Choose a Tablet - Part 2

Tablets are growing in popularity. Lightweight, ultra-portable and with a user-friendly and immersive touch-screen, it’s no wonder that more and more people are wondering if a tablet could replace their PC. Last week, I started to answer a reader’s inquiry about choosing a tablet for email, Internet, Facebook and reading books and magazines. This week, we’ll explore getting and storing content on a tablet, as well as offline functionality.

A tablet’s operating system and manufacturer determines where content originates from and this should factor into your decision if you plan to purchase games, movies, books or magazines. Amazon has a huge library of reasonably priced media. Apple’s iTunes and Google Play stores each have a large amount of content but tend to be a bit more expensive. Before you buy a tablet, find out where you’ll need to go to get content. Make sure there’s a huge selection of apps and media and then review a few games, books or movies that you’d be likely to purchase to compare pricing. A dollar or two on an item won’t break the bank, unless you spend an extra dollar or two a few times a week.


The iPad’s front-runner status means that you’ll have a massive selection of apps to choose from. This can come in really handy if you’re looking to integrate your tablet with other programs or things in your home (like Smart home remotely-controlled thermostats or lighting systems) as most app writers know that many of their likely consumers own an iPhone, iPad or iPod. However, most app stores will offer a wide selection of more common games and programs.

Storage capacity will determine how many apps you can install and how much data you can store on the device. Books take up very little space: you can expect to store about 1,000 eBooks in 2GB. Magazines can take a bit more due to color graphics and interactive features. Games can take up a lot of space: if they’re detailed and image-rich they can take up 1GB each. The true space hog is video content. If you buy an HD movie and want to be able to watch it offline, downloading it to your device will require 2-4GB of available storage.

Many tablet-fans will point you toward cloud storage solutions. Typically you’ll get a free account to store some additional content on the manufacturer’s cloud server, but you’ll need to have access to the Internet to access your cloud “data locker.” If you think you’ll store a lot on the device itself, consider a tablet that supports expanding memory via a removable SD memory card like Microsoft’s Surface or the Barnes and Noble Nook (iPads do not).

[pullquote]tablets definitely lose some functionality when they can't get online[/pullquote]

Tablets definitely lose some functionality when they can’t get online. With a WiFi-only device, you won’t have access to new emails or be able to use Facebook when you’re out of range of a WiFi signal. While books and magazines are typically downloaded to your tablet over WiFi (so that they’re later available offline), if you finish your book and want to download another when you’re not in WiFi range, you’re out of luck. Many games and applications rely on Internet access as well, though there are certainly plenty that retain full functionality offline.

While your tablet will be less useful offline, it won’t be a paperweight. Before you spend more on a tablet that supports cell signal and commit to the cost of a data plan subscription, try to determine how much time you’ll be away from WiFi and whether you’ll still get enough use out of your device when offline.

Choose a Tablet - Part 1

Last week, Christina P. sent me a great question about how to choose a tablet and what they do, an inquiry I receive regularly so I thought I’d share my reply in this two-part series:

I am considering a tablet for Internet, Facebook and reading - books and magazines, but I don't even own a smart phone, so I'm very confused. Do all tablets generally offer the same features? I don't understand why iPads are a lot more expensive than other tablets. Is the retina display worth the extra cost? If I plan to use a tablet on the road, will I need a cell phone plan for it? If you download a magazine, is it saved on the tablet, or do you need some type of internet connection to read it? What other tablets would you recommend? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Not all tablets are created equal, but there are some great options available that will give you the functionality that you’re looking for. The leader in the tablet market is undoubtedly the iPad, with sales figures leaving nearest competitors Samsung and Amazon in the dust. It’s a proven, reliable product that will definitely handle surfing the net, cruising Facebook, and keeping up on your news and magazines.

Apple products are generally more expensive than their competitors. This doesn’t inherently make them superior, but the price point is set due to its market share and frankly, Apple charges the price that people will pay to get an iPad. Just about any tablet from an established, reputable manufacturer would easily perform the functions you need. There are so many tablets on the market that it can be confusing to try to pick one up off the shelf. Stick with a well-known brand like Samsung’s Galaxy, Microsoft’s Surface, Google’s Nexus or an eReader from Amazon or Barnes and Noble to ensure reliability.

Speaking of eReaders that offer tablet functionality, Amazon’s Kindle Fire or Barnes and Noble’s Nook are significantly less expensive and will still give you access to Internet, email, and Facebook, as well as books and magazines. For the basic functions you list in your inquiry, I highly recommend that you consider Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, starting at $269 for a version with 16GB of storage and a screen size and resolution comparable to the iPad 2 with retina display (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GFRB9E/ref=fs_j). There are less expensive versions with either a smaller screen or lower resolution, but across the board you’ll save an average of $200 or more going with Amazon over a comparable Apple product.


As for the retina display upgrade offered on iPads, it increases the resolution capability of the screen. This will improve the clarity of magazine pages, and support viewing HD videos or content from the net. The best way to decide if it’s worth the price is to view it next to the standard iPad 2 to see if notice a marked difference.

In fact, I’d recommend that you visit a retail outlet that carries several brands (such as Target or Best Buy) to see, touch and play with a few tablets and eReaders before you decide so that you can see how they compare. Note screen size, resolution and storage capacity when price shopping to ensure you’re comparing similar products. Navigate between applications to make sure it feels user-friendly and relatively intuitive.

Stay tuned next week for more on how to get content on the device, storage capacity and whether or not to consider a 4G version to improve functionality when you’re away from WiFi.

 

photo from sxc.hu

Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire vs. Nook

Nexus 7 Google Takes on the Tablets

This week Google went and set the tech world abuzz by announcing their new Nexus7 tablet, the result of a partnership with ASUS. Recent success of Amazon’s Kindle Fire has given Google hope that the small screen, inexpensive tablet market is one worth pursuing. Anyone who has considered adding a tablet to their arsenal of tech gadgets but has balked at the price tag (or paltry performance of most low-end tablets) should take a second look at the Nexus 7.

While your first inclination is probably to compare it to the iPad, the dominant tablet on the market, in truth the Nexus 7 wasn’t made to compete with the iPad. Its $199 starting price tag and 7” screen puts it squarely in the ring with the major eReader hybrids on the market: Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet. It’s not going to stand up as well against the iPad or pricier Android tablets, but when its $200 less it would be like comparing a Honda Civic to a Mercedes. Some of the basic functionality is the same, but without all the bells and whistles.

When it comes to hardware, the Nexus 7 outpaces every other similarly priced tablet on the market. It’s faster to respond to your input, lighter weight, and has a better resolution display. It also offers a front-facing 1.2 megapixel camera for video chat (through Skype or Google+) that the Fire and Nook lack.


It’s the first mobile handheld gadget to ship with the new Android 4.1 “Jellybean” OS. They’ve added the tweak of “Project Butter” (seriously, who thinks up the names for these things?) which promises to throttle up the CPU to make the OS more responsive. It uses predictive algorithms to anticipate your next move and respond more quickly.

Since the core function of a tablet is to view media (be it streamed from the web or stored on the device) and play games, display quality is a huge factor. While comparative tablets share the same screen size (7”), the Nexus 7’s display resolution is superior. On the Fire or Nook, you’ll do a lot of “pinch-to-zoom” to get the smaller text on a webpage or online magazine large enough to read comfortably. The Nexus 7’s higher resolution allows for smaller text to be clear and easier to read, making the experience of paging through media or surfing the web more enjoyable.

My issue with all low-priced tablets is how content is funneled through their proprietary channels. They’re really just a tool to purchase content through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and now Google. If you purchase and stream content from these sources anyway, you’re going to be married to the device that supports your library. In my opinion, Amazon offers the largest selection of inexpensive content, so if you’re planning to start a library I would be hard-pressed to steer you away from the Kindle Fire. For example, while Google Play offers most of the same magazine’s as Amazon, many of them are more expensive. No one can yet compete with Amazon’s library of eBooks, music and movies.

If you want to watch your own content (movies or photos) or listen to your own music on the device, the Nook is the only low-priced tablet that supports an expansion SD card. For those that wonder why storage on a tablet matters, the first long flight without internet access to stream new material will leave you wondering why you bothered packing your 8GB Fire or Nexus 7.

Verdict? Wait a couple months for the rumored next generation of Kindle Fire to be released. If it’s closer to the Nexus 7’s hardware specs you may be glad you waited. If you don’t plan to purchase content and are just looking for a low priced tablet to surf the net, play games and check your email, the Nexus 7 is absolutely the best small-screen, low priced tablet currently on the market.

Can An iPad Replace A Laptop

iPad vs. Laptop: Can an iPad replace a laptop?

As the new school year approaches, the question I get asked most often is, "Should I buy a laptop or a tablet?" Apple's Steve Jobs has asserted that we are living in a "post-PC world". can an iPad replace a laptop?

To test the theory, I traveled to Florida with my 2-year old, bearing my iPad 2 but no laptop. When an article needed editing, I realized that while it would be possible for the iPad to do everything I needed, it wasn't going to work for me straight out of the box. It needed modification.

If you are considering ditching your laptop, whether it's for a trip or for good, here's my guide to making it possible.

Touch screen vs keyboard

Microsoft Word vs iWork
With or without a keyboard, creating or editing a document or spreadsheet on your iPad isn't going to be easy unless you make an aftermarket modification. Microsoft Office isn't available on the iPad, but Apple's iWork suite will give you most of its functionality at a fraction of the cost. Pages, Numbers and Keynote handily replace Word, Excel and PowerPoint , and cost $5 each through the Apple app store. All the content you create in these programs is cross compatible, so if you edit a Word document on your iPad using Pages, you can open and edit it later in Word with no difficulty.

As much as we'd all love to be paper-free, there are inevitably times when you need to print something. You can search the iPad for a USB port, but to no avail. Printing something off your iPad will require accessing a printer wirelessly. To make the process as painless as possible, look for a printer that is compatible with Airplay, Apple's proprietary wireless application.

Universal Acsess
Finally, sometimes I need a particular program that isn't compatible with the iPad, or I need to transfer content to another device. The lack of a USB port or disk drive can make this challenging. But with Logmein Ignition ($30 in the app store), you can remotely access your home or office computer via the Internet. Install the companion app on your laptop or desktop and leave it running while you are away. Now you can access everything on your home or office system from your iPad, from World of Warcraft to your accounting software.

What do you think? Can an iPad replace a laptop? If you're still nervous about unplugging from your laptop or desktop, share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.


[transcript]
Hi, I'm Ryan from Nerds On Call and today we're going to talk about whether you can replace your laptop with your iPad. There's nothing cooler than an iPad, but when you start using it, after a while you start to think do I really need both a laptop and an iPad? Well, one of the first things you're going to notice is when you start using an iPad there's no keyboard, you tap on the screen. Well, that can be fantastic for short emails or Tweets or Facebook updates, but let's say you have to do a long email or a very long document. You'll find that tapping on the screen can get kind of tiresome and correcting is really difficult, but if you buy a keyboard like the one from Zagg.com, you could connect it to your iPad with Bluetooth and it turns it into a laptop.

With or without a keyboard, editing a document on an iPad is kind of difficult. While you get the touch screen so you can move around your cursor and decide exactly what you want to edit. It's not as intuitive or easy to use if you're used to a mouse and a keyboard. Another thing to keep in mind about the iPad is if you're used to using Microsoft Office for Word and Excel, you don't get those on an iPad, but what you do get is Apple's version called Pages or Numbers. So you'll have to learn a new kind of software just to get some of the basic stuff done that you're already used to.

As much as I'd like to live in a paper-free world and have everything go digital, I still have to print things every now and then. Well, with a laptop it's relatively easy, I don't even have to think about it anymore. But with an iPad only AirPlay enabled printers will work. One of the saving graces for the iPad though is a little piece of software called LogMeIn. For $50 in the app store you can use your iPad to access your computer or your Mac and do everything that they can do. So can you replace your laptop with your iPad? Yeah, it can be done, but you're going to have a lot of compromise and if you're willing to take that step, it could be kind of cool.
[/transcript]

Holiday shopping for electronics? Nook vs Fire

 
 
 

One of the hottest items on many a gadget lover's holiday list is a tablet PC, often the iPad. Just in time to muddy the waters, two more budget-friendly tablet e-readers have arrived on the market. I'll review their pros and cons.

The primary draw of Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble's Nook tablet is undoubtedly price. The Kindle Fire starts at $199 and the Nook starts at $249 -- both considerably less than Apple's iPad2, which this week could be found online for $541 and up.

Both e-readers offer ultra-clear, 7-inch, full-color touch screens and weigh about 14 ounces.

Both devices have limitations. They're meant primarily for entertainment: reading e-books, streaming videos or music, and surfing the Internet. Unlike some versions of Apple's iPad, neither can access the Internet over 3G, so users will need an open WiFi network to take advantage of the device's full capabilities.

The Kindle Fire packs some impressive benefits at the lowest price on the market for a tablet alternative. Users can purchase virtually any media content -- music, movies, books -- from Amazon Marketplace, which has a broad selection comparable to the iTunes store. The Amazon Appstore for Android, an established alternative to the Android Market, offers most of the popular apps, including free daily downloads.

The Fire's main drawback is limited onboard storage -- a mere 8GB, of which only 6GB is available to the user. But Amazon-purchased content can be stored for free in the Amazon Cloud.

The Nook, costs $50 more than the Kindle Fire, carries some added benefits for the investment. It boasts twice the RAM (1GB vs. Kindle Fire's 512MB) and twice the onboard storage (16GB). Even better, it has a micro SD card slot, so users can expand the storage capability up to 32GB. Its USB slot lets users upload their own video, music, photo and text files. The device supports PDF and Word, so there's some added work-friendly functionality.

The Nook's main drawback is its lack of access to a large content source other than for e-books. Music and video have to be streamed through Netflix, Hulu or Pandora, or uploaded from your own library.

In choosing among tablets, your decision will come down to what you want to do with the device and whether you already have an established content library with Amazon or Barnes and Noble. To watch videos and hear music you already own, go with the Nook. However, the Kindle Fire makes it far easier to purchase new music and video content, and its app store has a huge selection of games and applications.

I'd put my money on the Kindle Fire, for the simple fact that tablets are entertainment-driven and Amazon offers a great selection at reasonable prices.