an i5 at minimum. My desktop runs an i7 and I love it. Thanks for the responses. Anyone else who wants to chime in, feel free to post your thoughts/experiences.

[Kicker774]

What's your price point?
I deal with Lenovo x200 / x201 tablets at work and they seem to be pretty solid. But expensive.

[xjsb125]

Probably $600 max. We have a Toshiba laptop on clearance at my store for $598. It has an i5, 17.3" screen, Blu-Ray, HDMI out. It's kind of hard to pass it up, but at the same time its so freakin' big. I had a Toshiba for 4 years before the board died, so I know it's a brand I trust. Still reading reviews on all the tablets.

[xjsb125]

I got to check out a few tablets at Best Buy today. I liked the BlackBerry Playbook. I have a BB phone, so the connectivity between the two is appealing. Looked at laptops too, but felt like I can get a better deal at my store, or through Walmart.com.

[reza]

Hey Matt,

Obviously it comes down to what you're using it for but if you decide to go the tablet route, here are my two cents.

I've owned an Android (Moto Xoom) and switched over to the iPad last month. I'd highly recommend the iPad. My mother was able to replace her laptop with a tablet, I don't think that you or I would be able to pull something like that off.

I'm sure there are a lot of higher end tablets that people would recommend (maybe the Asus) but in my opinion nothing comes close to the build quality that Apple offers. For the most part, I didn't have issues with Honeycomb but it was more glitchy than the iPad, the apps don't run as well and battery life isn't up to par.

Also, there's Garageband available for iPad, I haven't used it but I'm sure you can do some basic sound editing off that. Also, check out the Belkin Survivor iPad cases if you decide to go that route. I'm sure you'll feel much more comfortable leaving it lying around with the kiddies around.