Tablets? Seeking recommendations...

[Trakar]

Bobthedonkey - what windows tablet are you talking about ?

Do you think it's possible other people could use a netbook keyboard and *not* find it difficult to type on ?

Not Bob, but I can't hardly type on a full size standard keyboard any more, I've become spoiled on ergonomic, split, wave boards and now feel like I'm holding thumbs and banging knuckles while trying to type on regular keyboards. With either netbook or tablet, you are much better off than with a smart phone, but not anything I'd want to have to regularly type much more than simple text messages or URLs on. Might make do for the rare word document touch up but I definitely would find it awkward and difficult for regular business and personal use.

 

[BobTheDonkey]

Not Bob, but I can't hardly type on a full size standard keyboard any more, I've become spoiled on ergonomic, split, wave boards and now feel like I'm holding thumbs and banging knuckles while trying to type on regular keyboards. With either netbook or tablet, you are much better off than with a smart phone, but not anything I'd want to have to regularly type much more than simple text messages or URLs on. Might make do for the rare word document touch up but I definitely would find it awkward and difficult for regular business and personal use.

Basically this.

I have a full size keyboard on my laptop, and it's still more awkward than the ergonomic keyboard I have at home. Using a netbook keyboard is annoying.

I suppose if you use the "hunt and peck" method of typing, the netbook works...but anyone over the age of, say, 10 that can type properly, the spacing and size of the keys is just too small.

The nice thing about the tablet, actually, is that I can hunt-and-peck with one hand while easily holding it in the other. Something a bit more awkward to do with a netbook.

 

[Cuddles]

I suppose if you use the "hunt and peck" method of typing, the netbook works...but anyone over the age of, say, 10 that can type properly, the spacing and size of the keys is just too small.

Unless you have small hands. One of my friends actually finds her small laptop keyboard easier than a full size one, because she has to move her hands too much to reach the keys on a big one.

Edit: Although it's worth noting that her laptop actually has a touchscreen as well, and can fold over so it's essentially just a chunky tablet if you want to use it that way, but with a decent hard drive, Windows 7, and probably quite a bit more processing power. Probably not worth it if that's the only way you ever use it, but really very versatile if you want more than just a tablet with apps.

 

[Trakar]

Unless you have small hands. One of my friends actually finds her small laptop keyboard easier than a full size one, because she has to move her hands too much to reach the keys on a big one.

Edit: Although it's worth noting that her laptop actually has a touchscreen as well, and can fold over so it's essentially just a chunky tablet if you want to use it that way, but with a decent hard drive, Windows 7, and probably quite a bit more processing power. Probably not worth it if that's the only way you ever use it, but really very versatile if you want more than just a tablet with apps.

I have several old tablets that resemble that description (basically laptops with stylus touch screens), they were good machines, but wireless connections were virtually nonexistent back then and battery life was abysmal, so they quickly loss favor and became closet relics. I've looked at several of the newer systems like this and if the Win8 tablets don't live up to my expectations, will probably strongly consider one of these touchscreen laptops as my next personal computing system.

 

[Sam.I.Am]

I have several old tablets that resemble that description (basically laptops with stylus touch screens), they were good machines, but wireless connections were virtually nonexistent back then and battery life was abysmal, so they quickly loss favor and became closet relics. I've looked at several of the newer systems like this and if the Win8 tablets don't live up to my expectations, will probably strongly consider one of these touchscreen laptops as my next personal computing system.

I have an old Samsung tablet running TabletXP that I use as a media machine. I attached a 21" LCD monitor and some speakers to it and it sits off to the side of my PC and streams vieos off of my network using VLC. Before that it was attached to my stereo receiver as an MP3 player in lieu of a tape deck. I did have to dial down all of the eye candy stuff to nothing but it works fine doing what it does considering how low powered it is.

 

[Jim_MDP]

Edit: Although it's worth noting that her laptop actually has a touchscreen as well, and can fold over so it's essentially just a chunky tablet if you want to use it that way, but with a decent hard drive, Windows 7, and probably quite a bit more processing power. Probably not worth it if that's the only way you ever use it, but really very versatile if you want more than just a tablet with apps.

They're called convertables. I've been using one of these for a couple years now. Don't know if it's going to be Win8 ready, I hope so. Should look that up.

Lenovo S10-3t