At one point you could easily have argued that the only viable tablet was the iPad. But now, at the end of the first quarter of 2012, there are many more options to choose from. Dominating the headlines is of course the new iPad. But with a plethora of Android tablets available as well, it is perhaps becoming harder than ever to decide which tablet to buy.
This concise post will hopefully give you a few useful tips if you're looking to purchase a tablet in 2012.
Every list of tablet suggestions inevitably begins and ends with the iPad. And whatever faults Apple's tablet has, there are many who consider it to be firmly above the competition. Does this mean you should invest in the new iPad? Not necessarily. If you're a gamer and/or love great visuals, then the new iPad is a good choice - its Retina display arguably makes photography, gaming and movie watching a richer experience than on any other tablet.
On the other hand, if you don't attach that much importance to the number of pixels in the display, you might be better off with the 2nd generation iPad - which, as some users like to point out, is actually lighter than the new iPad and arguably a little easier to hold. Moreover, if you
buy the ipad 2 online you can save yourself a fair amount of money, which you could use on things like apps or indeed on anything else you wish to buy.
Moving away from the iPad, another great tablet to consider is the Kindle Fire. Second only to the iPad in terms of popularity, the Kindle Fire allows you to access and enjoy Amazon's vast store of digital content. In addition, the Android app store, whilst nowhere near as large as the Apple app store, allows you to get hold of great apps such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. And if you're a first-time tablet tablet or simply don't want to spend too much money on your device, then the $199 price of the Kindle Fire will probably sound rather appealing.
Are there any other great tablets to choose from in 2012? Yes, of course. There are at least half a dozen worthy contenders, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Asus Eee Pad transformer prime. One advantage of the latter is that it comes with an optional keyboard dock, which allows for extended typing on a "real" keyboard as opposed to the virtual one that you use on most other tablets. So if you intend to do a lot of typing on your tablet, the Eee Pad transformer prime might be one for you to consider.
If you're in no particular rush to buy your tablet, you may want to hold on and see what Microsoft and Google have to offer. Their tablets come out later in the year, assuming all goes well in production. The price is expected to be in the region of $200 to $300, though it's difficult to know what you can expect for your money. In terms of specs, it's hard to see how anything at that price point can match the specs of the new iPad. On the other hand, if you're keen to use Windows 8 and if budget is an issue, then Google's (and Microsoft's) offerings might suit you rather well.
[Optional author bio: This article was written by Ivan Arsov - a guest blogger who writes posts about tablet deals and online shopping.]Labels: Tablet pc's
