Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do?
Posted on 21. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey in Features
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the advent of the tablet. Sure, much has already been written about the subject, so I’d like to stay away from the normal conversation. I would, of course, like to reference some articles before I delve deeper here, including Devin Coldewey’s article about the coming onslaught of Android slates, as well as Christopher Dawson’s take on the amount of changes he’s seen in a month’s time of more people relying on tablets and smartphones.
I currently use a Dell v13, an $899 ultra light laptop that is loaded with Windows 7 for all of the work I do on this site. Notwithstanding the fact that I had a Dell tech replace the faulty touchpad within a month of purchase and the fact that the graphics capabilities are tethered to the Intel-based chipset, I’m happy with it. But a nagging feeling remains that my current setup is just not optimal. If there were a middle ground between smartphone and laptop that is not Apple based and could give me what I get from the v13, I would happily switch.
The problem with my current laptop is that even though it is light and very mobile, it lacks the “easy-on” that I need. It runs Windows 7, a behemoth that seems to be better suited for desktops or bulky replacements for such. I don’t need all the junk that comes with a Windows OS; I just need something that works. This is not to say I don’t want to tinker, but I would prefer everything be configured from the start, and I’ll mess with what I want to much later on.
I want a tablet; I just don’t want an Apple one. I also am not interested in one that runs Android because that’s for phones, not for computers. Do I need a keyboard? That’s a subjective question, since I do type a lot as a writer but if there is a badass alternative to this antiquated set of Chiclets that I use to communicate then I would be all for it.
What do you think? Is the time for grappling with Windows over? Where is the cloud-based Windows killer we’ve all been looking for?
6 Responses to “Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do?”
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Tweets that mention Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do? | thechromesource - Google Chrome and Chrome OS News and Resources -- Topsy.com
21. Jul, 2010
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by GERSSa and Hacker News, thechromesource. thechromesource said: Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do?: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the advent of the tablet. Sure, muc… http://bit.ly/acUieU [...]
Sean Patterson
21. Jul, 2010
I’m personally itching to get something like the Asus Eee PC T101MT or the Lenovo S10-3T. Its a 10 inch Netbook that has a touch screen and the “swivel” to function in either tablet or laptop mode.
I’m a coder myself, so there are still times when letting my fingers fly over the keys would be more convenient to a touch interface. I’ve heard good things for the built in touch actions built into Windows 7 as well.
It wouldn’t take too much to max out the capabilities on one of these machines and then you could have the best of both worlds.
Daniel Cawrey
21. Jul, 2010
Thanks for this Sean.
I realize that many people still need keyboards. I was once a coder, so I understand the need for a keyboard. I believe that tablets will also offer the ability to use keyboards, the point I was trying to make is that we’ve been using them for so long – isn’t there another way at this point?
David
21. Jul, 2010
Sounds like you need to install Chrome OS on your laptop instead of Windows 7… I am eagerly waiting for it myself for personal use and for my whole family (I am the official family techie) for most people today Chrome OS or something similar that is web based will work for most peoples needs today.
The Technology Blog: Why Use a Laptop When a Tablet Will Do
22. Jul, 2010
[...] conversation. I would, of course, like to reference some articles before I delve deeper heSource:http://www.thechromesource.com/why-use-a-laptop-when-a-tablet-will-do/ Posted by Makin at 05:24 Labels: advent, [...]
Daniel Cawrey
25. Jul, 2010
David:
For the most part, you are right.
I use Chrome OS from time to time, but there are quirks to it. A major issue with the current builds is screen capture and image editing, which I need on an everyday basis.