In search of the perfect tablet!

I don't remember when it was that I first heard of the 'Tablet'. I guess I literally grew up hearing words like tonics and tablets and capsules ... thanks to my dad who has majored in pharmacy.

Over the past couple of years though, the word 'tablet' has come to belong more to today's tech geeks rather than the original world of medicine. I still remember my jaw-dropping moment when I saw the iPad (or was it when I first heard of it? Not too sure...) for the first time. I was like 'A laptop without a keyboard? :-o And u can actually carry it around?? OMG!' :D he he! I guess it goes without saying that I fell in love with it at first sight. Apple Inc. launched the iPad in 2010 and I am still not done ogling at it rather shamelessly at shops, kiosks, on YouTube, in peoples' hands, wherever! Nowadays, even waiters at restaurants take down orders on their iPads! *face palm*

I have always wanted one for myself. But by the time I finally decided 'That's it! I can't do without it anymore!', there were more than a dozen different companies offering 'tablets'. You have Androids and iPads and e-book readers and whatnot to choose from! I was confused... I still am! And I was advised to ask myself what I want/expect from a tablet. To be honest, I hate that conversation I have with myself. Me and myself have been through such discussions many a time and we never reach a consensus. A typical one-to-one conversation would look like this ;

What would you use a tablet for? Stupid question! I would use it for everything. Well......almost everything. And this being a family blog, let's not get into what I wouldn't use it for. Ahem! :P

Then define 'everything'. Everything would comprise of reading, listening to music, browsing the net, watching movies, playing games... and so much more! :)

Aren't you already doing all this? You have a decently well-equipped library of some of the world's best-sellers and Booker Prize winning books. You listen to music 24 x 7 on your mobile playlist. You need WiFi to browse the net. Duh! You almost never watch movies even on your laptop. Movies have always been family times. And the idea of an entire family watching a movie on a hand-held device is kinda weird. Who're you kidding? Duh again! Playing games?? Did you just say 'GAMES'? Do you play anything beyond dress-up games and spider solitaire? Admit it, woman! You just want to fit-in! Just to show-off! Get a life! -_-

x-(

You see what I mean? It's pointless trying to reason with my conscience. I guess the main point of attraction for me was the facility to read ebooks. I have hundreds of them and sadly haven't read most of them as reading them on my laptop would mean straining my eyes. An Amazon Kindle was (and still is) a very good option. I'm not really looking for browsing the net on a tablet. I like the laptop experience better...especially with my one fantabulous babe of a laptop :P She makes every website seem like the world's best! :D ha ha! But then a little birdie told me that I'd have to purchase books from Amazon if I want to read them on the Kindle. And I don't want to do that. Dude, I already have all the books I'd need for a lifetime! I just need a simple device to read them on. How about the other fellows then? Like say, the Nook? I dunno.

The problem is that the reading habit in general is dwindling at a rather alarming rate. And those who do read as before (bless them!) are pretty much old school when it comes to their favorite book. Nothing but a 'propah' paperback works for them. So it is pretty much pointless asking the bookworms about what they think is the best gadget. Hmm! The next option would be to ask the opinion of the geeks who think that it's pointless spending time on 'reading' when so much more can be done with a tablet! Or a tablet phone...or a tablet PC...or a tablet whatever! o.O That leaves me with the rest of them who are just happy that they have some gadget small enough to be able to pop into their bags and that they can use to read something on their way to work. Let's look at some typical answers to a recent opinion poll I did on my Facebook and elsewhere...

Opinion # 1 - 'Go for the Amazon Kindle...that's the best by far...at least going by the popularity charts...I'm using one and it works perfect...PDF? Oh I don't know about that...I get my books from Amazon'

Opinion # 2 - 'Why would you want to buy just an e-book reader? For that money, you might as well go for a proper tab that reads e-books and does a bevy of other functions too! I'd suggest the Samsung Galaxy tab or the Apple iPad.'

Opinion # 3 - 'Buying recycled and second-hand books off the street is much cheaper. What if the bloody thing just drops down when you doze off and it breaks? Nothing happens to a book if it slips from your hand!'

:-/

And so here I am...still on square one. Still confused...yet still wanting that e-book reader or tablet (that has been evading me for years) just as much as I did when I first heard of it. If ever I decide on one, which I don't think is going to happen anytime in the near future, I will definitely scream from the roof-tops that I finally have one of my own! :D

But as of now, it's status quo...Ho-hum! :-/