loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Help please oh knowledgeable fugees I am due a small bonus from work (£250) towards the end of February and am wanting to get myself a portable pc / tablet. I must be honest that I am not entirely sure of the differences between them except the keyboard. I don't play games and already have a kindle. I intend to take the item to work also. If any of you can help please with your opinions I would be most grateful. Although being laid up in bed I could really do with one now !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I have a tablet (iPad) and a laptop. Since buying the iPad, I haven't used the laptop at all. The fab thing about a tablet is that it is so quick and easy to do anything on it. My laptop takes forever to wake up, so for example, if I want to do online banking, by the time I have booted up the laptop, I can have done the online banking and logged off on the iPad. I think Alex has a Samsung galaxy tablet, so she may be along to give a review of that one. I wouldn't be without my iPad now, well worth every penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Can you put things on it from a memory stick and can you do normal PC things like 'word documents' ? Thanx for answering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 You can't plug a memory stick into an iPad directly, but you can get a usb adapter type thingy. You can do word processing (I think), but you would need to download an app for that. It comes with a notes app on it, but for proper writing, you would need to get an app. I don't use it for that, so I haven't bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 We have all 3, and use them for different things. The netbook is the worst of both worlds - screen too small for word processing and 'proper' work, but the whole thing is too clunky for when lounging around on the sofa. The tablets (I have an iPad, my OH has a asus eTransformer(?) ) get the most use - we tend to use them for games and internet when we're sitting round or watching the TV. I hate using them for anything that requires lots of typing though. Laptop gets used when I'm trying to do word processing, programming, photo editing, etc. If you're going to want to be using it as you're main computer-y thing and doing word processing etc, I'd recommend a laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) I've got a Samsung Galaxy 2 tablet and they are no substitute for a laptop. Typing is a pain unless you get a keyboard and I wouldn't want to use them for Word, Excel etc even if you could get the full versions on there. I also can't post to the Refuge on my tablet for some reason. The main thing I use mine for is reading via the Kindle app, with some internet. The mail function isn't brilliant either (whereas on my laptop I've got Microsoft Office Professional). If you want to use it for work as well then I'd get a laptop. Edited February 5, 2013 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 i have a laptop, netbook and blackberry playbook.... as others have said the netbook is great for surfing doing emails but can be quite a pain staring at the small screen, i have no idea if i can do word processing on the playbook.... to be honest i wouldn't really want to do anything that deep on it.... good for surfing the net and emailing reading books etc, the laptop gets the most use in our house and we just use the others if somebody is using the laptop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I agree with the laptop recommendations, I've got a tablet, kindle , smart phone etc. all of which I can go online through but I always default back to my desktop if in the house or hubbys laptop if we're away from home. I like my tablet but its primarily used by me as something to play games on or read my books on as I can sync it to my kindle, I bought a case and a keyboard for it but they never get used as that kinda defeats the whole point of me having a 7" tablet. Typing on the touch screen is awful though and apart from the odd couple of word facebook updates I really wouldn't want to try typing anything like a full refuge post, email or any kind of document on it. There are some good laptop buys around at the moment below £300 so I'd have a look at those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Ah so am I right in thinking that I need a laptop then?? Next question then, what sort of laptop would be good? I need one that is not too heavy - bearing in mind I have never used a laptop before. Thank you all xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I'm kind of going to go against the grain here and put a vote in for the netbook. We have a desk pc, OH has a full size laptop and we both have iphones but I only ever use my netbook. I don't find the screen too small, it can do any email/internet things you can do on any other device including downloading a kindle reader and it's small and light enough to carry in my satchel style handbag. I use it curled up on the sofa or in bed and it has a 7 hour battery life so don't need to be near a socket all the time. I love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Does it have word like a PC does - I need to be able to use it for work as well as for me at home? If I am honest I would like something smaller so I can carry it in my work (Dogstar) bag and that isn't too heavy for my shoulder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 If you get a 14 inch laptop it will do everything you need and also be very portable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanx Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whizzie Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I recently went the laptop route because as well as browsing the web, I need to manage WagTails House website & send booking forms, invoices, quite long e-mails etc. I have no regrets other than Windows 8 takes a while to learn but as it is touchscreen you can still use it in a similar way to a tablet. My new laptop is an Acer & I did spend more than your budget but I hadn't had a new computer of any form since 2005 so I figured I was due a treat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanx everyone Now all I need to do is find one now lol Thanx everyone Now all I need to do is find one now lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts