Age of "Slate": Part Deux

When last we discussed tablets, I ended with what I perceived to be clear "marching orders" from my wife to find a tablet for her. As it turns out, not too long after that, I came across another ThinkPad "Slate" tablet (16Gb version) that I was able to pick up for $202. It came with a everything including the optional pen as well as a very nice portfolio case that was easily another $50, AND a 16Gb SD card. It even shipped in the original box. Again, it looked new! I know, the concept/line has been killed off in favor of the more sophisticated Windows 8 tablet moving forward, but you know what? I don't care! Now that I've figured out where tablets fit in my life, I'm happy with what they are....doubly so, for being able to get a high-end tablet at a low-end price. Plus, since it's the same model as what I have, it takes all the same accessories as mine.

After a couple of months of carrying mine around, I've found it's niche. First of all, the form factor makes it super easy to just grab and run: so it goes to doctor's appointments, football games (read and check mail during halftime), and the car when the kids will be sitting and restless for a long time. It's also excellent for checking weather and mail quickly, but it's really the last thing that I found this week that has me the most excited!

I've finally found a picture viewer that I'm happy with! The simplicity is amazing, yet it does everything I'd want it to do. The App is called Justpictures.

The developer is Kouch and IT'S FREE! This is why I got an Android tablet! 10" of excellent IPS screen goodness that allows it to be the perfect portable image viewer. The does a great job of leveraging another ThinkPad tablet feature; the SD card slot. No, Micro/Mini card requiring an adapter to fiddle with. No awkwardly connecting the tablet to a computer through USB and slowly transferring files. Just pull the card, plug it into the fast Sandisk reader, navigate to the server's photo folder and grab a bunch of pictures. Throw it back into the tablet and use this slick piece of software to show pictures or simply to run as a portable digital photo-frame.

I was so excited, I loaded it onto my wife's tablet and put a bunch of pictures on her SD card for her. 

My other cool tablet thing? About a week ago, I was sent to a conference for work. While tablets were common among the participants, I was the only one using a tablet with an active pen input used in conjunction with a note-taking APP. It was amusing to watch the various iPad users frantically tapping away on their screen keyboards and laptop users trying to balance them on their legs in the rooms crowded with attendees......while I took notes on digital "paper". Around our house, the tablets have become such a hot item, that we are probably going to give the kids their Dell Streak 7 Christmas presents early!

The one down-side? We've gone through glasses spray-cleaner at a record pace since the kids have gotten their grubby little fingers on them! 

Oh yeah; almost forgot, I found a free APP called Helicon, that allows me to tether the tablet to my Nikon D300, DSLR via the USB port and control it. Just put the camera in LiveView and you can see what the camera sees via the tablet. Now if I know what to use it for, that would be extra-cool! Right now, it's a solution without a problem...... Isn't Android great!?!