A Review Of Computer Tablets

1. Tablets – A Comparison
Richard Bambridge

2. Todays Topics
 What Is A Tablet?
 Typical Uses
 Key Features
 Tablet PC Operating Systems
 Common Specifications To Look Out For
 Which One Is Right For You?
 Richard’s Top Picks – but don’t shoot me if you
disagree!

3. What Is A Tablet?
Much Like A Laptop, But Lacks A Keyboard
Uses A Touch Screen Instead Of A Mouse
Has A Range Of Operating Systems
Specifically Designed For This Kind Of
Device
Basically 3 Types Of Tablet : Slate
 All Screen, No Keyboard, Mouse
 Convertibles
 Laptops That Transform Into Tablets With A Specially
Designed Hinge
 Hybrids
 Slates Designed To Work With Keyboard Docks

4. The Earliest Tablets
Cumbersome
Exceptionally Heavy
Read Only
Minimal Graphics
Not Good For Gaming
Only One Supplier

5. In The Beginning…??

7. Typical Uses
Portable Computer
Simple At-Home Device
Entertainment
Gaming
Browsing The web
Business

9. Key Features
Design
Small In Size, But Bigger Than A
Smartphone - Typically 7-12”
Touch /Orientation Interface
Accelerometer
Multi Touch Screens
e.g Pinch To Zoom
Tablet APP Stores

10. Tablet PC Operating Systems
IOS – Apple Ipad
Android Operating Systems (Google)
Windows
Blackberry
Web OS2 (palm, HP)

11. IOS – Pros & Cons
 Pros:
 Easy To Use (especially If You Have Iphone, Ipod,
Mac etc.)
 Access to > 475,000 Ipad Optimized Apps (as at
October 2013)
 Designed To Work Seamlessly With The Hardware
 Generally Work Uniformly Well, As There Is Only The
One Platform.
 Cons:
 Doesn’t Include Support For Flash Videos Or Games
 Restricted To Ipad
 Apple Controls All The Apps In The store
 Apple Controls All The Hardware, So less Choice &
No Budget Options

12. Android Pros & Cons
 Pros:
 Far More Choice Of Tablets From Budget To High
End
 Rapidly Growing App Store
 Integrates Seamlessly With Google Accounts
 Open Platform, Allowing More Developers
 Cons:
 Several Different Versions Of Android Still Kicking
Around On Various Devices – Some designed For
Smartphones
 The Latest Version Of Android (Kit-Kat), Is Running
On >2% Of Devices. (Was Recently Only Available
On Nexus 7)
 Poor Design Of Some Cheaper Android Devices

13. Windows Pros & Cons
 Pros:
 Latest Tablet Models Will Run Windows 8, So You
Have The Same Functionality As You Have With Your
Laptop/Desktop.
 MS Office
 Adobe Photoshop
 Latest versions Have Expansion Slots
 Better Suited For Business Users?
 Cons:
 Slimmed Down Windows RT Operating System For
Earlier tablets Will Not Run Desktop Apps.
 Compared To IOS/Android, relatively Few Apps
 Prices Of Latest Versions Similar to Laptops

14. Common Specs To Look Out For
 Size & Weight
 Small Enough To Carry Around, But Make Sure
The Screen Is Big Enough To Read & Type On
 Price
 Low End $150 Or Less
 High End $500 & Up
 Cost Factors
 Storage Size
 3G or 4G Connectivity
 Longer Battery Life
 Extra Features

15. Common Specs To Look Out For
 Memory
 Not The Same As Your Laptop – Closer To
Smartphones
 8,16,32,64Gb
 Not Many Tablets Offer Additional Storage
 Fortunately Most Apps Are Small, But Go For larger
Memory If You Want To Download Movies, Or large
Music Collections.
 Connectivity
 Wi-Fi
 Blue Tooth
 GPS
 3G 4G

16. Common Specs To Look Out For
 Battery Life
 Go For Longer Battery Life For Web Browsing, Interactive
Gaming, Watching movies, Using 3G or 4G
 For Listening To Music, Reading, General Use With
Internet Turned Off, Battery Life Is Not An Issue.
 A Kindle Used Just For Reading Will Go 3 Weeks On
Average Between Charges, Compared to 8-10 hours For A
Connected Ipad.
 Cameras
 Front Facing For Video Calling
 Rear Facing For Taking Photos & Videos

17. Common Specs To Look Out For
 Screen Resolution
 Typically, Tablet Screen Resolutions Can Be Categorized
As Follows:
 2048 x 1536 (QXGA)
 1366 x 768, or 1280 x 800 (WXGA)
 1024 x 768 (XGA)
 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
 800 x 600 (WVGA)
 Tablets of Smaller Sizes Such as 7’’ Will Work Well With
Lower Resolution Screens. Higher Screen Resolution
Becomes Relevant As The Tablet Size Increases, And The
More Video Usage Required.

18. Which One Is Right For You?
 A Step By Step Decision
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Operating System
Portability/Readability
Engine/Battery Power/Storage
Expansion Slots
Wi-Fi/Sim Or Both
Apps & Accessories
Try Before You Buy
How deep Is The Hole In Your pocket?

19. Richard’s Picks
 Best Tablet Overall
 Apple Ipad Air
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9.7” Retina Display
Thinner, Lighter, Hold In One Hand
64 bit CPU Provides Great Performance
Battery Life 12 Hours
Starting Price $499

20. Richard’s Picks
 Best Small tablet
 Ipad Mini With Retina Display
 2048x1536 Pixel Screen In A 7.9” Design
 64 bit Processor Provides Great Performance
 11 Hours Battery Life
 Starting Price $399

21. Richard’s Picks
 Best 7” Tablet
 Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
 Great For Books, Music & Movies
 1920x1200 Display Amazingly Sharp
 Starting Price $229

22. Richard’s Picks
 Best Android Tablet
 Google Nexus 7
 1920x1200 7” Display
 1.5Ghz quad core processor
 Starting Price $229

23. Richard’s Picks
 Best Large Windows Tablet
 ASUS Transformer Book T100
 Free Keyboard Dock
 MS Office Included
 12 Hour Battery life
 Starting Price $349

24. Richard’s Picks
 Best Tablet For Business
 Microsoft Surface Pro 2
 Full Windows 8.1 Operating System
 Intel 4th Generation Processor
 Docking Station Option for 3840x2160 Resolution
 Starting Price $899

25. Richard’s Picks
 Best Tablet For Those Of Us On A Budget!
 Asus MeMo Pad 7
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Great Value For Money Android Tablet
1280x800 Display
Powerful Quad Processor
Front & Rear Cameras
10 hours Battery Life
Micro SD Card Slot For Expansion
Starting Price $150

26. Thank You!
 If You’re still confused, try using this web site. It will help you
get more confused – No Not really!
 http://www.toptenreviews.com/configurator/tablets-review/
 Richard Bambridge