NT - Tablet Usefulness

[pikester1967]

Looking for thoughts and opinions on how useful members are finding his/her tablet?

 

Trying to avoid buying a technical toy. How productive is the device and how do other's use it would be good information.

 

Thank You

 

 

[Jack from Ohio]

By my own researched choice, I will not buy a tablet. Any computing device without a disk drive is an over priced gaming machine.

Unless you just want to look cool and have bragging rights....

[Lion EA]

I won't put any tax returns or bookkeeping on a tablet.  Might travel with one for email access or reading if not taking my laptop.  But, I have my iPhone and Nook.

[mcb39]

I love my tablet and use it daily.  However, I DO call it my toy because of the freedom it gives me to get information anytime and almost anywhere.  I do have one that also has  cell connection to data when WiFi is not available.  If I am sitting on the porch or the couch; I still have access to any info on the web.  I can read and write e-mail; can take and save pictures to a memory card at a moments notice; such as recently when a big black bear came into our bird feeders in the early evening and we were sitting on the porch.  Mine also has hdmi and USB connections.  I use if for a lot more daring things than I would ever think of on my work computer; such as occasionally checking Facebook.  I also have AVG running as well as Malwarebytes.  I don't play games, but could.  I can check the weather; pretty much a 10" smart phone.  My cell phone is and probably always will be a simple flip phone.  I use it for making and receiving calls.  I use my tablet for everything else.  Is it necessary;  No.  Am I glad I have it;  Absolutely Yes!  I doubt that I have even begun to tap the surface of all that it can do and I have had it for two years.  BTY, mine is an Android, rather than an Apple.  I can use it while riding in the car as long as cell service is available.

[mcb39]

I won't put any tax returns or bookkeeping on a tablet.  Might travel with one for email access or reading if not taking my laptop.  But, I have my iPhone and Nook.

 

Your nook is equivalent to a tablet.

[kcjenkins]

I think a lot depends o the user's lifestyle.  'if you mostly work at the office, you don't really need one.  But if you travel between offices, and/or go to your clients, it might really be a useful tool to more effortlessly keep in touch with the office, access Pubs to show the client 'why' you are taking a position, and, of course, emails are a LOT easier  to read on a tablet than on any phone.  

[Lion EA]

It's an old Nook and just lets me read books.  No internet browsing to speak of other than to download more B&N books, no email, no games, etc.

[Jack from Ohio]

I take my laptop. It IS a computer and I can do all the things mentioned in this thread, plus hundreds of things that tablets, nooks, iphones etc., cannot do.

[michaelmars]

I use it on vacations so I can have a pdf of my clients returns incase they have an "emergency" need for info. surfing the web and handling emails is great.  the best though is that it fits in a hotel safe which a lap top can't. and with a laptop handy I might be tempted to get some work done.  Going to a seminar? you can download the info so you don't have to use paper. many of the seminars lately send you a pdf of the material and don't give paper copies.  if you do a lot of internet work the battery on the tablet way outlasts a kindle.

[JohnH]

My ipad increases my business & personal productivity. I don't prepare tax returns on it, but it serves extra duty as my 3rd monitor,. It is handy for such tasks as checking and replying to email, looking up pubs or other research, checking forums, etc. (Matter of fact, I'm on it now even though I''m at my desk with my computer on)

I don't have any games on it (other than the ones my grandkids installed for their use). When I'm shutting down the office at night, I just toss the ipad in my backpack and off we go, so I can pull it out at home or anywhere while watching tv, waiting on appointments, etc. I do have a data plan for it, so I'm not tethered to wifi, but it's quick and easy to sign onto wifi when available. Since it's an Apple product, I don't worry about viruses & malware very much.

When I travel, it's convenient for using in-flight wifi in the confined space of the airplane. It works equally well here in the US and overseas (for the most part). It's also my library, Bible, music player, photo & video editor, note pad, Kindle, GPS, online banking resource, check register, and appointment book. It's also synched up to my iPhone, so there's lots of redundancy across both devices.

I could do my work without it, but I could also do my work with a pencil & carbon paper. For me, the tablet provides some flexibility and seamlessness between various tasks, and even though I paid about $800 for it, I don't think it cost me a penny because of the increase productivity. Going without it would cost me real dollars.

A few suggestions for anyone getting a tablet. Don't pinch pennies - get the maximum memory and don't waste money on a "wifi only" version. (Without a data plan, much of the efficiency evaporates). Buy a good case with an integral bluetooth keyboard. Typing on the screen is usually tedious, but a high-quality Zagg keyboard/case makes that problem go away while protecting the device.

[mcb39]

All of the above comments have pointed out things that I was using the tablet for without even thinking about it.  Reading this board is one of them.  I agree with John that having a tablet is futile if you don't also have a data plan.  These plans are getting less expensive all the time.  We have seven devices on our plan; including two tablets.  We share 10 G of data and never even come close to using it because of the availability of Wi-Fi.  I have a good case, but rarely use the keyboard.  Typing on the screen with a stylus gets really easy once you get used to it.  Don't forget a good Zagg screen protector.   I will never be without a tablet, even if it is a toy.

[michaelmars]

also get a flash drive that is password protected and self destructs after 3 trues.  Ironman Key is great but at the very high end.  If you are afraid of keeping client data on something that could so easily be lost or stolen as a tablet then you can keep the data on such a drive and not worry if it gets lost. 

[mcb39]

I have my tablet password protected and also have it registered to an app called "Where's My Droid" which will help locate it if lost or stolen.  On the other hand, I never leave it lying around and treat it as I would my handbag.  Like any other device, you have to use some common sense.  I had to call twice in one evening to have my husband's cell phone disconnected and then reconnected because he left it lying in the wood shed.  Because he never leaves it turned on, we couldn't call him and "follow the ring".  

[jasdlm]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.  I use it quite a bit.  I use it to take notes in client meetings, and they sync with my desktop.  I can send tasks directly from my client meetings to my staff or myself.  I also use it daily for the reasons discussed by JohnH.  Finally, I have Teamviewer on it and can access my desktop in a pinch if I really need to look at a tax return, etc.  I don't absolutely NEED it, but I don't want to do without it.

 

Also, from a leisure standpoint, I can access my Nook and Kindle libraries from the tablet, so I no longer carry my old Nook (first generation), and I've never purchased a Kindle.  It's also a good way to entertain my 9 year old (books, games, access to netflix, etc.) if we're stuck somewhere.  (Not relevant to many on this Board, but nevertheless a lifesaver sometimes.)  I agree with Marilyn, and treat it as I treat my handbag.

[JohnH]

Looking at the various responses to this question, I begin to think of how my life has changed with this tool.  A friend who is very high-tech kept telling me it would change how I organize my life, both work and personal.  So I gave in and bought my first iPad 4 years ago.  At first it was a novelty - I used it occasionally to check email and look stuff up.  (The original  iPad didn't have a camera).  Nevertheless, I began to realize how much freedom it provided, increasing my efficiency and helping me stay in touch.  

 

Eventually I came to realize just how useful it was, especially when I bought an iPad II with a camera.  It also helped that data plans kept improving and at the same time wifi became more prevalent.  Better and more useful apps kept coming along as people began to see the power of this technology. Today, I can get by with just my iPhone for many tasks, but I still want the iPad handy when I'm doing something that requires lots of keyboard work or a bigger screen with more detail.

 

I think some people never get past the gaming and hobby use of their tablet.  For them, a tablet is a toy or a status symbol, and that's all it will ever be.  For others it's a business tool as well as a way to stay in touch with friends across town or around the world.  And when I'm in India, it sure is nice to call my wife on Facebook and speak with her face-to-face on a screen big enough to actually see the other person.  So I'll have to say that gaming and hobby use aside, for some of us the tablet has become an integral part of how we function on a daily basis.

[JohnH]

I'll add one other comment.  Anyone who thinks tablets are simply a toy hasn't had a visit from your air conditioner repairman lately, and you haven't been to the doctor lately either.  If you have, and if they aren't using a tablet in some manner, your repairman and your doctor are seriously out of touch and you may not be getting the quality of service from either of them to make your life more comfortable (or maybe even save it), 

[Jack from Ohio]

I'll add one other comment.  Anyone who thinks tablets are simply a toy hasn't had a visit from your air conditioner repairman lately, and you haven't been to the doctor lately either.  If you have, and if they aren't using a tablet in some manner, your repairman and your doctor are seriously out of touch and you may not be getting the quality of service from either of them to make your life more comfortable (or maybe even save it), 

Using a tablet in a totally networked environment like a Doctor's office during business hours is entirely different than most people use them.  My laptop still does everything a tablet does and much more.

[Catherine]

Another HUGE issue with tablets is the total lack of privacy.  Just about ANY app you want to install wants to track EVERYTHING on that tablet.  Contacts. Location by GPS. Emails.  Text messages.  Phone calls (if it has that capability).  Login info for any site you visit with it.  EVERYTHING.

 

I bought one for when I teach, to put my presentations on (some places it's too dark to read the notes on my Kindle).  I have a couple of came-with-it games (Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles). NO contacts, or anything else computer-useful, because I have yet to find ANY way to install those without signing over my life.  Which I will NOT do.  If the NSA wants it, they will have to work for it.

[michaelmars]

DON'T forget the camera....ever at a client who doesn't have a copy machine and you want a copy of something, ie a check to answer a notice, just take a pick and print it later  or email to staff to draft the response

[mcb39]

DON'T forget the camera....ever at a client who doesn't have a copy machine and you want a copy of something, ie a check to answer a notice, just take a pick and print it later  or email to staff to draft the response

 

I use my camera constantly and all pics are saved to a SD card.

[Lion EA]

I won't do anything vaguely sensitive, including emailing a client, without being able to shut the cover quickly when prying eyes pass by.  A laptop works well for that.  For a tablet, first one has to purchase a cover.  And then, still have to unfold it from it's stand mode into cover mode.  Without a stand, my husband's arms get very tired!  And, his tablet got very scratched up.  He's bought a couple of covers and his daughter gave him one for Fathers' Day, so the whole cover issue increased the cost significantly.  He kinda likes the one his daughter gave him.  But, he says it's still not ideal, so he's still looking.

[Lion EA]

My iPhone takes pictures and fits in my small purse.

[Eric]

If you want to consume information (books, photos, social networking, websites, documents, etc while in bed or on the couch, I find the tablet form factor is more comfortable than a laptop.

 

Some people attach keyboard covers to them and use them as laptops, but as someone who types about 90 wpm on a desktop keyboard, and 70 wpm on a good laptop keyboard with decent key travel (like a mac or a thinkpad), I find doing anything more than a quick message on a tablet/phone to be a horrible experience.

 

So, for me, a tablet isn't so great for creating content, but it's fine for reading/researching/learning. 

 

Catherine, as to your worries about privacy: You're screwed.  Not just with tablets, but anything digital.  No doubt you're using Windows, and Microsoft has most likely added a backdoor.  I'm pretty sure I saw some headlines over the past week or two about Apple and the backdoors they've added to their devices.  I doubt the NSA has to work very hard at all to access whatever they want.

 

You don't sound interested in having a tablet/smartphone, but if you were, this is how I would go about it to maximize security/privacy:

1. Get an Android device with a big developer following.  Any Nexus device, for example.
2. Replace the pre-installed OS (Android) with CyanogenMod, which is still Android, but built from AOSP (Android Open Source Project).  The source code is available for all to scrutinize.  Cyanogenmod also adds additional features.
3. Disable GPS and other Location services.
4. Note that every time you install any app, you are told exactly what access to the system the app is requesting, whether it's your contacts list, location info, local storage, etc.  So pay attention to that and don't install apps that ask for more access than they need to do their task.
5. Cyanogenmod has features that allow you to block app access to the system, so even if you installed an app that wants access to your contacts, you can choose revoke that permission.

[Jack from Ohio]

I was at my young nephew's house. I said: "Give me a newspaper." He said newspapers are obsolete and handed me his I-Pad.

The fly never knew what hit him!

[JohnH]

We still subscribe to the newspaper, but most of the time it sits in the plastic delivery bag until garbage day, then it goes out of the bag and into the recycle bin.  If my wife didn't occasionally look for coupons, and if our paper didn't add the online version for an extra $10/yer,  I'm not sure we would even renew.  I get more info, and faster, online than I ever could get with the newspaper.  Your nephew is pretty much on target.