As a freelance writer, I’m always on the prowl for the newest tech toy. When you spend countless hours on the computer, all the new bells and whistles are important. This year, I’m saving for my newest conquest – the Asus Eee Pad Transformer electronic tablet.
Why Buy the Asus Eee Pad Transformer?
For me, this is a “got to have” item. I’m currently in the process of writing two new ebooks and I want to make sure I deliver the best possible content to my readers. However, here’s my dilemma. Right now I own a PC and a Kindle 3G. I bought the Kindle to proof my ebooks for Kindle readers. But, more and more people are moving to tablets to access their ebooks. Thus, I need to proof my content on a tablet for picture quality and format.
Why buy the Asus Eee Pad Transformer over all of the other tablets on the market? Simple, I’m a keyboard junkie and the Asus offers a keyboard docking station that hooks up to their tablet. For me, that’s a match made in heaven.
Researching Tablets before a Purchase
For every new tech toy, I always research before I buy and I turn to CNET.com for my research. Over the years, I’ve come to trust the technical information they provide as well as the customer reviews posted on the site. When I decided it was time to research electronic tablets, I went to CNET.com and found the top five recommended tablets. Then I did a comparison of features and read all the reviews. Here’s what sold me on the Asus:
• Superior build quality
• Large, high-quality screen with very responsive touch interface
• Good speakers and sound for a tablet
• Fast Android browser
• Price: approximately $390 for the tablet and $150 for the optional docking station
With the selection process out of the way, it was time to figure out how to pay for my newest electronic desire.
Saving for My Asus
Here’s a true confession. In the last year, I have become a drive-thru junkie. It’s not something I’m proud of – but, it’s a cold, hard fact. Working long hours has put me in the routine of driving to Panera for a bagel and coffee each morning, which costs me about $5 a day. For lunch it’s a “drive thru du jour” that usually costs me another $7 a day. At night, I hit McD’s on the way home for a strawberry-banana smoothie at $3 a day. Add it all up and my daily shenanigans cost me $15 a day. I did the math at five working days a week and I quickly found out I spend about $300 a month at the drive thru.
So, after beating myself up a little and looking at my rapidly expanding waistline, I figured out I could brown bag it for two months and easily pay for my tablet. In my book, that’s a “no brainer.” The bottom line – come January, I’ll be sporting a brand new Asus Eee Pad Transformer and a lot fewer pounds.