Dwelling on Dell

While sifting through some stuff in my closet the other day, I came across the thinnest phone mankind has ever known. Okay, that may not be entirely correct, but the mere sight of the malnourished phone took me back to an era when slim was completely in. Companies vied with each other to produce a phone thinner, yet packed with more features, than the adversary. We eventually moved to larger screens till they became so large they ceased fitting into pockets, purses, handbags and suitcases. We are still confused; the markets abound in all shapes and sizes of cellular devices. And then we have tablets, phablets and goblets.

Do we really need a tablet? What can it achieve that a phone today can’t? Is it wise to introduce kids to electronically manufactured delight early in life? In the light of recent queries I have received on my new Dell Venue 7, I intend to dwell on some answers.

Okay, for starters, I find there are certain things a tablet can do that a phone simply cannot. It is simply not the same experience watching a film or playing a game or video-talking on a phone. It may be the bigger screen, the superior graphics, the better sound, or, it may be just me. I infinitely enjoy tuning in to my favourite music or watching a much-loved film on my Dell Venue, the noisy world around gradually dissolving into nothingness.

It isn’t just that of course – I end up saving much-needed phone battery by delegating my mail sync, random internet browsing and note making to the Dell champ. It is like a walking-talking desk computer, cozy in my arms, comfortable with its identity. While I am comfortable with the touch-induced typing, the tablet does come with an external keyboard that can make the process smoother. On its part, the tablet does a great job of running on battery. Considering the innumerable tasks I end up using it for – not to forget, the incessant looking up of documents, and the battery consuming Wi-Fi surfing – it lasts me a good couple of days.

Now, this easy-peasy access to delight is a key incentive that pushes several parents into buying a tablet for their little ones. Indeed, I see billboards around town advocating the need to buy a new tablet in the new school season. Well, there is plenty that the Dell Venue has to offer in this department – hordes of educational apps on the Play Store, an easy-to-use user interface with intuitive navigation and decent reception to touch, efficient streaming and playback of AV content, and the sturdiness to blend in well with clumsy little hands. Nevertheless, I don’t recommend acquiring one of these in place of a nice collection of books, a fun movie once in a while and a good bout of fooling around in the evening dust.

That being said, I think this can be a terrific gifting idea for, say, parents. My Mom, for instance, would be spared the pain of typing long messages to me on her small phone. Friends too – especially at its value-for-money price.

I had my little cousin over the other day. She gave my phone – and me – a dirty look. “Why don’t you get a new one? You’ve had that for a whole year!” I rushed to seal my closet lest she catch sight of the malnourished phone. This was before she spotted the new tablet. I instantly rose in her estimation. Dell Venue saved the day.

Stay tuned for more on this, shortly.

*Written as a part of Dell Blogger Review Program

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