If you know me or have listened to any of the podcasts I regularly produce, then you know I am a gadget addict. Whether it’s computers, tablets, smartphones or game consoles, I always want the newest shiny piece of technology. And when I say what, I mean need.
But, since I’m just a regular joe and not a muli-million-selling author (yet), I can’t get every gadget that comes along. So, I try and only indulge on the gadgets that I can justify as being relevant to my day job or to my writing work.
But Christmas is different, as it’s the one time of year I can con someone else (usually my wife) into getting me some shiny new gadget. And while I’ve had my eye on a few different things, the one I circled on my Christmas list this year was the new Asus Transformer Book T100.
Why, you ask. Quite simply, because it’s a great tablet/laptop hybrid that runs a full version of Windows. Which means I can install and use all of the programs I need to make the table a complete writing tool.
One of the biggest issues I have right now is that Scrivener’s iPad app hasn't come along yet. I love Scrivener, and I've used it for all of the books and short stories that I've published thus far. I draft most of my projects in Google Docs, which I can use anywhere, on anything. But when I get into the final drafting and editing stages, I need my Scrivener. And now, I can have it on a device that I can take with me wherever I go.
I can also run Steam (for gaming) Audacity (for audio editing) and my Skype recording program (for podcast interviews) on the T100, meaning I can pretty much do everything on it.
Now, the T100 only has 2 GB of RAM, so it’s not a multitasking powerhouse, but the new Bay Trail Atom processor means the T100 has a ton of battery life and can handle most of what I’ll be suing the tablet for.
Add in the full keyboard and the multi-touch screen for tablet use, and the T100 is a pretty sweet little machine. It’s best trait may be its price point, which is regularly $349 for the 32GB model. We grabbed one for myself and my daughter for $299 apiece during a one-day sale at Best Buy.
I’ll be putting the machine through its paces over the next several months, and I’ll blog about it here. But if you’re a writer who uses Scrivener regularly and is used to Windows, this little hybrid may be your best bet right now.
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