Digital Nomad Gadgets – Tablets

Digital Nomad Gadgets – Tablets

If you can get away without carrying a laptop with you why not? If you don’t need one don’t take one. You might be able to use a tablet to the same effect, which are easier to carry, less to worry about and far more convenient.

Tablet computers are ideal for the nomad that works in a less high-end computer based role, think more e-book author or blogger than graphic designer – small in size and often big in power they are a great way for some people to see the world and carry all the luxuries of the internet with them. With the number of apps for digital nomads growing daily, it is now possible to plan your trip as you go. Tablets also have the capability to become e-book readers, preventing boredom on long journeys – along with access to all the angry birds or candy crush action you can dream of! So long as you have a decent internet connection and you utilize apps such as Skype and Whatsapp you’ll hopefully not miss having a phone at all. Battery life on tablets is usually much better than on smartphones which is handy if you are going to be trekking around the jungle for a few days without access to charging ports. Physical tablet security is a little harder to ensure, but the size of them allows you to keep it with you at all times and there are apps available to allow you to track and even remotely disable the device should anything happen to it.

Although tablets are great they do have a few downsides. Whilst they are small most aren’t really pocket-sized meaning you’ll need to carry a bag around to keep them in. Cameras on them aren’t usually as great as they are on smartphones, or maybe I just can’t use them very well? It’s a bit of a pain standing there with a tablet trying to frame things right in the wind. You look a bit foolish as well to be fair. You can get good cameras on tablets but they just strike me as awkward to handle and master, especially if you have a dangly, floppy case flipping all over the place. Finally, although tablets are swish and pretty they are still just essentially enlarged smartphones. The apps are essentially the same as on a phone meaning you won’t have as many options as with a laptop, great if you only need to type for work, not so great if you need high-tech, memory heavy software.

Ipads: Ipad = tablet? It did and does for a lot of people still I’m sure. To be fair I have been using an Ipad for a few years now and they are pretty great, the one I use is rather old but still, it’s quick, sleekly designed and very user-friendly. The camera on it is awful though, really quite terrible! I’m sure they are better now mind? As with most Apple products the prices aren’t exactly cheap, but you are getting quality for that price. As there are so many different options to choose from the prices vary drastically, the better specs you want the more you will pay! If you don’t want to spend big money why not consider a pre owned one? They usually come with a guarantee of sorts and provided you buy from a reputable seller you shouldn’t have any problems at all. You can pick up a pre-owned iPad 2 for around $200 which is a great price for what you are getting, especially if you are trekking around the world and don’t want to take anything to expensive with you.

Microsoft Surface 3: A bit of a hybrid here depending ‘The tablet that can replace your laptop’ is how it’s sold! The surface 3 is a great tablet running with full Windows 8.1, that’s pretty cosmic for something like this! The design is quite special, I’m a big fan of its looks and the product is lightweight, easy to transport and easy to look after! This tablet seems ideal for people who want to work on the move, I’m not overly sure how it works with games if that’s your cup of tea as there are differing reports on the battery life but for low power users this would be great. The choice of apps available for the surface is smaller than it’s rivals but if you are looking for the alternative laptop this is a must. As with nearly all tablets there are different models to suit everyone and if you don’t like the idea of spending so much you can always look at the older surface and surface 2 models. Both are decent products and maybe come at a price you’d feel more comfortable with depending on your destinations.

Google Nexus: The Google Nexus range is great for those that like Google! The tablet is large enough to work and watch things on yet small enough to cram into the busiest backpack. As you would expect there are a huge number of apps available to the user and being a Google device you have instant sync with all of your Google account which is handy if you like that sort of thing. The Nexus range comes in a variety of sizes, internal and external, so everyone should be able to find a Nexus perfect for them. The Nexus isn’t breaking new ground in the tablet world, but if you want a reliable, competitively priced product with great features, this just may be the one.

Sony Xperia Z2 : I’ve always quite liked Sony, not really sure why but they always seemed to be the coolest one for me, they still are as far as I am concerned. The Xperia range of tablets is beautiful. The insides could be made of cobwebs and I’d still want one, fortunately they aren’t. The Z2 is a work of art outside with great internal features that make me want one quite a lot.  The camera is a decent 8.1MP, the display is clear and crisp, it’s waterproof, it’s dust proof, it’s beautiful, it’s under half a kilo in weight. It’s amazing. It is really expensive though. That puts me off quite a bit. Oh well.

Other tablets recommended for the digital nomad traveller include the:

Samsung Galaxy Note: Fantastic but at a cost.

Nokia Lumia: Good all-rounder at a low price.

And the Amazon Kindle Fire: Great if you like Amazon! Good for other things and very affordable.

As with all electrical products you should look to get insurance and suitable case or cover for them, no need to take the chance of it breaking on you!