SO, i'm finally thinking of getting a tablet device. Help me out here.

[Atomini]

I figure I may actually really need one now for school. A couple years ago I contemplated getting one of those smaller laptops just for studying and schoolwork, and the portability and compact benefits it brings to that, but the recent developments on tablets have got me thinking I should just get a tablet instead since they offer pretty much the same thing with a few more advantages. I've seen and used the iPad, I tried out my buddy's, and although I found it enjoyable, i'm not a fan of apple products or the iOS interface. However, if the reasons and justification for going with Apple products is ideal, I wouldn't mind going for that. I just do not like the iOS interface or anything... not my type of thing, I don't get along with it. It's funny because I have avoided tablet devices and iPads for years because they for some reason didn't appeal to me, almost as if I thought "if I have a touchscreen phone, why would I need what I think is essentially an oversized touchscreen phone?". But now i've been looking at things differently.

I have been lokking at the Windows Surface tablet, not just because it's been advertised on TV so much lately but because it's got a nice physical keyboard I like without sacrificing space and bulk. It is also cheaper than the iPad. I've also obviously enjoyed Windows a whole lot more than anything else, so... i'm not too sure right now. I'm not impulse buying, just doing some asking around and shopping around before I decide, which might not be for a few months. There's also more iPad models out there than the Microsoft ones, or any other company's tablet devices. I also don't know too much about tablet devices to begin with, so that's why i'm asking about it.

I've looked at this http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-...help-me-choose

and this, http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/hom...cid=AOS-CA-KWG but like I said there are a lot of different models compared to other competitors' devices.

[dan991]

Macbook Air..... same size, fully functional computer... or Surface Pro tablet if you need MS Office applications. Buying an iPad/Android tablet doesn't make much sense for "business" use as you can't really install the business apps you need on them or if they do have them; they are light versions. I myself use a macbook air with Windows 7 installed on it. Need Windows for work software and I need the portability of a tablet, thus the Macbook Air.

[dan991]

Note: Surface is a light verson of Win 8 called RT. If you need a REAL computer, you have to get the Pro version of Surface. The other version is more of a tablet than computer. Only the Pro version is a full blown computer.

[Remington]

Get a Samsung Note 2...it's a phone and a tablet.
I have one....best phone i ever owned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKQwa17mkY0

[Atomini]

Note: Surface is a light verson of Win 8 called RT. If you need a REAL computer, you have to get the Pro version of Surface. The other version is more of a tablet than computer. Only the Pro version is a full blown computer.

Fair enough. It's a good idea I made the decision to wait it out and see, so I might as well wait until they release the Pro version to see what its like and how the reviews are.

[Standby]

i got the samsung galaxy note tablet 10.1 and i love this thing. LOVE IT!

[ghettoboyd]

I have both an Ipad2 and a Toshiba satellite laptop with a touch screen and windows 8 and to be honest I still prefer the laptop because of the keyboard..i just cant get into the touch screen keyboard on the ipad2 it bothers me so I mainly us it for net surfing/shopping...other than that though the ipad is pretty neat...

[Atomini]

I have both an Ipad2 and a Toshiba satellite laptop with a touch screen and windows 8 and to be honest I still prefer the laptop because of the keyboard..i just cant get into the touch screen keyboard on the ipad2 it bothers me so I mainly us it for net surfing/shopping...other than that though the ipad is pretty neat...

YES!! That's another reason why I mentioned that i'm leaning towards the Microsoft Surface, because it's got a physical keyboard. I honestly cannot stand touchscreen keyboards at all, doesn't matter how small or big the screen is. I NEED that physical keyboard... ESPECIALLY if i'm going to be using it during lectures and stuff, I need to be typing things and taking notes. I can't possibly do that efficiently with touchscreen keyboards.

In fact I once saw a guy who actually plugged this mini silicone keyboard into his iPhone in the middle of a lecture and used that to start typing up notes as the prof was talking. I found it amusing but I don't blame him. Touchscreen is great for fast navigation, menu selection, clicking stuff, etc. but I can't do without a physical keyboard.