Comment by ashishgandhi | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ashishgandhi | Hacker News Reader

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> and nearly everything on your list can be done either more efficiently or cheaper with a phone and laptop with an external monitor

He likes the rich quality of apps (Reeder the first RSS reader he likes, Day One, etc.) and he is obviously carrying it around.. A LOT. And notice the way he's using it, like while sipping coffee, while exercising, etc. I don't know about you but I would rather have a tablet than carry a laptop (even a 11 inch MacBook Air, that's super light, small, and if you only put it to sleep no boot time) all over the place. We are not even talking about the apps (both in terms of quality of apps and the variety) that make things much easier and pleasant. You could more efficiently (by some measures) and more cheaply do all of what he does WITHOUT ANY COMPUTING DEVICE. But is that the point?

> haven't replaced any devices... and the tablet isn't good enough on its own

Did your cellphone replace your landline? Did your computer replace your calculator?

> the tablet is a luxury

Pretty much everything in the First World is a luxury. Visit Africa and you'll realize that. Visit the poor streets of India and you'll realize that. Anything that's beyond your basic needs is by definition luxury.

Are we having a battle of anecdotes? I have my own experience owning all of the devices. I'm not biased against my tablet, I'm telling you my experience with owning one and how I use it.

>"And notice the way he's using it, like while sipping coffee, while exercising"

I'm sipping coffee at my desktop right now. And I sip coffee with my laptop ALL the time. Exercising? Well, I think it's ridiculous you'd carry a tablet rather than a phone.

>"We are not even talking about the apps (both in terms of quality of apps and the variety) that make things much easier and pleasant."

No, we're not, because I disagree. A laptop with Windows 7 is going to make far more things "easier and pleasant" in the real world. Once again, what can your laptop do that the iPad can't? Lots. What can the tablet do that the laptop can't? Nothing. It's just easier to hold.

>"Did your cellphone replace your landline?"

Yes, it did. For me, my mother, father, sister and almost everyone I know under 30.

>"Did your computer replace your calculator?"

Uh, it most certainly did. If I need to do some basic arithmetic, I'm using Excel, or a calculator on my phone.

>"Pretty much everything in the First World is a luxury. Visit Africa and you'll realize that."

That's one hair away from Godwin's Law. Yeah, you're right. Everything I have is a luxury compared to some poor sucker in Africa. Thanks for pointing that out.

It's like you're trying to convince me that I should be using a tablet more. I own them all, and I use whatever tool is most convenient. The tablet is only ever my "go to" device in very specific cases that I've mentioned. I like it, I'm not selling it, but it's not overly useful. It wouldn't affect my productivity in any way if it disappeared tomorrow. And, to bring it full circle to the original article, it isn't because it's an Android instead of an Apple; it's because tablets just aren't that advantageous.

I agree that choosing a computing device is a First World Problem. But that's not on point. GP was saying it's a luxury in the sense that it's completely redundant for most of us who already have a laptop, phone, and workstation. In that sense you're paying $500 and up for the privilege of something that's slightly more convenient to hand than a laptop, and slightly more convenient to eye than a phone.

Yes, in fact my cell and my computer did displace the earlier technology completely.

This "big touchable surface" may be powerful enough eventually to be a new way of looking at the world. I think it needs better feedback first.

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