Tablets

[IDVortex]

I am not a tech savvy person what so ever. I'm wanting to get a tablet for work, and also office work on the go. I'm looking at the Galaxy A9+ 64GB, and the Lenovo TAB 11, I already own a Galaxy phone (I'm at least not so non tech savvy to realize Samsung is superior to Apple). Which would be the best?

It'll be used viewing plans, writing notes on plans, excel, Google docs, quickbooks, and most likely buildertrend software.

Suggestions? Positive or negatives of the two? I do know the Lenovo has more memory. But besides that. I'm a noob when it comes to techy stuff.

 

[OMF]

What makes you want a tablet vs. a smaller/compact laptop? My experience with tablets on the work side has not been the best. Though they've improved over the last handful of years, I still think most people have a difficult time using them effectively in the work environment. At my last organization someone got the "we need tablets so we can work more efficiently" chant going. In the end, most ended up at homes being used by their snotty nosed brats.

It will work fine viewing plans and making notes. As long as you're not doing anything but some minor editing or anything too complicated or tedious with documents/spreadsheets, they're ok. Voice to text capability can really help with documents. Buildertrend is pretty flexible with OS requirements so you shouldn't have any issues there.

My pick would be the Lenovo. While the Galaxy is a solid tablet, there tends to be a lot of unnecessary or proprietary stuff on them that just gets in the way. With the Lenovo I believe there are some options for the OS giving you some flexibility to choose what best meets your needs and preferences.

 

[Thread Savage]

I used to be the type who insisted that I’d have an actual desktop PC with a big monitor (or two) permanently mounted to a physical desk in an office until the day I die.

Well… I now must admit, I’ve been using this same iPad Pro with an Apple Magic Keyboard case since 2016, and I’ll probably never look back. The iPad itself has been with me on many hunting excursions, I wouldn’t say “extreme” temperatures, but it’s been out in the rain and survived in my pack for nearly a decade with no special protective cover. I did have to replace the keyboard/case once when a couple keys stopped working.

For me, the advantages come down to this:
> it’s as lightweight and east to carry as a Cabela’s catalog
> it recharges fast, and it’s easy to charge off of any portable backup battery
> I can sit in any chair with no work space besides my own lap, and do 99% of the same work I’d do on a laptop, with none of the startup/shutdown time, and without the thing heating up to the point where I develop SWASS.

If you already have an iPhone, I can’t imagine getting any other tablet. The ability to pair and sync them spoils me big time, and now I can’t stand it when I have to look up logins and passwords on a real computer.

Bottom line, it is my humble opinion that if you get any newer model iPad, AND pair it with Apple’s own Magic Keyboard case, you’ll end up using it ten times more often than you would a normal laptop. The keyboard attaches to the iPad magnetically, so it’s super easy and fast to separate the two. It also gives you a second charging port. The two share power, so you never need to charge them both individually.

 

[OMF]

@Thread Savage, he has a Galaxy Android phone.

 

[Thread Savage]

@Thread Savage, he has a Galaxy Android phone.

Well, I’d advise him to switch to an iPhone as well, but that’s just one man’s opinion!

I’ve had several different Android phones, one android tablet, several different laptop PC’s, several different iPhone models, and I believe 3 different iPad models. I used every different one of these devices for a couple years or longer before switching/upgrading, and I can honestly say a somewhat current iPhone with a somewhat current iPad has blown everything else out of the water. I rarely bring my laptop home from work with me anymore. It typically stays at my office.

 

[justinspicher]

Another avid IPad/IPhone user here. I switched from a laptop a few years ago due to the frustrations laptops gave me. I won’t go back. I didn’t sync my two devices on everything, just what I needed them to be synced on and it works wonderfully.

App wise, it doesn’t really matter what you get for a device, you need to be able to use Microsoft office on it if you want to get work done on it. That is either a yearly or monthly subscription.

Having a keyboard really helps, the mouse took me a few months to fully figure out, but once I did, I can do work fairly easy and seamlessly.

I personally did a WiFi only tablet and that is for my own personal reasons.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[IDVortex]

What makes you want a tablet vs. a smaller/compact laptop? My experience with tablets on the work side has not been the best. Though they've improved over the last handful of years, I still think most people have a difficult time using them effectively in the work environment. At my last organization someone got the "we need tablets so we can work more efficiently" chant going. In the end, most ended up at homes being used by their snotty nosed brats.

It will work fine viewing plans and making notes. As long as you're not doing anything but some minor editing or anything too complicated or tedious with documents/spreadsheets, they're ok. Voice to text capability can really help with documents. Buildertrend is pretty flexible with OS requirements so you shouldn't have any issues there.

My pick would be the Lenovo. While the Galaxy is a solid tablet, there tends to be a lot of unnecessary or proprietary stuff on them that just gets in the way. With the Lenovo I believe there are some options for the OS giving you some flexibility to choose what best meets your needs and preferences.

I've actually have used a tablet at a old company and enjoyed it, it's not the same as a laptop and don't intend to use it as such.

I do plan to get a laptop later on, but I'm seeing what I need out of a laptop first before I spend the money. I won't switch to Apple, honestly have nothing against them. I just personally don't like how they run, plus I'm stuck in my way on Samsung lol.

Whatever I get will be a huge upgrade to the laptop I have now, that I think is pushing 10-12 years old.

Wanting a tablet due to ease of use in a truck, or walking a jobsite for plans, plus, if it gets broken, my $200 is less of a hit on the business account vs a 2-3k lap top.

 

[Marble]

I've actually have used a tablet at a old company and enjoyed it, it's not the same as a laptop and don't intend to use it as such.

I do plan to get a laptop later on, but I'm seeing what I need out of a laptop first before I spend the money. I won't switch to Apple, honestly have nothing against them. I just personally don't like how they run, plus I'm stuck in my way on Samsung lol.

Whatever I get will be a huge upgrade to the laptop I have now, that I think is pushing 10-12 years old.

Wanting a tablet due to ease of use in a truck, or walking a jobsite for plans, plus, if it gets broken, my $200 is less of a hit on the business account vs a 2-3k lap top.

I just purchased the tablet you referenced above from Costco for, I think, $170. It's a gift for my wife. All she will be doing is using it to watch TV and reading. Nothing complicated.

I've had two tablets and prefer the Android phones.

I'm not sure if it comes with a stylus or not. So it wouldn't be great if you planned on using it to draw a bunch of stuff.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Swamp Fox]

[...]

I personally did a WiFi only tablet and that is for my own personal reasons.

[...]

Quick question for the class:


Is there any reason to prefer a cellular tablet if 90% of the time you could use your phone as a hotspot? (Other than slightly less concern for managing the battery on the phone.)

I'm thinking for GPS, mapping software, managing cameras, and for that ?% of the time that perhaps a hotspot might not be ideal.

 

[justinspicher]

Mine decision was based off security reasons. I run a personal router and have a vpn on my router/ipad for doing anything from looking at rokslide to work related activities.

 

[Rotnguns]

I am not a tech savvy person what so ever. I'm wanting to get a tablet for work, and also office work on the go. I'm looking at the Galaxy A9+ 64GB, and the Lenovo TAB 11, I already own a Galaxy phone (I'm at least not so non tech savvy to realize Samsung is superior to Apple). Which would be the best?

It'll be used viewing plans, writing notes on plans, excel, Google docs, quickbooks, and most likely buildertrend software.

Suggestions? Positive or negatives of the two? I do know the Lenovo has more memory. But besides that. I'm a noob when it comes to techy stuff.

Sounds like you're dealing with construction management/contracting apps and clients. Perhaps you should consider a small laptop instead. I've had tablets, laptops, and desktops for a long time, and when I need engineering or scientific apps and portability, I use my laptop. I think you'll find that docs and spreadsheets are easier to deal with on laptops than tablets. I suggest dropping into a Best Buy or another box store and trying out a few tablets and laptops to see which one might work best for you. And, if possible, see what your colleagues and competitors are using.

 

[180ls1]

Lenovo is generally the most reliable for computers, based on my research. My experience with them has backed that up. For whatever that is worth.

 

[IDVortex]

Lenovo is generally the most reliable for computers, based on my research. My experience with them has backed that up. For whatever that is worth.

Almost got one today, until Bestbuy had the one on sale not in stock.

But purchased a A9+, ordered a keyboard for it too. Needless to say, much nicer reading truss fixes on a tablet than my smart phone.

 

[jimh406]

There is much better tablet support on iPad. The updates are better, and the hardware is better.

Fwiw, all Google apps are also on iPad. I suggest going to somewhere like Best Buy or similar and look at all of them. Also, watch some YouTube where they are compared.

 

[Rotnguns]

Almost got one today, until Bestbuy had the one on sale not in stock.

But purchased a A9+, ordered a keyboard for it too. Needless to say, much nicer reading truss fixes on a tablet than my smart phone.

If you have not done so already, consider MD SOLIDS. It's got informative and comprehensive analysis and design modules, including trusses and beams. Well worth the expense and it is used extensively in engineering programs throughout the nation.

Edit to add: It seems to be free now - registration code is provided at the download portal.

 

[tony]

I am transitioning from apple back to windows/android

I will always have an iPad.

I use it more than anything daily.

 

[jimh406]

I am transitioning from apple back to windows/android

I will always have an iPad.

I use it more than anything daily.

The last few years of updates from Microsoft broke me of Windows. I think it's excessive to regularly be required to restore just to get an update to work. Lack of updates broke me from Google Nexus. Inconsistent hardware broke me of Samsung and Notes.

I'm now iPad, Mac Air, and iPhone for daily use at home. The best thing is I can text from all three to iPhones, and share from all three seamlessly. I used my iPad with keyboard primarily for a few years before picking up the Mac Air.

Sure, I miss some aspects of Windows and Android, but poor support convinced me it wasn't worth it.

If I want to play around, I'll fire up one of my Windows or Linux machines.

 

[intunegp]

I've been using Samsung phones and tablets for the past several years...since the S7 and the beginning of the curved screens. Love the phones and have no complaints. I have admittedly always purchased the premium/flagship phones, but only the budget tablets. That said, the performance of the tablets has always been disappointing. They're great for a bit when new but performance seems to degrade quickly and after they're a couple years old they're painfully slow. I've gone through this twice now...one is unused in a drawer and the other one is just used as display for a humidity monitor it is connected to via bluetooth.

If I was going to purchase today, Samsung's latest/greatest would be the only version of their tablet I would consider in hopes that it was more like the phones I'm used to...I think that would be the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus or Ultra. Besides that I'd also consider the Google Pixel tablet.