
Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid by Johannes Vermeer, National Gallery of Ireland
So a while ago, I had to replace my computer. I was pretty irritated about it, it wasn’t that old, but it had always been a kind of reluctant co-conspirator, not terribly interested in my computer-usage schemes. Even though I got it new, it had a crotchety-ness about it. It groaned and grumbled; it rejected my shenanigans.
We had to part ways.
In replacement, I got one of those 2-in-1 computers (3-in-1? What would the 3 be?) that can function as a tablet. We’re totally besties.
In the morning, as a tented tablet, it streams me my yoga. When I’m writing, it sits up, prim and proper, as though it hadn’t just done the splits. It’s got a much nicer touch than my previous keyboard.
BUT.
Yesterday, I got the best part. The BEST PART. It’s a part so good I had to just yell about it, as you can see. Yesterday I got a stylus.
And suddenly my childhood visions of marking directly into a computer have nearly come true. I don’t think I could write on the screen like a notebook and have it convert to type (though maybe I can, any suggestions? Google would probably know. Google knows all), but while reading though, I can mark a red line through a word and POOF! it vanishes.
IT VANISHES.
I have the benefit of typing on the onscreen keyboard when it’s in tablet mode, so instead of my chicken-scratch handwriting, I can put in something I can actually read later. Mark up a page as I would if I printed it.
You guys know. There’s nothing like marking up a page that’s printed. Except this.
You can circle to highlight. That’s all I’ve learned so far; I’m sure there’s a guide to the editing symbols it will accept. It’s definitely helping as I work through my #MAYkingItWork goals. Only wish I’d done it earlier.
Wow, I’ve gushed a long post. That’s how cool it is. See? I told you.
Editing and fun in the same sentence. Who’da thunk it.
Check out my full-length novels:
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended)
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s free!
You know, when I was looking for a new computer in February, I looked at some of those, but in the end, I just got a sleeker, faster laptop than my old one. Those 2-in-1s are not cheap!
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This one actually was! I think it it was fate. It was on sale for that week only, and it was the same week it was clear that the old one wouldn’t go anymore!
But faster is also fantastic. This one isn’t fastest, but it suits my needs well. Mostly! 🙂
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I love my MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Don’t think I would enjoy a 2 in 1 tablet, but I do love my iPad mini (since I can just pop it in my purse).
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That’s very useful!
Yes, I wasn’t sure how much I’d use its versatility, but I completely love it. It’s amazing we live in an age when there’s technology to suit everyone.
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Doing a bit of catching up. I too have a tablet/laptop combo, which I got for the advantage of doing the mark-up thing. Sadly I haven’t used it in anger that much, yet. What stylus have you got? One of the big problems that I find is getting a certain amount of fineness on the lines being drawn/written. Perhaps we can compare notes?
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Definitely! I got a cheapish one on Amazon, and the additional buttons don’t seem to work for the functions. It’s fine for crossing out; notes seem a little trickier, I haven’t gotten the hang of them (I’m typing them in, as my handwriting is terrible.)
I think you have to get a bamboo stylus if you really want to have control (which makes sense for you, I suspect you have a wider variety of uses).
But I love the technology. If you’re willing to beta test for Word, there are more functions, but I’m not willing!
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