29/08/2013
5 Tips on choosing the right Tablet
Although Apple wasn’t the first one to come out with a tablet, when they came out with the iPAD in early 2010, its sleek design and clever marketing made it the ‘must-have’ item of the 21st century and because the iPAD was so popular, it made tablets the fastest growing segment of the personal computer market.
Today, there are just so many models and manufacturers of tablets and although choice is good, it makes choosing a tablet a daunting task. How the heck do you choose the right tablet to suit your personal needs?
Tip #1: How will you use your tablet?
If you are planning to use your tablet for purely recreational purposes like surfing the net, emailing or watching YouTube, just about any tablet out there will be okay. But when you start to think of the specific things you want to use your tablet for, It’s easier to narrow the field. For example, if you are going to be using your tablet to upload pictures from your camera, looking for one with the correct ports would be a must.
Ask yourself these questions: Will your tablet be primarily for work, school or personal use? Will it replace your laptop or will you use it in conjunction with your laptop or desktop? Are you going to be using your tablet for gaming or movie watching? Or are you going to be using your tablet for more personal use like surfing the net, checking your email or hanging out on Facebook?
Start by making a list of all the activities that are most important to you, because these activities will help you choose the tablet that is perfect for you, from the ideal screen size to the right operating system.
Tip #2: Compare Apps & Operating Systems
On yesterday’s post, I spoke about the differences between the two biggest operating systems iOS and Android and I touched on apps and the functionality of them. You first need to decide on which operating system you want. Besides for iOS (on the iPAD) and Android, you will also find Windows and QNX. iOS you will only find on iPAD and QNS you will only find on the Blackberry Playbook. Android and Windows can be found on many different tablets.
Basically, if you are going to be creating and editing documents and spreadsheets, you might want to choose a Windows Tablet. Now now… everybody just settle down. Here is the reason why I say this: With iOS and Android, you can easily read documents and spreadsheets etc, but as soon as you want to edit or manipulate documents, you have to BUY an app (like Quickoffice and Documents to Go) to do this.
iPAD is still the favourite when it comes to gaming and watching movies etc, but some Android tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy and the Motorola Xoom, are quickly overtaking the speed and the clarity. Where the iPAD surpasses all the rest is undisputedly the app store which has hundreds of thousands of apps. If you need a specific app for work or school, make sure that it is available on the tablet you are considering.
Tip #3: Compare Features
Okay, once you have chosen the operating system, your list of choices are looking a lot easier to manage. (And if you have chosen iOS, your list is very short indeed). Now you can focus on which features you want your new tablet to have!
If you have chosen the iPAD, your choices are simple:
1. WiFi (allows you to connects to a WiFi network) vs 3G (If there is no WiFi available, it allows you to connect with Bluetooth)
2. Okay, now storage space… 16GB, 32GB or 64GB (I say the bigger the better)
3. Lastly, the colour… it’s in black and white baby… no seriously, those are your choices, black or white?
Other than that, the iPAD has front and rear camera for taking pictures and video recording.
If you have chosen an Android or a Windows tablet you will have to compare the features of each tablet separately. Check specifications like battery life, WiFi and 3G (or even 4G) capabilities, speed and size of storage. Most tablets these days have both front and rear cameras so that you can fix your hair before taking a photo or when you are busy with video chat, you can see yourself. You can also get different accessories like stands, wall mounts, remotes, speakers and full external keyboards. So all of that is what you need to look at when purchasing a tablet.
Tip #4: Appearance & Size
It is very in to shop online… do you blame us? No hassle, you don’t have to leave your desk, it gets delivered to your door and all at the click of a button. With all the previous tips you could use the net to easily find out about the different Tablets, in fact, I encourage that, but this is where you have to go and physically look at the tablets.
Now there are a couple of things to consider when you are thinking about the size and appearance. Do you want the biggest screen out there or do you want something that you can easily slip into your pocket or handbag? Do you want something smooth and sleek, are you a farmer that works in the bush and you need something a bit tougher or is your 4 year old going to be playing angry birds on it?
Take the tablet in your hands and just see if you like it, if it feels right to you. Is it the right size? Is it too heavy? When you touch the touch screen, does it respond fast enough? Are the keys on the virtual keyboard big/small enough? Put a couple of tablets next to each other and compare the brightness and resolutions of the screens.
Once you have narrowed the choice down by A LOT, there is just one last, very important thing you need to consider:
Tip #5: Price
Now if you don’t have a budget then you don’t have to worry. If you do have a budget and the one you really like falls within you budget, then you are sorted. But most of us want the best but can’t afford the best. This is where you have to weigh up your options, compare all the features you get for your money and choose the one that suits you the best within your budget.
So, those are my top tips for choosing a Tablet… I hope it helped a little. My next blog will be about The Top 10 Internet Safety Tips
