Looking for a Tablet/Laptop

Discussion in 'Techforge' started by Azure, Jul 22, 2011.

  1. Azure

    Azure I could kick your ass

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    Need something for work that is durable/portable.....and can do Exchange and Office.

    Especially need it to work smoothly for Outlook, Word and Excel.

    Kicker is that I'm almost always in a dusty environment, and I don't want to spend $3,000 for a toughbook.

    Any recommendations?

    I was thinking about getting an Android Tablet, but I'm a bit concerned of how it integrates with Office.
  2. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    Android Tablet OS's are not going to be a cash cow for google the way mobiles are; they won't increase customer loyalty to Google platforms. Hence the reason for a lack of features.

    iPad + OtterBox.
  3. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    To add: Yes, iPads are compatible with Office via Pages, Numbers and Keynote.
  4. Azure

    Azure I could kick your ass

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    The case will probably be a great addition. The tablet seems like the best way to go in terms of protection in a dusty environment because everything is enclosed. You don't get that with a laptop.

    In terms of Office....what offers the next best thing? Android or iOS?
  5. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    To be honest with you, I use my iPad primarily for media consumption, contracts (There is a great signature capture app), reading (kindle), etc.

    I know that Pages or Documents to Go seem to have the highest ratings.

    That said, I use Google Docs on my iPad a lot. I prefer google docs.
  6. Muad Dib

    Muad Dib Probably a Dual Deceased Member

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    I'd strongly advise you not to get an iPad. Your co-workers might get the wrong idea.

    If you know what I mean. :?:
  7. Azure

    Azure I could kick your ass

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    I'm actually leaning more towards a laptop simply because I can join it to the Windows Domain.

    The idea of a tablet is great, but until you can actually make it part of your network insofar as joining it to the domain like I said, it is a bit useless to me.
  8. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    I can understand you on the domain issue. There are several programs though that slow you to essentially create a wireless NAS box on your iOS device. If file sharing is your only objection, that should meet your needs.
  9. Azure

    Azure I could kick your ass

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    My needs might not go beyond file sharing, but IT won't let me have access to the network the way I want unless I'm part of the domain and they can control my device they way they want.

    If I can't do that with a tablet, I'll more than likely get a laptop.
  10. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    Apple is selling a ton of these devices to corporations and I've heard they're "Enterprise ready." I honestly wonder how - I hadn't thought of the domain issue.

    On the other hand, I can't see what they would want to do to an iPad that they couldn't do by just knowing its mac address.
  11. Azure

    Azure I could kick your ass

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    Its a totally different issue when you want physical control over it like you have over a Windows device.

    Like the Blackberry. The enterprise loves it because they can run it through Blackberry Exchange Server and control it. Completely control what the user does. Keep track of it, filter it, block stuff...etc, etc. Which is STILL why businesses are still going to use it. Android and Apple don't have that, and until they do, nothing will compare to the Blackberry in terms of security and IT control.

    Otherwise, yes the iPhone, iPad and any Android phone or tablet can do pretty much the same thing. Email is easy to setup. Even file sharing is easy to do.

    But the file sharing isn't secure, and most companies don't trust programs like Dropbox. On the other hand, if I have control over all my devices with AD, BES or something LIKE that, I win. And we deal with secure information.

    I just wish Microsoft would get their ass in gear and release a good tablet/laptop combo that is optimized for 'tablet' use. Dell has one but it isn't setup for the 'tablet' interface. Office is sluggish on it at best.
  12. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    Just one of the benefits of being my own boss, I guess. I control every one of my employees' devices -- by picking them up in my hands. :)
  13. frontline

    frontline Hedonistic Glutton Staff Member Moderator

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    Have you. Checked out Motion Computing? Their CL9000 series may work for you. I looked into them. I don't think their processors could run a CADD package.
  14. Mullet Man

    Mullet Man Banned

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    Blackberry's tablet was just approved for government use, in the US.
  15. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Scalawag Administrator Formerly Important

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    How soon do you need it? Amazon is going to be coming out with an Android tablet this fall... rumors are that it might be the first to give the iPad a run for it's money. Then again, these rumors come from Seattle boards, so take that with a grain of salt.
  16. Tex

    Tex Forge or die. Administrator Formerly Important

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    I'm not sure that any one tablet is going to compete with the iPad head to head. It will be the entire Android line competing against one Apple device, just like with phones. If one tablet alone is going to catch up to the iPad it would have to be so far superior to all the other Android tablets that no one would really even consider buying them so it could take all the Droid based sales.

    I haven't played with the Motorola Xoom yet, spec wise though it should be considered pretty direct competition for the iPad. I did use a Blackberry Playbook at Best Buy the other day, it wasn't anything special. Then again I'm so used to the way iOS runs now that I'm probably biased.
  17. Tuckerfan

    Tuckerfan BMF

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    You can buy a tablet which runs Windows 7. Reviews aren't exactly stellar, but they don't fall into the "Kill yourself rather than buy one of these things" category.
  18. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Scalawag Administrator Formerly Important

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    I agree. I just meant that it will be the first to stand out of pack and be seen as a competitor. The iPad has too much of an established base plus the fanboy factor for any one device to take on.

    Some more info:


    Amazon said to be lining up Taiwanese component suppliers for Q3 tablet launch

    By Josh Ong
    Published: 02:45 AM EST


    Reports from the Asian supply chain regarding upcoming tablets from online retailer Amazon have continued to emerge, with industry sources claiming the company is tapping Taiwanese vendors for a launch in the third quarter of this year.

    DigiTimes reported on Wednesday that Taiwanese Integrated Circuit design houses are expected to see sales "move up vigorously" in the September quarter ahead of the rumored launch of a line of Amazon-branded tablets.

    Industry sources said the company is planning 7- and 10-inch tablets. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Amazon was outsourcing a "roughly nine-inch screen" tablet to an Asian manufacturer and planning a touchscreen version of its Kindle e-reader, which could correspond to the 7-inch device that supplier sources have suggested.

    According to DigiTimes sources, the tablet will be assembled solely by Quanta, with Chunghwa Picture Tubes supplying touch sensors for the supposed 7-inch model. The report claimed 2.0-2.4 million touch panels will be shipped to Amazon by the end of September, with Wintek accounting for 70 to 75 percent of the volume. The company reportedly expects to ship a total of four million tablets this year.

    Other suppliers rumored to providing components for the project include: Nvidia (CPU; ILI Technology (Touch controller ICs); Novatek Microelectronics (LCD driver ICs); Capella Microsystems and Sitronix Technology (Ambient light sensors); Richtek Technology and Global Mixed-code Technology (Power management ICs); and Sitronix (Gravity sensors).


    [​IMG]

    Sources added that Amazon's heavy use of Taiwan-based IC suppliers will enhance the companies' "competitiveness against international IC players later on."

    The much-anticipated Amazon tablet has been proclaimed by some to be the biggest threat to Apple's dominance in the tablet market. Pundits view Amazon's music, e-book, video and app stores as a counter to the iTunes ecosystem that has helped Apple achieve immediate success with the iPad.

    Rumors of the tablet emerged earlier this year. However, it has been said that Amazon could face production difficulties with its tablets, as Apple has reportedly booked up the majority of available tablet-sized touch panel production capacity through the end of the year.

    Link
  19. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Scalawag Administrator Formerly Important

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    Yeah, not too bad, but Windows 8 is where M$ is putting most of their tablet eggs. Hopefully they won't show up too late to the party. They've shown with the Xbox line that enough money can overcome a late start, but recently they've had less than stellar luck with Win7 phones, although once Nokia starts cranking them out (Nokia is going Win7 exclusive), this might change.
  20. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    This is probably the biggest competitor to Apple that I see?

    Why? Google's customers on tablets are not customers - they are advertisers. Apple's customers? End users. And the same with Amazon.
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  21. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    I saw that recently and that statement crystallized my thoughts on Apple and Google:

    "Apple's customers are you, Google's customers are advertisers." There in one sentence is why I remain loyal to Apple and stay far away from Google (as much as it's possible to do while still using the internet. Google is a fucking hydra, and it's only getting bigger and devouring more of the internet as it goes.)
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  22. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    From what I've read about it so far, Windows 8 sounds like it's going to be big news. But whether it'll be Windows 7 big news (i.e. finally nailed it) or Windows Vista news (i.e. tried to be innovative but really just ripped off OS X in a tumbling, thrashing FAILCRASH) remains to be seen.
  23. Tex

    Tex Forge or die. Administrator Formerly Important

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    I really love OSX and Windows 7. I use both daily. The only reason I give an edge to Apple is because they tend to maintain a performance level for the life of the product, not just the first 12 months. Windows still slows down over time despite it's much nicer, cleaner, current version.

    For mobile operating systems IOS is hands down the best available. It's smoother and faster. And if you really want to jailbreak it for the most part it still seems to be smooth and fast.
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  24. Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee

    Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

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    Have you used Lion? I don't use OSX at all. I have heard a lot of interesting things about lion though.
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  25. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Scalawag Administrator Formerly Important

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    Windows 8 is either going to be revolutionary (in fact Steve Ballmer is considering dropping the Windows name) or a total flop. It's a pretty radical departure, the whole thing is based on the Zune software. Yeah, yeah, everyone made fun of the Zune when it first came out, but have you messed around with the new HDs? Anyway, the idea is to have one OS on phones, tablets, PCs, and even the Xbox platform. Combined with the cloud MS wants you to be able to seamlessly transition between devices. We'll see how it works.
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  26. Volpone

    Volpone Zombie Hunter

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    I was once the speechwriter for Steve Ballmer. I wanted him to say "developers" 37 times, but he only wanted to say it 35 times. :(
  27. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    I'm using it right now, and god damn is it nice. Multi-touch with Lion isn't just a luxury, though, it's very nearly a necessity. It's so integral to how the OS operates, and more importantly it makes everything about using the OS so easy that Microsoft is really, truly missing the boat by bringing just one multi-touch peripheral to the Windows table. Multi-touch on the Magic Mouse makes the "only one physical button" thing a complaint only somebody who's never used one would even think about offering.
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  28. John Castle

    John Castle Banned Writer

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    And there's two ways to do that, even. You can Option+Click, which is what I prefer, or you can go into System Preferences and actually set the mouse up for Windows-style right-clicking. By far the more handy, though, is not having the need for a mouse with a "back button" or a scroll wheel, since you can just swipe your finger vertically along the top of the mouse for scrolling, your horizontally for going back through web pages.
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