I have a 2019 iPad (this is the 7th generation). Nothing fancy: a fairly old Apple A10 Fusion chipset, a 10.2-inch IPS screen with an air gap, Touch ID to unlock. I also have a 1st generation Apple Pencil, which is sometimes handy for handwriting, and a UAG armor-piercing case. Exactly a week ago I decided to get rid of all this. More than once I have heard and myself said that “better – less, but better.” Carrying another gadget with you in your backpack is a mediocre undertaking. And at home, it seemed to me that he was not so much use. I spent a week without a device and highlighted the main (real!) Observations for each of my days.
Disclaimer: since the material is based on real events, the pictures used in it were not created during the experiment.
Monday
It’s boring to do household chores without a tablet
One of the most popular scenarios for using a tablet is viewing a wide variety of video content during routine tasks. Before the experiment, I washed dishes and cooked, tidied up shoes and dealt with other issues that did not require full concentration, precisely accompanied by this gadget. Recently, for example, I have been watching YouTube videos about a BMW in the back of an F30, which I am thinking to bring for myself from the USA. When I was preparing breakfast on Monday, I tried replacing the tablet with a smartphone and laptop. The first one has too small a screen for me, and it is scary to spill something on the keyboard of the second (this has already passed). In general, I experienced discomfort.
- To this topic: I choose another car on the secondary. I have such criteria to determine the model
Tuesday
Tablet is a great second screen for video chats
In recent years, I have set aside one day a week for teaching. I tell students about entrepreneurship in its various forms. There is experience, why not share it ?! Moreover, today this is happening on an exclusively commercial basis. When the world was captured by a pandemic, they switched from live communication to a predominantly virtual one. I open Zoom on a tablet, use materials from a laptop – in this format I can tell my thoughts even in a cafe. Without the iPad, online teaching has become more difficult: the computer screen is busy with lecture sketches, and the smartphone display has too little space for video conferencing. So on Tuesday there was another embarrassment.
Wednesday
It is very convenient to make handwritten notes on the tablet
In the introduction to this material, I already wrote that I also use the proprietary stylus along with the tablet. I don’t really need a large touch screen of this device for drawing, but sometimes it is great for the role of a digital notebook. I really enjoy writing down my thoughts by hand even today. Without a tablet, you have to use a notebook and a pen to do this. I tried to find something small in the nearest stationery stores, but, apart from bulky diaries, nothing suitable came to hand. As a result, until the end of the week, I just wrote my thoughts in notes on my smartphone. Nothing supernatural, but the moment has ceased to be a lamp.
Thursday
Tablets are cool for expanding your working area
Have not tried a similar use case with Windows and Android, so write your thoughts about this bundle in the comments. But with the iPad, the Mac workspace can be easily expanded through a built-in feature called Sidecar. If you connect gadgets with a cable, an Apple tablet works with a computer no worse than a full-fledged separate monitor. In work, extra space is never superfluous – I was convinced of this more than once. When I work on scientific materials, I often output the raw data to the iPad in order to quickly process it on a laptop. It’s a shame, when you need it, you have to have your tablet with you.
Friday
Tablet can be a cool multimedia center
When “going out to the people” is not planned for Friday evening, we usually arrange gatherings with my wife with something tasty, as well as a couple of interesting films or a series on the big TV screen. We’ve been watching Netflix a lot lately. At the same time, I transfer the picture from iPad to Apple TV via AirPlay (you can also use gadgets with Chromecast support for this), so as not to fool your head with an inconvenient search (such a habit). In this case, you can also cope without a tablet, but you have to understand the streaming service client for a TV or set-top box, and also suffer with typing in a search or rummage through the trends section.
Saturday
It’s hard to read outside without a tablet
From my permanent residence to the sea – 30-40 minutes by car. Therefore, on weekends with my family I often go to “breathe” and spend time in the fresh air. When the experiment took place, the weather was just enough to catch the last rays of the sun. It’s a pity, I didn’t manage to look through the news over the past week. Usually I did such tasks on a tablet, but decided to spend a week without it. The smartphone screen is too small for my vision. The laptop is inconvenient for such use due to two features: the form factor and the relatively low screen brightness (my iPad has 500 nits, the MacBook Air on M1 has 400 nits).
Sunday
To watch movies outdoors, you need a tablet
On Sunday afternoon we rode around the city, walked in the park, drank coffee in different places. In the trunk of a car, you usually carry a backpack with a laptop, tablet and other gadgets. It’s a pity, the iPad had to be laid out of it. Therefore, when they remembered that the first episode of “Foundations” by Isaac Asimov appeared on Apple TV +, we had to postpone its viewing until home. I didn’t really want to throw an expensive laptop on the table in street cafes – it’s not so convenient. Watching something together on a smartphone screen is still fun. In a word, the lack of a tablet was once again not very critical, but the mood still spoiled.
To this topic:
- What’s in the backpack of a professional freelancer. What gadgets help to be 100% productive;
- Don’t subscribe until you read. What’s wrong with popular video streaming services.
Summing up
I try to use all my devices 100%, which is why I had the idea to abandon the tablet. Every day I devote most of my time to a laptop, which acts as the main working tool. The smartphone covers issues related to maximum mobility: car, public transport, walking. There isn’t much time left for a tablet. Moreover, it can often be replaced with a laptop or smartphone. However, it is still more convenient when there is an additional gadget. Therefore, I decided not to sell it on the secondary market, but to leave it as an important part of my daily set of gadgets. Here is the result of this undertaking.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
