Laptop vs. Tablet plus Keyboard and Mouse?

jimindenver · Nov 5, 2016

The Cambio does a screen sharing wirelessly but it's a Windows thing and will not cast to my FireTV stick. A micro HDMI to HDMI adapter is all you need to use a cord.

Very nice mini tower. Thank you.

Vagabound · Nov 6, 2016

jimindenver said:
I think my next will be more like a mini tower using the TV ... means I don't really need the screen and keyboard of the laptop/tablet if I want to use the TV screen anyways.

In my last S&B, I got pretty addicted to connecting my laptop up to my 42" TV, and sitting in the lazy boy chair with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Mostly nice setup, except no software manufacturer that I know of has really ever written their software with that setup in mind. Lots of goofy, manual zooming and scrolling is required as is to be able to see/read the screen.

One day, there will be native TV mode on all software. I have a dream ...

Vagabound

akrvbob · Nov 6, 2016

If you write much, there is one compelling reason to get a good Android tablet: its voice dictation is exceptional.

I now dictate all my blog posts directly into Wordpress with my Samsung Tablet as well as I'm writing a book directly into Word. If you can get an App for it, you can voice dictate directly into it.

It does take some re-learning to write from the spoken word instead of typing, but it hasn't been a problem for me. Its accuracy is amazing and it's cut my writing time in at least half. I'm a mediocre typist, so my edit/clean up time is probably about the same.

I assume Apple is as good, but I have no direct experience. I'm also well aware that this won't be a selling point to most people.

One Awesome Inch · Nov 6, 2016

For two years all I've owned is my Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It does everything I need.

Vagabound · Nov 6, 2016

akrvbob said:
If you write much, there is one compelling reason to get a good Android tablet: its voice dictation is exceptional....

Good point. The last time I experimented with voice-to-text in Windows, it was still not ready for prime time. That said, I've recently been more impressed with the same in Android. Just now really starting to get into using Google Voice ("OK, Google"). Very useful and I've only scratched the surface. Also starting to use it to dictate replies in other applications. I can see that, once I get good at it, it would be a huge time saver, especially on a phone. On a phone, without exaggeration, I spend more time correcting the misspellings and automated assumptions than I do typing and I'm sure it's bad for my blood pressure as well. ;-)

Vagabound

Vagabound · Nov 6, 2016

In the thread, jimindenver brought up the RCA 10" Cambio 2-in-1 tablet that he has. Thanks for the idea, Jim.

Last night, I dropped by a Walmart to get my hands on a demo model to check it. In less than 30 seconds, it failed the test for me. The keyboard is small, and typing felt excessively scrunched. An immediate dealbreaker for me, as I am a decent touch typist. Keyboard is crucial. However, for people who hunt and peck, or some version of that, or with small hands, or less picky, it might work fine. FWIW in case anyone else is shopping.

On the other hand, I tested a Logitech K810 Bluetooth Keyboard. Night and day difference. It was a pleasure to type on. If I go the tablet route, I'll definitely buy that keyboard (as long as the illumination feature is able to be switched off).

Vagabound