We have a desktop computer, and need a 2nd unit.

whats the current trend and why?

There seems to be multiple choices in laptops, notebooks, Surface books, etc etc......

principal use would be a secondary unit for some browsing, paying bills online, and so forth.

What are the primary differences in laptops and tablets?

Do you want a 'bigger smart phone' with apps or a computer?

If you want apps, get a tablet, if you want a computer get a laptop.

For pure point and click browsing, I like my iPad Air.

For something you have to enter data ( paying bill, ordering and enter payment , etc) then I use my laptop.

Look for $150-200 laptops during Black Friday that some be more than plenty for everyday browsing.

Saw an ad for a Dell I7 laptop the other day for $599, now's the time to get a good deal if your looking for one.

Phil

"bigger smart phone", sounds like we're heading in the wrong direction, Can't think of any apps that might be useful, unless I'm missing something here.......

I bought a Dell 11" touchscreen laptop and got the best of both worlds. Very thin and light and 1/6th the cost of Apple Air

Exactly, forget the tablet and get a laptop.

A tablet is like dicking around with your smart phone on a bigger screen.

I'd have to look up an 'ipad air' just to know what the hell it is.

Notebook or tablet? or are those the same?

My tablet experience is with the iPad, and it's not a cpmplete substitute for a real computer. Not even just considering internet access. There are some things you just need a computer for. Then again, there are many functions for which the tablet is preferred. So having one computer and one tablet makes sense.

Touchscreen? I really need to get out more often.....

When would you prefer a tablet?

Over an Iphone or playing Angry Birds on it while dropping a deuce.

I like the touch screen interface better than the mouse, for example. It has its limits vs the mouse and physical keyboard,, but once you get thumb typing down, it works pretty good.

At this moment, for example, I'm on the iPad, while my MacBook is sitting a few feet away. That's typical.

Laptop it is, now lets talk realistic prices I can expect to pay, and features I need,or don't need.

Size, and where to buy..

I like a 14" for portabilty. But I dont watch movies on mine.

buy from an out of state retailer.

Fry's, tigerdirect, newegg, etc to avoid sales tax.

Got tablets for the wife and i about a year ago. Havent touched mine in 6 months. The kids love them for games and youtube. I dunno i prefer my desktop to do everything. When i was gone a lot i had a laptop but havent touched that either in a long time.

Wife just mentioned she would like a tablet for Xmas, looks like tablets are back in the mix.

I can actually see her liking the touch screen features of a tablet, but the boys would benefit more from a laptop with regards to homework...

Chromebook..Part computer and part tablet..

I picked up a "refurbished" HP from wallyworld (on line)a couple months ago for $250...1 yr. factory warranty lots of bells & whistles for the price...I'm very happy.

ETA: Windows 7 with free upgrade to Win 10

I like an upright screen and a separate keyboard and mouse. If I'm not mistaken, most of the better tablets can be attached to a keyboard and used like a laptop.

I bought an el cheapo toshiba laptop some years back and it has done everything I ever wanted it to. Just saw it's equivalent this week in an ad for $100 less than I paid 6-7 years ago.
The 15.6" screen is a good blend of portability and user friendliness.

Apps can be quite useful. I have apps for all of the financial/investment firms that I have accounts with. Apps for making quick notes, for setting reminders for appointments, birthdays, bills, and etc...
I even have an app that when opened shows all the theatres in order of their proximity to my location, and lists movies and showtimes.

Likely my most used app is a simple timer/stopwatch feature. When I'm busy I use it to parse out blocks of time for activities. If I have yardwork to do but need to leave for a meeting in 25 minutes, it takes about 10 seconds to set the timer and go about the yard work. Timer goes off and i know it's time to leave for the meeting.

Most things I can do with an app can also be done on full internet sites, but the apps are simple, secure, and quick. I find myself sitting in front of the computer and pulling my fone out to check financial accounts due to their quick access. I also believe them to be more secure than most net connected computers that are used by other family members for gaming and facebook.

That's one reason I went Chromebook over Windows laptops..My Toshiba 2 Chromebook is as fast as any of the new cell phones and just as secure.I also have a Samsung galaxy tab pro 8.4 tablet and the chromebook puts it to shame in speed and is equal to or better than the new smart phones in speed.

They are new enough there are some problems like photobucket url's..I could never go back to a windows laptop..24hr campfire is snap/snap and no ads or problems at all..Just like every other web site..

I have an iPad and a MacBook Air. I rarely use my iPad even when traveling. The MacBook Air is so thin and lightweight that it's pretty much like a tablet, plus you have a real keyboard to type on, which I much prefer to beating on glass. It also gives you the ability to read other media (like thumb drives) via the USB ports.

Mike

We bought a Nextbook for travel. It has a detachable keyboard; it works like a laptop with the keyboard on and like a tablet with it removed. Windows 10, 12 hours of battery life, very good screen, and nice keyboard. And it was UNDER $200.

Edit to add: it came with Win 8.1, which I immediately changed to Win 10. No problems and it runs perfectly.

I have a Tablet for work.
I work in bad weather, dirt , grinder dust eccetra.
the Tabet does not have a fan that sucks that stuff into it like the lap top.

And they told me when I bought it that it was just like my lap top.
That was a bunch of BS.
The only way I can save my report files is to save them on the Cloud. The Tabet will not let me save things like my lap top.

IT IS NOT A COMPUTER.
It is like everyone else said a big bulcky Phone.

24 Hour is snap snap for me too. On two different Windows computers (a touch screen laptop and a desk top) both running Firefox and Ad Blocker. And they both give me a lot more versatility and capabilities over my huge other smart phone (aka as a tablet) running an Android system.

A Chromebook is nothing but an internet-dependent laptop running a proprietary OS system that requires that most of Chromebook’s documents and apps exist in the cloud. No connectivity - much like with a cell phone - and they are fairly helpless.

Get a decent computer set up correctly and you won't have issues with 24 Hour or anyplace else on the internet. Or if you want normal business resident apps that work offline, you have that option also. And it's not difficult to get it all done unless a person is just stubborn and buys into the "Windows don't work well" mantra.

Every ones needs are different.The chromebook does everything I need in a laptop..Where else can you get a 1080p screen and 1920x1080 resolution with stereo speakers/web cam and 10 hours battery life/ all the ports/card slots etc for $200 brand new and without the worries of security, windows OS brings?

I can't root my cell phones off a chromebook which is the only thing I miss, my Dell laptop has the ability to do.My windows laptops sit idle in the bedroom.There not nearly as fast or as clear as my chromebook but there not top shelf either,both $500 laptops,I much prefer the $200 chromebook.

For me this works great,might not for others needs.I just don't need what a laptop offers over a chromebook at a much higher price.

When my last laptop died of old age I bought a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with the keyboard for my adjunct, and I really love it. It is so easy to pack around for traveling. Unlike a Mac product, it can take a micro SD card and it has a USB port. It has a couple of quirks but beats all the laptops I have lugged around for the last 20 years. The 4 is out now.

So, you can pull up a bank balance with 2 touches in 3 seconds time?

I look at laptop for work/productivity.

Tablet (phone +P) for surfing and fun stuff; and travel.

Only if I'm on my feet and moving around with need of a computer.

I prefer for my computer to be on a bench or table and stationary, but the tablets have their uses.
A buddies wife does inventories, display inspections and in store audits for various product lines. She is constantly on the move and depends heavily on a tablet.

Do you want a keyboard? If so, laptop. If you hate laptop keyboards and mousepads like me, get a desktop or a dock for the laptop. You can use the laptop just like a desktop at home and/or work, plus the ease of taking it mobile when needed.

If you need something small to check the 'fire and email and general browsing, get the tablet.

Microsoft Surface is the best of both worlds. Functions as a tablet but you can run regular windows applications in the desktop mode.

While I have had the regular old computers now I use a 17" laptop all of the time. I have it on a small table and I look over it across our living room at the TV when the wife has it on.

I have had very good service from them. I have three of them so as to have a spare.

They cost about $400 ea and don't take up much room or make any noise. Easy to fold and take to VT.




17" at Walmart

To stir things up but tablets rock. One finger to operate, no hard drive to crash, and can run windows and word and any quality tablet has voice recognition and can add a keyboard. I know lots of people who comstantly struggle with computers but never have i met someone with problems with a tablet.

The "2 in 1" devices sure seem to have the cool factor, detach the screen for a tablet, or use as a laptop with both halves together,

Any drawbacks with these? how about durability ?

My little ASUS survived my bicycle trip to New York and is still running strong even as I speak. It was $200 in '14, now $130 gets you one better than mine...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15...600.p?id=1219751666691&skuId=4476600


Is there any reason at all not to buy one of these?

FWIW my ASUS runs its fee LibreOffice download just fine, for my purposes completely equivalent to and compatible with MicrosoftOffice.

Birdwatcher

Birdwatcher,

The reason not to buy one is that they are sold out it says!

Looks good otherwise with a low price.

That's why I recommended the Nextbook. Best of both types and no faults yet that I have found.

Get one, upgrade it to Win 10, then download Open Office. Done.

LINK

^THIS^ I stopped using my iPad because you can't help but accidentally touch an unwanted part of the screen.
Mac Book Air is the only way to fly.

Anybody use an UltraBook like the Lenova X1 Carbon? They are pricey; but got good reviews.

I had an iPad mini, but dumped it to get a laptop and a "phablet". Ended up with a Galaxy Note 3 to do all the things, and it does all the things well. Phones with 6" screens don't suck for daily use.

I grabbed a black friday deal at office depot, tell me how bad, or good I did,,,,

Dell inspirion, 13 inch touch screen, 8 gig memory, 500 gg harddrive for 550, 2in1 type tablet, laptop.

All online reviews looked very positive, and juniors only request was he would like a touchscreen.

I just wasn't sure on the screen size, for a college student on the go, 13 inch?

Agreed..I have a Nexus 6 that I can do anything on anywhere..Comes in handy alot when your off and about and need the internet.I could never go back to a smaller screen with my old eyes.

I find the laptop more useful, but do have a ipad I use for some things.

For the OP, I would go for the Laptop and then spend $35( on sale now) for a kindle from amazon and see if you see any use in the tablet. The cheap kindle isn't an Ipad, but if you like it you can put a real tablet on the wish list.