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12/09/2014

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Top workplace tablet in U.S. runs on Windows
U.S. companies use Windows tablets slightly more than iPads and Android tablets, according to a recent Harris poll of IT decision makers.

By Matt Hamblen | Computerworld US | 12 November 14

U.S. companies use Windows tablets slightly more than iPads and Android tablets, according to a recent Harris poll of IT decision makers.
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A mix of tablets are in use at U.S. companies, but Windows tablets are used by 72% of the companies surveyed, with iPads used by 69% and Android tablets used by 60%.

The results are based on an online survey conducted in June and July of U.S. IT officials who have a major influence on computer purchasing at 250 companies with more than 500 workers. Harris also conducted similar studies in nine other countries.

Dell, which commissioned the Harris survey, makes tablets running either Windows or Android. Generally, IDC and other market research firms have reported that all Android tablet makers combined comprise the largest segment of the new tablet shipments in recent quarters, followed by Apple iPads, with Windows tablets trailing, but those findings don't specifically look at tablets used in workplaces.

The Harris survey found that Android was the most frequently used OS on tablets used in workplaces in India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, China, France, the UK and United Arab Emerates. The iPad took the top spot in Japan, while Windows took the top spot in the U.S.

For the U.S. companies in the survey, 73% use tablets of all varieties as a standard part of workplace devices, with 51% of companies allowing workers to use tablets purchased with their own money. Eighty-one percent of IT managers said tablets have increased workplace productivity

12/09/2014

Leading Android fansite recommends Apple Inc iPad Air 2 as best tablet in holiday gift guide

By Daniel Eran Dilger
Monday, December 08, 2014, 01:37 pm PT (04:37 pm ET)
Android Police named Apple's iPad Air 2 as its top tablet pick among "Android devices" for the 2014 holiday season, calling it "reliable, predictable, and very fast."

Android Police

The site, which bills itself as "looking after all things Android," is listed among the top three Android news outlets in Google's search results and appears to have earned a "Like" from every Google+ user.

However, despite the thousands of Android tablets offered by a wide range of licensees—including the newly released Google-branded Nexus 9, built by HTC—Android Police prominently named iPad Air 2 as its top tablet among "Android devices." David Ruddock wrote that iPad Air 2 "doesn't run Android and I don't really care that it doesn't run Android."

"Yes, I am breaking the gift guide by putting this here," Ruddock stated. "Why? Because as you'll notice, none of us recommended the Nexus 9, because it's not exactly great. In fact, I'd argue no Android tablet is."

He noted that Nvidia's gaming-oriented Shield Tablet "is a lot of bang for your buck, but the screen kind of sucks and the battery life isn't spectacular (standby is bad in particular) and it's heavy, thick, and kinda ugly."

After noting that iPad Air 2 doesn't run Android, Ruddock added, "as far as I'm concerned, it's either this or a Galaxy Tab S if you're in the market for a premium tablet at this point, and I'm not too hot on the Exynos processor / 16GB of storage / Samsung's update track record that you get with the Tab S 8.4. The 10.5 is also just too big, and I'm not sure I want an 8.4" tablet, either, it's a hair too small. The Nexus 9 is the right size, but pretty much the wrong everything else."

iPad Air 2

Ruddock called attention to Android's tablet app gap, stating that "iOS still has some tablet experience apps lacking Android equivalents," adding that "while Android tablets do have some advantages (like a better Gmail app BY FAR), the iPad remains a no-brainer for me. If it's my money being spent on a tablet, I'm going to buy the one I know is going to live up to a standard of quality."

He called Apple's iPad lineup the "the gold standard in tablets since it was unveiled," adding, "that hasn't changed. I don't see it changing any time soon, either."

Further down in the site's gift guide, another editor listed Nvidia's Shield Tablet as "an excellent mid-sized tablet," adding, "And yes, I think it's better than the Nexus 9." A third listed Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 8.4 as "the single best Android."

Under "Other Stuff," a fourth staff writer Cameron Summerson listed an Acer Chromebook (which also does not run Android) along with the Nexus 9, stating "I basically love everything about it" and calling it "definitely my top pick for best Android tablet, though Shield Tablet is a very close second." The site also recommended a variety of accessories and devices not directly related to Android.

In the gift guide's comments, Summerson protested Ruddock's statement that "none of us recommended the Nexus 9," posting, "David's a liar. I recommended the Nexus 9. I love mine." In response, Ruddock added the comment, "Cameron recommended it, but don't listen to him."

Google's Nexus 9 has received mixed reviews, with particular criticism targeting weaknesses in its build quality and fit-and-finish, despite being priced higher than previous generations of the Nexus tablet line.

Primate Lab's Geekbench indicated that the triple core, 64-bit A8X Application Processor in Apple's iPad Air enables it to trounce the Shield Tablet, Galaxy Tab S and Nexus 9 in CPU functions, while Kishonti Informatics' GFXBench outlined a similarly large advantage in graphics power over a variety of Android tablets powered by Nvidia's Tegra K1 (Nexus 9), Qualcomm Snapdragon and Samsung Exynos (both used in variants of the Galaxy Tab S) as well as Intel's heavily subsidized Atom Bay Trail chip (used in Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 Pro).

Last year, Strategy Analytics publicized the retroactive discovery of millions of Android tablets in an attempt to rewrite history, even as IDC and Gartner tallied up falling tablet "market share" for Apple based on vast numbers of low priced, tablet-shaped devices.

San Francisco security firm Bluebox Labs recently warned that after testing a dozen Black Friday bargain Android tablets from major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Kmart, Kohl's, Staples, Target and Walmart, it found "shocking" security flaws, malware and active backdoors installed on the new devices.

12/06/2014

While some of our devices had already received Android 5.0 Lollipop, on the market there’s still a lot of other smartphone or tablets that are not tasting the Lollipop treatment yet. If until now all the devices that got the update were powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, from now on it seems that the 5th version of Android will arrive on Allwinner’s powered tablets and phones too.

AllWinner-A80-octo-core

Today we get to know that Android 5.0 Lollipop will arrive on Allwinner processor-based tablets in the near future, while an Allwinner A33 quad-core tablet will make its appearance sometime later this month. After that, in early 2015, we’ll get in on Allwinner octa-core A80 and A83T devices.

12/06/2014

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12/06/2014

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12/04/2014

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12/02/2014

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12/02/2014

A school which gave out iPads to every pupil in hope of improving their education has admitted that just a year later half the costly devices have been broken.

Honywood Community Science School dished out iPad2 tablets to its 1,200 pupils a year ago, at vast cost to the taxpayer.

Despite warnings that children would not be able to look after the fragile computer tablet, the school in Coggeshall, Essex, allowed children to take the device outside the classroom, playground and street and home at evenings and weekends.
Expensive: Honywood Community Science School in Essex admitted that half the iPads given out last year have been broken

Expensive: Honywood Community Science School in Essex admitted that half the iPads given out last year have been broken

It was hoped that the iPads would be a useful learning tool, as well as keep the school up to pace with international competitors embracing the technology in the classroom.

But after just one year, more than four in ten of the iPads had been sent off for repair, after being knocked, dropped or scratched. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal 489 had to be replaced after being found to be beyond repair.

About a fifth of those sent for repair – 112 – had to be sent back more than once.

Pupils said in some of the younger classes, around half the class had broken their tablet at least once, and some as many as three times.

Despite the threat of confiscation after three tablets, ultimately none were taken away from pupils.

The school said the iPads have helped improve pupil discipline and exam results

The school argues that since introducing the devices, it has seen improvements in pupil discipline, attendance, and exam results.

Apple, the manufacturer of iPads, is said to be aggressively targeting the school market and at the time headteachers were accused of ‘falling for a gimmick’.

Honywood, which gained academy status last year, giving it greater control over its budget, gave out the tablets last September, at an estimated cost of £500,000, or £400 per iPad.

Parents were asked only to pay £50 towards insuring the device.

At the time headteacher Simon Mason said the investment represented 2.3 per cent of the school’s budget, and did not want to publicise the scheme for fear of putting the safety of pupils at risk.

Honywood Community Science School in Coggeshall, Essex, admitted that less than a year after it gave iPad2 tablets to its 1,200 pupils half have been broken.

12/02/2014

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12/02/2014

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12/01/2014

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12/01/2014

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