Input / opinions. Lapdock 500 vs new netbook

[Yinzer]

Hi all. Just looking for some input. Have a RAZR. Thinking about the Lapdock 500. The TTC store I purchased my phone at is willing to apply my 30% VIP discount toward it. $220 + tax. However, my four year old laptop could use upgrading. Walmart's got a decent selection of laptops in the 10" and 11" range (I'm looking more for portability), all of which are better than my present Dell. I can seemingly tether my Dell to my RAZR will no ill effects (i.e. overcharges). I've tried it. Works well in USB mode. Not so well in HotSpot mode. So...I'm leaning more toward dropping another 100 or 150 and getting a new (small) laptop and tethering every now and then. Using my old laptop for word processing. Using my Razr as my Razr

Thoughts?

BTW, I do not game / photoshop / movie edit. Looking just for simple multi tasking. I.E. Skype + one or two other programs.

 

[rdgxray]

I bought a lapdock 500 and used it a few times...now it sits in box...nice idea just easier to do stuff on phone or real computer ...just my opinion ...others I am sure love their lapdock.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums

 

[jntdroid]

Yeah it depends on what you're using it for. The Lapdock 500 is super nice, but I'm like rdg... if I'm on my laptop, or had a netbook, I'd want it to be able to function like a full blown PC - and though you can do a lot on the Lapdock, it just isn't the same - especially if you do a lot of work with office documents, etc. If you're all Google, especially with Drive now, and use a lot of gdocs online, it could very well be extremely useful.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

I bought a lapdock 500 and used it a few times...now it sits in box...nice idea just easier to do stuff on phone or real computer ...just my opinion ...others I am sure love their lapdock.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums

Want to sell it?

 

[jntdroid]

Make sure you keep any "transaction" talk either via PM, or over at Android.net in the classifieds section.

 

[bsweetness]

The Lapdock is fun for some light stuff (and it's nice in that you can use your unlimited data without paying for a hotspot or using other tethering means that are against your terms of service), but it's not a notebook or netbook replacement in the slightest. Right now, Webtop isn't as fully functional as it should be. From the recent ICS leak, it looks like Motorola is moving Webtop in the direction of an Android tablet interface. If you think you can get by on how an Android tablet runs with the specs of the RAZR, then you might be ok. As much as I enjoy the functionality of the Asus Transformer line (which is essentially what it looks like Webtop will be soon, just with a phone instead of a tablet), it's still very limited compared to a full-fledged notebook/netbook. Even if the primary focus is just word processing, I'd still have to go with a regular notebook/netbook in order to have Microsoft Office. Sure there are several different Android apps that can read and write various Office files, which are great for a quick read/edit on the go, but none of them come even close to being able to do what Microsoft Office can really do.

So, I'd say go with a notebook or a netbook. The Lapdock is a fun toy to play around with, but I'd never let it replace an actual computer if I was doing anything remotely important or serious.

 

[SnoDrtRider]

I agree... I am sitting here on my Laptop in the internet as I have the Razr connected to the Lapdock I just got while I'm setting it up. My wife is looking at me saying "Like you really need two computers" (Just wait until I bring home a tablet:icon_eek
The Lapdock will come in handy when I need to access photos for a customer and access/edit my customer database while on the road but likely will never replace the laptop. BTW my laptop is a Dell Vostro so it's a bit of a hassle toting it around. I do a lot of spreadsheet work so the 17" screen keeps scrolling (and squinting) to a minimum.

I think you are on the right track with a netboook/small lapper using the phone for a data connection.