Lenovo Ideapad 32GB Review

So a few weekends ago I began doing some research about e-readers and inevitably found myself looking at tablets.  Some will argue that an iPad is the clear front runner in this category, but on price point that's far from the truth.  What I eventually decided on was the Lenovo Ideapad Tablet with 32GB and Wi-Fi.  Here's why I came to that decision and what I've come to really like about my tablet in general.

1.  Value for Money - A quick scan of tablets will show how competitively priced the Lenovo is (compared to other tablets and laptops).  I ended up spending about $350 for a tablet with 32GB of memory, a 10.1" screen, a front and rear camera, a stylish design, and that is easily customizable in terms of the display, apps, what widgets go where, etc.

2.  More Than an E-Reader - I was really just after an e-reader to begin with, but found it hard to pass up the ability to freely surf the web, watch YouTube, check facebook, download from the Amazon Kindle store, or scroll my emails (all at the same time).  The point is that this tablet is a lot more versatile for not much more money.

3.  Portable and Convenient - I found it cumbersome using my laptop in bed when I just wanted to check blogs or read web pages and a tablet is the answer to that.  The Lenovo is comfortable to hold thanks to the rounded edges and although it may be a bit on the heavier side for tablets, I still find it quite light. 

While I haven't taken it on the road with me yet, I also like the idea of having my maps downloaded and having a large screen to view them.  Navigating maps on my iPod Touch hasn't always been the most convenient and now I don't necessarily need to bring my laptop on the road with me either to stay connected.  

4.  The Show-Me Factor - How often do you have someone over and end up talking about a funny YouTube video or webpage?  The tablet is quick to launch and easy to pass around for moments just like that.  It's also what makes the tablet a great presentation tool, and it was really convenient to pull up my portfolio and scroll the pages when I had people over.

5. Adaptability - What I love about my Lenovo Ideapad (and a tablet in general) is the way that you can continue to change it based on how you use it.  There are plenty of apps to play with and explore, and the Lenovo Ideapad has 5 pages that you can flip through and customize however you want.  I'm sure I'll continue to find more fun ways to use it as I play around a bit more.

In my personal opinion having used this product for a couple of weeks now (in addition to my regular PC, laptop, and iPod Touch) I'd give the Lenovo Ideapad a solid 8/10. The only areas that I'd really make improvements to would be the speaker, which could be a bit stronger.  The tablet could also be a bit lighter, and I'd like to see more apps for Android products.  For the time being though, this is a more than adequate product for a casual user like myself and it's exceeded my expectations. 

For more specifics check out the review of this product on PC World.  

Best Oscar

Ten years ago for one of my final projects in Art 30 we were tasked with creating something out of clay.  Being the humble movie lover that I am, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to craft an Oscar for myself before leaving for film school in the fall.  This was the result.

The top half and base were created and fired in the kiln separately, and I spray painted the top half gold and rubbed the base down with shoe polish for a really deep black. The two pieces were then attached with super glue, and it's held up ever since.  For an art project that I had in my room in high school, in my various dorms, back in my parent's basement, and now in my own place, it's become a symbol of my successes in moving forward with my career.

I couldn't be more proud of this little art project, and it actually contributed to a real achievement at the time.  I received a scholarship from the Art program at Hat High for having the highest mark in the program that year - which was actually more of a reflection of my willingness to experiment with every medium they'd let me try I think.

In any case, the nominations for the Academy Awards come out tomorrow and I'll be ready to check out as many of the films as I can before the broadcast.  In the meantime I'm going to continue working at completing my faux E.G.O.T.  A few months ago I found a gramophone statue at Value Village that looks just like a Grammy.  Emmy and Tony here I come!   

Enough To Do Something

I saw the new movie, The Descendants starring George Clooney the other night.  It was a great flick about embracing ones past and the future it presents, and there was a quote that stuck with me.  When Clooney's character is discussing inheritance for his kids, he says something along the lines of, "I want to give them enough to do something, but not enough to do nothing".

That's a brilliant way to think about it.

These days (and as a goal for this year in fact) I find myself in want of doing and experiencing more things. I want to go places, see things, and I'm not even referring to grand vacations necessarily.  I want to go to several museums in Alberta this year, I want to go to a car show, it looks like I'll be going to the Rockies a couple of times this summer too.  The idea that we should be content to stick to a routine or adopt entirely predictable habits is a bad one.  

Having enough money (or time in a lot of cases) to do something is just as important as the personal time to do nothing.  However, the goal shouldn't really be to do nothing at all, the goal should be to have the freedom to do a bit of everything as you see fit.  Rich or poor, it's easy to be lazy.  Finding new ways to be passionate about life takes work.

The lesson perhaps, and what I took away from that quote, is that we should feel accountable to the decisions we make in the pursuit of our own happiness.  We should feel a bit pressured to experience things while they're there to be experienced. Whether you realize it or not, your time is actually your own.  And, it's enough to do something.