What are the benefits of a tablet/ iPad?

I've been having an internal struggle the last couple months about buying an iPad.

I do own a last-gen Nexus 7 which I'm not a huge fan of, but I don't know if it's because I just don't like Android or I don't find tablets useful. I basically just use it when I watch to watch streams on a bigger screen than my phone. Any browsing is done on my computer or laptop because I find the touchscreen very unresponsive.

My general computer habits are opening a lot of tabs to watch streams and playing games. On a tablet, I can't do that. The idea of curling up on the couch with something smaller than my 5 year old Macbook Pro and playing Hearthstone sounds really appealing, but holy shit are they expensive. Bestbuy.ca has iPad Airs $100 off today, but a 32gb version still costs more than a new console! I know they're completely different animals, but it just makes me wonder which of those toys I'd actually get more use out of.

Does anyone out there own a tablet and loves it? What do you do on it that makes it so useful? Do you own a laptop and/or computer as well? Do you think they're worth the money?

I don't have one but I'm really tempted by the Nvidia shield tablet, it looks like it might be worth looking into especially since you have a computer already.

It's really one of those weird things where before you get one you think "well I mean they seem cool, but really would I get that much use out of it", and then when you get one you are angry it took you so long.

I got one for my girl and god I wish it was mine.

Look at the internet while pooping. Unless the phone is good enough for you.

I use it to play some games casually when laying in bed at times. Good for reading comics/books as well if you are into that.

Is it worth it if you have a laptop? Probably not. I have a desktop, laptop and tablet. I use my desktop for work. I have not much use for a laptop and tablet both. So the Surface seems like an interesting option for me. But that's just my tech obsession talking and would be a bad purchase I'm sure.

I used to use my Nexus 7 for reading news and watching streams, but now I just use my phone cause there's not much difference.

That's exactly my problem too. I just want a new toy. I already use my Nexus 7 so little, I don't see how a more expensive tablet like an iPad would change that. It sure would be prettier to look at, but how often would I really do that? Especially $600 worth of looking. The Nexus 7 was $230 and was just me tipping my toe in tablets and Android.

It uhhhhh, lets you play tablet-only games where a phone screen is too small?

Other than that, bigger screen than a phone, but worse everything-else than a laptop. It's definitely a thing you find a use for once you get one, but only bother if you have money to burn. If you already have a decent smartphone and laptop, the tablet is kind of a pointless middle ground, unless you're really jazzed about having a marginally bigger screen to watch movies on while riding public transportation.

Apple products are overpriced, especially considering how locked down and uncustomizable they are. Nexus 7 is one of the best tablets out so if you want a great one you already have it.

benefit: mobile porn?

not but seriously, as a pc user, yes i can understand seeing apple's prices as high BUT 9/10 their products are dummy proof. they just work. rock solid and hassle free. Androids and such are usually issue-prone off the bat or develop issues overtime that can ruin the whole OS. ive been pro android for years but im getting really sick of it.

The way I see it tablets are for people that use laptops the way they were intended to be used, on the move. It's just much more convenient and easier to pack and carry a tablet, and it's less of a hassle to set up and operate any where, any time.

I literally googled "Apps that make your Nexus 7 useful" a few weeks ago and I looked at a bunch of lists and there was nothing that interested me. It was just utility apps. Nothing that would inherently make the thing more useful and make me feel like I need it. That's probably just the same reason I use my phone for watching Streams whenever I'm not on my PC. Maybe tablets just aren't for me.

The 2013 Nexus 7 is really great and super-responsive. I love mine. There's probably a new one out this year, too.

I bought the older version. It was on sale back in late April 2013. Must have been clearing space for the new model. It was a spur of the moment purchase, I should've done some research and seen if it was any good or if a new one is coming.

Besides the "core features" like "e-reader", I find tablets a superior interface for other devices. For instance, it is easier to use Youtube on a tablet or a phone then "push" that video to TV by Apple TV or Chromecast.

That said, at least for the Apple Eco System, the integration is pretty good and supports a lot of the similar things on OSX as well. But still to push something like Youtube or Twitch to my Apple TV I tend to pick up my iPad instead of opening the Mac Book Pro.

I have a windows surface tablet r2 (not the pro) and it is invaluable to me. I take it on the road with me whenever I am going anywhere, it takes up way less space than a laptop. It's the tits.

I used to be in the "I'd never find a use for an iPad" camp a few years ago. That was until I had to buy one for work to capture iOS game footage.

Now a day doesn't go by when I don't use it for something.

I even use it as an extra screen off to the side of my PC for production notes and for all my scheduling etc.

All in all, I really don't regret purchasing it.

If you don't like Android tablets, I'd still recommend checking out an iPad. My wife got an iPad and an equivalent Android tablet at the same time for work (web development). She's still using the iPad on a daily basis while the Android hasn't been powered on in years.

My experience with the two platforms mirror hers: I don't know why Android feels clunky and not enjoyable on tablets, but it is great on phones.

Soon you will join the dark side. It's actually quite nice here. I abandoned Android for the exact reasons you sound like you may. My first phone developed those exact issues so I bought a Nexus device thinking it would be way better. Nope. It got increasingly slow and battery life plummetted as time went on. Even installing Cyanogenmod did not solve a lot of the issues I was having. I just gave up, bought an iPhone and have been much happier since. Sure I can't customize it very much, but I kinda don't care about that anyway. And on the plus side, my iPhone still feels just as fast as when I bought it two years later.

I don't have much to add with regards to the OP. What people have said about not thinking they would use an iPad and then using it daily is dead on my experience too. I was an early adopter of Android tablets. I bought one, used it solid for a month or two and then it collected dust until I sold it. We bought my mom an iPad and in the bit of time I used it I realized that it was significantly better than I expected (I had initially dismissed them as stupid toys). I bought myself one and use it a ton. It's great for school readings and stuff like that since most of our readings are in the form of PDFs (*cough* it's also great for those illicit pdfs of those $250 textbooks I refuse to pay for since we seldom use them *cough*). It's great for games and stuff too. I use mine basically daily at this point, even more during school, though mine is getting a little long in the tooth and struggles with games like Hearthstone. I'm going to get a new one with the next refresh and give my current one to my mom. I was going to get a Mini but I think I would regret that. I'll probably get the next Air. It's a lot of money but it will be worthwhile I think.

The kitchen. I never would have thought a tablet would be the perfect companion for my kitchen.

• Stands on an eye-level shelf or can be mounted to a cabinet door
• Doesn't sacrifice counter space for a laptop/keyboard
• Easy to clean or use a stylus when things get messy. No keyboard crumbs/spills!
• Recipe apps/sites, YouTube tutorials, GiantBomb Video buddy to educate and entertain

On a more subjective note, after a while it just became too much of a hassle to make sure my MacBook Pro was charged, opened, and logged in when I can rely on my iPad to have a charge and immediately be useful.