I got a new TechnoDiva toy in early April, a tablet! I’ve had my eye on these babies for a minute, but as I shared, I am all about being frugal, not foolish. I had to find a tablet that was cost-effective YET highly functional for me to make the investment.  However when I was in Costco getting some new tires, my interest was piqued when I saw a tablet for UNDER $200!

Introducing the VTAB1008 by Vizio. Now I primarily knew of Vizio for their screens & TV’s so I didn’t know what to think.  Luckily I had my SMART Phone with me and I immediately hopped online to do a little research.  The reviews were good overall and with the lovely 90 day return policy I figured I might as well take a chance.

I am happy to say I am pleased so far with my new baby.  I wasn’t EXACTLY sure WHY  a tablet would be a good investment when I have a laptop outside of the fact that it is lighter, but trust me, I am sold.

Why I like tablets

• Music – I can stream my favorite online radio stations through my tablet as long as I have my internet connection with me (oh I have a mobile hotspot now too).
• Reading – now I looooove books AND I have recently committed to minimizing my “stuff” so the option to purchase, read, and store books via Nook, Kindle, or Play Books (Google) is awesome. No, it doesn’t take the place of a good paper bound novel, but I can take my reading with me anywhere w/o carrying a lot of stuff
• MONEY – Yep I love that I can process my mobile credit card payments using my tablet.  I like this better than having to pull out my phone and using the stylus pen is a little nicer than having people use their fingertips on my phone.
• Sharing Info – With the DRIVE (google docs) app I can easily upload my files and access them on the go for meetings, consultations, and presentations. It also has the HDMI port so I can display my presentations on compatible TV’s and screens!!

  You can also browse the net and EASILY read the information without having to go to the computer.

• APPS – much like the SMART Phone tablets are GREAT for all sorts of cool applications (apps).  So you can do just about everything you do on the SMART Phone on your tablet, but with a MUCH BIGGER SCREEN.  So I have installed everything from  Pandora (music) to Recipes, to Hulu (you get a free 90 day trial for hulu+ with the Vizio too).  I’ve been watching TV, surfing the web, reading books, socializing on Faceboook, cooking awesome meals, and listening to music all around the house!

Why I like THIS Tablet

• AFFORDABILITY – I snagged this lovely device from Costco for $189 + tax and for the price you CANNOT beat it.  Now I know there are some tablets out there that have many more bells and whistles and they will put a larger hole in your pocket too!  If you are looking for a mobile device for work or play that is functional AND affordable, I don’t think you can beat this.  The only other one on the market to consider is the Kindle Fire and while it is nice there are MANY limitations, mostly its lack of integration with the Android Marketplace. 
• REMOTE CONTROL – This device has a cool remote control feature to control most of your electronic devices.  I haven’t used it yet, but I think that’s pretty awesome for those of you with the TV, Stereo, DVD player, and whatever else hookup.  Control them all from your tablet and cut down on the clutter.

I haven’t had any technological issues with this product in the last few weeks however should anything change I will be sure to update this post!  All in all I’m a yes to a tablet, especially if you want to decrease the weight of the load you carry around when you’re on the go. I’m a yes to the VTAB1008 if you want affordable tablet that works great!

Visit my TechnoDiva Toy Shop to see some other gadgets I like!