A Productive Second Screen from Top 10 Worthwhile Uses for Tablets
Comments
I'm still kicking myself for buying a tablet as it's proven to be one of the most expensive mistakes I've made in quite a number of years. I simply can NOT find a good use for it, in every case there's a better option. Replying to email (or anything that involves making words), it's clearly my laptop with a keyboard. Playing games, same thing for the same reason. Remote is similarly the laptop, but that's because I VNC into a HTPC. Haven't used it in the car, won't use it in the car... I like to pay attention to the act of Driving when in a 1~2 ton rolling ram.
I've been trying to find Anything that the tablet is useful doing and failing (part of the reason I don't own a expensive phone or the more expensive plan they require). Best I've come up with is as a replacement for paper recipes in the kitchen. A bit more expensive when I drop it in the sink, but only the first time...
I really wanted to like tablets but owning one has made me hate them (and expensive phones) all the more.
1
You may want to adjust your tablet screen's settings for e-reading. First of all, dim the display. You don't need a bright white light glaring into your eyes. Second, make sure you adjust the font to a pleasing size. Don't feel you have to stick with the publisher's choices.
I love, love, love my Sony PRS-600, but it is giving up the ghost. It takes forever to boot up, turning the pages is slow, and I think my e-book collection may be pushing the limits of its capabilities. A few months back I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 when I found it for an attractive price. I have gradually shifted over to reading my e-books on that (after dimming the screen and adjusting the fonts). It is a very different reading experience, to be sure. And while I had to clip a book light to the Sony and fiddle with it till I got a readable screen at night, I can see the Samsung screen pretty much everywhere.
I don't know how much longer I'm going to try to keep using the Sony. I will be very sad indeed when it finally croaks. But it's given me long and faithful service.
Oh, as for what else I use the Samsung tablet for—not very much. Yet. :)
1
Nope, comics have never appealed to me.
As for unwieldy, if I'm in that situation then there's probably more interesting things going on and I don't want my nose in a screen. On those occasions when I'm looking for portable entertainment, it's simply grabbing the ereader (I'd much rather read a book than play a game/surf the web/watch a movie/etc...)
I know a lot of this is simple personal preference. Just like some people don't want to live in an urban center, won't wear blue jeans, or would rather drive a German made vehicle over anything else. I just can't find a worthwhile use for a tablet and wish I would have skipped that purchase completely.
I'll have to see how my brother-in-law gets along with his (upcoming X-mas gift), but he's already addicted to an expensive phone after owning it for only a few months (and doesn't own a computer).
1
Do you read e-books? The only reason I got my tablet (over a kindle) was so I could read instructional books in color. It's turned out to be pretty great for regular books too, even if I prefer the real thing. There are so many inexpensive books out there it's worth giving it a shot.
0
Yup, I devour e-books.... and it's a very unacceptable replacement for my Sony Ereader (PRS950). I tried it for awhile, but the screen gives me headaches after an hour or so.
0
By any chance a comics fan? They're awesome for reading comics or mangas, or even news articles. That aside, I use mine whenever using my notebook would be unwieldy. That includes during comfort breaks.
0
I'm almost in the same boat as you. My phone is the better surfing device for laying on the couch or the bathroom, where if I need to type or do anything serious, I would rather go over to my all in one desktop machine.
I own a laptop, an iPad 3 and a Nexus 7 and they're all rarely used. The iPad at least gets used for comic books and occasionally watching tv when my girlfriend is using the tv, but all 3 combined get used a fraction of my phone or all in one.
Part of my wants to sell all 3 and invest in a haswell convertible like the Yoga 2 Pro, because at least in theory I would use that device more, but I don't know
Comments
I'm still kicking myself for buying a tablet as it's proven to be one of the most expensive mistakes I've made in quite a number of years. I simply can NOT find a good use for it, in every case there's a better option. Replying to email (or anything that involves making words), it's clearly my laptop with a keyboard. Playing games, same thing for the same reason. Remote is similarly the laptop, but that's because I VNC into a HTPC. Haven't used it in the car, won't use it in the car... I like to pay attention to the act of Driving when in a 1~2 ton rolling ram. I've been trying to find Anything that the tablet is useful doing and failing (part of the reason I don't own a expensive phone or the more expensive plan they require). Best I've come up with is as a replacement for paper recipes in the kitchen. A bit more expensive when I drop it in the sink, but only the first time... I really wanted to like tablets but owning one has made me hate them (and expensive phones) all the more.
You may want to adjust your tablet screen's settings for e-reading. First of all, dim the display. You don't need a bright white light glaring into your eyes. Second, make sure you adjust the font to a pleasing size. Don't feel you have to stick with the publisher's choices. I love, love, love my Sony PRS-600, but it is giving up the ghost. It takes forever to boot up, turning the pages is slow, and I think my e-book collection may be pushing the limits of its capabilities. A few months back I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 when I found it for an attractive price. I have gradually shifted over to reading my e-books on that (after dimming the screen and adjusting the fonts). It is a very different reading experience, to be sure. And while I had to clip a book light to the Sony and fiddle with it till I got a readable screen at night, I can see the Samsung screen pretty much everywhere. I don't know how much longer I'm going to try to keep using the Sony. I will be very sad indeed when it finally croaks. But it's given me long and faithful service. Oh, as for what else I use the Samsung tablet for—not very much. Yet. :)
Nope, comics have never appealed to me. As for unwieldy, if I'm in that situation then there's probably more interesting things going on and I don't want my nose in a screen. On those occasions when I'm looking for portable entertainment, it's simply grabbing the ereader (I'd much rather read a book than play a game/surf the web/watch a movie/etc...) I know a lot of this is simple personal preference. Just like some people don't want to live in an urban center, won't wear blue jeans, or would rather drive a German made vehicle over anything else. I just can't find a worthwhile use for a tablet and wish I would have skipped that purchase completely. I'll have to see how my brother-in-law gets along with his (upcoming X-mas gift), but he's already addicted to an expensive phone after owning it for only a few months (and doesn't own a computer).
Do you read e-books? The only reason I got my tablet (over a kindle) was so I could read instructional books in color. It's turned out to be pretty great for regular books too, even if I prefer the real thing. There are so many inexpensive books out there it's worth giving it a shot.
Yup, I devour e-books.... and it's a very unacceptable replacement for my Sony Ereader (PRS950). I tried it for awhile, but the screen gives me headaches after an hour or so.
By any chance a comics fan? They're awesome for reading comics or mangas, or even news articles. That aside, I use mine whenever using my notebook would be unwieldy. That includes during comfort breaks.
I'm almost in the same boat as you. My phone is the better surfing device for laying on the couch or the bathroom, where if I need to type or do anything serious, I would rather go over to my all in one desktop machine. I own a laptop, an iPad 3 and a Nexus 7 and they're all rarely used. The iPad at least gets used for comic books and occasionally watching tv when my girlfriend is using the tv, but all 3 combined get used a fraction of my phone or all in one. Part of my wants to sell all 3 and invest in a haswell convertible like the Yoga 2 Pro, because at least in theory I would use that device more, but I don't know