A most unfortunate event has happened in my life – my faithful Android tablet has taken the leap of faith from my lap and landed flat on its screen. The result (as it didn’t have no Gorilla Glass) is a broken screen and a heavily misbehaving digitizer, rendering it useless. I can still use it with a mouse, but this is not how a tablet computer should be used (besides, I’m having trouble playing my favorite casino apps for Australians on it). So, the time has come to buy a new one, and find an alternative use for the old one. Here are some alternative uses for an Android tablet I have considered. Which one to choose?
1. Digital photo frame
I have never understood why people would buy expensive digital photo frames instead of just printing out their favorite pictures and framing them all. Still, if your Android tablet does not serve you anymore in a way it should, it’s easy to convert into such a useless gadget (at least you don’t have to spend extra on it). You won’t be able to play Platinum Pokies on it anymore, but it will show you nice, beautiful pictures on its screen – and that must be worth something, right?
2. E-Reader
Although its touchscreen does not work anymore, I can easily convert my broken tablet into an e-reader (and use it with a mouse). Free e-book reader software can be easily found on the Play Store, and it also has loads of free e-books, so the lack of content won’t be a problem. It does not have e-paper (unfortunately, I might add), but a broken tablet is a great (and especially cheap) replacement for a Kindle or a Nook, for example.
3. Makeshift portable gaming console
This will need some investigation and investment – I will have to find a game controller that works with my tablet and games that can be used with the controller – but this is actually not a bad idea. I am especially fond of platformers and shoot-em-up games – and loads of these are available through Android-based emulators. I might not be able to Play free and real money pokies on it anymore, but hey – I’ll replace them with Super Mario or Sonic, for a great time!
4. Multimedia player
This might be the best choice after all. My tablet has a decent configuration and digital video and audio output. With the right software – MX Player, VLC or something similar – I can turn my dumb TV into a smart one, playing my videos through WiFi. Besides, I can use it to stream TV channels through the internet. This sounds like the best choice.
I will start digging now – expect an article on how it all went in the near future…
