What tablet computers do you use?

[LadyG]

Interestingly I got an offer email this morning from the Google shop for the Pixel tablet... I think at about the same price as the S8 (£399) although the dock is extra. Since the laptop has never been great (I've formatted it at least twice to try and speed it up) I'm quite tempted - and then you post about special offers on lenses!

[Ian]

Interestingly I got an offer email this morning from the Google shop for the Pixel tablet... I think at about the same price as the S8 (£399) although the dock is extra. Since the laptop has never been great (I've formatted it at least twice to try and speed it up) I'm quite tempted - and then you post about special offers on lenses!

I think a tablet is quite different to a laptop, but there is some blurring around the edges. Many applications are only available on one and not the other and some apps you'd use on a tablet are, as I previously mentioned, primarily designed for smartphone displays. Tablets are quite powerful now and synthetic benchmarks for my Samsung Tab 8 make it twice as fast, computationally, than my 6 or 7 year old laptop, and even faster in terms of graphics. I still feel the need for both at the moment.

The Google Pixel tablet looks OK on paper but reviews are a bit lukewarm.

Ian

[BDennis]

Interestingly I got an offer email this morning from the Google shop for the Pixel tablet... I think at about the same price as the S8 (£399) although the dock is extra. Since the laptop has never been great (I've formatted it at least twice to try and speed it up) I'm quite tempted - and then you post about special offers on lenses!

I think a tablet is quite different to a laptop, but there is some blurring around the edges. Many applications are only available on one and not the other and some apps you'd use on a tablet are, as I previously mentioned, primarily designed for smartphone displays. Tablets are quite powerful now and synthetic benchmarks for my Samsung Tab 8 make it twice as fast, computationally, than my 6 or 7 year old laptop, and even faster in terms of graphics. I still feel the need for both at the moment.

The Google Pixel tablet looks OK on paper but reviews are a bit lukewarm.

Ian

I got the Google email too, they’re pushing it. Every so often I look into the possibility of a Google Pixel tablet since I have a Pixel phone but I then read reviews like this and it puts me off, I agree with Ian

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-has-no-idea-what-its-doing-with-the-pixel-tablet/

I’m thinking of getting another iPad to replace my one with the broken screen - possibly an iPad Air. It has the advantage that I can use it as a small second monitor to my Mac laptop when I’m on trips away - a feature of MacOs and iPad OS. Also I’m not sure if it’s possible with other Android tablets but I looked into using the Pixel tablet to stream video over HDMI to a TV screen. I frequently do this with the iPad but I looked into it with Pixel tablets and it didn’t seem possible?

https://support.google.com/googlepixeltablet/thread/229906964/how-do-i-connect-my-google-pixel-tablet-to-a-non-smart-tv-using-the-tvs-hdmi-port?hl=en

I can use the iPad to stream Disney+ to our no longer so smart Samsung TV over a simple HDMI cable with a dongle. Google seems to want it to be streamed over WiFi, it won’t work with our TV.

The Samsung Tab sounds good however. I’ve taken a bite of the Apple is the problem for me though…

Bill

[LadyG]

Ian - she's been in Strasbourg since she did her second MA, so that'd be around 16 years now. Officially got her citizenship this week.

[Ian]

LadyG Ah, Strasbourg is a long way from us in SW Francel

[LadyG]

Ian. I used to be lucky - my children lived about an hour apart when my son also moved to Europe.. he started in Frankfurt, then the Tour region in France and now in the south of Spain.
Strasbourg Xmas market is good, but I prefer Spain in December!

[Ian]

Talking of tablet pens, which is something I really missed with the old tablet, the Samsung Tab 8 has one of the best pen ecosystems (S Pen, based on Wacom technology). It's nice that Samsung supports and even bundles the S Pen with many of its tablets.The previous owner of my used Tab S8 lost their S Pen and I have one on order but I found out that an old Wacom Bamboo Feel pen I had works really well on the Tab S8. I have not used an iPad since I sold my old iPad Mini Retina 5 or 6 years ago, and that was before the Apple Pencil arrived, but I have read many accounts of iPad users who need a pen being impressed by the S Pen compared to the Apple Pencil.

I understand that you can use USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) 2.0 pens with Google and some other tablets and laptops that support this open standard. These pens can also be used with Amazon's Fire Max 11 tablet that has earned positive reviews. Amazon UK is selling refurbished examples at just £148. There is a good review here. The Google Play Store isn't included on this tablet, but you can install it.

Ian

[Ian]

Here's another feature of the Tab S8 I'm looking forward to trying - you can use the Tab S8 (and other Samsung tablet models) as a visual graphics tablet for your PC (I think it only works over Wi-Fi and I couldn't get it to work on my desktop PC, which has a wired Ethernet connection only. I'll try with my laptop later. If it works well I will get a cheap Wi-Fi USB dongle for the desktop PC.

Essentially, your PC projects its display onto your tablet's screen, and you can control the PC from your tablet. Some, but not all, drawing applications support the full S-Pen drawing capabilities this way, others don't support pressure sensitivity, though for image retouch and navigation you don't pressure sensitive drawing anyway.

Ian

[Gate Keeper]

I am running three MacBook Pros in 3 different countries and one old mini iPad, several iPhones.

I keep a Samsung Android phone for government apps in Kenya that only work on Android and not Apple. Some government departments in Kenya are still using Windows 98.

Except for one of the phones, all devices can no longer receive Apple updates. But for this and their age, they work okay.

During my next visit to the UK, I will be looking to upgrade. Not sure which, an iPad or a newer MBP

Cant see myself returning to Windows.

[smartwombat]

For general work I still use MacBook Pro or Dell laptop.
But for walking about i use a KIndleFire rather thatn iPad.

[Ian]

Here's another feature of the Tab S8 I'm looking forward to trying - you can use the Tab S8 (and other Samsung tablet models) as a visual graphics tablet for your PC (I think it only works over Wi-Fi and I couldn't get it to work on my desktop PC, which has a wired Ethernet connection only. I'll try with my laptop later. If it works well I will get a cheap Wi-Fi USB dongle for the desktop PC.

Essentially, your PC projects its display onto your tablet's screen, and you can control the PC from your tablet. Some, but not all, drawing applications support the full S-Pen drawing capabilities this way, others don't support pressure sensitivity, though for image retouch and navigation you don't pressure sensitive drawing anyway.

Ian

Well that works - pen pressure sensitivity included. That's not an S Pen, by the way, my tablet was missing its pen but luckily one of my old Wacom pens works.

[Ian]

Yay, the 'genuine original" cheap replacement S Pen I ordered has arrived and it turns out to not only be genuine and original, but the correct (with Bluetooth) spec. for my tablet (which the eBay listing didn't specify). The gambled paid off, phew!