Question for Tech People

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

True, I just meant that admittedly I didn't do my research & just went "oooh shiny!" & didn't think about how much stuff I use, software, games etc that are Windows based & therefore wouldn't be compatible with Google as an OS. And yeah space is NOT a premium on it either, I have ALOT of music, tv, movies & games stored & well, let's just say, thank God for external hard drives

So, I'd use a Netbook for traveling or as a back-up for when I couldn't use the laptop, but not as the primary computer for sure

[Silent-Hunter]

I wouldn't use one as a primary computer either.

[otakuneko]

I wouldn't really consider a Chromebook a netbook. >.>

Tablets have effectively killed off the small, low-powered Windows/Linux-based segment we used to call netbooks.

I'll never forgive them.

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

soo, I gather from your post that tablets are bad? what do you not like about tablets? my mom has been wanting one for a while now so any info you can give would be awesome

[otakuneko]

For one, I despise on-screen keyboards. The only one I find half-way usable is the one on my 7" Galaxy Tab 2 (and even then, only in landscape mode). That's why I've put a lot of effort into finding phones with keyboards.

Second, a decent tablet is roughly the same price as the netbook it killed and not nearly as capable, and the lack of a keyboard makes it far less convenient for users like me--whose main use case for an ultra-portable includes a need for an actual keyboard. (Note-taking simply can't be done on a virtual keyboard, and terminal clients kinda need special keys not found on most virtual keyboards, such as arrow keys and ctrl/alt...) Yes, you can buy keyboards for them, but buy a good one and you might as well have just bought a laptop. The price just doesn't make up for the drawbacks, IMO.

Not to mention having to find Android equivalents for stuff I use, and not being able to simply connect to my network and work on files shared on another computer.

And then there's a trust issue, too. You can't even install a firewall on an Android device without rooting it first (a technical process which may brick your tablet/phone).

I also hate that my current Android 4.x devices, when plugged in via USB, show up as "Media Devices" instead of as a regular USB Mass Storage device--like a flash drive. This makes it more of a hassle to transfer files to and from, and, I'm convinced it's slower.

[lordlundar]

soo, I gather from your post that tablets are bad? what do you not like about tablets? my mom has been wanting one for a while now so any info you can give would be awesome

They're fine as an extra option, but not as a replacement to a proper computer. This is mainly due to the fact that the only way to get content on them is to download it. Unless you have the skills and materials to transfer copies onto it (which most of the IP holders will tell you is illegal) this means most of your stuff that you have that you want on the tablet you will have to buy again. That also assumes it's compatible in the first place which in the case of programs the answer is a resounding "not a chance."

I wouldn't mind so much personally if they were marketed as another option, but they're being marketed as the only computer you ever need which if you have ANYTHING you use on a computer already is a flat out lie.