[ale] Android Tablets

[Preston Boyington]

Pat Regan wrote:
<snipped>
> I think what makes the ipad
> such a nice device are probably the things that make it heavier.
> Probably the bigger battery, the metal shell, and the sturdy glass
> capacitive touch screen.
> 
> I don't know how much the cheap, slow, 7 inch android tablet we bought
> actually weighs.  The cheap parts sure make it cheap.  The plastic
> touchscreen and casing make it lighter (and less durable).
> 
> I'd already been reading books on my little PRS-300 reader for a month
> or two before I had an opportunity to stop in an apple store and handle
> an ipad.  When I picked it up the first thing I said out loud was "oh
> my god, this thing feels like a brick."
> 
> 25 ounces doesn't sound like a lot.  Comparing it to 8 ounces makes it
> feel gargantuan :)

I suppose I'm a bit critical of the Apple stuff.  While I can appreciate 
the style, the drawbacks I saw were the fingerprints and the reflections 
from the screen.  The weight was a surprise when I finally held one too.

I admit to not owning a tablet myself (I've not yet found one that I 
"need"), but I do like how some friends can read in (virtually) direct 
sunlight with their book readers (E-ink?).  I imagine that if I had one 
it would probably be used for a media center remote/book 
reader/audiobook player/road trip time waster.

After all the years of people crying "the tablets are coming!  the 
tablets are coming!" I still haven't seen where it's been all that 
life/industry changing.  It seems to be more of a niche item.