Blogging on a Tablet

~ beetleypete

This is a blog post about nothing more than blogging, and having to do that on a small device after years of using a PC.
With decorating going on, using the small office room is not an option today.

So I have retreated into the living room, and for the first time, I am attempting to do my blog and emails using a Tablet, specifically the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Going from a bright 24-inch monitor to a so-so 10-inch screen is a big jump for me. And having to use the irritatingly sensitive keypad device instead of hammering a keyboard is very frustrating. I make endless mistakes, even more so as the device keeps using its own suggested words, instead of those I wanted to type.

Over the years, I have realised that many of my fellow bloggers are happy to use ‘pads’ to write their blogs on. Some even use mobile phones, which sounds incredible to me. The tiny print on Tablets and phones is at the limits of my failing eyesight, so I take off my metaphorical hat to those of you who manage this every day.

Until the painter is finished, this will be my only blog post today.

Then I will return to the PC, and count my blessings.

91 thoughts on “Blogging on a Tablet”

  3. Wow! We are living off-grid currently, and so my blogging, which is just getting going, has been between iPhone, iPad, and laptop. I prefer the laptop, but many times my hotspot slows down, so it’s faster on the phone. Not easier for sure.

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      1. Hi.

        As I’ve been reading through comments, I’m discovering that everyone comes at this a bit differently and that reactions to things like phones, tablets, etc. are all different.

        For example, Abbie says the WordPress app to her is a bit rubbish.

        I however, find the app accessible, and easy to use via way of my phone and use of a Bluetooth keyboard, in fact at times it is easier to use than the computer except that I’ve still not learned to copy and paste documents into the proper places in that mode.

        I think what it boils down to is preference and ability to use different devices.

        What wonderful food for thought.

        Of course I’m a redneck tech geek.

        LOL.

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        1. Thanks for your thoughts, Patty. It does indeed seem that we each have our preferences when it comes to using different equipment. I am sticking with my PC for now. 🙂
          Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Thanks, Robbie. I have my PC, and a backup laptop (never used) in case it fails. Just one day on the tablet drove me crazy, I could never blog on one. Mind you, I have now worked out how to turn off ‘predictive text and word suggestions’. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    2. Laptop is something I couldn’t do without.

      Love to sit comfortably in my recliner with feet propped up just blogging and reading and working away.

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  6. My eyes aren’t what they used to be. I have tried and tried to type on phones. My large fingers, and the auto correct, conspire to give me nervous fits. I enjoy my 32 inch monitor, but even then there are times that my eyes get tired, and it is hard to see the print. I enjoy a keyboard more.

    I’ve tried the voice to text, one tablet I have is great with it. My phone? I told the wife “I love you” via voice to text. It came out “I love YouTube”, which she thought was hilarious.

    It only takes two miss-placed letters, and your whole message is urined!

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    1. Nicely done, Ron. 🙂
      I had a nightmare with the predictive text on the tablet yesterday, and still can’t work out how to disable it. I must look up how to do that.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. I’ve used my iPhone while on vacation although I try to have the layout of the post saved before I leave my PC. It wasn’t something I’d want to do on a regular basis, although I managed. It definitely helped that I was just filling in blocks of text and adding images.

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    2. For those who use their Smart-devices, if you’ve trouble seeing the screen, turn on your voice over.

      On the I-devices all you have to do is say, Siri, Turn On Voice Over.

      I don’t know about the Droid.

      You can understand it quite well, and I promise once you get used to hearing and understanding, you will even want to speed it up.

      I find using the voice over especially helpful for proofing my manuscripts.

      Just a thought.

      😊

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        1. Sure thing.

          Certainly didn’t mean to get all into your space here and high-jack the post or anything.

          I tend to get all carried away anytime I can talk about technology and how I use it.

          I have this real desire to help folks understand how disabled writers work.

          Once I wrote a post about it on my blog.

          I referred to it in a comment once and people visited and I spent the remainder of that day talking to all manner of persons who had issues with using different types of technology I never even thought of.

          The most interesting I found were those who had issue with certain colors of font and background colors.

          I never even thought about that.

          We all have junk that bugs us, causes problems etc.

          Anyhow, I just thought your post was an interesting one.

          I enjoy your blog.

          You’re down to earth, and don’t come off like a know-it-all.

          I especially love your stories of you and your pup’s adventures.

          I tend to write about me and my now retired guide lots.

          😊

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          1. No need to apologise, Patty. I always greatly enjoy your comments, and your engagement on this blog is always most welcome. Write as much as you like, anytime you want to. 🙂
            Best wishes, Pete.

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            1. Thanks.

              I always get a bit worried.

              Some people become annoyed with me.

              They say, don’t just like comment, but then when you do it they don’t like it.

              I try to stay on topic, and felt that talking about the tech stuff would be OK. Here.

              Have an awesome day.

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  13. Hi. I cannot relate to the visual issue beings that I’m blind, but if I didnt use either my bluetooth keyboard or dictation I could never blog on my phone.
    Dictation can be tricky because you think you’ve got it right only to go back and read it elsewhere later to find you do not.
    I do like being able to share with my phone because when I go onto the internet I have this neat sharing button that when pressed brings up lots of sharing options, some of which are barely accessible to me in other situations.
    But.
    Sadly I found out when I share to WordPress via way of these neat sharing buttons it doesn’t create a pingback and so people don’t always know I’ve shared.
    I like to blog and write on my Laptop best.

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    1. I admire you for being able to do any of this being blind, Patty, I really do. I can see well enough, and I gave up using the Tablet after one post. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Well, I’ve never known any different other than once having just enough sight to be dangerous.

        The accessible technology still has a long way to go but it has come so far since it began way back in the dos days.

        I’ve just gotten a new computer with the latest version of JAWS For Windows and Microsoft 365 and I’m so glad the 365 is so compatible.

        It saved my bacon when my other computer died because I would’ve lost all my files had I not had the One Drive.

        I’m especially happy to see more photo description and more photos with Ault Text enabled.

        That means I can read more of the little photos and memes etc.

        When someone takes a regular picture, like on their phone it now describes it.

        Very unnerving the first time I heard one and it could tell the photo was taken in a living room.

        Woo!

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          1. I suppose it would be to someone who doesn’t do such things, or who hasn’t been exposed to blind or visually challenged persons.

            However, these days many sighted are taking advantage of the voice over capabilities of their smart-devices.

            Another thing to note, if you’ve a windows computer the windows narrator is a fab way to proofread.

            It allows you to hear your work spoken, and you can hear how pauses in dialog sound, and all sorts of other neat stuff.

            As to the keyboard on the touch screen. I only touch type when absolutely necessary.

            I do know the keyboard layout you learn that through muscle memory just like typing on a regular keyboard, however, I find the thing noisome, and love my Bluetooth keyboard, which my dad bought me for about $40 at Best Buy, and it’s nothing fancy but it sure beats heck out of that dang blasted screen.

            If I had to touch type everything I’d toss it into the nearest lake.

            LOL.

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            1. My Mum lost most of her sight in her early eighties. But she resisted the audio aids, and became bitter and frustrated about her condition. She always said that she wanted to read, not be read to. It was sad to see her so upset for the five years before she died.
              Best wishes, Pete.

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              1. That unfortunately does happen, and not just to the elderly who lose their vision.

                I’ve known blind persons who quite literally spent their entire lives being angry about it.

                I for one feel that if my blindness were all I had to deal with I’d be the luckiest person on earth.

                I did have usable vision in my younger years. Then in 1991 I had a cataract removed, and for about 6-weeks I was elated to have the vision I had when I was in high-school, which was enough for me to see things like very very large print, and if I sat close to the TV I could for the most part see it, and the most joyous thing was seeing my daughter’s face.

                Then, an infection struck, and of course it was on the weekend.

                The doctor on call was out on the lake in his new boat, and would not take a call. Kept telling me it wasn’t anything to worry about.

                I was in extreme pain and finally my mother became very concerned and took me to the ER. By the time I was examined it was found that the pressure in that eye which was the good eye had climbed excessively high, and though medications were applied and I did see the doctor the next day, the damage was done.

                Luckily I’d been trained to live as a blind person and other than getting over the initial shock I was able to go on.

                I tried to sue the doctor, and when I went to gather records found that they’d “somehow become lost.”

                Then when I contacted a lawyer to look into the matter it was learned that doctor had suddenly left that practice and moved to SC.

                Shortly there-after that practice closed. Turned out they had several complaints against them.

                I could’ve chosen to become angry and bitter, but I was in my early 20’s, had a child to raise and a life to live, and could see no good coming from being angry so I picked myself up, and moved on.

                I won’t say this life is a bed of roses. There are times when I become extremely frustrated.

                I sometimes rant about those frustrations on my blog, and what usually happens is a conversation about disability and I find myself smiling because through my rantings I’ve educated another person who might have otherwise not understand the world in which those like myself live.

                I have multiple disabilities though and honestly all in all the blindness is the easiest to live with.

                The tech stuff these days is so great that I find much enjoyment.

                As to audio books, I couldn’t live without them.

                Thanks to things like bard.loc.gov and Audible I read something like 100 books per year, and who the heck could possibly complain about that.

                I also enjoy E-Books because the voice over quality is wonderful on the Kindle app on my phone, and I can also download the Kindle App onto my computer and have books there as well.

                I hate TV but not because I cannot see it.

                There are even audio descriptions available on many channels.

                I just find it a huge waste of time when I can visit so many far away lands, and learn so much.

                I can lose myself for hours in a book and reading is improving my writing in ways I never dreamed.

                Honestly, if I could get my vision back at this late stage in my life, I wouldn’t go to the bother. I’ve got this figured out and besides, if I did that I couldn’t have a guide dog with me all the time and what awesome incredible adventures I would miss out on.

                The dog by your side opens so many conversations, and takes one into so many places, that the pros far outweigh the cons.

                😊

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  14. I often bang out a deartedandjody on a tablet. Indeed, the text for this morning’s posting was done on a tablet. However, the tablet I use has a Bluetooth keyboard and it has a 10-inch diagonal screen. I can also enlarge the font to a readable size as. I do this as I am often away from home waiting. So, I find a fast food joint, buy a diet cola and use the time to write something. It is awkward as I then have to transfer the file to the computer, convert the file to a computer-friendly file before I can publish. That means the auto correct gets several shots at messing with my choice of words/spelling, but unfortunately, it never picks up the real mistakes I am not at all this use of a tablet saves me any time, but it does give me the impression that I am doing something other than waiting.
    Warmest regards, Theo

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  16. I much prefer blogging on my desktop computer too though sometimes I’ll do minor editing on my phone or tablet. If I’m traveling I use my mobile devices, but I’m extra careful and try to keep it simple.

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  23. Using our new iPad on holiday I accidentally created a new identity for myself. I schedule my blogs from the safety of my computer and big screen ( which was once a television screen, passed on to me by Cyberspouse when he got an even bigger screen to play with his digital photography ) . Out and about or on holiday I use my phone to check blogs etc but with the perils of predictive text you can easily send an incomprehensible or insulting comment or reply and only find out later when you get home and see it writ large on your computer screen. I’m writing this two yards from the sea on my phone!

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  25. I don’t like phones and tablets. I used to work in computing and could program “apps” for them, but don’t want either. Someone said yesterday “Oh I bet you’ve got the latest phone with everything on it”. I didn’t say anything, just took my Siemens A55 bought in 2003 out of my pocket and held it in front of her. Stick to what you like – or get a desktop with a massive screen.

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  26. Pete, just got a comment from a follower who read your security warning and she says “I’ve had no warnings about this site, but my G-mail has been randomly warning me about a lot of WordPress sites lately, messages very similar to the above. Some are from sites I’ve visited many times before so I know them to be trustworthy. Something weird’s going on…”

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    2. I have it the other way around: I used my phone, and still do, because I’m almost always on the go (and I didn’t have proper PC for it). Now that I have, it’s easy for me to switch back-and-forth between phone and PC.

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