5 Tips For Touchscreen Tablet Owners

05/27/2011 Comments Off on 5 Tips For Touchscreen Tablet Owners Tablets & Technology Like

Today I’ve compiled a short list of 5 important things to keep in mind for new and existing touchscreen tablet owners. This article is geared towards helping you keep your data and new portable device secure and also to help you get the most out of your tablet experience.

Secure Your Touchscreen Tablet

No matter what touchscreen tablet you own, keeping it secure is an absolute must. For all of the different tablets there are various ways to do this. If you don’t already know how to lock or password protect your tablet there are plenty of helpful resources out there that cover this topic.

If possible, which in most cases it is, I highly recommend installing some type of tracking software on your device. You just never know when your tablet could end up being accidentally misplaced or, even worse, stolen. If you wait until something drastic like this happens, which hopefully it doesn’t of course, it’s already too late in a lot of cases. I know one of the first things people like to do is flaunt their new tablet and show it off to friends and family, but in my opinion one of the very first, if not the first, things you should do is secure your device. This way you are prepared right from day one for such a scenario.

Create Frequent Backups

All too often I have been asked how to recover lost or accidentally removed data on a portable tablet. This is why I cannot stress enough the importance of frequently creating backups. You could either sync and then transfer important files to your personal computer’s hard drive, store backups in the cloud or save your data on a CD or DVD. How and where you backup your important files is up to you, but it’s highly recommended that you do your best and make a point of doing this often.

There’s no way to predict if or when something could happen which would result in losing your data for good. Your portable tablet could accidentally get damaged, lost or stolen. Don’t let yourself be a victim in this case. Backup your data and always have that reassurance of knowing that it won’t be a total loss or disaster if something like this unfortunately does happen.

Stay On Top Of Updates

It’s always good practice to stay on top of OS and other software updates. Companies that manufacture tablets will provide important updates for various reasons. A lot of times these updates could include additional security features that are critical. Whether it’s a small or large update it’s always wise to download them ASAP. It’s easy to put it off and say you’ll do it later but of course the sooner the better. Even if it’s a rather big update that takes a while to download and install, I’m sure it’s worth the wait and you’ll be glad you did it.

Use Proper Screen Protectors

Don’t cheap out when it comes to screen protectors for your tablet. Pay the few extra bucks and get one that is of high quality. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. There are plenty of screen protectors to choose from but I suggest choosing a popular brand in this case to ensure full smudge and scratch-proof protection. In this case I would recommend something like Zagg or Skinomi.

Learn Common Keyboard Shortcuts

No matter what tablet computer you own, whether it be the iPad 2 or Acer Iconia Tab A500 for example, it’s always a plus to be aware of keyboard shortcuts. Using shortcuts on your wireless or virtual keyboard can help you become more productive and efficient.

Previously I mentioned a few PlayBook keyboard shortcuts, here’s a few for the iPad to help you get started.

Common iPad 2 Keyboard Shortcuts

Key-based text selection: Command-Shift-Arrow
Cut & paste: Command-C, X, and V
Undo and Redo: Command-Z and Shift-Command-Z
Period: Tap the spacebar twice
Apostrophe: Tap and hold comma key to reveal