First of all, I realize that the ability to own a tablet is a luxury that is not afforded to most of the world. Very few- if any- people can justify having a tablet as a need.
I am currently the proud new owner of a Samsung Galaxy tablet. You know the rush of purchasing new technology? I thought I would feel that as a I picked out a tablet; swiped my debit card; tore open the package; and pulled out my shiny new portable LED-screened device.
But I didn’t feel that rush. Instead I felt a gnawing sense that I had let consumerism, rather than necessity and logic, guide my decision to plop down a significant chunk of change.
There are certainly pros to having a tablet. It allows you to get work done in previously unproductive places, like at the gym and in waiting rooms. It’s portable and serves double-duty as an e-reader. It only requires a one-time fee, as opposed to an ongoing contract. It’s good to take on trips, to meetings, and let’s face it, into the bathroom 
I could use it to run check-in for Change the Triangle volunteer events.
But as I carried my brand-new tablet into the gym to do work while I was on the elliptical, I gazed enviosuly at the colorful new copies of Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living on the racks as I passed by. My tablet couldn’t quite balance on the elliptical, so I worried that it would fall off {luckily, I paid for the warranty, but there’s another decently large expense}. I took my tablet to an appointment but there was no internet access, so I couldn’t make use of it there. When an email came through, I got it on my phone, computer, and tablet.
For me, a tablet quickly became just another device to carry along and worry about.
And you know what? I don’t always want to be accessible. Sometimes I want to do a group fitness class with no technology present. Or grab one of those magazines from the rack. Or browse the shelves of the library instead of paying for a book on my e-reader.
It’s worked for me so far, so why do I need to change it?
I have an iPad but use it basically exclusively for reading – not books but twitter, blogs, news – and I read a lot. Early in the morning or relaxing on the couch after a long day. I just grew fed up with my laptop overheating and almost burning me. Pros are that it’s 100% reliable and turns on/wakes up with no wait time at all, doesn’t get warm or loud, lightweight, etc. But on the negative side I don’t use it to get any actual work done besides the occasional email. There are days/weeks when I don’t use it much or just use my phone to read some things instead, but I’m glad I have it. Opening my laptop at home now is very rare and feels like a huge hassle.
Uh oh, if you convince me, I’ll have to write a post entitled “Why I’m {Re}Buying a Tablet.”
I do like the idea of using a tablet in bed or on the couch- laptop overheating is a big problem for me too! And considering how slow my Mac is, I could use a quick, reliable device. Hmm…