HDQDD

One other thing to point out... As far as flying goes, in regular economy I can't even open my 13" laptop. So if I'm not in F/C or Economy +, the only thing that really is an option is the iPad.

kshanew

This, exactly.

pilotalan

Define a tablet. For most that means iOS (Ipads) or Android tablets. In reality, a "tablet" is just a form factor

Tablet OS's are dead. iOS and Android tablets are a transient standard that were invented when the size limits of a tablet prevented hardware that could run a full operating system (Windows, MacOS). Those hardware limits have been surpassed, as evidenced by the MS Surface.

We are already seeing transformable tablet/laptops with removable keyboards, that design will propagate, and iOS/Android tablets will disappear. You will see iOS and MacOS converge in the same way that Windows OS and Windows Phone OS are converging in Windows 10.

For me, the Surface Pro 3 is my single travel device. I don't need an iPad anymore.
I do still carry a Kindle for its 'forever' battery life and very small size.

RTW1

Don't think that your personal situation is the only option. Sure something like a SP3 is fine when you want one device. But a lot of people don't even need a laptop, a tablet to consume content is all that's required. At half the price of more advanced options that's still a pretty substantial market.

And for productivity I normally don't need a touch OS. Then I want one or two big screens and performance or storage. Something I don't really need that much on the road.

So yes, devices like the SP and smaller/thinner laptops will grow and tablets and desktops might decline, but the numbers will still be significant for a while.

GadgetFreak

Well, I disagree. I run Office 365 on my iPad fine and when necessary but more and more we use Google docs. The thing I mainly use Office for is slides from other people but Office 365 will work for that. For my own documents I typically use Google Docs for word processing or Pages, both are fine on the iPad. For presentations of my own I use Keynote exclusively. The brilliant thing about that is that I can prepare at my iMac or a MacBook and save to iCloud and it appears on my iPad and iPhone for presentation. I can also edit there. The only time I travel with a notebook is when I know I a getting substantial documents, particularly presentations from other people.

Also, there are things like reading and marking up PDFs that I find much, much better on a tablet than on a notebook. Also, Microsoft just announced that Office 365 subscribers will be able to save their documents on iCloud which is fantastic because I find OneNote or whatever their storage solution is called to be really difficult to use.

nkedel

You either need some space for a tablet (and an external keyboard or keyboard case), or to hold it up, which is tiring and keeps you from working on it as actively.

The distinction between the two is blurring, anyway. There are plenty of hybrid devices sold as tablets with an optional keyboard dock, and there are plenty of hybrid devices sold as a convertible laptop, and either one is just a matter of perspective.

Not sure how anyone does real work without a physical keyboard. Once you've got that, the line between laptop and tablet is very, very blurry.

RTW1

Yeah, and I bet that <5% of tablet users does so by using a keyboard, ad then only part time.
The hybrid argument simply doesn't work here, the target audience is very, very small. People that consume content (and that's the majority by far) have no use for anything more than a tablet. And for those that create content, a tablet is normally to inadequate... even with a keyboard.

So the big numbers are still laptops and tablets, the middle ground is there but it's marginal. A few percent growth with something like the SP is hardly noticeable.

nkedel

...and yet if you look at the laptop side, the drive to more hybrid features is relentless. I don't know why anyone wants a touch screen on a regular laptop, but they're becoming pretty common.

I don't know that anyone's really figured out the right hybrid formula, or if there is one single "right" format.

but I know some people who really, really love each of the "mostly-a-tablet with keyboard dock or case" form for occasional/light keyboard use, and the Lenovo Yoga format for occasional tablet use of a laptop.

I also know a few people with Surface Pro 2 or 3s, and a few people with the Lenovo Helix, both of which seem to me to be the wrong side of the split above (too big/heavy to be mostly a tablet, kind of unwieldy as a laptop), but the owners for the most part seem happy with them.

Awaressumon

I'd still need my laptop. It's a pain to type on a tablet. Also, think about doing spreadsheets on a tablet... Gosh... the pain....

HMO

For leisure, I only carry tablet. For work, notebook and, sometimes, tablet too. ^

pilotalan

For a short while. My point was that operating systems are converging, and the hardware differences between "tablets" and "computers" are vanishing. Soon, your "tablet" and your "computer" will be running the same Operating System, the same applications, and have similar processing power.

It will simply be a matter of form factor, like phones right now. What size screen do you want? Want a pen? Want a keyboard? How much memory?

What we think of now as a "tablet" is a basically a really big phone (because of processor and memory limits that existed then and exist now). And that model is dead. It is dying now, and in a few years it will be completely gone.

pilotalan

Google Docs is fine for relatively simple documents.
If you work with complex documents and docs with forms, Google Docs and Pages fall down hard.

I used Docs and Pages for term papers and such. But at work, those programs will not support the documents we use in a fashion that allows them to be portable and sharable between users on different platforms.

GadgetFreak

Microsoft Office works fine also. Google Docs is just much easier for sharing among various people editing the document. We use it for preparing scientific manuscripts and at the last step take it off for a final format, reference formatting and figure addition.

ou81two

Two different things with different uses. Did the laptop replace the desktop yet? Didn't think so.

RobbieRunner

Until last year, I would have answered, "Yes, I can travel with just a Tablet", because, I did. Like many of the previous posters, I find that a Tablet is fine for occasional use, or for viewing a movie or answering emails, Twitter, and LinkedIN. I personally don't like Facebook and don't have an active account. But, after traveling without a "Laptop", I realized I absolutely miss the convenience of a physical keyboard.

I had my "Laptop" with me for times when I had to do hard core word processing or Excel or anything that required a LOT of typing.

Then I discovered Chromebooks. I love them. I have had two. I destroyed my first from abuse (my fault). This is my 2nd. I use it almost exclusively and am typing on it now. A $299 model I got on super sale from Amazon for $149 delivered in 2 days via Prime.

We can debate Office VS Google Docs until the end of time, but the fact is, for ME, I can get by with Google Docs. The thing about a Chromebook, you are living in GoogleVille. If you can handle that, you are fine. Personally, I like GoogleVille. It's not a bad place to be if you are used to an Android Phone or an Android Tablet. Everything keys off of your Gmail or Google Password, and everything runs in the cloud. That's perfectly fine by me.

Now, I DO like Microsoft very much. I also like Apple. I have an iPhone because I need some apps that WindowsPhone does not offer, but I prefer my WindowsPhone HANDS DOWN over my iPhone interface wise. And if push came to shove, I could do with a Mac Air or similar. But Chromebooks are inexpensive, sleek and do EVERYTHING that I need. I don't miss my bulky laptop at all.

The bottom line is, I need a good KEYBOARD for remote office needs. A cell phone and a keyboard device and I'm set. For me, the Chromebook absolutely rocks. I am considering dumping my iPhone and going with an Android. I had an older Android 2.3 and that was great. I imagine 4.x Droids will be much better. My Tablet is mostly for reading, watching movies, and responding to Email/Twitter/LinkedIN. The size is much easier than my iPhone to do these tasks on a Plane or while waiting in the Boarding area or a Lounge.

That's where I am at with using a Tablet. YMMV.