Earlier this year I picked up another great toy that has proven fantastic for coin shows. It is a 7 inch tablet that has allowed me to no longer carry books or lists to coin shows.
I realize some folks use smart phones that can do the same while others use an ipad, my problem was with size. I needed a screen that was large enough to easily bring up e-books but small enough that it was easily portable and a 7 inch screen was perfect and since I like to wear cargo pants it fit perfectly into the large pockets.
Now for the good stuff, I loaded an electronic copy of a Krause catalog for 20th century coins, a want list (in MSExcel), photos of all my coins, and an electronic copy of grading coins. Having these resources at my fingertips saved me money, time, and even allowed me to haggle for some coins. Best of all I didn’t have to carry around a notebook, pens, or books! Surprisingly I was the only person walking the floor using a tablet but I can see that changing in the very short term.
I am not going to endorse one tablet maker over another as I made my decision based on functionality. I needed a tablet that could handle e-books, use MSOffice tools, and be able to link with my home computer and it just happens that an Archos 70b tablet fit the bill. Currently, Amazon’s Kindle Fire is the top dog in the 7 inch screen size and major competitors want in on the action so expect to see lots of new stuff from major manufacturers (such as Samsung or Acer) and at reasonable prices if anyone wants one for the same reasons.
