How an $80 accessory turned my tablet from mouse pad to productivity powerhouse

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Sometimes, we underestimate the gulf between dreams and reality. In my head, I want to be a tablet user. I've owned iPads , iPad Pros, and a wide selection of Android tablets , great and small.

Every time I get one, the story is the same. I convince myself that this time will be different, and that I'll actually put the device to good use. And I do… for a few weeks, and then the shine wears off, and at some point down the line I'll find the tablet again. Perhaps under a pile of books, in the bottom of a drawer, or that one time when it dawned on me that I'd been using the device as a mouse pad for about six months.

The problem with tablets is that I imagine they will offer the combined power and flexibility of my smartphone and laptop in a package that sits between the two in size and weight.

Also: The best large tablets: Expert tested and reviewed

The reality is that most tablets are too unwieldy for single-handed use, and trying to strong-arm them results in cubital tunnel syndrome (ask me how I know). So, I often end up either using the device flat on a table, which results in a posture that's the exact opposite of ergonomic, or trying another approach, such as the time I thought I'd struck gold when I found that my tablet came with a case that transformed into a stand, only to find that the stand was all wibbly-wobbly and I wasn't lucky at all.