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It's over, Windows tablet: It's not you, it's me

Hard as I try, I can no longer get into you the way I did before. It's not your fault, it's mine.
Written by James Kendrick, Contributor
T100 broken heart

Windows 8, when we first met I wasn't sure what to make of you. An OS that could do it all seemed a very powerful thing, and indeed it was. The flexibility to be both a laptop and a tablet was a heady thing, and a strong attraction.

Over time the fascination with your dual personality faded, as I realized when it comes to a tablet I don't need all the laptop stuff. The full features of your system provide good utility for many, but it's overkill for me.

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I want a tablet I can sit down with and do what I need with no fuss. I want to pick up a tablet, do something quickly, and put it away.

I want my tablets to be tablets and nothing more. I appreciate your ability to do it all, but it's not for me.

You can do that, but sometimes you don't. You occasionally need to do something besides what I want, and while that may not delay me it always distracts me. Windows tablet, when I sit down with you I never know exactly what to expect. That is not satisfying to me nor the way I want my tablets to work.

It's not that way with any of the other tablets I use. They are built to be just tablets and they work accordingly. I pick them up and do what I need without distraction nor delay.

When I use one of them with a keyboard it's different than it is with you. Your ability to do it all means all of the power of your OS is there even when I use you with a keyboard. That’s far more than I need. You’re a great laptop, but it’s a tablet I want. Other tablets work fine with the keyboard without a bunch of laptop stuff getting in the way.

Your dual personality is another big problem for me. I can be interacting with you via touch like any other tablet, and you throw me onto the laptop side. That doesn't work as well as the softer touch side, and it's not something I'm willing to put up with any longer.

Yes, you are all powerful and can handle everything. I get that, it's just not important to me. I want my tablets to be tablets and nothing more. I appreciate your ability to do it all, but it's not for me.

Windows 8, you are the most powerful and advanced version of Windows ever produced. That’s great for many, but not what I want from you on a tablet.

In the beginning I was enamored with your form and still am. The Asus Transformer Book T100 is still a wonderful piece of hardware that does both tablet and laptop equally well. But it's got your dual personality behind it, and that's the problem.

I tried awfully hard to get past this and make a go of us. I spent many hours trying to work past my feelings but failed. It’s not you, as you're perfect for many users. It's me, and I can't help feeling that I've failed you.

I'm sure I'll pick you up from time to time to see how you've changed. I'll want to keep up with how you've grown and what's new in your life. We spent too many years together for me to just walk away without looking back. I'll miss you Windows. I wish only the best for you.

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