iPad with keyboard or just get a small laptop?

[extremedave]

I've got a new in box iPad Air sitting around and want something I can type with. Was looking at keyboards for the ipad or sell that and pick up a laptop or maybe chrome book? Eyeballed the keyboards they had at the Apple Store and liked them, but kinda spendy. Thoughts? I own a laptop but it's a big screen beast and want portable and good battery life.
Thx

 

[Patrick]

i have both, and i go for the chromebook most of the time. apple with keyboard is kinda funky - the chromebook runs android apps also.
although i like the ipad air for reading, maps.

 

[GSTim]

+1 on Chromebook if you are just going to be watching Netflix and doing the web. Dirt cheap too if you buy refurbed.

 

[extremedave]

I'll putz around with my daughters chrome book a bit and see how I like that. Found that on a Black Friday deal so maybe I'll wait a little and see what pops up next month.
Thanks!

 

[Patrick]

should mention i also have a chromebox - very quick.
i have the convertible chromebook with touchscreen, nice and light.
also have a std chromebook in 15" model.

funny, we use iphones for everyone.

there is also a chromestick - Link: http://a.co/d/9vF94RW
a dongle that goes in an hdmi port that is a full chromium implementation -

they all integrate very well, because they expect the internet to be there.

 

[qclabrat]

What you using it for? Just surfing around or work?

 

[extremedave]

Writing and certainly browsing. I wood assume a chrome book would have some sort of word processing app, but I don't need anything remotely fancy. I just want somthing I can sit and type with that doesn't cause me to NOT type because it's a pita to set up and use.

 

[Patrick]

Writing and certainly browsing. I wood assume a chrome book would have some sort of word processing app, but I don't need anything remotely fancy. I just want somthing I can sit and type with that doesn't cause me to NOT type because it's a pita to set up and use.

chromebook type things use google docs (word processing with ms word and pdf import, spreadsheet, presentation) - which can be accessed through the chrome browser on any platform. this is free, and combined with google drive includes collaborating, sharing, and web publishing. I use it for the BIYF stuff,
where the tables are actually embedded, read-only spreadsheets. And any time i need to write something up for a client - i then save as a pdf, and send it on its way.

This is the 2016 model of this http://a.co/d/53Z9WBn
It does help if you can tether it off your phone when local wifi isn't available.
It is a touchscreen, and quick to boot/shut down. Good battery life.
has an hdmi port to hook to a monitor when available. Couple of usb ports. micro xd (or whatever the memory std is now)

waterbottle and cat for perspective.

 

[extremedave]

Cat not included. Not a flying toy.

 

[shrpshtr325]

chromebook type things use google docs (word processing with ms word and pdf import, spreadsheet, presentation) - which can be accessed through the chrome browser on any platform. this is free, and combined with google drive includes collaborating, sharing, and web publishing. I use it for the BIYF stuff,
where the tables are actually embedded, read-only spreadsheets. And any time i need to write something up for a client - i then save as a pdf, and send it on its way.

This is the 2016 model of this http://a.co/d/53Z9WBn
It does help if you can tether it off your phone when local wifi isn't available.
It is a touchscreen, and quick to boot/shut down. Good battery life.
has an hdmi port to hook to a monitor when available. Couple of usb ports. micro xd (or whatever the memory std is now)

waterbottle and cat for perspective.

View attachment 78780View attachment 78781

no good idea of scale, cat missing from second picture.

 

[Patrick]

no good idea of scale, cat missing from second picture.

cat just above my thumb and mostly concealed by computer. showing that the cat is not large.

 

[shrpshtr325]

he is tiny, dont have a picture of my wifes cat, but hes about 15 lbs and a royal PITA (at 13years old she says hes allowed to be a cranky old man . . .. not sure personally)

 

[Jmann]

I went a couple years with no more than an iPad and iPhone. 95% of the time it was fine, but there was situations where i needed to get to a pc. In my case some of my archaic work websites wouldn’t format with safari, and dealing with files was a pita. I ended up getting a dell flip laptop fairly cheap after my iPad became useless after it updated itself into obsolescence.

 

[extremedave]

I went a couple years with no more than an iPad and iPhone. 95% of the time it was fine, but there was situations where i needed to get to a pc. In my case some of my archaic work websites wouldn’t format with safari, and dealing with files was a pita. I ended up getting a dell flip laptop fairly cheap after my iPad became useless after it updated itself into obsolescence.

I feel that! My iPad needed to be updated so I could download some stupid airline app to watch inflight movies. It ultimately didn't work and my pad runs something like 62% slower since.

 

[Patrick]

I feel that! My iPad needed to be updated so I could download some stupid airline app to watch inflight movies. It ultimately didn't work and my pad runs something like 62% slower since.

check the battery health?

settings->battery->battery health

 

[Jmann]

I feel that! My iPad needed to be updated so I could download some stupid airline app to watch inflight movies. It ultimately didn't work and my pad runs something like 62% slower since.

I have a friend who works for apple and admits they totally do that on purpose. I had to update for the same reason, an app that required updated iOS. After that it was a dog.

 

[extremedave]

I have a friend who works for apple and admits they totally do that on purpose. I had to update for the same reason, an app that required updated iOS. After that it was a dog.

Jeez that's terrible. We all know stuff will eventually break down but for the manufacturer to purposely nerf it really stinks.

@fidodie its pretty old, but you're thinking throttling? Probably not remotely worth changing the battery which does still hold up decently.

 

[shrpshtr325]

Jeez that's terrible. We all know stuff will eventually break down but for the manufacturer to purposely nerf it really stinks.

@fidodie its pretty old, but you're thinking throttling? Probably not remotely worth changing the battery which does still hold up decently.

my understanding is that apple throttles the processor down as the battery degrades to try and keep the battery life up :/

 

[qclabrat]

I feel that! My iPad needed to be updated so I could download some stupid airline app to watch inflight movies. It ultimately didn't work and my pad runs something like 62% slower since.

Which iPad is that?

 

[extremedave]

Which iPad is that?

It's an older 32g iPad 2. Had it for years.