[ale] OT ways to use your tablet at your desktop

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

Hi all,

I've discovered a couple of new ways to use my tablet when I'm operating in desktop mode.

Sounds weird, but, I actually use the email inbox on my tablet as my primary means to keeping track of some tasks and the people I have pending contacts with.  I have the same emails on my laptop and desktop, but they're not highlighted and tagged the same way.  I like to have the mails stored on each device, so I can access them, at least for reading, when I'm away from wifi.  So, I have each client set up to use POP rather than IMAP.  So, rather than highlighting and tagging all the mails the same on all three computers, I use the tablet as my primary reference.

Thus, I frequently end up writing lots of email on the tablet and reading lots of it there as well.

My normal method is to sit in a chair in the living room with the tablet on my knees.  Unfortunately this kills my neck.

I've been using a bluetooth keyboard for quite a while, and couldn't do without it.

However, I've discovered a couple of new twists on how to use the tablet at the house and not physically kill myself.

First is a technique I'm using right now.

The bluetooth keyboard is detachable from the case that the tablet is in and is held in by magnets.  So, right now, rather than having the tablet on my knees, I have the tablet up higher on a table in front of me and I have the bluetooth keyboard on my knees and am typing on it (without looking at the keyboard).  This is much easier on my neck.  That feature of the bluetooth keyboard has always been available, but I've just never used it much.

I discovered another variation on the theme.  This particular tablet has a mini hdmi connector.  I hate the connector.  It's potentially easy to put the cable in upside down and, if you wiggle it at all, it disconnects.  Nevertheless, it's there.  I got a mini hdmi - hdmi cable from amazon for a few dollars.  I can now attach the tablet to my desktop monitor and have a 23" screen rather than a 10" screen.  By using the bluetooth keyboard in conjunction with the 23" monitor, I can do stuff on the tablet with very little physical discomfort.  If I want to, I can hook the same cable up to my flatscreen tv.  While I rarely work on the tablet this way, it's great for playing web videos or tutorials.

One thing I like to do with the tablet is to pull up weather radar with an app called StormEye.  This looks pretty cool when displayed on a 23" monitor or a flatscreen tv.

Then, when I'm away from the house, I still have access to the info stored on the tablet.

Just thought I'd pass it along.

Sincerely,

Ron



--

Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.
Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
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