Tablet Suggestions Anybody

[Cory]

Hi guys and hope everyone is having a great weekend! This isn't insurance related so don't know if it will stick, but I'm thinking about joining the 21st century and getting a tablet. Not looking at spending a lot of money... just to see if I may like it and have a few questions.

1) Operating system: apple, droid or windows?
2) Brands: apple, samsung, toshiba, kindle, lenovo, sony... too many to choose.
3) Is memory that important if not really downloading?
4) Looking for an 9 inch plus screen.

Yep, I've been to Best Buy, but thought I might tap into you tablet users out there. Just curious what my peeps might have to say. Any feedback would be appreciate what what you like, don't like or model.
Thanks!

 

[lrixford]

I would wait a week and look at the new Surface tablets coming out from Microsoft or the Nokia 2520. If you want to run traditional Windows apps then you will have to go Surface Pro.

 

[Aram Fingal]

I've been thinking about changing to a tablet as well, and I have a related question. Most insurance applications are now web based, so are there any that you can't utilize with a tablet? Using the Surface as an example, would you need the pro really, or would the RT be able to access everything you need as an agent? Aren't all the CRMs and raters web based now?

 

[rousemark]

Bought a Droid tablet that I really liked.. Then I found out it would not run most insurance company software programs as they were written for Windows. Finally decided to go with a small lightweight Windows touchcreen laptop instead of a tablet for now. If you choose a Windows tablet, make sure it has a full installation of Windows and not Windows RT. RT will not run some of the Windows programs.

 

[lrixford]

A select bunch of raters are web based. TurboRater, PL Rater, and EZLynx are fully web based. The only well rounded agency management systems that are exclusively web based include QQ Catalyst, AMS 360, and Applied Epic.

There are others in each category, just none I feel like are worth the mention at this time. Quite a few that claim to be web based and they are just a Citrix client. Those do not work well on ARM based processors found in Android, Apple and Microsoft RT tablets.

When they are fully web based they can run on the RT version just fine (I am typing this on my Surface RT from last year).

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Bought a Droid tablet that I really liked.. Then I found out it would not run most insurance company software programs as they were written for Windows. Finally decided to go with a small lightweight Windows touchcreen laptop instead of a tablet for now. If you choose a Windows tablet, make sure it has a full installation of Windows and not Windows RT. RT will not run some of the Windows programs.

100% correct, you have to be careful if you run any traditional apps. Also, be aware many company bridges are still EXE based. Those would require something like Surface Pro.

One positive thing about the higher end Intel based tablets is that they usually include a pen digitizer so you can notate directly on the device...including signatures.

 

[Aram Fingal]

That's another reason I was thinking the pro might be a good move, but it's so much more expensive. I've heard you can just have people sign with their finger on the RT? Or couldn't you use an aftermarket "pen"?

One positive thing about the higher end Intel based tablets is that they usually include a pen digitizer so you can notate directly on the device...including signatures.

 

[lrixford]

You can use your finger. The fidelity is much better with the pen. The technology that allows that accuracy is built into the tablet, not the pen. Therefore, there are no options for aftermarket pens. Check out the Lenovo line of tablets as they are cheaper and some include the digitizer.

 

[Newby]

Most tablets require pens that are as fat and round as your finger tip.

The windows pro or whatever it's called has the pointy stylus. Much, much better.

 

[deadhead]

Waiting til cyber Monday.................

 

[inreverse]

On the life side, most companies I have found have developed Ipad apps rather than Android or Windows for in the field app completion. Some agents have really liked the Ipad mini for adequate size, portability and cost.