Tablets are great for watching online videos of frolicking kittens, updating your Facebook status and checking email. But can they really substitute for a laptop when it comes to doing actual work?
To find out, I downloaded software for using word processing and spreadsheets on mobile devices. One works with just iPhones and iPads, while another works with devices running Google’s Android system as well. I also test drove an upcoming update to Microsoft Office, one designed to seamlessly link work on PCs, tablets and smart phones.
All of the programs store and access files over the Internet rather than the individual devices. That approach can be pretty handy once you get the hang of it.
Unfortunately, the programs also all involve, well, typing on a tablet. That can be downright painful after a while.
Quickoffice
This program is designed to make Apple and Android mobile devices compatible with Office even if the software isn’t installed on them. While Microsoft does have a Web-based application that can be accessed on an iPad, it doesn’t make a downloadable app for the device yet. Google Inc. bought Quickoffice this summer as part of its attempts to siphon sales away from Microsoft Corp.
The $20 app includes programs similar to Microsoft’s Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. But the programs have some shortcomings and don’t mesh perfectly with the Microsoft versions.
There are a variety of ways to transfer files. You can make transfers through a website, use a variety of document-sharing programs such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or sync your device with your desktop computer through iTunes.
The easiest way was simply to email documents to myself.
iWork
Apple has its own suite of Office-like tablet apps: Pages, for word processing, Numbers, for spreadsheets, and Keynote, for presentations. They cost $10 each, or $30 for the set, making iWork pricier than Quickoffice. But you can buy just one or two of the programs.
The Apple apps also will show up on your iPhone, assuming you want them to, for no extra charge. Quickoffice costs $15 for a separate phone version.
The Apple software is simple, attractively styled and friendly to use.
Both Quickoffice and Pages had a prominent “undo” button, which came in very handy given the error-prone nature of working on a tablet. There were several times chunks of text got deleted or photos got distorted because of my clumsiness. The “undo” buttons came to the rescue.
Microsoft Office
Working with Microsoft Office on a tablet is much like working with it on a desktop. As a result, there’s less of a learning curve than with Quickoffice or iWork. Unfortunately, Microsoft makes it only for devices running Windows — not for iPads, iPhones or Android devices.
Microsoft hasn’t announced a release date for the new version of Office yet, but a subscription for the home version is expected to cost $100 per year and will cover up to five computers and tablets. A small-business version will go for $150 per year. Consumers and businesses can also buy the software to install on one computer for $140 to $400, depending on the version.
Microsoft’s version of Office for the tablet seems best suited for business users who crave seamless connections between their computer and on-the-go tablet.
I borrowed a Samsung tablet running the upcoming Windows 8 operating software, which comes out Oct. 26.
A casual user who just wants to write a letter or balance a checkbook might not find it as enticing.
Since its inception, the iPad has dominated the tablet market with its easy-to-use setup and minimalist design. It’s light and easy to throw into a briefcase or a diaper bag.
The Samsung tablet, though beautiful in many ways, is significantly heavier and has a laptop-like power cord that’s bulky compared with the iPad’s. There will be other Windows 8 tablets out, including Microsoft’s own Surface, but even that will be slightly heavier than the iPad, partly because of its larger screen. That might not be an issue for business types who haul around their work in a rolling briefcase, but it was for me.
Basically, what it boils down to is your needs.
If you’re serious about replacing your laptop with a tablet, regardless of what brand, you probably want to invest in a good external keyboard.
With both the Apple and Samsung tablets, typing was very awkward, whether I laid them flat, or propped them up at an angle.
All three programs do an adequate job of letting you do work on your tablet.
Microsoft’s does the best job of mimicking what I’m used to on the desktop, but it’s also the least useful for iPad owners.
If you’re sticking with the iPad, it’s probably best to pick and choose the apps you need from iWork, which offers more features for the money than Quickoffice.
Whatever you decide, don’t expect to shelve your laptop in favor of a tablet or phone anytime soon. These programs fill in a gap, but are far from replacements.