From trains to toilets – where do you use your tablet?

One statistic that came out of the survey of 1,201 Which? members was that about three quarters of owners use their tablets for over half an hour a day.

I fall into this category as well; I’ve done endless hours of house hunting in recent weeks. And my tablet has suited the task well – it’s quick to power-up, displays pictures clearly, and browsing the net on it works like a charm.

I also fall into the two thirds who multitask, using my tablet at the same time as watching TV. Perhaps this is why I’ve not found a suitable house yet!

At home, at work, on the train

But most interesting of all is the variety of places people use their tablets, bringing home how versatile these devices really are. Almost all the tablet owners we asked used theirs at home, with just two in ten getting them out at work. Around one in ten use their tablet on public transport, and two in ten take it out in public places like cafés.

At home, half use it in bed, another two in ten have it in the kitchen while they cook. Oh and then there’s the 8% who use their tablet in the bathroom…

So, in February we put this question to Which? Convo commenters – where and how do you use your tablet?

Craig enjoys using his Motorola Xoom outside of the home:

‘I use my Xoom for reading PDFs and magazines, as well as catching up with various websites on the train in. I also use it to rekindle my old obsession with reading comics now that most have gone online.’

While Maryofdungloe is a little more reluctant:

‘I use my iPad on public transport sometimes, but not that often, because I’m wary someone might try to steal it. I don’t like to use it in pubs and restaurants for the same reasons of not using it on the bus. I do use it on the train though.’

Snowdin seems to be using their tablet in every room imaginable:

‘It’s hard to think of anywhere that I don’t use my iPad – yes I use it there too, because it’s so light and convenient.’

While Liz Barnard’s tablet use sums up the device’s versatility:

‘I use my iPad to download books to read on planes, on holiday (saves weight in cabin bag), in the doctor’s surgery and departure lounges. I use it to follow recipes in the kitchen, to take notes in workshops and seminars: to draw with outdoors, to take photos on site: to access emails and the net wherever, including libraries.

‘I use it for teaching purposes, looking things up when a query comes up that needs research. It lives in my handbag and the map app comes out if I’m lost and can’t find my way. I use my bank app to consult my statements in the bank. I can Skype my sisters abroad from any location, so not tethered to my laptop. Arranging to have it surgically attached to me next week.’

So if you’ve bought yourself a tablet, where do you use it? Or perhaps you take other portable computing devices, like your laptop or smartphone, to all manner of places?