How do people use larger and heavier tablets?

[Eeqmcsq]

Recently, I bought my first large tablet, a 9.7" E-Ceros Revolution Android tablet, which weights 1.3 lbs (about 600 grams). Its roughly similar in size and weight to an iPad (not iPad Air).

I tried using it for a few minutes. Right away, I found the size and weight cumbersome to use compared to my 7 and 8 inch tablets. I got hand and wrist strain trying to hold the tablet in one hand while tapping the screen with the other. When lying down in bed, I felt like I had to put extra focus on making sure the tablet doesn't fall out of my hands and hit my face. This means making sure both hands are holding on to the tablet, which also makes it hard to tap on the screen to do anything.

So, due to its size and weight, I don't get how I'm supposed to use this kind of tablet. What do people do with these larger and heavier tablets? What are their usage scenarios? How exactly do people handle and use them? How do they hold and carry them? How do they interact with them if they're too heavy to hold for long periods? Maybe these tablets are primarily used for viewing instead of interacting?

 

[pm]

I've never used a lightweight tablet because I like larger screen sizes. I have two tablets - an iPad 3 and a HP Omni 10. I got the HP Omni to drive my 3D printer and CNC... and because my children keep taking the iPad and sticking it in random places.

I agree that I generally use them for viewing; reading mostly... I have a couple of magazine subscriptions that I get on my tablet. To read, I tend to lay it down and prop it up at about a 30 degree angle using the cases that I have. I usually don't lean back in bed and put it on my lap... usually I lay on my side and put it down on the bed... but mostly I don't use my tablets in bed. I mostly leave them down by the kitchen or the printer/CNC and then read them while eating breakfast or lunch.

I personally find that interacting with a tablet is kind of annoying - I can type at better than 60+ words per minute on a keyboard but on a tablet, I type at roughly 15 WPM or less. So if I want to do any work, I have a laptop and a desktop.

 

[Fardringle]

How did people ever manage to hold actual paper books back in ancient history? Never mind 20+ pound math/science/physics text books?

Of course a small tablet is going to be lighter and easier to handle than a bigger tablet, but for someone that wants a larger screen, the extra weight is worth it. And I don't know anyone that tries to handle a big tablet with one hand. They either use two hands, or set it on their lap/table/bed/whatever.

 

[Ns1]

We're not built like 6 year old girls?

 

[Midwayman]

Some of us can lift 1.3lbs for more than 30s at a time. Amazing!

Seriously though its in a case that allows it to stand up on my lap, next to me on the couch, etc, etc. For the rare times I have to use it while walking or something I can manage just fine with one hand.

 

[mmntech]

1.3lbs is too heavy? What are you, a girly man?

 

[Red Storm]

1.3lbs is too heavy? What are you, a girly man?

Pick a number. Let's say 10lbs. I can lift up 10lbs no problem, does that mean a 10lbs tablet is not too heavy?

Of course it doesn't. People are either being intentionally dense or they don't understand context.

 

[sweenish]

And you're rushing to their defense, why?

At 1.3 lbs., a tablet is still well in the acceptable range.

As OP stated, it's the same weight the OG iPad launched at.

Of course there's a number where a tablet is too heavy. This not even close to that number. Your example doesn't really work out.

I can lift quite a bit. I can hold less. I can comfortably hold even less. But 1.3 pounds, I'm going to be fine.

 

[poofyhairguy]

 

[Eeqmcsq]

1.3lbs is too heavy? What are you, a girly man?

Take a mop, hold it near the mop end, and try to lift the handle by tilting the mop. No problem right? Now hold the same mop at the handle end, so the mop is dangling at the far end away from your hand, and tilt it upward. Much harder, right?

I'm trying to hold and use the tablet like this:

The problem I had with this larger tablet isn't the 1.3 lbs weight itself, but that the weight is far away from my hand/wrist. This produces a lot of force, I think it's called torque, which my hand/wrist has to counter so that I don't drop it. If most of the tablet's weight was focused on the corner where my hand is holding it, then holding the tablet with one hand for long periods would be very easy, just like tilting the mop with the mop end near my hand.

Five minutes into testing this larger tablet, my hands/wrists can already feel the torque difference compared to my smaller 7.9 inch tablet at 0.9 lbs (408 grams), which led me to ask how people actually use these larger tablets.

 

[Belegost]

Take a mop, hold it near the mop end, and try to lift the handle by tilting the mop. No problem right? Now hold the same mop at the handle end, so the mop is dangling at the far end away from your hand, and tilt it upward. Much harder, right?

I'm trying to hold and use the tablet like this:

The problem I had with this larger tablet isn't the 1.3 lbs weight itself, but that the weight is far away from my hand/wrist. This produces a lot of force, I think it's called torque, which my hand/wrist has to counter so that I don't drop it. If most of the tablet's weight was focused on the corner where my hand is holding it, then holding the tablet with one hand for long periods would be very easy, just like tilting the mop with the mop end near my hand.

Five minutes into testing this larger tablet, my hands/wrists can already feel the torque difference compared to my smaller 7.9 inch tablet at 0.9 lbs (408 grams), which led me to ask how people actually use these larger tablets.

I have an old Touchpad around which is 1.6lbs, and never had a problem holding it as shown for reasonable periods.

But more generally it works best to move the left hand to be more in the middle of the tablet so that you're supporting the center of mass. Similar to how one would hold a book at the spine.

 

[corkyg]

I normally put my large tablet on my lap or on a table or desk. If I need to use something while standing or walking, I use a smartphone.

The larger tablet has never been a problem.

 

[sweenish]

The mop amplifies the numbers, since the moment you're referring to is influenced linearly by distance.

A 10" tablet is not a mop.

If you wanted to do all the math, and figure out how much weight is free hanging vs. supported directly by your hand, see what the moment of you poking the far end is and the resultant reaction required by your other hand/wrist, you'd still find that the easiest way to make your life easier is to stop trying to push your finger through the tablet when you interact with it.

It's not that heavy, and the free weight isn't that bad. New device, new interactions. I wouldn't hold an N6 the same way I hold an N5, and that's just a 1" screen difference.

This is probably one of weakest complaints I've ever seen. Get it?

 

[stlc8tr]

IMO, 300g is the sweet spot for tablets. My Tab Pro 8.4 is 331g and I like using it a lot more than my Nexus 10 (603g).

 

[Zaap]

I have probably the heaviest tablet out there, the Galaxy Note 12.2. (Posting this from it). I've never really had any desire for it to be lighter. In fact, heavy/light is a matter lf context. Compared to a coffee table book, it's light as a feather. Compared to my old school TabletPC it's light as a feather.

Since its a drawing tool and production device for my work, its mainly on a stand at my desk. The weight then is a positive as I'm able to interact with it without it moving around incessantly. (Using the pen or flipping PDF document pages, etc.)

Picking it up and reading on it isn't a problem- and it's big enough to read two full sized facing pages in landscape. Holding it in portrait (1:1 comic pages, great for magazines) is the only way I find particularly uncomfortable as the top egde will weigh down on the hands if holding near the bottom.

On a practical note, I prefer the large screen and greater battery life to smaller tablets.

For me, a larger tablet isn't a 'walking around' device and therefore greater weight is acceptable. But I can understand a larger tablet isn't for everyone.

 

[touchstone]

I don't even see any tablets worth buying today. The air 2 is basically the same price as a refurbished macbook air... what do you think is more useful?

 

[Ns1]

I don't even see any tablets worth buying today. The air 2 is basically the same price as a refurbished macbook air... what do you think is more useful?

if you need a touchscreen app, the iPad. If you're a programmer, probably the air2.


USE CASES HOW DO YOU WORK!?!?!?