I'm in the market for a tablet and I was assuming I'd get an iPad but I just got a Samsung phone and I use Windows computers, so I'm wondering now if it would make more sense to get an Android tablet. I don't really know what I want the tablet for... internet browsing for sure, maybe watching movies? But probably also some writing (So I'd get a keyboard as well). If I'm using it for writing, I'd probably want it to be Office compatible (if not Word, then at least Libre Office or something similar). Does Libre Office work on iPads, or are you stuck with their weird Apple word processor? (I know, it's not weird, it's wonderful, but... I'm not used to it. It's weird to me.) Does it make sense to stick with the Windows/Android environment, or is it pretty easy to jump back and forth between? (There's no way I'm going straight Apple, so if I'm going to be "pure", it'll be pure Windows/Android). Any thoughts/experiences?
You can get Microsoft's Office products on iPads. I use Word, Outlook, and OneNote. They all work well. I go back and forth between my Macbook, the iPad, and two Windows computers all the time. No problem. I don't think you can run Libre Office on tablets. However, WPS Office has a free office suite that plays well with Word and you can run those apps on iPad.
There is AndrOpen Office, which is a port of Open Office and has a very similar feature set to Libre Office. There are ads, though, unless you buy the 'Professional Pack,' which you can get around for free if you know have a bit of know how on how to use Android and know where to look. Not that I recommend or condone such things. I've been using it for probably close to a year now and I haven't really had any troubles with it.
Just a thought @BayView, but if you're happy with Windows PC, why not get a Windows tablet? I had an Asus hybrid thing (clip on keyboard made it like an ultra-light laptop) which I was very happy with until somebody sat on it.
I was thinking about that, for sure. I had an ASUS a while ago and didn't love it, but... maybe they've gotten better? (Mine was really laggy and slow, even when doing simple things. But, thinking back... it was at least ten years ago that I bought it...)
I had mine about three or four years ago and it seemed ok for email/browsing/photos etc. Never tried it with huge word files. It only had 32gb of storage which was crap, but it came with free cloud storage so worked ok with WiFi I do think of getting another one (or a Samsung etc.) but - if I am honest - I don't understand the need for tablets. Great tech still looking for a need to exist. I have watched a couple of live-streamed events on tablets; rugby matches, royal weddings etc. in fact watched the last UK royal wedding on a tablet on a boat going through Windsor so we were inside and outside the church at the same time which was cool... but a laptop would have worked just as well without needing to be propped up against something. I still see a decent laptop as the best computing solution -- can do anything that either a tablet or a desktop can do -- but then I still use a Blackberry (c:
Eh. When I'm rendering video, what takes me about 5 minutes on my desktop usually takes 4-10 hours on my laptop. If the laptop finishes the task at all instead of shutting down to save itself from that kind of duty cycle. I get this isn't typical usage for most people, but sometimes it's nice to have the option of shoving three video cards into a machine.
Well perhaps for a few applications you need a bit more power... to be fair I think you would struggle with your kind of usage on an iPad mini, also... Up until about a fortnight ago I was using an old Toshiba (Windows XP old) to stream internet, catch-up TV, movies etc to my TV and it coped happily. It was fine even with my slightly heavier than average use (I used it to develop enterprise softwares so had a database server and an application/internet server running as virtual machines whilst using it as its own enterprise client...), so my glib comment covers "most" usage. But not yours (c:
If I wanted to do writing on the go, I'd definitely go for a laptop. I'm an Apple user all the way, but I bought an iPad several years ago, and find I just never use it. It's been useful a couple of times, when our home broadband went down, and I could go to a neighbour's or somewhere else to access email, etc. But that's it. I'm not bothering to upgrade or replace the tablet. I know the interface has improved, and you can now get wordprocessing programmes for the iPad ...including Pages, which is the programme I use on my other devices. But the keypad on an iPad is a pain in the arse (way too small on the mini version and not much better on the larger one.) I bought a Bluetooth keyboard to use with the iPad—which is a palaver to set up every time, so again, that just sits there. (Not to mention you have to keep THAT charged up as well.) And there is also the issue of having to store your work in The Cloud and retrieve it later (and hope The Cloud hasn't screwed up.) There isn't any other way to transfer work from the iPad that I know of. I have to say, though, that I've not kept up with iPad technology. Maybe the new ones are a lot better and offer more functions than mine does. However, I never really used mine, even when it was top of the line (back in 2015.) I have the desktop Mac Mini for all my main work and the MacBook Air laptop if I need to work elsewhere. A Kindle to read books from. And a Samsung StupidPhone to make calls with. If I absolutely need access to the internet when I'm out and about, I do take the iPad. But you have to be near Wi-Fi to use it, which is also a pain in the butt, as you need Wi-Fi passwords to use it that way. (I understand the new iPads can work with mobile telephone signals, if you're willing to pay an arm and a leg for that privilege.) I'm with @Hammer on this issue. I just think iPads are a technology that has been eclipsed by other pieces of hardware. With a laptop (for writing and storing work) and a Smartphone (for quick internet access), you're probably okay for getting out and about. Unless you also want a tablet to read books from. (For that, I totally recommend Kindle Paperwhite.) I don't know what other brands of tablets are like. Maybe they offer more functions? Dunno.
I already have a smart phone and a laptop and an e-reader... BUT I WANT MORE!!!! (My laptop is reasonably expensive and heavy, so I don't really want to take it with me when I'm trecking around. Like, if I go to the beach for the day, I'd like to take something less expensive, more disposable. Hmmm... paper and pen?)
If you want to write at the beach with a tablet, I suppose that's do-able. You could try buying an older, refurbished model, to see if a tablet suits you. It might. I have a friend who uses her iPad all the time, and she's NOT a Mac user normally. Her phone is a Samsung and her computer is a Dell with Windows. But she loves the iPad. As long as she's near Wi-Fi she can keep up on her emails and watch movies, etc. Her main computer at home is a laptop, which, like you, she doesn't enjoy carrying around. However, she's not a writer either, other than emails and things like that.
I find that I struggle to write without a mouse. It should be "I struggle to edit without a mouse", but, no, it's the first-draft stage that I have trouble doing on my phone or iPad. I mention that because it might be worth getting a cheap Bluetooth keyboard first, to see if writing on your phone works, and to minimize the investment if it doesn't. Of course, if the issue is screen size, that would tell you nothing.
I am a huge fan of the Samsung Pro 510C24I 12.3″ Convertible Chromebook. Its light, has a fairly widescreen, and folds up like a nice protected book. Good processor and memory for its size so you wont really be waiting around long for things to load. All windows products work on it of course, but you can also partition the harddrive to put an apple OS if you so choose. I'm not a big fan of apple anything so I wouldn't. I use it for work or for sitting out on the beach and reading, writing, or whatever general use. California allows for quite a bit of sitting out by the ocean
I'm not sure why you would do this. Most Window products, such as Windex or Dawn: Windowclear contain toxic chemicals that you wouldn't want to put on an apple. Not only would it remove a lot of the apple's nutritional value, it would also probably kill you--or at least give you a stomach ache--which is a sub-optimal strategy for long term life living. If you're looking to mix something with Apple, I recommend peanut butter, caramel, or even chocolate on occasion. While the latter is less customary, the two former synchronize very well for appetizers or afternoon snacks. Hope this helps!!
I have one of these for writing on my tablet. It can connect using either Bluetooth, or USB, so it should be able to work with most devices. They're cheaper mechanical keys but I still like them better than most laptop keyboards, the battery lasts me for hours, and having torn mine apart for curiosity reasons, it looks like it'd be fairly simple to replace if it ever started to go on you. The only thing that I find poorly thought out is that the question mark is a bit of a pain to get to. Due to the form factor it's been placed under the ↑ key so getting to it means hitting function, shift, then up. If you forget to hit function, you will just start typing on the line above where you were and it caan get downright painful depending on how long it took you to notice.
