Hardware Can the switch screw up tablets?

Yil

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If it has good youtube and web browsing features, it could potentially replace tablets (especially gaming/ casual centred ones). It will need a lot more to replace note taking, huge library of different apps, and other features I will not list here. Also the screen is too small.
 
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McWhiters9511

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If it has good youtube and web browsing features, it could potentially replace tablets (especially gaming/ casual centred ones). It will need a lot more to replace note taking, huge library of different apps, and other features I will not list here. Also the screen is too small.
apple nerds will still buy the crap products that for sure
 

McWhiters9511

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Well apple does have some more study/ business oriented features that Nintendo won't bother to implement but mobile gaming is still broken this very day.
yea thing is apple has taken a turn for the worse. anything on apple products can be done better on others. (and still have traditional ports) but yes the switch will most likely not have business oriented tasks available
 

foob

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If it has good youtube and web browsing features, it could potentially replace tablets (especially gaming/ casual centred ones). It will need a lot more to replace note taking, huge library of different apps, and other features I will not list here. Also the screen is too small.

Even if you wanted a smaller tablet, it is set up for failure as a general-purpose device. Of course Nintendo are smart enough to sell it as a gaming device. The dream of a cheap converged device is over. It has been done (albeit filled with corporate spyware).
DSi.
PSP.
3DS.
Vita.
All of these were extremely poor as general-purpose devices. The levels of convergence on offer mostly benefited Sony and Nintendo's game sales interests. The same will happen with the Switch, in my opinion. I hope it gets hacked to do more, but I don't expect many users buying one instead of their regular tablet.

We can go into:
* cost of Switch
* size of Switch
* weight of Switch
* apps on Switch
* battery life of Switch
* specs of Switch

...to get some picture of the likely levels of failure as a converged device.
Like all previous portables from Sony & Nintendo, I think it will have no chance of replacing any typical user's tablet (let alone phone).
 
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Yil

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I wager the Switch will be a fully functioning Android tablet, they couldn't expect people to lug around a Switch for just games.
Not necessary. Also Android is really hard to hack. By using a system down to kernel will make hacking a lot harder, at least compared to android. But this will also make developing harder, but according to current response it's possibly as much as pc to xbox one without optimization.
Edit: Sorry, I mean really easy to hack android even without users knowing.
 
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TehCupcakes

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It is easy to see the appeal of devices that have different features to offer... But in order for one device to really replace another, this assumes that one is basically a subset of the other. For example, let's compare Android to itself. There are few reasons to buy an Android tablet when you already have an Android phone. Namely, the larger screen and a keyboard accessory if you have one. Yet people still buy tablets because...? I presume, because it's more convenient than a laptop and the bigger screen is worth it for them. In order for this to be viable, it has to be a decent alternative to a laptop for a number of tasks. At the same time, it is impractical for most people to consider getting just a tablet and not owning a smartphone. Despite the tablet being "bigger and better", a phone wins in the categories of portability and it's an actual phone that you can hold up to your ear and make calls on. The differences between a tablet and a phone are enough to justify different devices concurrently on the market.

The question is, how closely will the Switch emulate the tablet model? Probably not enough for it to be a replacement. Being a gaming device, the Switch will focus on gaming first, and anything else is just icing on the cake. At first glance, you might think the Switch will have a big screen, games, and apps, thus it is like a tablet. However, what sets Android and iOS devices apart is specifically the OS. The OS is specialized around the idea of developers creating apps which extend functionality. Unless the Switch OS provides enough variety AND accessibility in its development model, it is highly unlikely to achieve the same level of app development that tablets receive. Thus, the lack of variety in apps means it is very unlikely to serve as a laptop-alternative, which is one of the main selling points for tablets. The Switch will not replace traditional tablets for most users.

The place where it makes a difference is that it is NOT an Android device and IS a gaming console. That puts it in a separate market altogether. Developers who are interested in serious game development will be interested in developing on Switch, whereas the casuals that fill up the mobile market will largely stay in their own square where they are welcome and comfortable. To frame it another way: While tablet-like productivity apps may benefit Switch users, there is practically no benefit for Android developers to put their efforts into such a platform; they already have a platform that gives them everything they need, that is much more accessible than Switch is likely to be.
 

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If it has good youtube and web browsing features, it could potentially replace tablets (especially gaming/ casual centred ones). It will need a lot more to replace note taking, huge library of different apps, and other features I will not list here. Also the screen is too small.
Not even a little bit. The Switch is proprietary and low powered compared to high end market tablets.
 

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We don't know if Switch is actually hiding a pc range hardware.
I can make an educated guess. The last nintendo console to actually be worth its weight in processing power was the SNES. Since then, the nintendo consoles have used lower powered hardware for their games. And if the new 200 pound/ 250 USD pricepoint is to be believed, there is absolutely no way the Switch is packing any sort of modern PC level specs. Besides, we already know it has a custom tegra chip.
 
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Procyon

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I can make an educated guess. The last nintendo console to actually be worth its weight in processing power was the SNES. Since then, the nintendo consoles have used lower powered hardware for their games. And if the new 200 pound/ 250 USD pricepoint is to be believed, there is absolutely no way the Switch is packing any sort of modern PC level specs. Besides, we already know it has a custom tegra chip.

Yes, it is an tegra with high end stuff.
 

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