Other How long will it be until tablets completely replace laptops?

IMO, never. The day they come out with the specs as fast as a PC and a decent keyboard I might consider it. And even then I would want a full featured OS, not this BS mobile crap ( I love android, but its a touch interface and has its limits). Also one thing that I think is hilarious is that on a laptop you have a base holding your screen up, no tablet does that without a keyboard literally docking onto it. You simply cant place it on your lap, you have to dedicate a hand to holding it up - and that to me is the most retarded thing about tablets and their comparison to laptops. I'd rather have a laptop sitting on my lap then holding up a tablet, talk about the hand fatigue!

 

you say not for photoshop, but in the (near) future i wouldnt be surprised if touch screen became just as good as any wacom surface + stylus pretty much making tablets the perfect medium.
wont play crysis? well, no, not yet but again soon, i mean 10 years back we had halflife. no way would most people have imagined that that would play on some of the gear we have now, i mean you put games like fallout 2 on a PSP and people are gonna laugh at the graphics.
alot of people think that not having a keyboard is the reason, i get it, but imagine this

you have a tablet, you take it to work you plug it in to a dock which has a keyboard, mouse, and if needed a larger monitor connected.
you leave work and simply unlug your tablet, on the way home you can work on what ever you want or play a game.
at home you sit on the sofa browsing the web then go upstairs and play a game with your tablet plugged into a dock similar to the one you had at work.

SOMEONE is going to say why bother, just have multiple computers, well other than the Echo-side of it. you would have everything with you all the time. which is a good thing.....right?

i know we are a little behind on the level of power available, but if PC history has taught us anything its that the speed and power of tech tomorrow will make todays look like......pacman.

 

For general web browsing the tablet has already replaced pcs and laptops at least for me, work wise they never will. The cad and photoshop work + video editing requires more than a tablet will ever do quick enough

Time is money in this sort of work

 

Once Windows 8 comes out then yes. Especially on Ivy Bridge CPU's - I believe one of the core specs for the Windows 8 tablets is that the manufacturer must make a keyboard dock for the device, which is why they will be greater than generic tablets.

Well that, and the fact that it is actually Windows, which, for a tablet, sporting metro UI and having access to a windows 7 esq UI beneath it...that effectively spells win in my opinion.


And before you flame me for this, I head up the mobile testing team for one of the countries largest newspapers (not news international thank god) so I'm constantly working across a massive array of devices, OS's and tablets. Having played with Windows 8 when we had a demo.....yes. That's a proper laptop replacement OS.

BUT I don't think they'll replace Desktop Replacement laptops - some people genuinely need the horsepower. But seeing as the majority of laptops sold are not DRL's then I believe my earlier point stands true.

 

I believe GoodBytes meant users of this forum specifically, as the post he was replying to said tha 80% of forum users likely had laptops.

However, I agree that a lot of non-PC enthusiasts use laptops rather than desktops. For those that don't need higher end performance a laptop isn't a bad option. It can be used in all of the ways that a desktop can be but is far more portable. Even a massive professional/gaming laptop can be folded up and put in a bag, compare that to moving a tower, monitor, mouse, keyboard, et cetera. This is also the use that I can't see tablets replacing without making themselves so much like laptops that they hardly even count as tablets anymore.

You forget that tablets aren't the only things getting more powerful. The laptops of the future will also be even more powerful and there will be even more advanced games to run. When we're all hyped over Crysis 3 running on DX12 what does it matter if your tablet can play the original Crysis?

That's certainly a way to get more out of a tablet for people whose needs fit that, but it's not a laptop killer. You can only use your keyboard, mouse and larger monitor in areas that have docks. What if you're a student typing up notes in the classroom, then going to the library afterwards to type up an essay and returning home to play some games? You can't feasibly have a dock in every location, a laptop is capable of handling each situation without accessories. Or a professional moving between the office, the meeting room, a working lunch at the cafe, some could get by with a tablet depending on their specific needs, but many will still find a laptop more flexible.

Personally I think devices like the Transformer are the way to go for those looking to replace laptops. It's basically your concept, except you gain the ability to have a keyboard and touchpad with you at all times without taking up much space or weight. At your desk? Pull out the whole thing in "laptop mode". On a bus or train, lounging on the couch, or walking a job site? Leave the keyboard/dock in the bag and use it in "tablet mode" for enhanced mobility. It's still not a be-all, end-all laptop replacement but it's a great hyrbid.

 

my point is that CPU/GPU/RAM etc usage can only go so high. there is a limiter on how much power a computer game can use. once you have 100% photo real graphics (maybe in 3D) which personally i dont think we are as far away from as some people think you cant go any better.

when this happens i think the focus will turn to miniaturisation. who knows by the time we get to this point, maybe all games will be on a single chip in our brain, fact is, who knows. but the limiter IS there.

i think when we get to the stage we're talking about here all tablets will likely have either a built in keyboard or some other alternative that we havent yet discovered. one thought i had was an actual 3d display, i.e. the onscreen keyboard bulges out of the screen, that'd be kool

this whole thread is speculation, fun though aint it

 

The issue with tablets is that it is a media consumption device. Laptops and desktops are media creation device.

The issue with tablets is mainly the software. A Office suite comparable at least with OpenOffice ? Nowhere to be seen. Specialized software like development tools, databases, modeling tools on tablet ? Good joke. And we can continue from there for a whole range of software which is nowhere to be seen on tablets, and which makes it impossible for tabloet to replace a laptop.

Sure, the EeePad keyboard dock and bluetooth keyboard&mouse support are steps in the right direction, but you still have the issue of the software. And that could be a huge problem, good luck pushing the whole Office suite in 24MB of RAM (Application limit on Android) or 40MB+ on iOS (depending when the OS decides to kill your app as there is no hard limit like on Android).

In short, it will take many years for tablets to be competitive as media creation devices due to software immaturity, and even then i am not sure if it will be able to take over laptops position.

 

to my knowledge there are already office suites available for tablets, such as libre. as for the limited amounts of RAM (tbh i wasn't aware of them) that will change with time also, a few years back having a gig of ram was OTT for 99% of users, now look at it. office isnt likely to get bigger than it is mow, there would be no point, but the hardware running it will get bigger, more powerful.

yes i totally agree software is a limiting factor, but when new hardwares emerge it takes time for software to reach its fullest potential within them, we are in this stage currently with tablets.

im not talking about what is possible now, im talking about what will be, kind of the whole point of the thread

 

Keyboards are decent text entry devices. A modern business uses a lot of creation tools, whether it be basic office or more sophisticated things like programming or image editing. For these scenarios current machines aren't quick enough, we can use every bit of computing power we get. We also need optimised inputs such as a keyboard and mouse because its massively more productive and that is what matters. You can't really compare using an 11" screen when 2x24" or more is becoming normal for desktops in offices, even with docked laptops.

Tablets that have keyboard and mouse docks and can run more complicated software. Windows 8 and future hardware are on the way and likely to be nearly good enough in the next few years. But is it still a tablet or is more like a laptop with a touch screen and special interface for when its undocked? Those two areas have come together from different angles to produce a hybrid of the two so don't really think the future is tablets so much as adding touch as an interface to modern computers. The ipad and its ilk are simple devices that have evolved the touch interface, so general purpose machines can now pick up the functionality and offer decent compatibility with all the software that is already out there.

 

Again, this is why Windows 8 will be a massive success (assuming they don't do a "vista" with it - but I'm confident they won't judging by what I've seen so far).

Honest to go, Windows 8 is going to be THE thing that see's tablets explode all over the market.

 

I CBA to have either a laptop or a tablet, why do I think they're going anywhere? They're toys, pure and simple. Give them five or so years, and see if they have any real use.

 

You can say the exact same about any technology - I suspect your trolling with an answer like that tbh.

There is always going to be a place for every bit of tech that has gone before - for example, it's going to be a bloody long time before people finally don't need a desk top computer, however the time where the majority don't need them is fast approaching.

I think the tablet form factor has got some proper legs on it though as it's a good medium to work on and interact with other items. We're seeing houses now that can have their lighting all controlled from an iPad - that'll become mainstream eventually. That sort of thing, the tablet is perfect for.

Now if you get to the point that the tablet is powerful enough to be a decent PC once it's docked in to something (and it really will be able to, I have no doubt about it) then you'll really see how good they are.

 

Unfortunately, no.

1) The x86 tablets are not interesting for this, because their power consumption is way too high and will be in next years too.
2) The ARM tablets running W8 won't run "legacy" apps (= standard Windows applications you see now), only Metro apps. And Metro apps, well, that is going to take a lot of time and effort. W8 on ARM AFAIK actually won't even have the switching option from the metro UI to the classic UI.

So we are back to square one, because the final limitations of W8 tablets with ARM processors will be similar to the limitations of current tablets - limited memory, storage space and CPU power.

 

You realize I'm working with quad socket server stuff here, not standard desktop stuff, right? Yes, it might not be "the norm" but I truly have sod all use for the stuff. I'm still looking for upgrades to my setup. That's not just a downgrade, it actively prevents me from doing what I do. The tech today (unless you pay gobs of money I don't have) won't let me work mobile at all, so why should I think that laptops and tablets are anything more than expensive toys?

I've tried the things, too. There's a (supposedly decent) laptop here for repair, and my wife has a netbook. We have multiple Android devices, and of all of it I feel like are flimsy and not worth the silicon they're made of. They're slow, clunky, and crippled by their input devices. I think these tablet proclaimers are trolling, there's no use in something like that unless you have an unlimited fast internet connection-something the world is not completely wired with yet. Especially not here, where I can see the end of the internet a few houses down.

However, that's just my usage. I don't own a phone, MP3 player, or TV either. I do however have a very expensive RAID card, and spare Opterons. My usage pattern is just not the same as the average, but I hardly see that as trolling. Merely offering a different opinion-just apparently one that's not too popular.

 

Ehm, uhm...W8 tablets will run :
1) Atom.
2) ARM, probably Tegra 3 or another quadcore ARM CPU.

Ivy Bridge & tablet is not going to happen. Not in scale and price segment you expect. Well, unless your expectations for that segment is 2000 or more euros.

 

I have a tablet, and I only use it when I do not have access to this PC, and only because I don't have a laptop. If I had a laptop I'd never use the tablet. Only very casual web browsing makes sense on a tablet to me. Any prolonged typing is crap. Small screen sizes become annoying after a while. Having to wipe finger marks off the damned thing becomes tired too.

I doubt tablets will replace laptops at all, for either home, or business, not until there's some serious advancements made.

Nope. If I have to plug in a decent keyboard, and a decent monitor to get anything done with it, then why not just buy a computer (which will always be more powerful no matter how powerful tablets get)?

I'm inclined to agree with kayinBlack here. Tablets are toys.

 

Maybe I didn't phrase it right. Obviously most people here have desktops. Which is why I pointed out, outside of this forum it's very different, and most of the general population have a laptop and not a pc. so having a tablet instead of laptop woulf make the tablet the main computer.

 

I doubt it. Most people with a laptop will be used to performing tasks that would always be less suited to a tablet. Be it gaming, proper word processing, excel work, whatever... tablets are pretty gimped in this department, especially the stupid iPad with it's insistence that it HAS to be synced via iTunes, therefore quite a lot of it's functions rely on having another computer. You can't just put things on a iPad... you have to sync from iTunes.

Other, more capable tablets (anything with a USB socket and access to something resembling a file system) will fair better, and the new Windows 8 devices better still, but they will always be fulfilling a specific need: Light, casual computing and browsing/e-mail.

 

Hahahah, what did i say ?

Samsung Slate PC, which is a W8 tablet, 11.6" 1366x768 PLS display with Gorilla Glass, Core i5-2467M. 890 grams, 13mm thickness, 7 hours on battery. front and back camera, WiFi, USB2, microHDMI, SD card reader, SIM card slot, dock station, Bluetooth keyboard and stylus. Dock station has extra SB ports, ethernet port and HDMI connector.

Price ? 1500 euros. A true alternative to a 600-700 euro laptops with similar hardware specs. Or a true alternative to a 400-600e tabets with twice or three times battery life.

http://www.nordichardware.com/news/...g-slate-pc-is-both-tablet-and-windows-pc.html

 

That's what I'm saying!! For people on here with a PC and then a laptop for internet browsing, a tablet could replace a laptop. But for Others, the tablet cant for the reasons you just said.

Does anyone understand my point?