Association Forum - Convince me to get a Tablet PC

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Convince me to get a Tablet PC

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 3

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/12/2012 : 11:16:10

SWMBO has both a smartphone and a tablet PC.

I have a dumbphone from work, and use a desktop PC at home that she occassionally visits for whatever her phone can't do.

SWMBO is encouraging me to get a tablet.

I can't see why I need it. Even if I got one, I wouldn't want to pay for a data subscription.

Convince me that I need one. I dare you.

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

Take a minute to register your boat with the association!!
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/owner_questionnaire.htm

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:02:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 I can't see why I need it. Even if I got one, I wouldn't want to pay for a data subscription.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You don't need one. Why bother even thinking about it?

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:10:07

Another Right Turn!

Well. whatever...

Your kidding right...I thought you were a programmer?

Like Joe said.. If you don't see the need.. then yepper you don't need one.

I like to read books with them. Did not like the Mag subscriptions, much too long to download the magazines ( The New Yorker ). Can't imagine what Vanity Fair would be like. I really don't find it to be of any advantage for other applications, the cell phone with give me pretty much everything I need and easier to carry.

I'd imagine the map apps for navigation would be very useful.

Edited by - redeye on 09/12/2012 12:17:25

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:17:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 Another Right Turn!

Well. whatever...

Your kidding right...I thought you were a programmer?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't get the right turn thing???

Nope - I'm the traffic guy. David is the programmer.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:19:06

I thought Stinkpotter was commenting on a OT post earlier.. A right turn away from Sailboat kinda topics...

I could be wrong.. It has happened..

Anyhoo.. that's what that was supposto be referring to.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:21:25

Oh.. well if you are not a programmer.. then..

Oh yes.. the tablets are great for showing recipes.. and with a really nice cover you will look so cool at the coffee shop.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:25:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 I thought Stinkpotter was commenting on a OT post earlier.. A right turn away from Sailboat kinda topics...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It is somewhat OT - but I know some guys on here are using them for navigation, etc. And I'm sure it would be useful for windfinder etc.

Dunno. Where else would I use it?

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:27:12

<>

You can use them a lot with wifi and not have any data cost. You can watch movies with them. Don't get me wrong, I don't see the need.

I think a lot if it is a waste of time, but I do enjoy the books, especially in the winter. I'd much rather be doing something "reality based" might be a way to put it. It just seems to suck you into advertising and spending your time reading something, somebody else thinks should be interesting..... Like Catalina 25 sailboats and emoticons

I'd much rather be sailing!!!

Edited by - redeye on 09/12/2012 12:28:10

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:29:27

There's that pesky word need again. What does that have to do with anything? Of course you don't need it. I'm guessing that SWMBO doesn't either. It's totally irrelevant to the real questions: When, where and for how much am I going to buy one of these things for which I have no need.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 12:37:43

I didn't use a pad, but a loptop, and it was very helpful to load all the Garmin charts and tides and local information and be able to plug the Garmin into it and see my location and movement.

Oh.. and you could see the Marine traffic.....

In all seriousness.. I'm sure others will chime in with additional useful applications.

Edited by - redeye on 09/12/2012 12:57:55

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1520 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 13:47:23

I considered buying an Ipad last year to run navigation and weather software on the boat, and especially have an mp3 player for the boat, the car, and traveling.

Then my son showed me an mp3 player with 8 GB memory for $37, and I got that instead!

Sorry!

Maybe you really want to do the "pinching motion" thingee, and you should get it just for that important function.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 14:03:44

I am a die hard Apple guy who worked in the Apple OEM business for a while. I cannot count the number of Macs or iPods I have had. I bought an iPod Touch years ago and found it pointless. I waited on the iPad 3 to evaluate whether to get an iPad, upon reading David Pogues' review I took his advise and bout an iPad 2. It has proven pretty pointless as well. I am enough of a computer guy that an "almost computer" is woefully lacking for me. I would now recommend a Macbook over an iPad. If you are an Android person then I do not know what to say because you probably have a Windows machine which means... uh, never mind.

Edited by - pastmember on 09/12/2012 14:06:04

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 14:07:59

There is always a Macbook Air or its pc clones.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4018 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 14:17:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I have a dumbphone from work, and use a desktop PC at home <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ditto, A Nextel and a 6yr old HP desktop. Call me a Dinosaur.

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 15:04:15

me three...as a confirmed Luddite, I see the race for the newest - 'cause it's the newest - to be folly...

Edited by - on

mowrangler
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
66 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 15:15:57

OK - I'll be the contrarian. Get one... all the cool kids have em!

Seriously - I have Navionics on mine and it has offset the fact that my depth finder is not working since I can see water depth and a map of the lake while I'm sailing. Of course, I am going to replace the depthfinder this fall when I pull the boat out of water, but it is pretty handy to have an "on-water GPS" and at much less expense than a real plotter. Other than that, I use it for reading books or watching movies while I am flying, and reading news or various forums of interest.

If you aren't a techie you may not get much use out of it, but then again you never know. My mother won an Amazon Fire and I never thought she would get much use out of it, but aparently she is enjoying it enough to convince my father that she should get "one of those fancy apple phones."

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 17:02:43

So, I'm not sure I'd call myself a programmer, but I do write programs, so maybe it's fitting. Chris & I have gone back and forth about tablets already, and I gave my opinions. Whether or not you need one is largely irrelevant, it's more about what could you do with one if you had it. I've owned a Fire, and took it back, wasn't impressed. I have friends who have iPads, and I like them, but find them too big. I looked at a Samsung Galaxy Tab yesterday and almost bought it right away. The size is good in my hands, it's lighter than the Fire as well as thinner. Costco has them for $219 right now which is $20 less than the best prices I could find online anywhere except the bait & switch shops who have it for $175, but you'll never get one for that price.

So, what would I do with mine assuming I get one? Well, use it for a reader as others have said, and you could easily do email on it. I could also develop for a tablet using it to test with, which is my biggest driver, but unlikely to be yours. You can get charting software for it, drop it into a waterproof pouch & use it for a chart plotter. Our marina has free wifi so we could use it there. If you can set up a hotspot with your phone, you could use it there as well.

Not sure I could convince you that you need one, but I'd take the bet that once you had one, you'd find uses for it that you never-ever thought of.

Edited by - on

rrick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 17:24:37

Tablet PC is this http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/fully-rugged-laptop-toughbook-19.asp, about $3k, but standard equipment on luxury blue water yachts to display SSB monochrome radiofaxes and play solitaire. Two touchscreens are offered, one is pen sensitive for fine writing and the other is finger activated popular for proprietary software like POS and medical uses.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 17:55:04

I work in IT so I am biased but I get a lot of use out of my iPhone and iPad. I carry a data plan for both and basically have Internet access everywhere I go. As with all technology the issue isn't whether you should buy a piece of hardware - it is whether you can benefit from the software and access to information that the hardware provides. I held off on smartphones until last year, now I would never give mine up. I'd say about 80% of my iPhone use does not involve using it as a phone but as a highly portable computer. For instance, I am a news hound and follow the stock market and the iPhone excels at both.

Hearing about your wife gives new proof of the old adage that opposites attract.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5353 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 19:19:37

Two years ago my son gave me an iPod Touch. It's basically an iPhone without a phone or a data plan, so I have to use WiFi for connections. I can use it to listen to music and read downloaded content offline as well.
And I love it because I can keep all my email, all my websites and a bunch of useful Apps that I use everyday in my pocket.
I've entertained getting a WiFi iPad however I think they're too big (I have a small pocket) and while I love the picture quality (I'm a television engineer), I believe it would be a little too unwieldy for me. The iPod touch is enough.
I also have a dumb phone (that's off contract) for talking in real-time to people.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 20:35:16

I was (finally!) given an iPhone 4s, and love having a computer in my pocket! (My previous cell-phone was a fold-open thing that could make telephone calls--that was it.) The iPhone keyboard sucks for my 67-yr-old fingers, but otherwise it gives me just about everything, anywhere in the world--by wifi or 3g--whichever is available. The camera is better than my camera. Weather radar, Morningstar reports, news, AIS, NOAA marine weather, e-mail, Facetime with my grandson... Wow!

As for a reader, I'm still on the fence--leaning toward a little Kindle for size, battery life, paper-white readability (without shining at me), and seamless integration to the sources. iPad? It doesn't (yet) fit into a gap for me. I have a very nice notebook that follows me on trips and has a full keyboard and mouse (probably dates me), DVD drive, and connectivity and ports for everything.

If you don't want it, and don't need it, just wait--something will come along that'll getcha!

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/12/2012 20:38:42

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2012 : 20:39:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Not sure I could convince you that you need one, but I'd take the bet that once you had one, you'd find uses for it that you never-ever thought of.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
My wife thought smart phones were stupid, useless gadgets until I got her an Iphone. I didn't think they were that bad, just not useful to me. Then I messed with her phone and soon got my first smart phone, an Iphone 3GS. She also loved the Ipad, but didn't think she would use it enough to justify buying one. That was before the kids pooled their resources and got her one for Mother's Day. It wouldn't fit in my pocket, but it does drop into most of her purses and travels a lot. You find software and uses that enhance your day. I use MacENC for navigation on my Macbook Pro, and it can repeat any of its screens on my Iphone in the cockpit with INavX. An Ipad would be nicer, but I'm smart enough to not ask Chris to put hers in a baggy for me.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3442 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2012 : 03:58:40

I am considering getting an IPAD but just not yet.

It starts with building the rationale.

If you have some navigation/sailboat benefits like easier to read on an IPAD responding to this forum from your sailboat vs using a handheld phone, etc, well then that is one bullet to add to your rationale list. Then there is the multi-tasking you can do while still watching tv and not yet heading to bed - You can save time checking your EMails, etc and avoid going to the desktop PC before you hit the sack...so it beenefits getting to bed sleep earlier especially oduring the work week. Watching movies was mentioned and that is a benefit when on vacation or on an airplane. You can read books at the beach or at home if you prefer the electronics vs hardcopy. An IPAD is smaller and easier to take with you comapred to a laptop and so that also is a bullet in favor of going with a tablet device. You can also transfer stuff into the IPAD or out of it(photos, data) interfacing with desktop PCs when visiting friends. It is also can be used for directions and routes finding restaurants, etc and on a larger screen than a handheld device. You can convince yourself that by waiting this long, you now can get a newer, later version of an IPAD/tablet that will have more features than SWMBO's and so that should also give you bragging rights for at least the short term!

Edited by - OLarryR on 09/13/2012 04:00:57

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2012 : 06:41:01

I work in IT, as does my wife. I am the network junkie, she's a programmer. We were "gifted" iPads a couple years back by the generous president of our company (that's right he bought one for EVERY employee, all the way down to the janitor, 175+ of them).

Anyway, we both used the iPad (then gen 1) for about a month... keeping in mind her and I both have smartphones (droid 2s then in fact). After using it for that amount of time, we both agreed they were really neat, and great if you had a desk computer, and a dumbphone, and needed a stop gap.... but it was "totally redundant" for US.

The arguments above about putting navionics on it, or a simpler software (Sailing Tactican -free) are valid, but again, you can put that on your smartphone (only reason to put it on a tablet is to see it "bigger.")

Music? Yep, smartphone will do that, and a cheap SANSA mp3 player with upgradable memory will serve better (and won't require iTunes, the scourge of the music world).

As for having internet access, well, yep a smartphone does that too.

Now, since we got the iPad 1 (2 years ago) as a gift, I've sold mine, and the wife gifted hers to her son (who loves it - again he has a laptop, but forgoes the laptop for the iPad, and uses the iPad in college for his books - lighter). The Wife has since purchased a Kindle Fire, which she uses the heck out of, mostly just for reading. Go figure. She states that the iPad was "too big" to use to read (her words not mine) and she didn't like the iPad interface (this is a visual programmer saying this). I could see that, as I noted the iPad was pretty heavy held in the hand for any length of time for reading. However it was way better as a computer than the Kindle Fire ever will be (without rooting the fire that's another story).

I guess I am spoiled, as I have a nice light portable 14 inch latitude laptop (that's an i5), it gets 6 hours on battery, and runs 2 Operating systems (windoze and ubuntu with an SSD hard drive so no crashed hard drive - hopefully), and generally allows me to do all the things a computer SHOULD do... Then my Android (now RAZR MAXX) phone is more powerful than even the latest iPhone5, and takes better pictures/video than any iPhone (and my last phone was an iphone 4, so don't get me started about Apple haters it ain't me), so I don't personally have a need for a tablet. That being said, if I were to get one I would likely do Android as I've had better luck with the apps than I did when I went Apple, MY REASON for buying a tablet would only be so I wouldn't ever take my laptop out, I'd leave the tablet at home, and ONLY use it while ignoring crappy primetime television, surfing the net (but again, I just use my laptop for that and if I have to type a tablet likely will have me cursing - touch typist here). It MUST just be me, because the other Apple Fans seem to really love their apps, even when they pay for them (I ONLY paid for navionics, and it's was so good, I bought it again for android too, I pay gladly for good software).

So not sure I am convincing you to buy a tablet. My take is, if you want something lighter than a laptop to surf/facebook/post forums, then a tablet is great. Otherwise a smartphone does the trick nicely, and if you need more power, better to go to a decent lappie... Just my worth less (everyday) $0.02.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2012 : 06:52:22

Does anyone have a link to a demo/test of navionics? All this input has been very helpful, but I want tosee just what Navionics is before I go getting all tingly over it.

I alreay have a small chartplotter, so the software may be redundant. Then again, what I paid for the chartplotter would buy 1.5 tablets...

Edited by - on

PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1225 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2012 : 07:19:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 SWMBO has both a smartphone and a tablet PC.

I have a dumbphone from work, and use a desktop PC at home that she occassionally visits for whatever her phone can't do.

SWMBO is encouraging me to get a tablet.

I can't see why I need it. Even if I got one, I wouldn't want to pay for a data subscription.

Convince me that I need one. I dare you.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't know that I will convince you but I bought the first generation Kindle Fire for $199.00. ( The second addition with improvements on the same model is now $149.00)

It works on WIFI so there is no data plan. I have a 4G Tmobile phone that generates a WIFI hotspot at no extra charge. The trend with the carriers recently is to offer multi device data plans. With my old Tmobile phone and plan, I can set up my five year old with Netflix or Amazon Prime movies or TV shows for him to watch when he gets tired down below. So it's good to keep the kids entertained.

I will tell you that my consumption of reading has increased majorly. It is so awesome to be able to browse through the on line book store, select a title, get to read the first 30 or 40 pages and then buy it for $9.00 or $15.00. I have always loved to read, mainly cruising books and WWII stuff, but I really don't have time to go to the book store every week. Also, the books download in seconds and once it's there, you can read it on the boat or wherever without internet. I literally use the Kindle every night to read myself to sleep.

The Kindle Fire is about the size of a paper back. I had an Ipad 2, which was too big to be a nice reader. Better tablet for sure but redundant for me between a desktop, laptop and the fire.

Kindle Fire is a nice low end tablet that is an awesome reader. battery life is terrific as well as long as you don't play games on it. To me it's been worth every bit of the money I paid for it. A great reader, media device and good for light surfing.

Edited by - on

Page: of 3

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.