iPads, Nooks, Galaxy Tabs… What to choose? What will fit my needs the best? Well, here’s a breakdown of the top tablets currently available on the market, their respective ups and downs, and whether or not they give you a real bang for your buck!
iPad 4th generation (Apple) Price: $529-$929
It’s safe to say that nearly everyone who was born in the 21st century or has kept up with technology has heard of an iPad or the Apple industry. But how many people actually know what makes the iPad perform all its strange techno magic? Apple designers boast the iPad’s 1.3 GHz processor (computer engine) to help run things smoothly. It has a rear camera of 5-megapixels, around the standard range for its division. It comes with a special resolution known as “Retina”; Apple’s enhanced form of high definition. Also, an added perk to his device is the ability to get an iPad with cellular service built-in, exactly like any phone would. For now, only Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T carry iPads. As far as getting your money out of it, this device is extremely recommended for those new to the tablet generations because of its user-friendly interface and functionality. For those who are more advanced in technological wizardry, there are a few other options.
Galaxy Note 10.1 (Samsung) Price: $399-$549
Samsung has devised its own version of the tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 It’s long line of cellular brethren, such as the Galaxy S3 and Nexus, simply don’t match up to its outstanding performance. Simply put, you want power, go get a Note 10.1. The best part is, it comes at a slightly cheaper price! Running the latest software called Android 4.0, the Galaxy Note’s enhanced interface allows users to do much more on it than they would on an iPad. Frankly, the resolution appears to be the same, because once we get up to 1280 x 800, I don’t think it makes all that much of a difference to the naked eye. Widgets are also available, including traffic, weather, and breaking news. The rear camera also has 5- megapixels, while its front-facing camera has 1.9. The Note is only available in Wi-Fi models, with a full range of miscellaneous ports for connection to other devices.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (Amazon) Price: $299-$599
This tablet serves to those who don’t need all the aforementioned fancy features, but want to take advantage of some next generation technology . For such users, there is the “reading tablet”, a tablet that is pretty much used to read books on a screen, which is beginning to become more common than print books. These tablets don’t serve much else of a purpose than to read books and other publications. However, they do make the reading experience quite pleasurable. With the ability to brighten the screen, increase the text size, and bookmark pages, the user is able to perform basic functions on the electronic version that they would on a regular version. However, it is important that users beware that these files, known as .epubs, require great amounts of space each. I recommend investing in a separate storage capacity in the event that your desires exceed what you can have.
