Are you a tablet skeptic?

It feels like modern tablets have been around a lot longer, but three years is still nothing to sneeze at. Reflecting upon the last three years of tablet mania, the Ars staff and contributors began to share stories about how our iPads or other tablets have changed how we interact with our devices and the Internet. Most of us were heavy tablet skeptics when the iPad was first announced, and some of us still are. So in honor of the three-year anniversary of the iPad, we decided to share some of our experiences with you on how our lives have changed—or how they haven't, depending the case.

Not everyone on staff feels like the iPad—or one of its competing Android or Windows equivalents—has made a dent in their lives. Here are the stories from those staffers who think the modern tablet has a way to go before it earns a permanent spot in their bags.

Read more at source:
"I was an iPad skeptic" | Ars Technica

 

[Barman58]

One set of Actual demographics are here

Summary states that ...

Tablet users are younger males with above average income, like Early Tech Adopters

This chart may be of interest to US users - as I displays take-up by areas (for iPad)

 

[azasadny]

Call me a skeptic...I am.

 

[Coke Robot]

I offered to buy my kids tablets last christmas. They said to me "What on earth for?"

My sons are 16, 17 and 21. They said "Our PCs do everything we need and more when we are at home. When we are out, everything we want or need is available on our smartphones". "Why would we want another oversized portable device that is at high risk of being lost, stolen or damaged, doesn't fit in our pockets, and is totally useless when we are at home, are insanely expensive to repair if they break, and doesn't offer us anything new?"

These teens are into facebook, skype, full time students, have jobs, are heavily into sport (playing and spectating), and socialise almost entirely using technology, and they see tablets as irrelevant.

When asked what else they would want from a technology perspective they said "Not windows 8, that's for sure". The only thing they wanted was a stable internet connection. They tell me that their attitudes are commonplace amongst their other Gen-Y peers.

Who am I to argue!? Saves me money on higher insurance policies.

:shock:

That pretty much summarises what I've observed. All the young ones that I know (way more than I realised), live by their iPhones for just about everything when out and about. The ones who use tablets (iPads or Android) are all of an older generation.

When you think about it, the younger generation can live with a small screen device because they usually have good eyesight; whereas, the older generation doesn't, but also doesn't want to lug around a heavy device. So the tablet is the tool of the older generation. That makes tablets way uncool, it's what your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather uses. :thumb:

That's exactly how I view the ipad, the old man's ipod touch!

 

[Coke Robot]

What Android or Apple tablet costs over $1000? Which Apple/Android buyers look to replace their PC with an Apple/Android tablet? What tablet costs over $1000? Surface Pro and other Windows 8 tablets.

There are nearly 200,000,000 and growing reasons why Apple/Android tablets are doing well. Microsoft wants to be part of that growing reason, but has it made the right move?

View attachment 19760

What android or ios based tablet does what a PC does? What tablets cost several hundred dollars and don't do more than a smartphone? The ipad, and android tablets.

There are many reasons why android tablets are doing well as well as ipad minis (2-300 dollars) but when it comes down to it, those are just simple consumption devices that can literally just be a screen to a cloud server. Those don't have proper software to do anything with, and don't have good hardware to do anything with. A tablet PC does. That's why when people go and buy a new PC to replace a five year old one (maybe they already have a tablet or smartphone), they will look at the tablet PCs more or touch enabled laptops more over the nontouch systems. But again, price points are price points, and certain touch price points can't compete well yet.

 

[phillipduran]

At least for me, tablets have no use in a home environment. They may be of use in some business environments although I don't see how a laptop wouldn't be better apart from portability. People that I see using iPads use them for Angry Birds and not much else. I'm sure tablets have their own places to be useful where a laptop would not suffice. I'm not getting a tablet anytime soon.

I work in IT and I'm just the opposite. The iPad stays home and is only used there. Few and far between are the opportunities for me to use one at work. The occasional remote connection is about it. I prefer having a laptop to do any mobile work.

At home the iPad is used for news, email, banking, research, gaming, browsing, YouTube etc.

 

[Fredledingue]

I'm more like TanyaC's kids (thought I'm about twice their age): If I want a PC i'll buy a PC, if I want a cell phone I'll buy a cell phone. I don't need things in between. A tablet can be useful in certain situation where you need to read or write enough amount of informations and carrying a laptop would be unpractical. Some extreme job or something...

---

Well for the price of a tablet I can get a new tower PC with gagizillions hoursepowers and storage.

---

TanyaC, they want stable internet? Get their computers linked with cables to the router!

 

[pparks1]

Those don't have proper software to do anything with, and don't have good hardware to do anything with. A tablet PC does.

But it often comes at a price that many aren't willing to pay for a tablet. That's pretty much what you said a few lines down.

I carried around a Surface Pro for about 3 weeks and showed friends, family, coworkers, and people that I volunteer with in my audio gig. Nobody felt compelled in any way shape or form to get one. A handful were already carrying iPad's and failed to see what advantage they would have when they were on the go.

 

[Ray8]

What android or ios based tablet does what a PC does? What tablets cost several hundred dollars and don't do more than a smartphone? The ipad, and android tablets.

All do email, internet, music, radio, movies, games, books, photo editing, Skype, Dropbox, writing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. All fully touch enabled devices for those that like such things and with a battery life in excess of eight hours for even the poorer performing ones.

 

[pparks1]

Thanks Ray8, you make a very good point that tablets for most people are functional enough for what they do. These are the types of things people used "PC's" for in the past, but with the advent of this newer technology, they don't require a "PC" anymore to do it. So for them, these tablets, phablets, iPad's, Androids, etc...well they really are their computers. And they are perfectly content with that. Even though they can have a full blown Windows 8 PC in a tablet form factor, most are saying "What the hell do I need that for. I've got my iPad for that kinda stuff".

 

[Lee]

What android or ios based tablet does what a PC does? What tablets cost several hundred dollars and don't do more than a smartphone? The ipad, and android tablets.

All do email, internet, music, radio, movies, games, books, photo editing, Skype, Dropbox, writing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. All fully touch enabled devices for those that like such things and with a battery life in excess of eight hours for even the poorer performing ones.

Up to this point I have avoided posting in this thread. The reason being is I own an iPad (1G) that I use on the road or when visiting family. Cannot really see carring a laptop around when the iPad will allow me to do whatever a laptop would do. With a bluetooth keyboard it does all the things my old laptop did. . .but that is just me.

 

[Ray8]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

 

[Lee]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

Very True. . .. . .

 

[HippsieGypsie]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

 

[Ray8]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

Actually they can (at least Android devices), but their response would most likely be 'care factor zero'.

 

[Lee]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

Wrong only 199,999,999, I was able to do so. . .

 

[pparks1]

Up to this point I have avoided posting in this thread. The reason being is I own an iPad (1G) that I use on the road or when visiting family. Cannot really see carring a laptop around when the iPad will allow me to do whatever a laptop would do. With a bluetooth keyboard it does all the things my old laptop did. . .but that is just me.

Nothing wrong with that. We all have different needs and it's always a matter of using the right tool at the right time.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

And they don't give a flying flip about that either.

 

[pparks1]

Personally, that depends. If someone spent over 1,000 dollars to attempt to replace the use of a laptop, then yeah, I consider them to be an iDiot because that 1,000 can be WELL better spent on a touch enabled PC especially nowadays. Even a mac....

Very few have spent close to $1000 on an iPad. Some people may simply not agree with you that a touch enabled PC is the better way to go. I think a lot of people are simply past the PC these days. They don't want the hassle, they don't want the maintenance and they don't want the same ole, same ole thing that they have had in the past. They don't need what the PC can offer to them. Many simply prefer the simplicity of other devices and the trendiness that come along with them. You seem to fail to see that people could value these things.

 

[chrisa]

What I would really like to see is Apple putting out a forked version of Android ala Facebook, to make the phones look just like the iPhone, and the tablets look just like the iPad. I mean, its just largely cosmetic changes and simply tying to the Apple ecosystem. That would own, just to see Google's reaction haha.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

That's just you, and around 200,000,000 other people who feel the same way.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

Actually they can (at least Android devices), but their response would most likely be 'care factor zero'.

I like how you twisted that. You cannot synch but a few. Music, calendar, and pics, but they all need a synch program to do so. Pics you can copy and paste.

But 200,000,000 cannot synch it with their Windows desktop PCs.

And they don't give a flying flip about that either.

Could you two be twins that were separated at birth?

Why would you make such statements? You say them boldly as if you expect people to believe you. Did you survey all of them?

They will care when they find out what MS is up to with synching.

 

[pparks1]

Didnt have to survey them. If they were so unhappy, they wouldn't have bought so many.