Posted on 07/07/2016 12:50:13 PM PDT by dennisw
Don't be fooled by fans of iPads and Android tablets -- it's much easier to get real work done on a Windows-powered 2-in-1 PC than it is on Android or iOS-powered hardware.
Over the years I've used countless different form-factors of computing devices, and I still believe that there are no better devices for getting work done on than the desktop and laptop. But if it's a tablet you want, 2-in-1 systems powered by Windows 10 leave iPads and Android slates eating their dust.
I've been through my phase of working on the iPad and a selection of Android tablets, and yes, contrary to what some people claim, you can get work done on them. I know because I've done a lot of work on them. But the dirty secret that fans of the iPad and Android tablets won't tell you is that you have to work a lot harder because you're fighting a number of limitations.
Here's the problem. What I've typed so far for this article, I could have easily done on any tablet. It's mostly been a stream of consciousness, and all that requires is a keyboard, a word processing app, and a display. It's easier if I have a high-quality keyboard, but at a pinch I could use an on-screen keyboard.
The problems start when I want to do research, or fact-check something, or pull a link or a quote from somewhere, such as this link to data showing how iPad sales have declined. That's when things start getting messy on an iPad or some Android-powered beast. Switching apps is a pain. Switching tabs in a browser is a pain. Entering data into a spreadsheet requires painstaking concentration, and the scope for messing things up is high. And if I have to access information from a video or audio clip, then the whole thing falls apart rapidly because some apps -- YouTube, I'm looking at you -- are rubbish at keeping their place in media files.
Split-screen support on newer tablets makes this better, as long as you can restrict yourself to two apps. Beyond that, it's just a Band-Aid over a really nasty, festering wound.
Multitasking is where 2-in-1 Windows systems really shine, and it's got less to do with the hardware and more to do with the fact that Windows is the operating system that's powering them. Despite almost a decade of continual improvement, iOS and Android still can't come close to Windows in terms of raw usability (I suppose the same could be said of Linux or MacOS, but we don't have 2-in-1 systems powered by these operating systems). Not only do you get the ability to run full applications, but you can run several of them side-by-side, and switch between them effortlessly.
iOS and Android just weren't designed to do this, and the more Apple and Google try to shoehorn these features into their platforms, the more their platforms move away from their core values of simplicity, and the more the platforms start to feel like a mishmash of paradigms. If you don't believe me, consider how simple the iOS settings app was back when the platform was called PhoneOS, and now look at what a labyrinthian quest finding anything has become. There's only so far that you can bolt new features onto a simple menu system before it becomes clumsy and awkward to use.
And the bottom line is that I no longer have any faith in Apple to be able to scale simple paradigms to account for increased complexity. The iOS Settings App or System Preferences in MacOS is no easier, no better, and no more logical than Control Panel in Windows.
On top of that, the newer 2-in-1 systems switch so well from tablet mode to keyboard mode that it actually feels like you're running two different systems, and get the flexibility of having a tablet without compromising the versatility of a small notebook system.
I understand why buyers, both consumer and enterprise, flocked to the iPad and Android tablets a few years back. It's because there really wasn't anything to compare with them that ran Windows. But now that we have Windows 10 powered 2-in-1 PCs that come in at a cheaper price point than the iPad, it makes sense why they're selling so well. It's because people are going back to what they know works.
Surprise!
When you use a tablet for something they weren’t designed for, they don’t do it very well!
It must really suck to spill so much e-ink writing an article that everyone beside you knows proves you’re a moron.
I’m not real impressed by the 2-in-1’s. If you have a good smartphone and a good laptop, a tablet is pretty useless. My iPad is strictly for my 4 year old at this point, and I never miss it.
I have a Yoga 2 Pro from Lenovo. It is pretty awesome as far as I’m concerned. Once the Windows 10 issues were resolved it has ran my engineering and CNC programming sofware quite well. While the graphics are not up to par on my Dell Workstations or M6700 it sure beats lugging around my huge 20 lb dell on my frequent travels. For a product that was the same price of an Ipad and just a little bit bigger I have a full mobile office that can run my high end software.
...switch between tablet mode and keyboard mode...
Do you have to switch? Can’t you touch-screen and type back and forth at will?
I’m quite interested in 2-in-1 for my teens.
The last two tablets I bought cost me $60 and %70. Desktop PCs can be had for $25-75 at any swapmeet. A Raspberry Pi is $35 if you’ve got a monitor and keyboard and the new Chip is called the “nine dollar computer” for a reason.
They’ve got to do better than this PC-pimp.
What gets me is when people tell me they only do the web on their phones. I explain to them that its like looking at the world through a toilet paper tube. So limiting..
Say what you will.
I find that for a multitude of reasons the *only* way to fly
is with a traditional desktop and a full size keyboard.
A keyboard that clicks when you depress actual keys that move.
Grated this is personal.
But you know what they say about guys who have a size 12
ring finger and wear 2XL gloves .....
They need old fashioned keyboards.
Aging eyes also appreciate the 17” Hi-Res display.
And for mobility?
Ever hear of “I’ll call you back later?”
(By the way ...what is this “App” of which you speak?)
I used a MSFT Surface for a few days recently, and was not impressed. The attached keyboard wasn’t much of an improvement over an onscreen keyboard. I ended up taking it off. And I just don’t like Windows, never have. Tablets have their limitations, but if I need more than that, I’ll use a regular laptop.
I meant to change my tagline for that last post.....
What good is a tablet that only uses Microsoft apps?
And the author STILL doesn’t understand the purpose of a tablet. Tablets are for LEISURE, not productivity. Sure, you can do work on them, but when you pull up a virtual keyboard, you lose about half your screen. That is not a practical solution for work, is it? See, this isn’t hard?
Conversely, you can read a tablet on a plane, on the sofa, in bed and even in the bath tub. The tablet is light weight and portable. Try doing this with a laptop and odds are you will damage if. This is because tablets are made for LEISURE activities. Like surfing the net, reading email, reading books, watching movies, or playing games. Stuff you can do with a tablet easily in cramped spaces, such as a plane, train, automobile, sofa or bath tub.
The author is apparently clueless
I’m getting by with a smartphone and desktop. No tablet. Got a laptop in the closet for emergency.
To each his own. My take on a 2 in 1 is ultimately you have one. If it breaks and that’s all you have, you now have zero. I’m kind of partial to redundancy. Two separate processors is better than one. Just my opinion.
That makes sense.
You captured my main thoughts perfectly.
My setup: Windows 10 on a Core i7. Dual monitor: 30 inch super hi-rez and a 24 inch.
And my handy-dandy iPad Air. I browse the Internet on it. I post to FR with it. I watch movies on it. I listen to music on it. I read books on it.
I do those things on my PC as well but at about 50 pounds total it’s just not real portable. But it’s great for video editing, building books with InDesign and perfect for Excel and Word. It’s a desktop. Desktops are the best for this sort of thing.
Bingo.
I never do any “work” on my tablet. It’s a web surfing/you-tube/gaming toy.
“it’s much easier to get real work done on a Windows-powered 2-in-1 PC”
Or a Mac or a Linux powered computer.
Tablets and smartphones have ruined many good websites.
Now, they are ‘mobile friendly’ and load like crap on a laptop or desktop browser.
The infinite scroll is abhorrent. About the time you arrow/scroll down, the website expands at the bottom and the location is moved. Then, one has to scroll back up to find where they were. They waste time when one has to relocate the cursor after every expansion.
I use my iPad only for leisure. It's great for when I'm sitting outside on the deck smoking a cigar, or looking up a sports stat while watching a baseball game, checking email with breakfast, etc. I have a desktop PC when I want to get any work done.
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