Things I use My Tablet for When Blogging

Tablet computers are amazing devices, and if you think they’re just big smartphones with no real purpose then you should think again. These genuinely are devices that alter the way we interact with the internet and technology in general.

The genius is in the interface – never before has the internet been so beckoning and so easy to pick up and use. You can’t use a laptop while you’re standing up on the train, and it’s not sociable to check your e-mail on a PC either when your friends are round.

With a tablet though you can easily pick up your device to access the internet, and the design and the apps then allows it to become anything – from turning your desktop into a piano, to bringing up your favourite book or magazine. For bloggers this has countless uses, and I now often find myself using my tablet (I have a Nexus 7) while I write my posts and manage my site. Here I’ll share a few ways I find my magical little device useful.

Checking E-Mail

You remember when checking e-mail was a serious distraction that would take up time? I used to have to open up whole new windows to check the web and often this would lead to me surfing the net all day instead of doing any work. Now though I just simply open up my tablet and stand it next to me and hit refresh from time to time to be updated regarding my e-mails (or I can just listen out for the push notifications).

Doodling

I have a wicked little drawing app that I made myself (it’s not released but there are plenty others on the market) that I love just doodling on. I use this to jot down ideas (like a notepad that doesn’t get full), but also to just doodle absent mindedly. I have a Galaxy Note too and this is particularly well suited for this.

Separate Monitor

Did you know you could get apps that turn your tablet into a spare monitor? This way you give yourself more Desktop space for looking at multiple documents and generally multitasking. Stand your device up on its stand and place it next to your laptop and suddenly it has more screen space than a full blown PC.

Watching YouTube

I’m a pretty good touch typist which means I have no need to look at my hands or even the screen while I type. This then frees me up to look at other things, and one thing I enjoy doing here is to have ‘Playthroughs’ of my favourite games up on the screen. These don’t require any sound, but I can put them right in front of my laptop and they stop me getting bored.

Spotify

I also use my tablet to listen to Spotify. Why not use my PC? Because it marginally slows down my old netbook whereas having it on the tablet means that it’s right there to flick through easily and quickly. I just wish they’d make a portrait mode (seriously...).

Back Up

I also use my Nexus 7 as a nice little backup storage device. Using the cloud every time I up back up my site my Nexus gets a copy.

Reading

Finally, I find that Google Currents is a brilliant app for keeping up to date with all the latest news and industry analysis. This serves as a great inspiration for my articles and means I’m not out of date with my comments. It also just makes me feel like a boss – which is arguably what I find my tablets do best...

   Sara Brown

About the Guest Author:

Sara Brown is the brains behind this insightful article. She works for Berkeley Sourcing Group, which works on variety of products like water bottle manufacturing, Cotton blend bedding, Food preservation plastic-ware, Purse accessories, etc.