What would your ideal tablet be like? [Archive] - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

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fast4522

03-01-2013, 06:03 AM

Today the tablets are consumption devices geared to selling you something in applications or services. So if a new one that really fit the ticket went on sale tomorrow what would it be like.

JustCoolGene

03-01-2013, 10:31 AM

I would like a tablet which displays the Daily Racing Form in exactly the same size as the printed version you purchase at the track. The tablet should display two pages just as if you were using the Form on your desk. The tablet should include an electronic marking pen that works as fast as if you were marking the Racing Form on your table or desk. All pen-based markings could be saved for future use.

At a minimum, the tablet should display at least a full 8 1/2 x 11 PDF page in original printed paper size. This would allow users to display the BRIS condensed Racing Form which has a complete race on one page. A tablet that displays two side-by-side full 8 1/2 x 11 inch pages in original size would, of course, be much better.

These tablets should display clear and crisp original fonts in the same size as the original printed paper version of the Racing Form.

The tablets could be just an inexpensive B&W E-Reader or PDF viewer that doesn't require any operating system to run different kinds of soltware. These tablets should be wireless and have a USB port to install your PDF Daily Racing Form.

Any of these tablets would be great tool for handicappers.

Gene

therussmeister

03-02-2013, 05:19 PM

I agree with Gene, but would add, the screen should be highly flexible and made from wood pulp, so as to be environmentally friendly. The cost should be cheap enough so that at the end off each day we could simply toss it in a bin to be recycled, and buy a new one with the next days PPs already downloaded to it. A nice touch would be, after using it for a few hours, it would turn our fingertips black, so we could tell at a glance who the real handicappers are.

PaceAdvantage

03-03-2013, 10:13 PM

My ideal tablet would be the Samsung Slate that I have owned for 17 months now, only with a smaller screen and better battery life. 11.6" screen is a little large for a tablet, IMO...and the battery life on this thing is 4 hours at best, which is far from the 6-7 hours they touted on the promo material...

But other than that, it rocks, even 17 months later, and rocks even better with Windows 8....

raybo

03-05-2013, 12:07 AM

I thought I wanted a tablet at one time, but now I'd rather have a 17"-19" laptop. I really don't care for touchscreens. Tablets are just too limited, I need something I can do the same stuff on as my desktop, and hook it to a large monitor if I want.

rosenowsr

03-05-2013, 10:32 AM

Ditto:Raybo

raybo

03-05-2013, 10:49 AM

Yeah, all this touchscreen jazz is getting to be a real hassle for me. I don't even care much for my smart phone anymore. Gimme a keyboard and a mouse and I'm fine.

DeltaLover

03-05-2013, 01:17 PM

I have recentrly got:

Samsung - Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet with 32GB Memory

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung---Galaxy-Note-10.1-Tablet-with-32GB-Memory---Deep-Gray/5587686.p?id=1218668288366&skuId=5587686

and I am happy with it...

The whole paradigm of touch screen user interaction seems to be the future and although we still rely way to much on old fashion input means like the keyboard and the mouse, this dependency seems to be relaxed as the industry is moving ahead.

Although as a developer I might never manage to completely eliminate the use of keyboard I certainly can see a great possibility of something like this happening from the role of a mere user.

raybo

03-05-2013, 02:58 PM

JustRalph

03-05-2013, 05:29 PM

Try working in spreadsheet on a touchscreen, and without a mouse. Not fun.

There is the deal breaker. For you. I agree that you need a laptop if you are using spreadsheets. But for most there are some really neat options out there right now. The dockable tabs that have decent battery life and run Win8pro I am sure would be an all encompassing solution for a horseplayer headed to the track.

For me, I rarely use anything more than a Ipad for just about anything anymore. I also own two Android tablets.

We have an original Ipad 1 that has been relegated to basically being a radio in the bathroom for showers and such. IHeart radio and pandora cover just about all you could want in wake up music etc. I have two iPad 3's one for the wife, one for me, who get the majority of use. I have a small parlor style office on the first floor with a docked Motorola zoom. It's a fine device and between the 10 inch tablet and dock with external speakers built in I have but about 239 bucks in the whole package. Of course it was cheap because they were discontinued. But it works great and Android does some stuff much better than Apple.

I have a 7 inch Htc flyer that I bought early on (paid way too much) but it has very neat options like a pen/stylus that have Come in handy. It gets dragged into the truck for the excellent GPS that's built into it. Not to mention at 7 inches it's easy to hide under a seat or carry in a purse etc.

This last week the wife won an award at work and was presented with an Ipad mini. I had yet to see one. This is a very nice product. If this thing had a phone in it I might drop my phone and go to one device. I might look like a geek holding it up to my head, but I would consider it.

The one problem I have with the Ipad/IOS products is the keyboard. Apple just doesn't seem to care a damn that Android's swype app is heads and shoulders easier to use. This is a big complaint in the apple community. If I am going to write something that I know will be long, I turn on my wireless keyboard with my Ipad. That's a pain.

My desktop in my upstairs office is only used a few times a week. Banking usually. I refuse to do any banking in a mobile environment. Especially android. It's wrought with malware.

I did spend an hour and a half in a google hangout yesterday with a member of this board. Video calls are bearable over wifi via the tablets, but I prefer a hard wired connection and better camera. If you have yet to participate in a google hangout or Skype session you will find that they grow on you. It is a different experience when you can see someone react to what you are saying. We were both on our desktops but in testing the tablet was able to log into the hangout just fine. It's the PA war-room with video.

I really didn't mean for this drag out..........

raybo

03-05-2013, 05:47 PM

Yes, for me a tablet just doesn't work well. My 5" Android 4.0 phone works fine, but after the initial "Wows", when I first got it, I find I'm using it less and less.

That said, for many people, players included, touchscreen/mobile devices are exactly what they need. I never play the races anywhere except here at home, and if I go on a trip, a laptop would work great for me, and it would be just like what I do at home.

fast4522

03-05-2013, 05:53 PM

Ideal Tablet is over 10 inch 16X9 with a ten hour battery.
Until then can still have some fun.

A main advantage can be less printing and saving some ink.
I have even bet a few late races and went to watch them on the tablet in bed.
Having your router on a good battery backup if you lose power for a few hours a tablet will keep you on the internet until power returns.

Having some fun with the Samsung 7 inch and bluetooth I got 6 bluetooth USB dongles 2.0 from Amazon.com. for $1 each for windows computers. The PDF's I generate on a computer are easily sent from any room to the tablet. The bluetooth folder on the tablet is a catchall and the 7 inch tablet is about right sized to take in the car.

DeltaLover

03-05-2013, 06:04 PM

Try working in spreadsheet on a touchscreen, and without a mouse. Not fun.

Tablets are not meant to replace existing computers completely. Edit intensive processes like programming for example are not supposed to be done on a tablet. When it comes to just using the machine like surfing, writing short messages, checking email and tweeter for example, tablets represent great alternatives to laptops and desktops and this is why they are constantly expanding their market share.

I find my tablet useful and more than this I am planning to return to Java since android development is based in it, to write a couple of front ends for my systems, so I will no longer need to carry a laptop around (this means going to the track with it!)...

raybo

03-05-2013, 06:13 PM

Tablets are not meant to replace existing computers completely. Edit intensive processes like programming for example are not supposed to be done on a tablet. When it comes to just using the machine like surfing, writing short messages, checking email and tweeter for example, tablets represent great alternatives to laptops and desktops and this is why they are constantly expanding their market share.

I find my tablet useful and more than this I am planning to return to Java since android development is based in it, to write a couple of front ends for my systems, so I will no longer need to carry a laptop around (this means going to the track with it!)...

Exactly! Everything I need to do, away from home, can be done quite well on my phone, the screen is big enough for all those things, so have no need for a tablet. If someone gave me one, yes, I would mess with it from time to time, but I doubt I'll ever buy one, unless they evolve to the point that they are comparable to a pc/laptop/netbook, that would be a different story. In that case I would definitely want a Windows OS, 11" plus, long battery life (my phone came with 2 batteries so that's not a problem with it), full MS compatibility, and the ability to hook to an external monitor would big good.

DeltaLover

03-05-2013, 06:20 PM

Exactly! Everything I need to do, away from home, can be done quite well on my phone, the screen is big enough for all those things, so have no need for a tablet. If someone gave me one, yes, I would mess with it from time to time, but I doubt I'll ever buy one, unless they evolve to the point that they are comparable to a pc/laptop/netbook, that would be a different story. In that case I would definitely want a Windows OS, 11" plus, long battery life (my phone came with 2 batteries so that's not a problem with it), full MS compatibility, and the ability to hook to an external monitor would big good.

Comparing my 10' tablet to my phone I really can see a big difference. For example reading a kindle book it is much better on the tablet and the same applies to many other things... Using the ubuntu one cloud makes it very easy to share data among all my devices and as time goes by I using the tablet more and more as a front end..

PaceAdvantage

03-05-2013, 09:58 PM

Exactly! Everything I need to do, away from home, can be done quite well on my phone, the screen is big enough for all those things, so have no need for a tablet. If someone gave me one, yes, I would mess with it from time to time, but I doubt I'll ever buy one, unless they evolve to the point that they are comparable to a pc/laptop/netbook, that would be a different story. In that case I would definitely want a Windows OS, 11" plus, long battery life (my phone came with 2 batteries so that's not a problem with it), full MS compatibility, and the ability to hook to an external monitor would big good.Well, except for the battery life (and that may have changed by now), there are tablets out there that fully meet most if not all of your requirements. I own one...but the battery life is only around 4 hours...

raybo

03-05-2013, 10:18 PM

Well, except for the battery life (and that may have changed by now), there are tablets out there that fully meet most if not all of your requirements. I own one...but the battery life is only around 4 hours...

You're probably right. I haven't checked them lately.

JustRalph

03-14-2013, 01:23 AM

Dell Reveals The XPS 18, A Monster 18.4-inch Tablet/Desktop Hybrid ($899)

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/03/13/dell-reveals-xps-18-tablet-desktop-hybrid/

http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dell-XPS-18.jpg

Stillriledup

03-14-2013, 02:18 AM

MJC922

03-14-2013, 08:03 AM

The files I generate are in PDF so I needed to make sure they displayed properly on tablets. For this reason I recently bought a few smaller form factor tablets, the Kindle Fire HD, the Kindle Paperwhite and the Ipad Mini. I found the Paperwhite is strictly for ebooks, the PDF experience is awful and this was not a surprise because of e-ink scrolling issues etc but I was curious about the device anyway. Between the Kindle Fire HD and the Ipad Mini though, the mini really shines with PDF, it allows for vertical scrolling through PDFs which at least for my files seemed to be critically important from a usability standpoint. I tried a few PDF apps for the Fire and while some of them supported vertical scroll it more of a kludgy experience. I was also surprised that with the Kindle Fire HD I wasn't able to zoom in on images properly when reading ebooks for example 'Speed to Spare'. It's astonishing to me the Kindle App for the Ipad had no issues with this but the Kindle Fire HD no dice. Bottom line for me was the Ipad mini was clearly the better device for my purposes. With that being said, unless I go to the track I can't see myself using the mini for handicapping. I much prefer my desk and dual 19 inch monitors with a mouse. Since I took off ten years from horseplay can someone fill me in on the current state of affairs, when you go to the track these days do you see people with tablets? Thanks.

raybo

03-14-2013, 10:53 AM

Tom

03-14-2013, 03:36 PM

raybo

03-14-2013, 03:55 PM

I just do not see what I would do with a tablet.
They aren't really computers, are they, I mean in a productivity sense. Mostly pictures, and twitter and videos? And you need to have a separate internet account for it?

The Windows tablets are really PCs, desktops and laptops/notebooks, with touch screens and portability. The one posted has a very good processor, plenty of RAM, and a 320gb hard drive, and I assume full compatibility with all programs that other Windows machines support. Other OSs do not offer that compatibility that many prospective users would need, me included. As I said before, right now my needs are more of a laptop than a tablet, but the one linked to looks pretty dang good to me.

JustRalph

03-14-2013, 04:17 PM

XI just do not see what I would do with a tablet.

I rarely visit my lonely desktop anymore

They aren't really computers, are they, I mean in a productivity sense.

Right! If you are talking about running excel-PowerPoint handicapping software etc, you will have to jump thru hoops to be productive. Not worth it yet. Unless you buy a windows tablet (not windows RT)

Mostly pictures, and twitter and videos? And you need to have a separate internet account for it?

Just about anything on the Internet. You would use it on your wifi network around the house and public wifi networks. You can pay extra for 4G LTE (cell phone) access if you want. You can connect thru your cell phone too. It uses up your data plan though. You will be surprised at how much of your computer usage can be done on the tablet, great item to have. Changes your life. It did mine. Recommend Ipad to anyone I know. More adventurous ? Android tablets are cheaper, but different.

Don't forget that movies and TV are great on the tablet, unless you are a videofile that demands a big screen.

PaceAdvantage

03-14-2013, 06:23 PM

Why would you not have an Ipad?
What makes you think I don't?

Tom

03-14-2013, 11:13 PM

My wifi network around the house?
I paid a whole bunch for that big, comfy computer chair - I don't roam much past the bathroom! :D

raybo

03-14-2013, 11:25 PM

My wifi network around the house?
I paid a whole bunch for that big, comfy computer chair - I don't roam much past the bathroom! :D

Wireless routers are very cheap. Hook one up and you got a WIFI, for those trips to the bathroom. :lol:

thaskalos

03-15-2013, 03:05 AM

Exactly! Everything I need to do, away from home, can be done quite well on my phone, the screen is big enough for all those things, so have no need for a tablet.

I lost my Blackberry phone today. I walked out of my local OTB without it...because all the losing mutuel tickets covering the top of my desk prevented me from seeing the phone and taking it with me.

I found out that the phone was missing about a half-hour later, and ran back to the OTB to see if I could retrieve it. My desk had been cleaned out...and the phone was nowhere to be found.

Anyway...I went to a nearby phone store, and picked up a Samsung Galaxy as a replacement. I am STUNNED at the size of its screen -- and how many things I can do with it. Where has this phone been all my life? :)

JustRalph

03-15-2013, 04:21 AM

Make sure you get up to speed on "google now"

http://youtu.be/pPqliPzHYyc

pPqliPzHYyc

Use your voice to ask questions to google search app. It will blow you away how fast it works

MPRanger

03-15-2013, 07:30 AM

I think of a tablet as being oriented to a particular objective though obviously they are computers which can do many things.

I write my programs in QuickBasic 2.0 as bad as that sounds. It works great for me. I can make it do anything I want. I have hundreds of routines already created over the years.

My main horse racing program which I named Oddsmaster isn't actually a single compiled program. It's several modules which could be a single program but I prefer to use it as a system which I can use or tweak as I go. It's for my eyes only so it doesn't matter if it looks retail. I know exactly where to reach for exactly what I need.

The QuickBasic compiler has run fine on all MS operating systems upto but not including Windows 7. XP down is fine.

There is an app for Android called DosBox which will allow a tablet to emulate DOS. The QuickBasic compiler and Oddsmaster run fine in DosBox. There is also one for IPAD but Apple doesn't want you to run DOS on an IPAD and won't sell it to you.

Among other things Oddsmaster is designed to update the toteboard odds quickly. I have written it so everything is one touch. Ie Post Position 3 - Touch the C key. Post position 10 - touch the K key. With no other action it tabs to the odds columns. Space bar tabs between three columns all labeled A thru S with S equaling SCRATCH. Middle column F equals 7-2. With two or three touches of the keyboard I can assign the 3 horse or dog any odds I want to match the toteboard. It can keep up with the toteboard as it updates. It eats exactas and price points for lunch.

I write/adjust the programs on my laptop but the program will run on a tablet, any tablet with DosBox installed in a racebook or in a man cave while sitting on a couch.

So the tablet is like an application itself. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is my choice. I don't have one yet though. Right now I'm using the program on an Asus EEE PC 701 netbook which I'm not happy with because the keyboard is a cheap piece of garbage and that is a critical issue with my program. Other models of Asus netbooks seem to be ok. The 701 came with Linux but I put XP on it. I also put DosBox for Windows on it.

Here is an example. This isn't a Galaxy Tab 2 but it's running DosBox and Warcraft II.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5NECqR7-nk

DeltaLover

03-15-2013, 11:03 AM

QuickBasic 2.0 and DOS Emulation for Android

UNBELIEVABLE

Stillriledup

03-15-2013, 02:06 PM

What makes you think I don't?

Ok, so you own an Ipad, congratulations, welcome to 2013! :D

Ted Craven

03-16-2013, 06:31 PM

I got a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet this week. It runs Windows 8 Pro 64 bit, i5 processor, 4 Gb memory, 128 Gb internal solid state drive, 64 Gb micro SD chip storage, 1 USB3 port, 1980 x 1080 screen resolution and a nifty pen-thingy for pointing, scrolling and clicking on those smallish Windows buttons and bells.

It runs my Windows software just fine (RDSS), a bit cramped on its own screen, but beautiful on an external HDMI screen. MS Office, all my email, spreadsheets, Word docs, familiar browsers and other apps, etc, etc.

10 times faster (+/-) than my current computer.

I'm sure I'll get around to all the fancy new Win8 UI stuff, but so far I'm enjoying a tablet about the same weight as my iPad, only one which does 'real work'.

I use my phone as a wireless hotspot for it, since no 4G built in. Agreed that the 4 hours rated battery life sucks a bit, but I've not found it a problem so far.

Recommended, for those who need their Windows apps.

:ThmbUp:

Ted

PaceAdvantage

03-16-2013, 08:12 PM

Ok, so you own an Ipad, congratulations, welcome to 2013! :DYou've become much more irritating lately.

I'm always on the bleeding edge when it comes to small devices:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_200LX
Ran my first version of Pace Advantage (the program, not the website) on one of these babies WAY BACK in 1993 or 1994 so I could take it to the track. Ran full version of DOS...lol

Then bought one of these about 6-7 years ago:

http://store.sony.com/p/VGN-UX490N/C/en/p/VGNUX490N/C

I've had my iPad for a few years now as well, along with a netbook and now the Samsung Slate...

http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/tablet-pcs/XE700T1A-A03US

Robert Goren

03-16-2013, 08:19 PM

You've become much more irritating lately.

I'm always on the bleeding edge when it comes to small devices:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_200LX
Ran my first version of Pace Advantage (the program, not the website) on one of these babies WAY BACK in 1993 or 1994 so I could take it to the track. Ran full version of DOS...lol

Then bought one of these about 6-7 years ago:

http://store.sony.com/p/VGN-UX490N/C/en/p/VGNUX490N/C

I've had my iPad for a few years now as well, along with a netbook and now the Samsung Slate...

http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/tablet-pcs/XE700T1A-A03US I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who would like to know more about that program.

PaceAdvantage

03-16-2013, 08:40 PM

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who would like to know more about that program.It spawned a website.

It was sold to about 12 or 13 people. Our own Andicap (I can't remember if I gave it to him for free or made him buy it...I think he actually bought it) told me he had a winning year with it the first year he used it...there's another member here who was also a user (mabred).

My customer service skills weren't so hot back then, and the user interface was clumsy at best (and buggy at worst), so I stopped selling it after a little while...I was a kid back then basically (I think it was 1992 or so, when I was around 23) when I wrote it and first started marketing it...

I started experimenting with other commercially available programs like HTR, HSH and eventually stopped using my program altogether...

There you have it in a nutshell...lol

Tom

03-17-2013, 12:18 AM

I remember you used to post the readouts for big races. It was a nice presentation of the race, IMHO. :ThmbUp:

TheEdge07

03-20-2013, 09:35 PM

I lost my Blackberry phone today. I walked out of my local OTB without it...because all the losing mutuel tickets covering the top of my desk prevented me from seeing the phone and taking it with me.

I found out that the phone was missing about a half-hour later, and ran back to the OTB to see if I could retrieve it. My desk had been cleaned out...and the phone was nowhere to be found.

Anyway...I went to a nearby phone store, and picked up a Samsung Galaxy as a replacement. I am STUNNED at the size of its screen -- and how many things I can do with it. Where has this phone been all my life? :)

because all the losing mutuel tickets covering the top of my desk prevented me from seeing the phone and taking it with me.:lol: :lol:

Thask been there.