Tuesday, July 26, 2011

New Addition

Well I bit the bullet and bought myself a tablet--A Motorola Xoom. So far so good, getting used to a touch screen. D has been busy loading all my stuff onto it. He is surprised at how easy and quick it was to do.

The purpose of it initially was for reading and emailing while away without having to lug around my laptop. Now that I've started at my new office, having a lighter computer helps immensely with keeping my briefcase weight under control. An issue I didn't expect to have to contend with before.

An extra bonus I hadn't thought of was using the tablet as a replacement for my chunky ipod (80 gig), reducing travel weight once again. And the sound is good!

It also has a gps map function that will locate where you are and give you travel directions ie bus, train, plane to where you want to go without you needing a data plan. Don't ask me how that works.

Since my recent trip research to Asia someday, D and I have started amassing better travelling clothing ie. lighter, quick drying, hand washable, nice looking (non safari, non travel looking...) so we wouldn't have to pack as much.

We were impressed with the selection available. Some of the materials are simply astonishing. Some of the prices were as well. I will get to try out a couple of new pieces on my next trip.

4 comments:

  1. What made you choose the xoom over the iPad or other tablets?

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  2. @Brave New Life;

    None of the tablets were "perfect" and I chose the Xoom because it offered 32GB at a good size and price.

    Also USB connectivity makes transferring files a breeze vs having to go through itunes. File manipulation is much easier with an Android device.

    I have never used Palm OS so cannot comment on the HP tablet. Samsung has a new Android 10.1 coming out in Aug but with no SD.

    With mine, there is potential to add storage (32GB) once the SD card slot is activated with the next honeycomb upgrade.

    I wanted something where I wouldn't be locked into buying everything. Right now I can read my epub and pdfs, listen to music and language lessons (way better search functionality than my ipod) without buying any apps.

    The only apps I plan to buy is an office program of some sort so I can work on my excel spreadsheets and word doc and some software so I can covert some of my dvds into a form I can watch on my tablet ($70 total). I'm not a gamer.

    My unit is wifi only as I do not want to pay for a data plan. Acer has a similar device, same price for sale. I just didn't like the look of it as much. The BB playbook was too small for me.

    A "perfect" tablet for me would be a similar screen sized unit but 1 pd in weight, half the thinness, 64 GB, better picture quality and better standup case for $350 - $400.

    I'm sure in the next year or 2 we'll be seeing many more choices. We're at the beginning of the curve and what is available is already more than adequate.

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  3. Thanks for the explanation. I've considered getting one when my laptop breaks. I'd like the light weight, but I'm not sure I'd like the typing without a keyboard.

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  4. @Brave New Life;

    I use a 2 yr old 13.1" laptop, no disc drive, 4 pounds or so as my daily computer. It is a good size, not difficult to get used to.

    There are 10'1" netbooks out now that are in the 2.5 lb range which may interest you.

    I've found jumping down to 10.1 easier than I expected. The touchscreen keyboard is proportioned well and at the right angle, fairly ergonomic.

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