What's the point of tablets besides the bigger screens?

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I've been trying to find a reason to get a tablet... but besides being able to read stuff more easily due to a bigger screen (which I could also do with a Kindle or such, which I think is cheaper) I don't see the point of getting one, especially since I can already do all of the things one can do with it with a smartphone... and tablets can't even make phone calls, so technically can do less.

So... is there something I'm missing? Can it somehow make my life easier?

To be the tablet just seems like a big marketing gimmick! There was already something that size, they used to call it a notebook (in the days where apps were called programs!!). All it was is that as with everything they got more powerful and other new technologies came affordable (i.e. touchscreen technology). This meant they made it a bit light and could do away with the keyboard, which is a natural progression, but instead of just doing this they made a big song and dance about it renamed it stuck an 'i' in front of it and then they became a must have and the monster rolled in!

In the end they are all computers and you have models in various size to suit and you should pick one that works for you not go for what everyone is saying is cool!

I'm not really interested in a smartphone anyway (don't care that much for a really portable computer), but I understand why people will like the portable nature of it and they have made the screens a bit bigger, than when at home you want to use your laptop/desktop which can do everything and have a big screen or two (or more) so I didn't think it would take off, the notebook never did and it's hard to see why you need anything between those sizes, it's a trade off on both and doesn't seem worth it, so I don't understand how it did so well. i think it's time is limited though, when touch screen laptops costs drop and they can be made even lighter I can see the tablet becoming redundant!

I´d say, if you are not used to a computer, but have managed to handle smartphones, they are easier to use. My mother in law does not really have big computer knowledge and stucks at every minor problem at the computer, but handles her tablet easily. I think the direct touch controlling as well suits her more, so she is one of the person that really needs to "aim" with the mouse towards a certain spot, so being able to simply touch at something to control certain stuff, is far easier for her. I´d say the tablet is simply the "Kindergarten"-model of an laptop. About the: What can the tablet do, that modern smartphones cant, BESIDE the bigger screen. My mother in law is 65, so I think, there is no BESIDE advantage. Its about the bigger screen. ^^

Tablets are far better for reading, and will offer a much better battery life.

I have both an iPhone and an iPad.

Other than a larger screen size and larger on-screen keyboard, the two are functionally the same. Well, except of course that I can make phone calls on the iPhone.

I bought the iPad back in the day when I had the discretionary income to spend on such things. If I were faced with that purchase decision today when finances are tighter, I would forego the iPad. It offers me no functionalities that I do not already have on the iPhone.

When I first bought my iPad I used it all the time, but since then I have bought a MacBook Air and it is now my go to, I take it with me everywhere I go, it's very light. I use the iPad mostly for reading and for some of the quirky little art apps on it.

big FWIW here .. i have no personal experience at all .. tho .. my girlfriend has talked about this repeatedly ..

she got an iPad for her daughter a few years ago .. now it turns out her daughter is only using her smartphone .. my GF then gradually to her own surprise grew fond of the abandoned iPad .. despite already having and using a Kindle ..

GF now admits to almost exclusively use the iPad for all her recreational computer needs at home .. she's kind of fallen in love w the iPad! 8-I

I think there are some things a tablet does better and other things that a smart phone does just as well.

The main things I do with my tablets (I have an asus Android and an asus Win 8.1) are watch movies, play games, read comics/books, web surf and (on the WinTab) run MS Office and do all my school work.

I also have an android smart phone. Usually what I do with it is listen to MP3s and stream internet audio.

I wouldn't give up any of them...

In my personal experience, I purchased a Lenovo Lynx 11.1" full version (not RT) Windows 8 tablet to replace my laptop that I only used during my jobs and primarily did email/web browsing (which I gave to my oldest daughter to replace her POS laptop). I travel for work 2-3 times a year for a month at a time, and usually 2 times I have to fly to my jobs. Before I bought the tablet, I had to take out 2 laptops (1 personal, 1 work) to scan in the x-ray and my Playstation 3 (we have some downtime and I'm not much for cable TV). I would have 4 to 5 tubs for just myself at the TSA line. Using the tablet in place of the laptop has allowed me to take one less device out to scan which helps my anxiety level because I get real nervous when I cannot see my items on the x-ray line.

And since it's full Windows 8 instead of RT, I can still install "normal" Windows programs (such as Office) and my remote support software that I use to keep tabs on my parents' computers, my computers at my house, my kid's laptop, and my only computer customer's systems. I purchased a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and a HDMI mini-HDMI cable to project the screen on the TV. All told, I spent about $450 on a device that did what I needed and I can travel with comfortably.

When I used to spend hours breastfeeding it was basically my only way to keep from getting bored out of my mind. I didn't want the loud volume of the TV and using a computer was too much stress because I had to be at the desk and one of my arms had a baby in it. As the baby became older it was more convenient than a book because toddlers love to rip pages. So a tablet works for my lifestyle right now.