Tablet thoughts

Posted: - Modified: | geek

I have an Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T), which I got shortly after its release because I was curious about exploring tablets as a sketchnoting option but I was adamantly opposed to getting an Apple product. I should probably have waited for the reviews to come in, since the TF700T turned out to be a lemon (apparently the processor wasn't quite up to the task of driving the display) and by the time I sat down and focused on getting past all the excuses and all the potential configuration options for speeding things up, the return window had passed. I suppose I could try to sell it, but it doesn't seem right to inflict the same problem on someone else.

Anyway, I've reflashed it to CROMBi, which the Internet says is supposed to be much better. While I'm waiting for everything to be set up again, I want to think about how a tablet could fit into my life and make things better. That way, I can decide if it's worth spending the time fixing this up, spending the money to upgrade to a newer tablet, or leaving well enough alone.

What do other people use their tablets for, and what other uses might I want to explore?

  • Business
    • Reading could be handy, especially as a second screen for technical references.
    • Lightweight device for writing in cafes? My laptop isn't that heavy, but I could give it a try.
    • Browsing? Maybe, if I can get performance up.
    • E-mail? My phone is more convenient.
    • Reviewing my sketches? Maybe, if I can fix the lag issue.
    • Drawing on this tablet? Frustrating because of the lag.
  • Personal
    • Cooking? It might be handy to have large copies of recipes and maybe even a digital shopping list.
    • Browsing? The attentional separation of doing casual browsing on a separate device might be good for training my mind.
    • Learning? Flashcards, perhaps?
    • Watching stuff? I rarely watch movies, and when I do, I watch them on the TV so I can hang out on the sofa with W-.
    • Gaming? That's popular.
    • Some kind of home console, with weather, calendar, and a shopping list? Maybe, but it seems like overkill.

Ah, tech!

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