Keep the Laptop or go for the Tablet?

RZRBUG

I know there are members in this forum that have far more tech savvy than I do about electronic communication devices, and I need some advice.  I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 that I use for a cell phone and various other evils.  I don't use it for navigation as I have a Garmin I use for that. 

I also have a laptop that I carry to keep my travelogues updated, sometimes check email, and download and edit my photographs.  I have been thinking of purchasing a tablet to take the place of the laptop and adding it to my phone's data plan.  Can you give me the pros and cons of doing so?  Should I just keep the laptop?

Nomad

I guess the big question from me would be how heavy duty your photo editing is. For the type of editing I do, my MacbookPro is a must but I'm layering, compositing and working with files that can be a couple gigs in size.
For my personal photos I use my iPad - There's just a ton of really, really good photo/image editing/manipulation apps on iOS. And, I would do iOS as it's always had a graphics coprocessor where android has not and the central processor has had to do double duty.

jkjenn

Why not both? The Microsoft Surface 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop. It has full blown windows in a very slim form factor. You can get a keyboard that connects magnetically (and does not require a separate charger.

I switched to a Surface Pro 3 last year and absolutely love it. I recently picked up the docking station, primarily because I got an awesome deal on it. Now I can connect multiple external hard drives at a time, which is sometimes quite convenient. Yes, you can do that with a hub, but it also has a LAN port and the charger built in.

Rather than a tablet with a data plan, I prefer to use my phone's WiFi hotspot that way I only pay for what I use.

Nomad

I should add - email and surfing the web, etc., most people I know could get by with an iPad.

jkjenn

PXLated said:

I should add - email and surfing the web, etc., most people I know could get by with an iPad.

But why just "get by" when you can have both.

RZRBUG

I should say that I do very little photo editing while travelling.  That would mostly consist of sizing if I want to email them before I get back home.  Any other editing I do on the desktop when I get back home since I'm rarely gone for more than a couple of weeks at a time, and my photos are all for personal use.

I also do very little web surfing on the road.  I try to keep up with my email mostly.  Also keep a check on the weather, but I can do that on the phone.

The Surface Pro 3 might be worth considering, although it appears to be just a glorified laptop, right?  Since I only use it when I travel, I might be better off keeping the old clunker I have until it plays out...which won't be long.  So, Jenn, how easy is it to add programs to the Surface?  I suppose there's the Windows 8 compatibility thing to consider.  God bless Microsoft.

Nomad

Jenn - ok, I'll rephrase - an iPad is all they need, actually more than they need.
And no, I'm not getting into a Windows war - just that there's bazillions of new, "modern apps" on an iPad - but, get what works for ya.

Verna

I bought an iPad on sale (yeah, that rarely happens) a few months ago.  It's nice to have the larger print as compared to the iPhone that I use all of the time, but it certainly won't run DVD's, etc.  The reason I bought the iPad is for wintering in Arizona.  It's a lot faster than the laptop, and doesn't use as much data as the laptop does. 

I'll have to decide sometime what to do with the Dell laptop.  It would be nice to have all Apple products, but the price of an Apple laptop--WOW!!! 

I don't have to figure everything out right now.  I just spent my birthday and Christmas presents for a few years

Nomad

New laptops are getting rid of the CD/DVDs player - everything is going to streaming over the net. Will take some time but that's the trend.
I have both an iPhone and an iPad - I do everything but talk and text on the iPad - even the bigger phones are too small for my taste. The laptop is just my photo editing machine.

abenteurer

Keep the laptop till the wheels fall off.  And be good about backing up data.  Beyond that, I'd suggest getting something that facilitates local external storage.  Cloud storage, if you were considering it, eats up your data plan and the cloud end user license agreement may compromise your intellectual property rights.

Nomad

Yep, cloud can eat a cell data plan pretty quickly unless you can use wifi. Can always plug the iPad into either a Mac or Windows for backup and storage. I have a 128gig iPad and I offload to my Mac and backup to hard drives. For most I know, it's their photos that need the backup. Everything else is somewhat temporary or online like Facebook.

Michigan_Mike

I use a laptop for photo storage and editing on my trips and love my new iPhone 6 plus as it's a mini iPad and a lot more handy than the former iPhone 5S which has a dinky size screen.   I'm glad I opted for the larger screen as these old eyes feel much better these days!  I WILL pick up an iPad shortly but I have other priorities at the moment and that can wait.  

jkjenn

One thing I like about Windows 7 and newer is that if you are running off of a metered connection, like a cellular connection, there is a mode you can select that minimizes how much it access the Internet to check for updates, or other data traffic.

I downloaded an app that I ran on my work laptop for a few months to guage how much data I would need to work from the road. I was pleased to see it a little lower than I had guessed.

Nomad

There's a mode on iOS where it asks before downloading updates, etc - I think you can set it so only certain apps use cell, the others require wifi or approval - been so long since I set it all up I can't remember the specifics. I know I can trick it into thinking I have wifi when I don't if I need an update - I tether my iPad to my phone through wifi. So I do have a wifi connection on the iPad but it's actually downloading through a cell connection on the phone.

Cell data is still way too expensive here in the U.S.

Nomad

Mike - I find the iPhone-6 (standard) too big for my hands - the 6+ is a monster ;-)
I'm actually hoping the rumor that they're going to go back to smaller on the regular phone is true.

Verna

As long as I have the "grandfathered unlimited data plan", I'm not allowed to tether anything to my iPhone.  It's actually maxed out at 5 gig, and then it is throttled.  I'm not allowed to buy anymore data for that billing period. 

My sister loaned me her hotspot last winter.  When I had the problem with being throttled, she checked and got another hotspot for her for just another $20/month and we share 10 gig of data on it.  It sure helped last winter, and it will help again this winter.  The hotspot also has the ability to buy more gigs per month if needed.  I pay her the $20/month and I can use it on the iPad as needed and it works well for that.  And, it also has a cell phone booster on it, which helped in a couple of locations.  No antenna needed, just the hot spot.

RollingLagrima

Larry, in addition to what everybody else has said, do you use the laptop to watch movies/dvd when there is no/limited wifi? Then keep it!  If only for that purpose.

Michigan_Mike

PXLated said:

Mike - I find the iPhone-6 (standard) too big for my hands - the 6+ is a monster ;-)
I'm actually hoping the rumor that they're going to go back to smaller on the regular phone is true.

I love it!   It makes a BIG difference when you have a decent case as the phone is too slim to use independent of a case.  Sure, you can use it that way but an Otterbox Commuter case works like a champ, beefs up the phone where you're not worrying about dropping it and you can use it like a mini iPad.  It's much easier to read and navigate web pages and is similar to the larger Android phones.  I think it's the cat's pajama's!  

RZRBUG

Mike, I also use the Otterbox for my Samsung (not the cat) not only for the protection it provides, but because it is too thin for my taste otherwise.

Sally, good point, but I hardly ever watch TV or DVD's when camping.  When I do watch a movie, I do it through the Jensen/TV.  Roy Rogers, anyone? Old B&W B westerns are my favorite when camping.

I sort of miss the Internet when on the road as there are many nights I have no/limited service.  I need to figure out something.  Some of the new GM vehicles have built-in hot spots, but don't think I'll be spending $40K just to get Wi-Fi.

jkjenn

RollingLagrima said:

Larry, in addition to what everybody else has said, do you use the laptop to watch movies/dvd when there is no/limited wifi? Then keep it!  If only for that purpose.

That is one thing nice about the Surface. It has a slot for a micro SD card that I use to store movies on before a trip. I also can put them on an external hard drive and plug into the USB port. I usually download a TV series or something as part of the packing process for a bigger trip.

Nomad

Rzrbug - If ya like old western movies and tv shows you have to go and boondock just west of Lone Pine, CA - It's where everything from How the West Was Won to The Csico Kid, Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, etc were shot - You boondock right off of Movie Road - and there's a good museum in town. It's just a great place.

Nomad

Rzrbug - See here - http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/1245/camping-recommendations-master-list#latest

Verna

jkjenn said:
That is one thing nice about the Surface. It has a slot for a micro SD card that I use to store movies on before a trip. I also can put them on an external hard drive and plug into the USB port. I usually download a TV series or something as part of the packing process for a bigger trip.

So, Jenn, do you copy your own DVD's of movies or do you download them from somewhere?  I haven't tried that yet.  I have over 100 DVD's, but I can always use some variety.  NCIS seasons 1 to 11 anyone? 

RZRBUG

PXLated said:

Rzrbug - If ya like old western movies and tv shows you have to go and boondock just west of Lone Pine, CA - It's where everything from How the West Was Won to The Csico Kid, Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, etc were shot - You boondock right off of Movie Road - and there's a good museum in town. It's just a great place.

Yes, thanks.  I had read your post earlier.  A friend of mine had also recommended it earlier when I first started camping.  Maybe some day, but not sure I will ever get that far west.  BTW, I still watch reruns of all those old shows on DirecTV's Westerns Channel.  When those guys were on the trail, they really boondocked.

jkjenn

Verna said:

jkjenn said:
That is one thing nice about the Surface. It has a slot for a micro SD card that I use to store movies on before a trip. I also can put them on an external hard drive and plug into the USB port. I usually download a TV series or something as part of the packing process for a bigger trip.

So, Jenn, do you copy your own DVD's of movies or do you download them from somewhere?  I haven't tried that yet.  I have over 100 DVD's, but I can always use some variety.  NCIS seasons 1 to 11 anyone? 

I generally buy them directly through the Video store in Windows (Windows 8 and Windows 10.)

Nomad

Verna - You can buy or rent movies through iTunes on your iPad - I'd be hooked up to wifi for the download/cache though as movies are rather big files. Once downloaded they can be watched anytime.

Verna

Thanks, Jenn and PXLated. It's a question I never asked before, but was curious about. With the Jenson radio setup, sound system (whatever...), I haven't read the book, but I saw it does have a USB port, so I imagine I could download to a portable hard drive and then use it like a DVD to watch movies. 

skwhee

Verna, The ability to play movies through the USB is much more complicated than it looks! We've been round and round with it. We'll fill you in when we see you at Tearstock and also pick your brain on the Hotspot option. See you in a couple weeks!

Verna

skwhee said:

Verna, The ability to play movies through the USB is much more complicated than it looks! We've been round and round with it. We'll fill you in when we see you at Tearstock and also pick your brain on the Hotspot option. See you in a couple weeks!

Deal!  I've grown to love that Hotspot.

Mercator

I use an iPhone 6+ and use it as a hotspot for my Macbook Air as needed.  I also have a wireless external drive that I use to store my iTunes library and Photo library.  To watch movies (or view photos) on the television I have an HDMI dongle for the Macbook and an HDMI cable to run to the television. 

For the Macbook I purchased a car (12v) adapter from Mikegyver.  This also has a USB charger outlet for the iPhone.  This adapter seems more efficient than using a large inverter to power the laptop.  They also have products for MS surface and a range of portable batteries.

jkjenn

Mercator said:

I use an iPhone 6+ and use it as a hotspot for my Macbook Air as needed.  I also have a wireless external drive that I use to store my iTunes library and Photo library.  To watch movies (or view photos) on the television I have an HDMI dongle for the Macbook and an HDMI cable to run to the television. 

I also have a wireless hard drive that can be used as a router. I like it. For watching video, I like to use my Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter (Miracast.) Very small, very reliable.

Thanks for mentioning the Mikegyver products. I will have to check them out. I used to use the iGO products, but they don't make nearly the amount of things they used to make.