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Comment by darksaga | Hacker News Reader

I've had the same reaction to tablets. They're kid of a "tweener" device for me. If I want to, I can surf the web on my phone (Android), but I'm certainly not going to develop anything on a tablet.

I take a 15-20 minute ride into the city every morning and I've built a few apps on the way. I really couldn't see myself trying to type on a smaller device, with a smaller screen and a condensed keyboard.

I have yet to find a really good use for a tablet yet. I have an older 14.5" laptop which runs Linux Mint 11, and with only 1GB of ram, it's a lot faster than you think. It accomplishes the tasks of simple browsing, hammering out some quick code and other remedial tasks - and oh yeah, it only cost $150.

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Thats why I say tabs are for consumers. If you want to just sit down and look at things on the web, then they are ideal. The second you want to participate, say, reply to some one on a forum, then it begins, IMHO, to get difficult. If you want to type out something or work, then its near impossible.

OK, there is, or should be, more to it than browsing the web, but my point I think, is more about input. Maybe be its me, but I am yet to find anything better than a keyboard and mouse. Even track pads are a pain to me. What I think is a problem is that these tablets actually limit what one can efficiently do with a computer, which kinda goes against the whole point.

I also think that "we" techie types are very different users to the majority of people who buy these things. We expect a "computer" to be versatile and do everything. Where as the average punter only wants limited set of things to work well. And these tabs do that really well. And, of course, there is more of them than us!!!!!!

"I take a 15-20 minute ride into the city every morning and I've built a few apps on the way."

For me its a netbook (Samsung NC10, 1024 by 600, 70 UK pounds off ebay) and I write worksheets and presentations and the occasional multiple choice quiz. That 2x 25minutes every day is really useful.

The iPads I see in the wild here are mainly management types with leather wallet cases (no keyboards).

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