Please help me understand today's tablet craze?!

I recieved a Blackberry Playbook as a gift a few weeks ago. I never would have bought one myself, I didn't see the point.
What I have noticed so far:
Cons: Doesn't have all the windows programs I'm used to.
Is rubbish at file editing
Cannot use googledrive sync.

Pros:
Fits into my coat pocket
After writing a sync program, I have access to all my needed documents on the go
Is very good for reading documents
Response time is quick
Has good calender syncing
MP3 Player
Bluetooth and Wifi

I find it really great, that I can take the Playbook with me and read my latest documents on the bus. It's also great for use in meetings, as it barely takes up desk space, so I can use my paper documents as well. I can also pass the device around to show others what I was looking at.
A laptop needs a seperate table, I always need to find that chair beside the power point and projector cable.
As the Playbook OS and programs were designed for the hardware, everything is very fast, even faster than a laptop.

It's the best reading device, for home and office. However not usfull for creating/editing documents. But good for sending/checking email on the go, or quickly checking the next train connection, thanks to mobile-phone internet connection sharing per bluetooth.
And it can also run lots of the good android games available, if the reading gets boring.

I have the same questions you have. I have a spectacular laptop that cost me only $279 (Acer, after $50 rebate) and it does everything I want it to. It hooks up wirelessly with a number of accessories, including my main printer. Sure, it's big and it weighs a few pounds, but I wouldn't trade it for a tablet. I might be happier with one, but I'm not about to spend several hundred dollars just to have the latest thing. I don't think tablets are a fad, though. I think that people that get on the tablet-track find that it meets most of the important needs, and what it doesn't do doesn't bother them. Tablets are pretty impressive, but I would guess that you and I are about the same age and this allows us to remember the first K-pro, Commodore, and Apple IIe. That puts everything in a different perspetive.

It fits happily in normal size purse. It keeps all my books and audiobooks just fine. And pictures. And OneNote. And now I love to watch movies/series on Netflix and HBOGO when babysitting at my daughter's house who has no TV movie programing. Or at some hotspot. It works better for streaming than either of my 2 laptops: an old HP Dell and a little Acer. Rarely ever touch either one - except sometimes on trips just in case I want to do something serious I haven't figured out how to do yet on my Kindle - like watch the Olympics in Tennessee mountain house when their TV was down. The Kindle can probably do that too. When I am at home in my house I live on my desktop computer.

Completely agree with you regarding the use of Tablet vs Laptops unless one is purely interested in playing puerile games from the various app stores.
I have managed to output documents from my Samsung Galaxy Tab but the font scaling and colour mapping is by no means satisfactory. However much "cloud storage space" you have, eventually it is likely that you will need some hardcopy output and this is where the fun can begin.

Sorry I can not provide any logical answer to your question but at least you know there are others that share your scepticism

Dave Jukes - UK

1. I think that most of us who use home computers are gadgets freaks. I mean that in a good way.

2. I download books to read or listen to from my public library. I watch Netflix and Hulu Plus, all on my desktop/laptop. I can get to bed earlier and enjoy it more on my tablet.

3. Touch screen seems to be the way of the future, and I thought that this would be a good way to get into Windows 8. Love the Dell Latitude 10.

4. Long battery life.

Like it or not, a large part of computing is for business. When the iPAD came out many executive-types bought them. They are cool, light and mobile. Very shortly, however, all of the tablets left the office and never returned. Why is that? I mean, they are soooo popular! Well, here it is in a nutshell.

1) Try swiping your finger across the screen 8 hours+ every day, all day. Not a lot of fun if you are used to resting your wrist on your desk and moving the mouse around. So I see an erogonomic disadvantage. Try this yourself with your monitor at work (if you can reach it). Most of these people are on their systems ALL day long because that is their job.

2)Tablets, as well as smartphones and laptops are easily stolen as they can fit in a newspaper or a trash can. No, I'm not saying all cleaning staff that come in at night are theives. It's just harder to catch them.

3) Sometimes, you have to run real applications. Many, especially legacy applications that businesses may not have the money or source code for a re-write, are needed and just don't work on any tablet. There are few applications for tablets to access the mainframe.

4) Where I work, 98% of the workers are not "travelers". They have no need for mobile computing and most are NOT allowed to telecommute. We have very critical data and most of that data is NOT allowed in the cloud such as medical patient data (HIPAA rules), Criminal data (CJIS), credit card information (FACT act).

5) A lot of places don't have or need WIFI due to the above reasons.

Picture businesses with hundreds of people per floor and see if you really think that these people need mobile computing. Maybe for a sales department or for consulting I can see it.

So, John, while there may be this craze out there you need to ask yourself the simple question. What is it that you need this device for? Especially if it won't fit in your pocket.

As for e-Readers, I don't think a lot of Kindle people will be giving up their e-readers. iPADs and other tablets (even the kindle fire) are difficult to see in direct sunlight. People, like my gf, like to read out by the pool in direct sunlight (especially here in California) and you need e-ink for that.

What it really boils down to is this: first decide if you really need one. Then weigh the cost and remember that they are not easy to lug around even if they are lightweight. The "cool factor" only lasts just so long. Also remember that any application that runs on your PC does not necessarily run on a laptop. Or, even if there is an app, you might not enjoy using it.

Howie

John,
It's very simple. It's part fad, part trend, part hype, but there is method to the madness. First off, just because there's an iPad for $1000 doesn't mean you HAVE to buy it. You can buy perfectly acceptable tablets running Android that will do just about anything you can do on an iPad for $70 USD.
As far as the mobility factor goes, a 7" tablet will fit into a larger pocket. I have a vest that has an internal pocket and my tablet fits it like a glove. It'll fit into my pants as well.
What's it good for? Plenty of things. I can take a quick note using a freebie notepad app. Works great when I have to go to work at a clients and need to monitor my hours. A few keystrokes won't kill you nor drive you up the wall. Writing a book like "War and Peace" - yeah... That will get on your nerves.
I also use it for surfing the web. Specifically, my local supermarket has online only deals and coupons that I use the tablet to access the site with. I can pick and choose the deals I want - and it also functions as a digital shopping list. I log into the store's free wifi and look up whatever I need.
It's also saved me at least $10. I buy stuff and on occasion, the digital coupons and deals don't always register or expire before their time at the store level. But I just whipped out the tablet, showed them the deal on their own website and I got the discounted price.
Keep in mind, this is a wifi only tablet that has no built in 3G or 4G which is fine and dandy. I don't have to pay an additional bill for it. It's mine, I own it free and clear.
Additionally, you can also play games - like the viral hit Angry Birds - and the various incarnations of that game.
So, yes, for light duty things, a tablet can do plenty for you. It's not that laptops aren't portable, it's just that tablets (especially the smaller 7" ones) are MORE portable. Is it a replacement for a desktop or laptop? Of course not! But it IS a handy tool for when you don't want to lug that 10 lb laptop somewhere - like grocery shopping. I still do 99.9999% of what I do with computers on my desktop, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Hi John,

You are not alone with this question. There are a few things that must be realized to help answer the question. First, our society has become a need it now, must be connected type. The addiction of social networking, constantly checking email and the like are part of what fuels this frenzy. I see a tablet as mostly an entertainment device. If you want a productivity tool, you will still use a laptop or desktop computer. Many of the consumers out there mainly use facebook and twitter, email, browse the web, read e-books and view photo and video. Given that, a portable device with good battery life is great. Personally, I will wait until I am in front of my laptop for most of these. Yes, I do get email on my smartphone and use the calendar, but only because it a convenience for my business. Otherwise, I would probably just own a plain old flip phone. Watch people around you. They always have their face stuck in their phone. It's more offensive to today's generation to unfriend them on facebook, than it is to hit them with a baseball bat. The tablet is really no different than just having a larger version of a smartphone for most of these needs. Part of the problem also is the media hype. Everyone is convinced by the marketing that this is something you MUST have. They tell us that computers are a dying breed and you must have this portable device, and cloud services to be able to function.
Unfortunately, this is not a fad. Today's generation of social network addiction will keep the tablet industry growing. This generation wants everything electronic, it's cool, it's convenient, it makes things they do easier. The downside is take away the technology, and many cannot function even at the basic level. Yes, there are a few exceptions out there, where the tablets can serve a useful work tool, but those are limited. Most of us will still be using real computers, and if we have tablets, it will be a secondary device. I've worked IT for 23 years and have seen many gadgets come and go. Most have been fueled by a need (or lack of) and reality. Today's gadgets are more fueled by a want, and a perception of reality. Like every device, it still gets down to personal needs and desires. The fact that you have asked the question to begin with tells us that you don't have the need yet, and have a better sense of how to spend your money on tech devices. Congratulations on having the fore thought, and not just running out and following the crowd. Although I work in technology, I too, have not seen the need, and certainly have not been able to justify the cost for something that for me, will basically just be a toy.

According to Bill Gates, the Internet was a passing fad. Just before PCs, mainframes were a fad. I remember 3.5" floppy disks were a BIG fad. Today, some are trying to make the term "cloud" be a fad but not too many realize the difference between private and public clouds. Once there is a huge breach of private data (credit card numbers, SSNs, medical information...) that will be a passing fad too.

It is too early to tell if tablets will be a fad yet. Just because huge numbers of tablets were sold, that doesn't mean that there won't be a decline.

Oh, and articles in Wikipedia are not writen by experts. I don't trust that as a source for anything.

I am not a business user.

I own a netbook and a recently purchased Surface RT (I did not buy the attachable keyboard).

My tablet is lighter and slimmer than my netbook, making it more portable for me and my backpack.

My commute is 3-4 hours weekdays plus I have 1 1/2 hours of lunch/breaks.

When I will need to type extensively during the day, I bring my netbook. I believe that has happened only once since I started purchasing tablets over two years ago.

But I have the option if needed.

I have not installed one game on my RT. I have not played any games on my RT.

I do keep current on my emails, surf the net for news, use YouTube and Netflix, etc. I also catch up on TV shows and movies (since Microsoft was smart enough to support micro SD cards and USB ports [any device which does not is dead to me], I highly recommend the TViX player/recorder, HomeRun device w/ Windows Media Center and the PlayLater service for digital material to watch).

When I come home from work, I easily wirelessly print material from my tablet that I feel deserves to be hard copied. (I think most new home printers support wireless printing. Mine set up so easily, I still don't believe it.)

Again, not a business user but someone keeping informed and entertained during the weekdays.