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[... Apparently, I forgot to hit "Send" yesterday]
To continue agreeing with you... the tablets with detachable keyboards or with "cases"/covers that include a keyboard are very lap-Unfriendly, compared with an equivalent-size laptop/notebook. The reason is that all the guts (cpu, memory, interfaces, BATTERY...), and therefore the weight, is in the screen portion, so when you prop it in your lap (like on a plane, train, or bus, etc.), it keeps trying to topple over. It's like very young humans, whose big heads make them top-heavy and wobbly. :-)
The Surface gets that complaint a lot. The click-off/click-on keyboard is nice on a table, but not anywhere else. Any of the Belkin (and other vendor) tablet covers with Bluetooth keyboard are similar in that respect.
By the way, I've tried several of those with small tablets, and then went out and bought an Apple keyboard, and to ... /h/e/l/l/ ...heck... with the size. It works and feels great to type on. Can't say the same for several brands of combination cover/keyboard affairs.
Then, depending on what brand and models you are dealing with, there's often the headache of separate charging of the keyboard. Another reason I like the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. Feed it a double-A battery every few months, and it's happy.
Maybe something convertible is more what would suit Craig. Something foldable. I'd have in mind the Dell XPS-12... except.... it ain't cheap. It gets good reviews, and continues to attract me, but not enough (yet) to replace my 2008 MacBook Pro.
If anyone is using one for work, I'd love to hear about it.
Or any of the other RECENT convertible notebook/tablet devices that are serving well as both tablet and work machine. (By the same token, if you are thrilled with a device that came out several years ago and is no longer available except second-hand... I don't want to hear about it - I make it a policy in computers and cars... and most other things... to just not purchase other people's problems.)
-----Original Message-----
From: Meryl R. Cohen
Hi,
I love my iPad. but from your description you might be happier with a Windows Surface. Though you should read what David Pogue has to say about it at the NY Times. But really, you should know:
WRONG!!! "The tablet could replace my venerable Windows XP laptop."
A tablet is wonderful for many things, and better for some, but if you really want it for serious writing and editing you need a real keyboard.
And by the time you add a Bluetooth keyboard to the mix you've added to the expense and weight and it is not so cute to carry around any more. Also, you are dealing with a machine that really wants you to stroke its screen and a keyboard is a secondary interface method.
A tablet simply won't replace even a low end laptop no matter what brand you get. If you think of your tablet that way you will hate it. You are much better off getting a cheap, light windows laptop. Of course I'm mostly mac-biased and would suggest the non-Windows 11 inch Air.
Meryl
On Sun, Sep 1, 2013 at 12:52 PM, Craig Cardimon <craig -dot- cardimon -at- gmail -dot- com>wrote:
> Afternoon Whirlers,
>
> I'm looking around for a tablet (as inexpensive as possible). I want
> to use the tablet for writing and editing.
>
> The tablet could replace my venerable Windows XP laptop. Suggestions
> and recommendations?
>
>
> --
> Cordially,
> Craig Cardimon
> "The Duct Tape Writer"
> (Assignments wrapped. Deadlines beaten.)
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