# I just acquired a tablet. Now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** phones-tablets\ **Created:** [April 21, 2022, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153 "2022-04-21T04:09:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/21 "2022-04-22T03:21:50Z")
Moving this to IMHO ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/22 "2022-04-22T03:32:33Z")
When I still had a tablet, before it died, I primarily used it to do anything I could do online without needing to type. When it died, I decided to try out a phone, as phones had been getting bigger, and sites were doing a better job making things for phones than tablets. I found it worked out well. I’ve even learned to type decently fast on it, though I wouldn’t do any sort of actual editing or on it, due to how little screen you have left while typing. I don’t really see getting a tablet again unless it has a screen as big as a small laptop, and is essentially replacing that function. They still are more convenient to carry than a laptop, even if you add a Bluetooth keyboard case. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/23 "2022-04-22T04:24:06Z")
My computer is anchored at my desk. My phone (when I remember to take it) is mostly for having necessary stuff like GPS and a phone/text when I’m away from home, and for the camera anywhere. When I’m sitting in the living room with the TV on, I use my tablet. The tablet is connected to my household wi-fi, and is permanently plugged in (because the battery doesn’t seem to last very long). I use it for looking up movie trivia for movies that are on TV, or looking up stuff in general when I don’t want to walk to my office. I don’t actually like it much, it’s sluggish and the touch-screen typing is not something I like at all, but it’s better than nothing, and better than walking to my office. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/24 "2022-04-22T05:45:13Z")
Everyone, thanks a zillion for the informative and encouraging replies. I will play with the shimmery new thing for a few days to find out if we’re compatible or not. Reading literature and comics and watching stuff sounds good. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to ask, except yesterday I encountered someone on the street who was giving away free tablets to people who qualified, and I did, so s/he did. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/25 "2022-04-22T15:39:22Z")
If comics do interest you, **the** best app is, IMO, ComiCat. Even though it hasn’t been updated since 2017(!). (After of years of using it, I only recently noticed/tried the “stats” menu item, and found it lists the number of pages stored on your device. I have more than 600,000 pages. Which is more than 100 “long boxes” worth.) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/26 "2022-04-22T18:59:07Z")
A free tablet?? Blimey, how did you qualify for that? ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/27 "2022-04-22T19:03:19Z")
I’ve written about this before in this forum (but not this thread). Generally, tablets are for _consuming_ content, while workstations (and laptops) are for _generating_ content. So, as listed above, use the tablet for gaming, watching videos of all types, surfing the web. Yes, there are exceptions: You can also do emails and such on your tablet, but the touch screen interface (included) is not that quick and easy to use. For code writing, graphical design, etc. you use a workstation. My wife and also my mom are “married” to their smartphone, doing everything I would do on a tablet, but on a much smaller screen. Oh well, it’s their eyes / hands / posture. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/28 "2022-04-22T21:07:12Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > For code writing, graphical design, etc. you use a workstation. That’s just, like, your opinion, man. And a _very_ out of touch one. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/29 "2022-04-22T21:15:06Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > I’ve written about this before in this forum (but not this thread). > > Generally, tablets are for _consuming_ content, while workstations (and laptops) are for _generating_ content. So, as listed above, use the tablet for gaming, watching videos of all types, surfing the web. > > Yes, there are exceptions: You can also do emails and such on your tablet, but the touch screen interface (included) is not that quick and easy to use. For code writing, graphical design, etc. you use a workstation. My wife and also my mom are “married” to their smartphone, doing everything I would do on a tablet, but on a much smaller screen. Oh well, it’s their eyes / hands / posture. I have used this analogy many many times, every time someone wants a tablet for some purpose. Tablets are great if there isn’t a huge demand for preparation - Checklists for walking through projects, taking onsite photos to link to databases, and documenting things. But when it comes time to generate a final report, a laptop needs to be used. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/30 "2022-04-22T21:19:56Z")
My tablet is an older Samsung and I really need to replace the battery, but I just use it for downloading books, music, and videos from [archive.org](http://archive.org) or from the “old time radio researchers” site and reading, listening, viewing in bed before going to sleep. I find that listening to the right old-time radio show is perfect for falling asleep. There was this topic: > [@Old Time Radio Shows Available at Internet Archive: Any Favorites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-time-radio-shows-available-at-internet-archive-any-favorites/941529): > > There are lots of old time radio shows available at Internet Archive (shows like the Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes, Adventures of Sam Spade, Adventures of Superman, Amos and Andy…) [https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio](https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio) Anyone have any favorites? ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/31 "2022-04-22T21:22:59Z")
I qualified because I’m on EBT and Medi-Cal, and have the cards to prove it. Some non profit org hereabouts has been giving away free tablets to us poor folks. They did this a few years ago and handed out a lot of free off-brand smartphones, which would’ve been dear at half the price – they were total lemons that did not work like regular smartphones, and what they did, they did poorly – so I _do_ hope this Elite OctaX tablet doesn’t turn out to be another dud. (edited because I left out one word and mistyped another) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/32 "2022-04-22T21:29:09Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > so I _do_ hope this Elite OctaX tablet doesn’t turn out to be another dud. If this is it (no “x”) it looks pretty solid. [https://skydevices.com/portfolio/elite-octa/](https://skydevices.com/portfolio/elite-octa/) ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/33 "2022-04-22T21:30:06Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > For code writing, graphical design, etc. you use a workstation. I do a lot of photo editing on my iPad (and even on my iPhone). I also have a ton of fairly serious music-making apps on the iPad, and I’ve even been known to write code on it. I disagree with the assertion that you can’t do serious productive work on a tablet. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/34 "2022-04-22T21:30:16Z")
Ah. Well, the good thing is that tablets have more limited use anyway. If it can stream videos then it’s still useful. Hopefully they’re not expecting people to type emails and stuff on them, because they’re only OK for that as a back-up - phones are actually better. I saw lots of people suggesting them for kids who were homeschooled, but they weren’t really any good for that either. ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/35 "2022-04-22T21:43:59Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I use it to play the companion apps for the board game Mansions of Madness and the Unlock series of board games. I salute your excellent tablet use, fellow gamer! Also, Mansions of Madness has some awesome miniatures. > [@SciFiSam](#): > > Hopefully they’re not expecting people to type emails and stuff on them, because they’re only OK for that as a back-up - phones are actually better. That may depend on the particular hardware and email apps being used. I vastly prefer the email app native to my tablet to any that I have been able to find for my phone. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/36 "2022-04-22T21:51:52Z")
It’s the keyboard I find difficult to use. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Expensive tablets probably have better ones, but this doesn’t sound like one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/37 "2022-04-22T22:01:47Z")
> [@Retzbu\_Tox](#): > > Load PDFs of all your gaming books and your character sheets on it, snag a dice-rolling app from the play store of your choice and bring it to all your tabletop RPG nights! Same for me. I have close to 50 game books on my tablet. No dice-rolling app though. No gaming group I’ve ever been part of has ever trusted an app for that. Which is funny, because we’ve also played on Roll20 which does the dice-rolling, but… 🤷‍♂️ I will also put character portraits on my tablet for the characters I have. That way I can show it to the other players to let them know how I imagine my character to look. In all honesty, that is the main use of my tablet. Also, it goes with me when I travel (which isn’t that often), but I can stream videos and even hook up a miniature portable gaming controller and run Xbox Game Pass games from it through its streaming service. (Not all games run very well that way, mostly games that don’t have really fancy graphics or require a lot of twitch skills, since the tablet struggles to run most games. But just the fact I can play Xbox games on my tablet in a hotel room at all is awesome.) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/38 "2022-04-23T01:43:13Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Expensive tablets probably have better ones, but this doesn’t sound like one of them. Tablets don’t generally come with physical keyboards. There are a veritable plethora of virtual ones to choose from for any android device. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/39 "2022-04-23T15:08:44Z")
> [@TwoCarrotSnowman](#): > > I’ve even been known to write code on it. I disagree with the assertion that you can’t do serious productive work on a tablet. OK…but do you prefer a touch screen interface for code writing? Sure, I send serious emails using my tablet, but I’d really rather not. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153/40 "2022-04-23T15:35:28Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > It’s the keyboard I find difficult to use. This. I won a free ipad in a raffle. I could never get used to the keyboard. I did okay with two thumbs on my first smart phone, and quickly fell in love with Swype when it came out. But the iPad keyboard was too large for that, and two small for regular typing. (and has zero tactile feedback.) I have a smart phone and a few laptops. (Yes, really. It’s complicated.) I spend a vast amount of time online, but not with a tablet. But, before i put a password on it and then forgot my password, the one thing the iPad was super at was streaming video. And while i didn’t like to reply to emails on it, the interface for reading email was excellent. It does ebooks well, too. (Oh yeah, i also have a Kindle, which is even better at e-books. I like that the e-ink is easy to read in full sun, and uses so little energy that i can read a long novel without recharging. But the iPad was very good.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-acquired-a-tablet-now-what/963153.md?page=3)