Tablets - Would You Ever Buy A WiFi Only Model?

[Serra]

The basic question I'm posing today is this - would you buy a WiFi-only tablet? For example, the Xoom WiFi edition.

(In my opinion) Around the house and in many travelling circumstances a person might as well use a laptop, but tablets start to pull ahead in places where hyperportables are handy... when flying, for example. But given just how limited a tablet is (80% of advertised usage is surfing the web after all), the question is whether it is even worth owning a tablet that you can only use around your home or areas with free (and probably untrusted) WiFi?


What do you think? Would you buy one? Why or why not?

[BlueAqua]

I wouldn't want to pay for another cell phone plan just to have its own cellular radio. If I wanted to use the internet away from wifi areas I'd just link it to my smartphone.

As interesting as tablets look, I don't ever see myself using one. They are cool gadgets but if I wanted to use limited use computer I'd use my phone, and if I want a larger screen I'd want it faster so I'd use my ultra portable laptop. The only application where I think I'd use one, is in my vehicle. I'd love a large screen with nav, multimedia etc.

[MagisD]

Phone tethering.

Book reader

Video watcher while stuck on couch with significant other fire quality time.

Tablet wont replace a good smart phone, and cost the same. But tablet has more horsepower bigger screen more battery.

Tablet won't replace a good laptop.

It's an in between device thats great for media consuption. Music movies web books.

Sent from my X10a using Tapatalk

[zanzabar]

i would get the wifi only, the $30 for internet on a mobile device is not worth it IMO and most places have wifi.

[hazardous]

I've got a Nook Color I rooted and turned into a full fledged Android tablet. LOVE the thing to death for only $250. It has only wifi, but I use a rooted android phone and run wireless tether. I can create a wifi network using the phone and then tether the tablet to it to use the 3g when I'm not near a wifi network (which is fairly rare).

[breathemetal]

I've got a Nook Color I rooted and turned into a full fledged Android tablet. LOVE the thing to death for only $250. It has only wifi, but I use a rooted android phone and run wireless tether. I can create a wifi network using the phone and then tether the tablet to it to use the 3g when I'm not near a wifi network (which is fairly rare).

Post some pics, screens.

[CedricFP]

I use a couple of China-made tablets myself and they are pretty great even if WiFi only.

They're Android tablets and I use them to play a few games or just browse the net on the sofa away from my PC.

I never take them out with me, though. Prefer a good book.

[GTSRboy]

I would only get the iPad 2 on Wifi, i see it as a home use device only. I defiantly want to avoid monthly charges and you save on the initial cost of the device also.

[urgrandpasdog]

Yes. Its a 3G (or similar) tablet that I'm not likely to consider.

[Hondacity]

wifi only? yeah

we have city wide wifi

[Serra]

wifi only? yeah

we have city wide wifi

Well that's just cheating


I'm pretty surprised at how the polls are turning out so far. No-one seems to be disagreeing that a tablet is more or less only useful when it has connectivity (expected), but the majority so far seems to be more of the opinion that non-cellular wireless connectivity is generally available anywhere they go (unexpected).

That's something I find very interesting. Is everyone who votes "Yes" a student or something, voting "Yes" because WiFi is available at their school? I've done a fair amount of travelling around the US in the last few years and I've found WiFi availability in general to be dismal, and where it is available, to be largely broken, unbearably slow, or badly filtered. Plus unencrypted WiFi means your signals are open to snooping, and that your Internet experience should be limited by that.

So maybe I should also ask - if you would buy a WiFi only tablet, where would you expect to use it?

[hazardous]

Well that's just cheating


I'm pretty surprised at how the polls are turning out so far. No-one seems to be disagreeing that a tablet is more or less only useful when it has connectivity (expected), but the majority so far seems to be more of the opinion that non-cellular wireless connectivity is generally available anywhere they go (unexpected).

That's something I find very interesting. Is everyone who votes "Yes" a student or something, voting "Yes" because WiFi is available at their school? I've done a fair amount of travelling around the US in the last few years and I've found WiFi availability in general to be dismal, and where it is available, to be largely broken, unbearably slow, or badly filtered. Plus unencrypted WiFi means your signals are open to snooping, and that your Internet experience should be limited by that.

So maybe I should also ask - if you would buy a WiFi only tablet, where would you expect to use it?

wifi at home, wifi at work, and wifi at school. There's also wifi at the coffee shop I sit at. The only time I actually use the 3g tether to my phone is when I am in the car, which also allows me to use Google Navigator on my tablet.

Here's a quick snap of my nook color running Cyanogenmod 7. I use it for gmail, firefox, tweetdeck, youtube, Gmaps, and of course the Ultimate Guitar Tab app (which is why the standing case comes in handy!). Documents To Go app also lets me view powerpoints and pdf files and stuff which is helpful for my university courses without lugging the laptop. Also, bluetooth works so I can pair my wireless keyboard to it and type up papers if need be.

[Hondacity]

Well that's just cheating


I'm pretty surprised at how the polls are turning out so far. No-one seems to be disagreeing that a tablet is more or less only useful when it has connectivity (expected), but the majority so far seems to be more of the opinion that non-cellular wireless connectivity is generally available anywhere they go (unexpected).

That's something I find very interesting. Is everyone who votes "Yes" a student or something, voting "Yes" because WiFi is available at their school? I've done a fair amount of travelling around the US in the last few years and I've found WiFi availability in general to be dismal, and where it is available, to be largely broken, unbearably slow, or badly filtered. Plus unencrypted WiFi means your signals are open to snooping, and that your Internet experience should be limited by that.

So maybe I should also ask - if you would buy a WiFi only tablet, where would you expect to use it?

1. in my car...i don't like using my iphone in the car, waiting for customer calls at sites. hospital wifi coverage is insane in my area
2. lunch/dinner break..usually sit down situations...last night i was at a coffee shop. have coffee and a cookie. woulda been perfect but i'm still luggin around my office dell laptop for browsing...
3. im a field service guy....this is perfect as most sites i go to have wifi

currently watching "outsourced" on hulu... would be perfect streaming media to that ipad2

[Mysterfix]

I've got a Nook Color I rooted and turned into a full fledged Android tablet. LOVE the thing to death for only $250. It has only wifi, but I use a rooted android phone and run wireless tether. I can create a wifi network using the phone and then tether the tablet to it to use the 3g when I'm not near a wifi network (which is fairly rare).

Me too and I will be getting a touchpad when it's available.



Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[urgrandpasdog]

So maybe I should also ask - if you would buy a WiFi only tablet, where would you expect to use it?

Mostly around the house.

[heebakutty]

me will consider the options