Switched from paper plans to a tablet on site and ate my words

I was dead set against using a tablet for blueprints on job sites. Always said paper was faster and I didn't want to worry about breaking a $500 screen. But my foreman in Charlotte pushed me to try a ruggedized Samsung tablet for two weeks. After dropping it off a ladder onto concrete with zero damage, I'm not going back to paper.

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_martin2822h ago

Oh man, I had the exact same reaction when my boss made me switch! I was so sure paper was the only way to go, especially since I've killed a couple phones on site before. But I grabbed a cheap refurbished iPad with a super thick case and that thing has survived rain, mud, and a couple drops off scaffolding without a scratch. Now I can zoom in on tiny details and keep all my plans in one place instead of digging through a muddy roll. Have you found any good apps for marking up the plans directly?

seana144h ago

You know, I was in the same boat for years. Paper plans were just what I knew and they seemed reliable. But then I watched a younger guy on my crew using a tablet on a rainy day and it clicked. He could mark up a change right there and send it to the office before we even packed up for the day. That's when I realized I was just being stubborn about it. I bought a used iPad with a good case and now I can't imagine going back. It saves me so much time not having to redo my notes every time it gets wet or torn.