Before getting a tablet
you need to consider the following factors:
Do you plan to browse the internet from anywhere? Then you need a
tablet which comes with 3G wireless, such as iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab. If you just want to
be able to browse the internet when you are home or at hotspots, then a tablet wich comes with Wi-Fi will do
the job. Those tablets that come with built-in 3G/4G are more expensive than the ones that come with Wi-Fi
only. Also, if you get a tablet that supports 3G/4G then you need to pay for data. You can either pay for data
as you go or you can get a monthly plan. If you have a choice of 3G vs 4G, get the tablet that includes
4G connectivity because it is much faster than the 3G.
If you get a 3G or 4G capable tablet, do you want
to choose your own carrier? Some tablets are tied to a carrier and you are stuck with that carrier. Others,
like Samsung Galaxy Tab, give you the freedom to choose your own carrier. Make sure you check
out the carriers and see what plans do they have to offer for what price.
- Do you just want a tablet or a tablet
PC?
There are a few tablets such as Samsung Sliding
PC7, Dell Inspiron
Duo or HP Slate 500 which are more like a computer than a tablet. They run Windows operating system and have almost
all the features of a laptop. You get much more features and multitasking is a breeze on these
tablets.
- Do you need a physical
keyboard?
Most tablets have a digital keyboard that comes up on the screen
whenever you need to type anything. However, some people prefer to have a physical keyboard. For the iPad 2 and
other tablets you can buy separate keyboards, but it is an extra expense. These are some of the tablets that
come with a standard physical keyboard: Samsung Sliding
PC7, Dell Inspiron
Duo, ASUS Eee Pad
Slider, Viliv S10,
Acer ICONIA Tab W500.
- Multitasking
(multi-processing)
Most tablets are not able to run
multiple applications in the same time. When you have multitasking capability one application is running
on the screen and others are running in the background. If you need multitasking capability on your next tablet
then you have a very limited choice. Multitasking tablets are: BlackBerry Playbook
Tablet
Not all tablets suport Adobe Flash and this means
that if you choose a tablet that does not support flash then you are not able to see Flash
supported sites on the Internet. If this is a concern for you then look for a tablet that has support for
Flash. Android tablets that have the Android operating system version 1.6 or
higher, should be able to allow for Adobe Flash video.
- Operating system:
iOS(Apple's operating system) vs Android(Google's operating system) vs Windows(Microsoft's operating
system)
There are three major operating systems that dominate the tablet market right now. The
first operating system is iOS (Apple's operating system that is
running on iPads and iPhones). The biggest advantage this operating system has over competition is the
number of apps (applications/programs/software). Apple has over 60,000 apps in many
different categories, especially games.
The second major operating system is Android, which was created by
Google. Google has designed two different version of Android operating system, one for Android phones and the
other for tablets (the latest one Android 3.0). Google software is really performant allowing for
multitasking, 3D internface, interactive widgets and
video chat via Google Talk.
The third major operating system is the popular Windows 7 (made by
Microsoft). One problem with this operating system is that it was not specifically designed for tablets. It is
using some special software overlays to be able to mimic the iOS (from Apple) and
Android (from Google). Anyway, because of the popularity of the
Windows operating system that is running on most PCs, some people will prefer this
operating system.
The iPad tablet has access to Apple's app market which boasts over 60,000
apps. If you own an Android tablet then you might be able to access the Google Marketplace. If you have a
tablet that is running the Windows operating system then you don't have access to any apps store because
Microsoft does not have an app store. Most of the companies that make tablets (like Toshiba and Archos)
will have their own app store. Make sure that you check with the company that sells the tablet to find
out if there is any app store or if you have access to Google Marketplace (Google's app
store).
Yes, the size of the tablet matters...Smaller tablets (mostly of 5-7 inches) are very
portable, easy to handle, easy to hold and easy to carry because you can slip it into a jacket pocket or a
purse. The larger tablets, which go from 8-12 inches, are much harder to handle and to carry arround because of
the size and weight. On the other hand, larger tablets provide a larger screen for surfing the web, watching
videos, reading books and magazines, etc. The larger tablets are also easier on your eyes because of the screen
resolution.
- HDMI port
and/or microUSB port
Why is it important to have an HDMI port and/or microUSB
port? These ports make it easy to output photos, videos, and even games to the nearest HDTV. A
microUSB port will enable your tablet to get in sync with your PC.
If you just want to browse the Internet, watch movies, read books
and listen to music then you can get a tablet that does all that for a good price usually under $300. If you
are more business oriented and need other special features than you will need a higher price tablet such
as iPad
2, Samsung Galaxy
Tab or Motorola XOOM or LG G
Slate.
Best Tablets
