Tablet or netbook

[StewyD32]

I'm looking to some feedback of you guys please.

I'm travelling around the world for a while before I hit OZ and I need something small and compact while I'm travelling.
It needs to have the net, webcam for Skype etc and an SD card reader for the camera. I don't need much memory as I have an external hard drive with me and online storage.

So the netbooks have all these but are bulkier and mostly more expensive.
But with a tablet I can have an adaptor for my USB cabled hard drive to fit the micro USB on tablets and the same goes for the SD card reader as I have the larger SD card for the camera.

Any suggestions?

[colm_mcm]

Tablet, without doubt.

You can get an sd card/camera USB kit for the iPad

[CJ]

If you don't need local storage and prefer a tactile approach to keyboard entry then you might want to consider a cloud based solution such as a Chromebook. I've been using one for about 9 months - they're light, portable and fast. I use a netbook occasionally but not that often and I've eschewed tablets as I see them as a companion device only (I need to be able to work on the move and a tablet doesn't cut it for me - more development required in this area, Windows RT will shake this sector up, time will tell). if you just need to browse the web, watch video and use IM and VC then a tablet will suit you just fine, an Andriod based tablet from the likes of Asus would be a good short term investment if you need something soon. Bear in mind that the USB interface on many tablets doesn't provide sufficient power to run external hard drives, you will likely need to source a drive with an external power adapter. Alternatively, invest in some high capacity SD cards for your travels.

The industry will soon be awash with new laptops (Ultrabooks), expect a whole host of new entrants later on next month when Windows 8 is released. Personally, I wait for a month or two if I were looking to make an investment in a laptop, expect big moves towards hybrid tablet/ultrabook platforms between now and the end of the year.

[StewyD32]

Thanks for the replies guys.

@CJ. I have my eye on a chromebook. A Samsung series 5 550. It's just about €350 when converted.
Had a go on it and its super quick I was amazed.
Might head out and get it tomorrow.

Good buy or not?

[CJ]

I have my eye on a chromebook. A Samsung series 5 550....Good buy or not?

Personally, yes, I think its a good buy - if you embrace Google Drive for storage, Google Docs and use Gmail. You may want to consider the 3G model depending on your need for ultimate connectivity on the move (or just buy a Mifi router or use your phones built in router if its an option). I have an older 500 and it works well. My only criticism is slow HD video playback but thats been rectified with faster CPUs in more recent versions.

[StewyD32]

Went to get the chrome book last night, but didn't get it. The problem I had with it you have to have constant net access for it as it runs though the net apps.
I was unable to get the 3G built in model and you can't even use Skype on it with I need for family back home, but I think I did find a solution without getting anything. Have a think about it and tell me if I'm crazy or a super genius.

I have my iPhone with me so I have access to the net whenever I want (it's unlocked so can use domestic sims). Also have video chatting like Skype, viber and tango etc... So the only other thing I need is something for the storing pictures from my camera.

So there is my solution.
Buy a camera adaptor kit for the iPads which is definitely compatible with the iPhone 4 and possibly the 4S.
Stream them on my iPhone and store them in icloud. The space on icloud is only 5Gb but you can pay a small amount for more space.

What you think?

[goz_83]

You could also get a dropbox account and use that on your iphone. You get 2gb and up to 5gb free. You can access your stuff anywhere in the world from any computer or device with internet access.

[CJ]

The problem I had with it you have to have constant net access for it as it runs though the net apps.

Sorry, I assumed you knew about this part. You can run it in offline mode but functionality is basic, again, depends on what type of applications you need to run online vs offline. Cheapest and easiest option would be to employ one of the file copy solutions for iPhone and rough it for a while. Personally, I tire using mobile devices for anything remotely demanding, as long you its just occasional use, you should be fine.

[StewyD32]

Thanks for the advice. I knew most were online apps but I was amased how few can run off line, and also the big named apps like Skype etc which aren't supported on it.
Think I'll just get the adaptor kit and make due for a while until I get to OZ then invest in an ultra book.