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That's exactly what I've found too. Between a >5.5" phone and a laptop, there are very few scenarios where a tablet would do the job better. And even when it would, it's hardly worth it overall.

I wouldn't even agree with your "movie in bed" scenario - a laptop is way better since it has a built-in stand. Just put it on your belly and there's no need to hold it in your hands or screw around with flimsy tablet stands.

I won't deny that there are use cases for tablets of course. Like reading comics maybe (which I don't do because I'm not 10) - sure it's better than either a phone or a laptop, but would you buy and carry it around in addition to your phone, which you always carry, and a laptop, which you bring to work? A few people would, but not that many, hence the sales numbers.

What I'm narrowing down as an additional device to fill the gap between the phone and a productivity laptop is a convertible 2-in-1 device. The Surface IMO fails due to the floppy keyboard thing, an the Cube Mix Plus I bought last year isn't quite there either - it's a bit heavier and bulkier than it needs to be due to its cheapness (under $300 on sale) and detachable keyboard design. Still, I love travelling with it. With the keyboard and decent performance I can process my photos in Lightroom, VPN to work in case of emergencies, play some real games (yes it runs Crysis) or ditch the keyboard and read the travel guide or something.

What I think would be perfect is something in the form factor of the Yoga Book but with a real keyboard, even at a cost of an extra mm of thickness. If you haven't seen it in person, the size is pretty mindblowing, it's the same thickness and weight as the MixPlus but including the "keyboard" part, which I use 90% of the time anyway. Then you have a real, if tiny, laptop most of the time, and a slightly heavier than normal tablet for the rare occasion when it's useful.

Here you go, I'm not sure you could wear the battery out on this thing in a day if you tried.

I bought the Ouikel K5000 earlier this, and am fairly happy with it, 5000mAh battery, no crapware, unfortunately no updates either, but it does last all day even with moderately heavy usage, on a normal day I have 60-70% battery left in the evening, I never feel to need to charge it during the daytime. My only real complaints about it is that it is too easy to break the screen, as there aren't any good cases for it (ones that provide a lip around the screen to protect it when dropped) and the screen is a PITA to replace (you start by prying off the back cover which is stuck on with copious amounts of glue, then pretty much dismantle the whole phone).

Given my generally positive experience with the K5000 from Oukitel, I would be fairly happy taking a chance on another phone from them.

I mean, there is innovation, just whether or not it's popular is the question.

https://www.zteusa.com/axonm/

http://www.lg.com/us/g5-phones

https://www.banggood.com/Anica...

I don't know the exact numbers, probably still small in absolute terms, but the Surface and similar devices have been growing pretty strongly just based on MS's financial reporting.

I got a Cube Mix Plus a few months ago to take travelling. It's powerful enough to Photoshop my vacation photos or play games, yet small and cheap enough that I can throw it in my backpack without worrying about it. It's been absolutely great for this and I'm using it back home now too.

Yet what I've noticed is that I used it with the keyboard dock 90% of the time and it's not because it sucks as a tablet. Obviously Visual Studio is unusable but stuff everyone uses tablets for -- browsing, email or maps work just as well as on Android or Apple tablets. I think it's just that the laptop is a superior form factor and this, or even better, Yoga-type devices are what most people actually want without realizing it.

Most people buy cases for their tablets, and many also use extra keyboard to make them actually usable. A device that is a bit thicker and heavier but comes with a built-in screen protector, stand, and keyboard is a clear winner IMO. Many such laptops are pretty enormous, relatively speaking, but it doesn't have to be that way - go check out Yoga Book in person.

I would say a tablet that works by voice command. Think Amazon Alexis with a camera based around Facebook's services. You know like those Android camera boxes you can everywhere for $30-50.

That assumes you are capable of writing a book, and you are comfortable lying, or are extremely incompetent.

However, imagine you saw a book about how someone could get a fully-functional RC helicopter for $12. Would that be nonsense?

It is pretty amazing how many advanced and cheap technologies exist today and yet still many technical people insist carbon nanotubes are totally impossible. Meanwhile, they have workstations packed into a tiny device they carry around in their pocket.

For about $4 try http://www.banggood.com/Origin... but feel free to pay more if you want.

Those of us that fly real airplanes dont want to get your $200 toy stuck in our $20,000 engine.

Precisely! this IS more important than this and since passengers are at risk in real planes, they are even more important than this.

There are some really great and incredibly cheap Chinese phones with 6500mAh batteries. My brother has this one and it easily goes for days without a recharge, and is a pretty good phone too.

http://www.banggood.com/search...

The esp8266 is already arduino compatible using the board manger in the arduino IDE. https://github.com/esp8266/Ard... Why go through the trouble making a board that has 2 microcontrollers on it when the ESP8266 has wifi, runs at 80 MHz and commonly comes in packages with 1,2 or 4 mb of flash memory for your program. Seems to me to be to little too late. http://www.banggood.com/NodeMc... http://www.banggood.com/ESP826... http://www.banggood.com/3Pcs-E... I feel like there needs to be a whole article on the ESP8266 on here.

The esp8266 is already arduino compatible using the board manger in the arduino IDE. https://github.com/esp8266/Ard... Why go through the trouble making a board that has 2 microcontrollers on it when the ESP8266 has wifi, runs at 80 MHz and commonly comes in packages with 1,2 or 4 mb of flash memory for your program. Seems to me to be to little too late. http://www.banggood.com/NodeMc... http://www.banggood.com/ESP826... http://www.banggood.com/3Pcs-E... I feel like there needs to be a whole article on the ESP8266 on here.

The esp8266 is already arduino compatible using the board manger in the arduino IDE. https://github.com/esp8266/Ard... Why go through the trouble making a board that has 2 microcontrollers on it when the ESP8266 has wifi, runs at 80 MHz and commonly comes in packages with 1,2 or 4 mb of flash memory for your program. Seems to me to be to little too late. http://www.banggood.com/NodeMc... http://www.banggood.com/ESP826... http://www.banggood.com/3Pcs-E... I feel like there needs to be a whole article on the ESP8266 on here.

You can also buy an Ardiuno knockoff on eBay for under $10. Pick one that uses a socketed through-hole AVR processor, and you can use it like a development system. Prototype and debug your design. When it's finished pull the chip out of the Arduino to build onto your custom board and plug in a fresh chip.

Also you can get Arduino clone boards from places like banggood.com for $3.20.

link here

The specific one I have came from a factory called CXM. But I think this market is changing really fast. A similar one to mine is this one here: http://www.banggood.com/Wh-TG-.... It has twice the battery capacity of mine which would be helpful. Mine has taken a serious beating and is still working good aside from the plastic shell which has a few cracks. Just cosmetic though. I let anyone try it so it gets crashed a lot.

There are other ones that have bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone so you can see capacity and stuff. The genuine solowheel ones are really nice but are so expensive and I've never tried one.

You'll be getting crap for $100-150. Sorry, but you will. Now that being said, I have found a Syma x5C from Banggood for $63.51 CAD and has a 2MB camera. http://www.banggood.com/Syma-X... [banggood.com] and it's not bad for a beginner but it's going to get broken and then you'll be pissed off.

Not as fucking pissed off as he will be when his $400 drone crashes, eats a prop, gets caught in a gust of wind and wanders out to sea, etc. etc. It's much better to start with a $60 Hubsan or Syma and get some inexpensive practice flying in before moving up to something Phantom-level.

You'll be getting crap for $100-150. Sorry, but you will. Now that being said, I have found a Syma x5C from Banggood for $63.51 CAD and has a 2MB camera. http://www.banggood.com/Syma-X... and it's not bad for a beginner but it's going to get broken and then you'll be pissed off.

But you should really save your pennies and buy a Cheerson CX20 but it's $368.40 CAD. http://www.banggood.com/Cheers... Here's an entire thread on it from people who know their stuff on RCGroups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums...

Do your research on this on YouTube and the Internet in general. Read the reviews. This is a pretty serious drone for little cost. You can get gimbals and use GoPro cameras (or SJ4000 type cameras too). Anyhow, good drones aren't to be found for under $300. Save your money...you'll thank me later.

You'll be getting crap for $100-150. Sorry, but you will. Now that being said, I have found a Syma x5C from Banggood for $63.51 CAD and has a 2MB camera. http://www.banggood.com/Syma-X... and it's not bad for a beginner but it's going to get broken and then you'll be pissed off.

But you should really save your pennies and buy a Cheerson CX20 but it's $368.40 CAD. http://www.banggood.com/Cheers... Here's an entire thread on it from people who know their stuff on RCGroups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums...

Do your research on this on YouTube and the Internet in general. Read the reviews. This is a pretty serious drone for little cost. You can get gimbals and use GoPro cameras (or SJ4000 type cameras too). Anyhow, good drones aren't to be found for under $300. Save your money...you'll thank me later.