Bill Gates: iPad Users 'Frustrated'

[d_r]

54. I love gadgets

I had a ton of different pdas over the years. I had a rex that you could put in a pmcia card slot. A hand spring visor that ran palm os. A compaq ipaq on win ce, a phillips nino, a compaq convertable windows xp tablet, a samsung ultramobile pc. Hell I had a timex sinclair when I was a kid and a lunchbox pc in the late 80s early 90s. Right now between my wife and two kids we have in this house two laptops, one desktop, and one old laptop that continues to play Animal Jam and Club Penguin as a desktop, three android tablets and one android game tablet, a kindle, a nook, a kobo, three nds', two mp4 players and probably other stuff that I could put here. Our coat closet is a graveyard of digital cameras.

The reason for stating that is that I've played with a lot of gizmos.

Here's what I think.

I can't really think of much of a reason for a surface unless you are committed to having only one thing.

Just my opinion.

For taking pictures I'd rather have a camera. I have a water proof/shock proof one that is just fun to use. My phone is OK for backups and for posting to social media, but I'm glad I have a new camera for summer vacation.
For reading a book, I'd rather have e-ink. A rooted glowlight nook that can do nook, kindle and cool reader for side loads is the best thing around right now for reading, imho. And you can get that for $100. One of our tablets is a 10" I got thinking it would be good for reading pdfs, but I would so much rather read on e-ink I "gave" it to my wife.
For playing games, I'd just as soon have a gaming device. The kids like the tablet games, too. If you need a little time diversion game, then the e-ink games or phone games pass.
For calendar and email on the go, nothing beats my phone. Its what pdas were trying to be years ago. GPS is great on a phone too.
For streaming video, my tv is best. For kids watching video in the back of the car I like tablets and mp4 players better than a dvd player, but both still get use.
For really working. Listen, I got a new dell 14" I-3 with 8 gigs of ram and T hard drive from amazon on closeout for $302. I put kubuntu on it and imho it is wonderful for working on. I wouldn't want to do the type of work I can do on this on a surface. It was so much cheaper than a surface it is silly, and so much more useful. Is it as portable? NO, but the nootered nook and my phone are.
For looking at the internet in the bathroom or something the small 7" tablet is nice, but I've gotten to the point that if I have a "lap" like when sitting on the sofa, I'd rather use a laptop.
The problem that MS is making is trying to make a swiss army knife. So you have to make compromises. You end up with a keyboard, but a keyboard that is too small to really type on. You end up with a color screen but one that is too small. You end up with "office" but on a little screen with a little keyboard. I'd rather have a laptop. In my office I'd rather have a desktop with big dual monitors and a wireless keyboard that I can prop my feet up on my desk and type away. Honestly, I think the pronouncement of the death of the actual computer has been way premature, and I think MS has made a mistake chasing the tablet form factor too hard. Tablets are great for recreation, I love the form factor, but in the end it is a toy and nobody really "needs" a $1,000 facebook machine.
I love mobility and realize that a tablet is more mobile than a notebook, generally, but I also realize the screens are squat in sunlight, etc. I'd rather have a good phone plus an e-ink reader for mobility. Of course people with different jobs and needs have different jobs and needs.