Anyone else use tablet computers?

[ToyotaEscaper]

I won't say I'll never get a tablet, but I do a lot of photo work. A small device simply doesn't have the capability I need........ yet.

Have you really looked? I mean the android apps aren't much but I run Gimp thru ubuntu in a virtual machine and and handles my d800e images rather well. Although if one has room for tele and prime lenses that go on a pro body than having a laptop wouldn't make a difference so I wouldn't worry. Just more of a taste for my everyday uses and street wandering. For professional frequent work I too always whip out the alienware.

 

[accrete]

On tablets and photos...
One of the things i knew i wanted to do on a possible iPad purchase was edit & beyond on photos. What came unexpectedly was how enjoyable using the iPad Air was for an actual camera. I have a pro-level harness/strap and waterproof case i put the iPad into when i'm in the Photo-taking mood. I enjoy the large "Viewfinder" and it takes me back to looking at the 5x7 glass plate-finder in my college days. And once i've taken the photo i can go immediately into edit mode and do what i was used to in PC based programs like Gimp and PS. Sure the people on the trail look at me like i'm some geek... but hey, i do resemble that remark!

 

[LeeRevell]

Bob, I am looking at the Lenovo mini laptops on their website. The Z50 looks like it would work well for me, and is priced right. As long as I could use an external HD and a DVD drive, I'd be set.

 

[ToyotaEscaper]

On tablets and photos...
One of the things i knew i wanted to do on a possible iPad purchase was edit & beyond on photos. What came unexpectedly was how enjoyable using the iPad Air was for an actual camera. I have a pro-level harness/strap and waterproof case i put the iPad into when i'm in the Photo-taking mood. I enjoy the large "Viewfinder" and it takes me back to looking at the 5x7 glass plate-finder in my college days. And once i've taken the photo i can go immediately into edit mode and do what i was used to in PC based programs like Gimp and PS. Sure the people on the trail look at me like i'm some geek... but hey, i do resemble that remark!

Ah good mention I also do something similar. I load up the Eye-fi app and use the Eye-fi card as a sort of tether. Helps a bunch because everything looks lioe its fine on the little 3 inch lcd back. I photograph lanscape a lot how about you sir?

 

[Seraphim]

The iPad handles the vast majority of my photo work. The EyeFi is too slow for RAW data, but gives me a good JPEG preview quickly enough. Photogene4 is a good app for editing, and is nondestructive. Limited to file types for exported, but does export TIF. Only time I fire up the laptop is to use layering, HDR, or to print from the iPad via the laptop; otherwise, all the necessary tools for professional quality photos are already available.

I share the same general loathing for a Windows - it's a dinosaur that just won't die...

 

[LeeRevell]

Win7 was a decent product - it did what it was designed to do. Win8/8.1 is the aberration. They are trying, very clumsily, to combine the dissimilar requirements of PCs, Laptops and smartphones into one system - it just doesn't work.

 

[ToyotaEscaper]

The iPad handles the vast majority of my photo work. The EyeFi is too slow for RAW data, but gives me a good JPEG preview quickly enough. Photogene4 is a good app for editing, and is nondestructive. Limited to file types for exported, but does export TIF. Only time I fire up the laptop is to use layering, HDR, or to print from the iPad via the laptop; otherwise, all the necessary tools for professional quality photos are already available.

I share the same general loathing for a Windows - it's a dinosaur that just won't die...

Yeah its what I do since my body has 2 card slots I shoot low jpeg into the eye-fi and raw into a 256gb sandisk extreme

 

[accrete]

...I photograph lanscape a lot how about you sir?

Yup me too on the landscapes. I keep a running outing/adventure log and photo-journal of places we go. It is primarily for my electronic-viewing pleasure. Since we live full time in an RV there's not much use for printing anything. But they look nice scrolling through on the big screens.

Thom

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I wanted to mention that when I bought my Asus Eee, I also bought a Gumdrop DropTech case for it. Great product! I've dropped it several times over the years with no problem whatever. Well worth the money, as far as I'm concerned. I wish they made them for more models than they currently offer.

Gumdrop Cases

Regards
John

 

[accrete]

on the topic of cases... for any iPad owners out there i've had great use out of two different cases; One is the Trident Kraken water-resistant case coupled with an Otter Box Utility Launch II hand-strap and Fotasy NSQF camera strap for out taking photos... and back at camp i slip it into the amazing ClamCase Pro for iPad Air. I kid you not, an iPad in ClamCase is about as nice a portable set up as anything out there!

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

the newest win 8 version isnt as bad as i expected, get the touch screen option tho. my nephew got it on his newest laptop and he likes it and i didnt see a problem using it.

 

[SoulRaven]

Combo TV and tablet 1024x600. I am waiting for the 9" model to arrive.

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-7-Inch-Po...psdc3_t1_B00D6KFYTI_B00HQ65PGA#productDetails

 

[Tippy Tipi]

Ugh, so many different types!! Can I just have one, that's tablet, able to have/attach to a keyboard, that has decent battery life, and can play the occasional WoW when I have wifi available without a monthly contract attached to it?? For now, have a POS laptop that decides to turn off when it feels like it (even with a cooling pad), and an iPad mini that was gifted to me from my daughter (and have terminated the internet monthly service). It works, I guess.

I'm lost with all the computer talk, but I have a Samsung Chromebook and I'm really happy with it. It has an attached keyboard so it's like having a little, very lightweight laptop to carry along with you. It's somewhat different than a computer and I'm still learning a few things with it, but it's something I'm happy with. No DVD drive, but you can watch movies and stuff if you put them on a thumb drive. There are three ports you can plug in with USB cords, I think they're called and a place for an SD card. It's 6 hours on a charge, too, which is nice compared to a laptop.

 

[LeeRevell]

Well, after checking out my sister's new tablet, I decided such a small device was simply not for me right now. Today I went to Best Buy, after looking at their lap tops online. I got the Toshiba Satellite C5, 15.5" monitor. It has a built in optical drive, a 500G HD, and can connect to an external monitor and other drives. Got the briefcase for it, and an Office package for software and an antivirus program . Don't have it online yet - need a second EtherNet cable, so I can switch easily between the desktop and the lap top using my DSL modem. So, a trip to Wally's tomorrow for that. At least now I'll be able to travel and have a full computer instead of the too-limited smart phone.
TT, Best Buy has an external DVD drive you can connect via USB port.

 

[PeterG]

Ugh, so many different types!! Can I just have one, that's tablet, able to have/attach to a keyboard, that has decent battery life, and can play the occasional WoW when I have wifi available without a monthly contract attached to it?? For now, have a POS laptop that decides to turn off when it feels like it (even with a cooling pad), and an iPad mini that was gifted to me from my daughter (and have terminated the internet monthly service). It works, I guess.

WoW, or any other video game, will not run well, or at all, on a tablet unless it was written for one. Real computer games like WoW, Call of Duty, etc. are made to run on machines with separate graphics processors since they take such a heavy processing load. I would recommend a gaming-capable laptop for games like that, and a tablet for basic web surfing, email, photo viewing, watching the odd movie or show. Also, I would avoid Apple computers just because you are paying as much as 2x the money for the same hardware because it's pretty and has an apple on it.

As to cases, I have LifeProof cases on my ipad and phone. I have dropped both on tile and concrete with no damage, and they are waterproof. You can even take them swimming, rinse them off with a hose, etc. Well worth it to protect your investment, AND they are much less bulky then the Otterbox cases.