In case you missed it, a seismic technological shift has taken place over the last few years. This shift has implications for the future of computing as well as your wallet.
The shift has come from the introduction of smaller, lightweight tablet computers, which is where the action now is. New sales of tablets and smartphones have accelerated, while sales of PCs, including laptops have dropped precipitously.
So the question faced by millions in need of new computing devices today, particularly mobile computing, has become: should I buy a tablet or a notebook computer?
Function and cost are going to be your two most important selection criteria. First function. What do you want to use your new device for? Heavy duty computing or consuming content such as ebooks, movies and the web?
Is compatibility with Windows important, say for work-related tasks? Must you have a keyboard? Do you need a large screen size?
Windows compatibility and ability to work with business programs, and/or the need for large screen size e.g. 17 inch would push you towards a notebook or even a desktop.
If on the other hand, you mainly intend to consume Internet content, tablets are likely for you. However, rember that tablets are also edging their way into the enterprise using apps to connect to back end enterprise programs.
Tablets are also the cheaper choice, when compared to notebooks. They are also cheaper than desktops. The iPad is the quintessential and most popular tablet with a 10.7 screen size (measuring diagonally). Look out also for mini tablets such as the iPad Mini, with its 7 inch display.
If the Apple ‘ecosystem’ is not for you, then you could try a Samsung Galaxy Tab or a Google Nexus 10 (or 7 for the ‘mini’ version). These and many others, including Amazon’s Kindle Fire run on a variant of Google’s Android operating system.
Are those the only choices available? Of course not. There are the awkwardly named ‘phablets’ or abnormally large smartphones on steroids; there are also hybrids or tablets with processing power more in line with desktop PCs and keyboards to boot,like Microsoft’s Surface Pro.
Sample prices:
Apple iPad with Retina Display: $499 and up
Apple iPad Mini: $329 and up
Samsung Galaxy Tab: Starts from $199
Google Nexus 10: Starts from $399
Google Nexus 7: Starts from $199
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