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June 17, 2013

Comments

John Welsh

I still use my iPad quite a bit, though slightly less than when I first got it. I will say that it has been invaluable for me to take notes in meetings at customer sites, when I travel it is my go to device. All that being said, I still have my laptop in reserve because there are some workloads that the iPad just won't do. When I travel with just the iPad I even leave my laptop up and powered on back at the house just in case there is something that I have to remote into it to do.

That being said, I still use my iPad daily (am using it right now actually), I actually find myself using my phone less than I used to in favor of the screen real estate of the iPad. You see, I refuse to carry around the massively huge sub-tablet phones, they are just too big. I'm fine with using my smaller screen smartphone to do things on the go, but those tasks typically graduate to the tablet when I'm near it.

Ryan Kucera

I'm not an Apple fan so never bought an iPad. But I used Tablet PCs for years. Of course they were heavy and battery life wasn't great, but it was great for note taking and drawing. Plus using a stylus instead of a mouse was nice in some situations.

Today I use a 17.3" laptop and a Surface tablet. Laptop for almost everything and the Surface for mostly consumption or in the airport. Having Office and remote desktop on the Surface is nice in certain situations.

Dmchyla

I hardly use my iPad, mostly because the experience on my Android phone (Motorola Razor M) is good enough that I don't have to. And I can pull out a Windows laptop when I need a bigger screen/better experience. I would rather have a web experience than load another app.The iPad is mostly relegated to the kids watching Myth busters on Netflix.

Gg47

I have actually experienced quite the opposite. I have been using it more and more as it becomes constantly useful and as the applications available become more sophisticated. The iPad has become an indispensable business assistant, productivity and social tool. There are many advantages it has over my laptop and phone when in meetings, on the road, on site or just relaxing with a coffee during work or on weekends. I have found that my laptop (MacBook Pro) has sadly not had much use at all. Obviously there needs to be a use for any tech tool, if not then of course it will sit on a shelf little used.

Chriscowleyunix

I resisted the temptation to buy one. Partly, I am not an Apple fan, I actively dislike them due to Steve Jobs claims to have invented so many things that clearly they did not. That however is an argument for a different forum.

Even when Android devices started appearing, even at low prices that could be easily impulse bought by most professionals, I still resisted. Simply because I had a feeling that this is exactly what would happen. In reality, the 8-11" form factor fills gap that does not really exist. It's too big to be truly portable (will not fit in my back pocket).

If I just want to consume info, then my phone is more than sufficient. If I need to interact a bit then that is fine too (tweets for example). Any more than that and I need a proper screen and keyboard. That does not leave a lot of space for an tablet really. It has been shoved to the side because it is not significantly more useful than a phone, but cannot 100% replace it due to its size.

Bonnie

I'm with you, Chuck. My ipad stays mainly in the kitchen, as I love using it to stream audio to my bluetooth speakers while cooking dinner or, in the morning, while getting ready for the day. I also like it best for my games, Words with Friends and Pop Words (addictive, if you've not tried it). Were I more of a film and video watcher, I'd probably defer to it for that as well.

Like you, I find the ipad clunky and kind of unstable for writing, editing, and a lot of other content creation/consumption activities. I like the more solid feel and sense of control I have when using my laptop.

And like another guest said, my Android smart phone fills in all my mobile and social gaps quite nicely.

So interesting, this evolving anthropology and sociology of computing devices. Thanks for a thoughtful post.

Gnuub

I'm also in the camp that waited. Laptops were getting so light that I figured for me it would marginalize my utility of an tablet. Look at the new ultrabook convertibles coming out presented at computex and the like. It solves both use cases. Haswell is absolutely going to impact the tablet space with laptops running in the 10 hour arena at a 2 pound carry weight. I'm just surprised Apple has not turned the Air into one. Of course they are notorious of releasing technology incrementally so they could be waiting for iris to be vetted and give retina, touch, and a convertible design to the Air later.

Thank you for the article and posts. It's been a fun read!

PC

I have noticed the same amount of lowered interest in tablet use. My wife's tablet hasn't been charged in 6 months. I use mine daily, but I have swapped back in the laptop for many tasks that I was trying to accomplish with just the tablet.

One of my biggest complaints about the tablet is the content providers themselves. A modern tablet is capable of producing as rich an experience as a laptop screen when browsing. Unfortunately, many content providers detect Android or iOS and start playing to the lowest common denominator. For example text becomes huge, menus disappear, and floating advertisements cover the text when I stop scrolling. It is that "feature" that has most turned me back to the laptop so that I can actually read and use the sites that I routinely visit.

Vince Westin

I have to admit I am hooked. I have the new iPad, and I often prefer to read mail on it than in Outlook. And since EMC does not allow me to access gmail from my MacBook Air (yes, I have been converted - I think I am rational, though that may be fanboi denial), I find that I can better share my other messages (blog related, personal, etc.) with the iPad mail interface. And I do not have EMC guiding me on which web sites I can access (including annoying things like warnings on the twitter feeds on pages). Maybe this is more about EMC IT rules than about the tablet....

But I like other things better. The WebEx app for me is better than the desktop version (I can zoom and such). Of course, I can also have WebEx up on my iPad (in full view) while I work on other things on my MacBook...

And I carry all my books on my iPad. I read them there. I use it for most of my media consumption. I did try an iPad mini, and while the screen is not as nice (nor as large), getting things done in half the weight has some real advantages. So my next version may be a mini. Every now and then, I find myself without my iPad and trying to do some of the same things on my phone. And every time it reminds me why I have the iPad.

sophie

I still think ipads and tablets are amazing and still so handy to use

Bob

Since I don't have a smartphone (don't want to pay the monthly fee), I tend to use my Galaxy Tab 7" tablet when traveling or even just around the house for light tasks.

Like most people, I do other heavy tasks on my 15.6" laptop, which I used to carry it around, but now the laptop stays stationary, which might be a good thing.

The comments to this entry are closed.

Chuck Hollis


  • Chuck Hollis
    SVP, Oracle Converged Infrastructure Systems
    @chuckhollis

    Chuck now works for Oracle, and is now deeply embroiled in IT infrastructure.

    Previously, he was with VMware for 2 years, and EMC for 18 years before that, most of them great.

    He enjoys speaking to customer and industry audiences about a variety of technology topics, and -- of course -- enjoys blogging.

    Chuck lives in Vero Beach, FL with his wife and four dogs when he's not traveling. In his spare time, Chuck is working on his second career as an aging rock musician.

    Warning: do not ever buy him a drink when there is a piano nearby.

    Note: these are my personal views, and aren't reviewed or approved by my employer.
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