Productivity on the Move: Android Tablet vs Notebook
Productivity Sauce
As an experiment, I've been traveling for three weeks with an ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 Android tablet instead of a regular notebook. I really, really wanted to like the tablet as a travel companion. After all, schlepping around a heavy shoulder bag most of the day is tedious, to say the least. However, next time I hit the road, I'll most likely take my trusty HP dm1-4000 machine with me. Here is why.
- A tablet is supposedly perfect for checking email, reading ebooks and RSS articles, posting updates to Google+, etc. Yet, I often found myself reaching for my Samsung Galaxy S III when I felt the urge to consume content.
- Being an amateur photographer, I take a lot of photos, and I rely on digiKam for all my photo processing and organizing needs. So I dearly missed this application when I was traveling. I had to make do with the Eye-Fi app for previewing RAW files, but I wish I could process and organize my photos, too.
- Typing on any tablet using the virtual keyboard is inefficient and frustrating at times -- and ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 is no exception. Even with the excellent Hacker's Keyboard app, typing on the tablet was often a "I want to stab myself in the eye" kind of experience. Yes, I could have bought a dock for the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300, but then I would have been wasting money on something any regular notebook has by default. Besides, the tablet/dock combo is only slightly lighter than a subnotebook.
- AutoKey, KeePassX, and a handful of shell and Python scripts are indispensable for my daily computing. There are apps like KeePassDroid that fill some productivity gaps -- but only partially.
- There are a lot of minor annoyances all add up to a somewhat frustrating experience.
So despite the fact that having a lightweight bag was a real relief, for me personally, the drawbacks of using a tablet outweigh the advantages. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
coding on nexus 7