They’re not as compact as a phone, but they don’t have the processing power of a computer. Why has the world gone crazy for tablets?

These strange hybrid inventions have taken over the world. Children are using them. Businessmen are using them. With many models to choose from, it’s a competitive market. But what’s so special about them? If you’ve been watching the trend grow curiously and are still unsure of what the hype’s about, this guide ought to explain everything and will have you scanning the internet to buy one. I thought about getting a tablet again for traveling, after I sold my iPad because I didn’t use it much at home. Now I’m almost full time on the road, I think I need one, and these are a few reasons why: 

Reading

Scrolling a mouse and having to read off a screen in front of us isn’t the natural way of reading we’re familiar with. Similarly, the screens on phones are often too small. A tablet is the same shape and size as a book and can make reading a lot more comfortable. You can download e-books onto them the same way you would with an e-reader such as a Kindle. Plus reading things off the internet and composing documents might feel more natural to some users who grew up with pen and paper. Unlike many e-readers, tablets also allow for color, making them better for digital versions of kids books and comics.

Sharing Photos

Trying to show multiple people your holiday photos on the tiny screen of your phone can be difficult. Tablets are bigger and so work much more like traditional photo albums.

Of course, taking photos on a tablet is possible but can be a bit anti-social. Phone photographers at gigs can be annoying, but those wielding a tablet are just infuriating. Thankfully, because tablets have Wi-Fi connection, you can send all your photos straight to it from your phone or digital camera.

Also read: Why I moved my cloud photos from Google Drive to OneDrive, and signup via my special link to get extra GB’s for free! 

Portability

You may not be able to slip a tablet in your pocket like a phone, but they slip into a bag much easier than a laptop. For businessmen, they’re a great alternative to a laptop. Personal organizers such as diaries and calendars, charts, documents and accountancy software can all be presented to people the same way a file or diary book might be. Laptop need to be propped on services, making tablets better for on the move. If you’re on the train and you need to do some work but haven’t got a seat, you can still use your tablet. Phones meanwhile, as already discussed, have smaller screens making them more difficult to share information with others. You can pass around a plan as if you were passing around a piece of paper (their touchscreen feature also means that you can people to sign documents!).

Even if you’re not a businessman, they can be great for travel. In the car, you can use them to watch a movie. You can put maps on them for when you get lost and avoid having to scroll about on a tiny phone screen. They’re also great for playing games on.

Accessorising

Tablets can be greatly accessorized in a way that laptops and phones can’t. iThingum’s selection gives you an idea of just some of the accessories you can add to an iPad. There are keyboard extensions, for those who want to transform their tablet into a laptop. There are cases that can be propped much like an easel (a handy tool for artists and designers). There are even stands for tablets for musicians to read sheet music off of!

And for those who don’t want a drag their finger around the screen, you can get a stylus which acts like a pen or pencil. This can make drawing pictures more fun. Early phones and handheld consoles incorporated this feature, but because of the size of the screen – it didn’t really take off. Because of the size of a tablet screen (much more like an A4 sheet of paper) it’s much more ideal for sketching and handwriting.

I’ve selected a few of my favorite tablet accessories down below! 

Cost

Tablets offer all the functions of a new laptop but are on average much cheaper. For those wanting an uncostly personal computer, a tablet may be the best option. You can buy external storage for it if memory is an issue. Or you can just use the Cloud.

Battery Life

Compared to your average laptop, tablets have a much longer battery life. If you’re often working away from the office and home and often find yourself rushing into a coffee bar and changing table just to use the plug sockets, the tablet’s added battery life may cut down on this problem (although buying a portable charger might be the best approach!).

They Don’t Crash As Often    

To say that tablets don’t crash at all is a bare-faced lie. However, they can cope more than your phone and are less dramatic when they crash than a laptop. Rebooting them is fast – you don’t have to deal with tedious loading screens. Simply reboot and reopen those apps you were using.

Conclusion

Laptops are getting lighter and mobile phones are getting bigger, slowly blurring the lines between phone, laptop, and tablet. However, your average iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab still serves as a good happy medium.

They can’t handle the games that a PC can and they’re not quite the portable pocket invention that phone is – this is important to understand. However, for casual use, it can do jobs of both. It can also save you buying multiple gadgets – acting as a TV for your kids to watch in the car, an e-reader for holidays, a digital personal organizer that you can easily edit and an electronic pad for drawing.  

With technology becoming more and more advanced, tablets may well become more powerful in the future making them an even greater multi-purpose tool. Video games and processes currently unavailable, may become operable. New uses may be found for them that we haven’t even fathomed, incorporating the processing ability of a PC but the portability of a tablet. The future of these devices is exciting.

Ready for a tablet? Shop my favorite tablet accessories now!

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• Why your business needs to be tech savvy