There was a time when the gulf between “tablet” and “laptop” was the size of an ocean. Early tablets may have been sleek and cool, but they were more like oversized smartphones than feasibly laptop alternatives. But with each wave of new tablets, with each added feature and with each extra accessory, tablets have gotten closer and closer to laptops, to the point where some modern mobile users are at the point where they are considering ditching their laptop altogether and using their tablet devices as portable personal computers.
With powerful processors, exemplary applications, and operating systems that just get more and more intuitive, using a tablet as a computer is now completely possible. If you are going to do it though, you are going to want to have a few strategies, accessories, and apps up your sleeve before you get started. Read on for these valuable tips.
Choose Your Tablet Wisely
If you are going to be using your tablet as a computer alternative, then you are automatically disqualifying a whole array of options from your search. At minimum, you are going to want a device with a USB port, since you won’t get very far replacing your laptop with your tablet if you have no cable connectivity options. If you’re a music or movie person, you are also going to want to look around for a tablet with an HDMI port (so you can hook it up to your TV), though this is less essential than USB.
Finally, you will probably going to have to look at the bigger, more expensive tablet options. Use the “more is better” mantra here, and find a tablet with a powerful processor, plenty of storage space, and a big display. Don’t worry too much about portability: when you are using a tablet as a replacement for a laptop, you are playing by a different set of rules. Just remember that the biggest tablet is still probably smaller than your old laptop.
Get a Keyboard Attachment
Whether your tablet comes with a keyboard attachment or you have to buy a third-party product and hook it up via USB, you are going to want to have a physical keyboard. Virtual keyboards are fine for sending text messages, browsing the web, or even writing emails, but when it comes to data entry or word processing, you are going to want to have the physical keyboard option.
Assess Your Computer Program Needs
Take a look at the desktop on your laptop and ask yourself which programs you use the most. From photo editing to music playback, make a list of your must-have programs and then look around to find apps available for your tablet operating system that can serve the purpose of those programs. The big one? Microsoft Office. If you are going to use your tablet as your computer, you are probably going to be using it for work or school, and in most cases, work or school leads back eventually to Microsoft Office. Buying Office for your tablet should absolutely be the first thing you do.
Protect Your Tablet
A tablet is valuable even if you only use it for leisure, but when it’s the hub of all your personal or work-related documents, you need to be extra careful. At e-Holster, we can help you with that! We provide a range of cases for a variety of tablet designs! Look through our selection and let us protect your tablet-acting-as-laptop today!