It’s not the gun, but the person behind the gun.
Have you ever heard this proverb?
For me, the meaning is simple: skill matters more than the tool. A good tool can certainly make our work easier, but having expensive equipment does not automatically make someone productive. At the end of the day, it is the person using the tool who determines what can be achieved with it.
And somehow, tonight, I felt like sharing a little story about how I stay productive using a very simple, low-budget setup.
As an SEO Content Writer, my workspace is far from fancy. I don't have a powerful laptop, an expensive tablet, or a high-end smartphone. My setup consists of three entry-level gadgets that I bought at relatively low prices, yet they have helped me work, learn, and do many productive things over the years.
So, let me introduce you to my three humble gadgets. 😁
1. KUBIK Genta 10
First, there is my KUBIK Genta 10, an entry-level Android tablet that has been one of my most useful working companions.
I bought it in January 2023, just a few days after I was accepted as an SEO Content Writer at an agency. I purchased it from Tokopedia for around IDR 950,000.
Pretty cheap, right? 😅
But Alhamdulillah, it has served me surprisingly well. Even after more than three years of use, it is still usable and, for my needs, it doesn't feel unbearably slow.
Of course, its specifications are very modest by today's standards. It has only 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, but it comes with a 10.1-inch screen, which I find more than enough for writing articles.
One thing I learned from using entry-level devices is that optimization matters.
I disabled or removed several unnecessary apps and bloatware that I rarely used, including Google Play, Google Movies, Chrome, YouTube, YouTube Music, and others. The goal was simple: free up as much RAM and storage as possible.
Instead of installing every application I could find, I only installed apps that actually supported my work, such as Google Docs and Google Drive.
For browsing and researching topics, I also use Via Browser as a lightweight alternative to Chrome. It takes very little space and still gives me the essential features I need to research articles.
It may not be a powerful tablet, but it doesn't need to be.
I don't use it for demanding games or heavy video editing. I use it to write, research, study through free online courses, watch movies during my spare time, and occasionally do other productive activities.
And for those purposes, it has been enough. 🤍
KUBIK Genta 10 specifications
- Display: 10.1-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
- Resolution: 1280 × 800 pixels
- Chipset: MediaTek MTK6739
- Processor: Octa-core
- GPU: Mali-400, up to 400 MHz
- RAM: 2 GB
- Internal Storage: 32 GB
- External Storage: Up to 128 GB
- Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie
- Network: 2G / 3G / 4G LTE
- Rear Camera: 5 MP
- Front Camera: 2 MP
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
- Ports: USB Type-C 2.0 and 3.5 mm audio jack
- SIM: Dual SIM (Most of tablet in the same price provide WiFi only)
- Dimensions: 251 × 163 × 9.2 mm
Nothing extraordinary, but it gets the job done. And sometimes, getting the job done is all that matters.
2. Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse
Of course, writing long articles on a touchscreen isn't exactly the most comfortable experience. That's why I added my second piece of equipment: a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
I bought them from Lazada for approximately IDR 88,000. Again, very affordable. 😅
I chose Bluetooth versions because I didn't want to deal with USB adapters and cables. I simply connect them to the tablet, and suddenly my humble Android tablet feels much more like a laptop.
The keyboard runs on a rechargeable battery. Usually, I only need to charge it once or twice a month. Meanwhile the mouse uses AAA batteries, which I typically replace every three months or so.
That's basically it.
With those two simple accessories, I can type, move the cursor, edit articles, select text, and do most of the things I normally would on a laptop.
I bought them in the same year as my tablet, and they are still working properly today.
Sometimes, you don't need a whole new device. You just need a small accessory that makes the device you already have more useful. 😃
3. ZTE Blade A72
And finally, we have my smartphone: the ZTE Blade A72. I bought this phone in January 2024 for around IDR 794,000 on Shopee.
And here's the interesting part: I bought it using money I had earned from online paid surveys (as a hobby) over the course of a year. 🤫😂
Yes, it was a little exercise in delayed gratification. 😁
At the time, I was looking for an affordable smartphone that still offered specifications that mattered to me.
ZTE wasn't a brand I knew much about. Compared with Redmi, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, or Samsung, it certainly wasn't the first brand that came to mind.
But as someone who enjoys technology, I discovered ZTE through a tech group on Facebook. I then spent some time researching it through Google, YouTube, and reviews from actual users.
Eventually, I decided to give it a try.
And honestly, for the price, I was impressed. 🤩
Where else could I get features such as UFS 2.2 storage that can read & write at once (because most of phone with the price under and over 1 million rupiah still use eMMC 5.1 which is slower because it reads first before writing), 22.5W fast charging, USB Type-C, a huge 6000 mAh battery (I recharge my battery once in two days 🤣), a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack at that price?
That last one was particularly important to me because I still prefer wired earphones. I don't know why, but I just don't really like using TWS. 😂
The phone has 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, and it also supports a microSD card. I use an 8 GB card to store pictures and files so that I can keep the internal storage as free as possible.
The camera is nothing spectacular, and I never expected it to be. But that's okay because I'm not really someone who takes lots of photos or videos anyway. 😅
What surprises me most is that after almost three years of use, the phone is still perfectly usable for my everyday needs.
Alhamdulillah.
Maybe it's because I optimize my devices as much as I can. I remove unnecessary bloatware, use lightweight applications, install alternatives that consume less RAM, use NetGuard to block internet and ads, and choose lite versions whenever they are available.
Maybe that's why these inexpensive gadgets have lasted much longer than someone might expect.
ZTE Blade A72 specifications
- Display: 6.75-inch IPS LCD, 90 Hz
- Resolution: 1080 × 2400 pixels
- Processor: Octa-core
- Chipset: Unisoc T606 (12 nm)
- GPU: IMG8322
- RAM: 3 GB
- Internal Storage: 64 GB
- Operating System: Android 11
- Rear Camera: 13 MP + 2 MP macro + 2 MP depth
- Front Camera: 5 MP
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
- SIM: Dual SIM
- USB: USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
- Audio Jack: 3.5 mm
- Battery: 6000 mAh
- Fast Charging: 22.5W
- Fingerprint Sensor: Side-mounted
- Dimensions: 168 × 77.5 × 9.4 mm
And that's basically my little low-budget setup.
Alhamdulillah, I'm not really into mobile gaming. The things I enjoy doing with my devices are mostly productive: writing, researching, taking online courses, reading, watching educational content, and learning new things.
I wrote this without any particular intention other than wanting to share a small reminder:
Having a limited budget doesn't have to be a barrier to personal growth.
- You don't need a fancy laptop to write.
- You don't need an expensive tablet to take an online course.
- You don't need a flagship smartphone to be productive.
Sometimes, you simply need to make the best possible use of what you already have.
Of course, that doesn't mean I don't dream about upgrading my gadgets. I do. 😅
For example, sometimes I think about replacing my ZTE Blade A72 with something more powerful, perhaps a POCO X8 Pro.
But then I think about it again. And again.
And probably a thousand times more. For what? 😂
POCO phones are often associated with gaming performance, while I don't even know how to play games properly on a phone since I find it boring unlike learning new things. Hehe. 😬😅
So, for now, I'm still happy with my ZTE. I'll probably keep using it until its last breath. 😂🤍
Maybe that's also why I have a hard time being the kind of person who constantly buys a new gadget, sells the old one, and upgrades to the latest model.
Once I decide to buy something, I want to take care of it. I want to optimize it. I want to make it useful. And I want to keep using it until it has completed its last task.
Somehow, I treat my gadgets almost like living things with little souls of their own. 🤍😅
Perhaps that's why I get attached to them.
So, if there's one thing I want you to take from my little story, it's this:
Don't underestimate what you already have.
- A cheap gadget can still become a powerful tool when it is placed in the hands of someone who knows how to use it.
- A simple tablet can become a workplace.
- A cheap keyboard can turn that tablet into a writing machine.
- An entry-level smartphone can become a learning tool, a communication device, and a gateway to endless information.
The technology doesn't have to be perfect. We just have to make the most of it. Because, in the end, it's not always about having the best tools. It's about what we do with the tools we have.
So, make the most of everything you have and take good care of it, because the things you nurture will eventually bring value back into your life.
Take care of what you have. Learn how to optimize it. Use it to grow. And when the time finally comes to upgrade, let it because you truly need something better not simply because something newer exists.
Because sometimes, the most powerful upgrade isn't a new gadget. It's becoming better at using the one you already have. 🤍