[See more 2012 Christmas Tech Deals]
The newest and hottest computing device on the market is the tablet. Some are predicting that this device will replace all personal computing in the next three to five years and if they continue to improve it, I am happy to agree. That being said, I would like to see a bigger market of competition and the levels of products out there are just not comparable at this point. But with time and a huge profit margin nearly guarantees that this will happen soon enough.
Here are our top two choices for tablets and some others to avoid.
Nexus 7
Cost: $199
Pastors are constantly writing and delivering sermons from these devices as well as reading their favorite books and at such an affordable cost compared to full sized tablets, you would be crazy to go any other route. The tablet market is only growing, but Nexus 7 is leading the pack in terms of cost.
The Nexus 7 is solid because it fits better in your hand, stronger aspect ratio, and better screen resolution. In every other aspect they are nearly identical (except the iPad Mini’s rear camera). Yet, even in Nexus 7 being a better tablet, it costs $120 less than the base iPad Mini.
In comparison, I am not anti-Nexus 10. If you have the cash and are truly looking for a true tablet that is bigger than seven inches, go for it. That being said, I do not see the reason to pay the extra cash and if you are going to pay the $399 for the Nexus 10, you might as well drop another hundred for the iPad.
iPad 4
Cost $499
If you have the money and want a true tablet, I highly recommend the iPad. It is by far the supreme tablet out there. Of course, how are you going to justify paying for an iPad. (I’m not saying it cannot be done, but you need to be paying for more than just the “social status” of having an iPad) Unlike the very minimal improvements from iPad 2 to iPad 3, the fourth generation offers significant speed, screen resolution, and power above and beyond the previous.
In comparison to the Kindle Fire HD, the operating system with Amazon’s tablet is far inferior that I would not even recommend getting it. In the same regard, the specs are better on the iPad than the Nexus 10. In all honest, with a Bluetooth keyboard, this is a possible laptop replacement solution if you are doing basic computing and a wonderful device to have for blogging, studying, and surfing the web and Facebook.
Tablets to Avoid
- RT Surface The hardware on this thing is TERRIBLE when you compare it to some of its competitors. Even worse, the cost with the keyboard puts it over $600 and it is not worth more than $300 at best.
- iPad Mini Apple made a big deal about this, but it does not have Retina display, the processing is a year behind the iPad, and it is junk. Its the iPad but smaller and so many less features.
- iPad 3 Honestly, the iPad 3 is just the iPad 2 with a better screen. So many people were upset at the lack of performance improvement which might be why the iPad 4 came out so quickly.
- Kindle Fire HD The Kindle Fire is one of those good ideas a the time. Price-wise it is very eye catching, but the hardware and OS are less than good and when Nexus 7 came out, it made Fire HD a non-option.
That is our thoughts on tablets. We would love to hear your thoughts and reactions to our picks. Agree or disagree? Did we miss something?
Paul Clifford says
I’ve got to disagree on the iPad mini. The screen is the same as the iPad2, but in a smaller form factor so it’s sharper. The size is better for reading. People who have both (like Leo Laporte) say that they wish it was retina, but they haven’t touched their regular iPads since they got it.
As an e-ink Kindle owner, I’d prefer a mini to all the other tablets listed b/c it’s more portable and meshes with my all-Apple world.
Everything I’ve heard says that the Fire is great if you never want to make anything. The Nexus is great if you’re more prone to tweaking settings and the iPad is what you want if you want a real tablet (not scaled up phone) ecosystem.
Paul
Jeremy Smith says
When you say the screen is the same as the iPad 2, you are right. But to say that it is sharper is wrong. Just because the screen is smaller does not mean that the pixels make for a better resolution. The tech specs do not lie, the fact is Nexus 7 resolution is better.
As for the iPad being more portable, again, the Nexus 7 is smaller technically speaking and many experts say that it fits better in their hands than the Mini so your argument falls apart. (I agree with the fitting better)
So while you disagree, the techs speak differently.
Tim says
Take the iPad Mini out of your “avoid” list and you might be able to retain some amount of credibility. Calling it “junk” made me laugh out loud. And “so many less features”? Huh. Specs and features aren’t the same thing.
Jeremy Smith says
I do agree that the OS is great, Apple always does that well. But my biggest beef is that Apple could have provided you with a tablet so much better than the Nexus 7 and honored their customers. Instead, they supply a product that has inferior hardware, make the cost of it 200% what it takes to make it, and smile that they know they already can make an iPad Mini 2 and 3. Thus, this generation of the iPad Mini is junk compared to what it could be.
Markus Watson says
I totally agree with Paul and Tim. I’ve been avoiding the iPad completely until now. It just seemed too cumbersome and didn’t really do anything that my laptop couldn’t already do (which isn’t much bigger than an iPad).
But once I saw–and then held in my hand–an iPad Mini I was totally sold. The smaller size totally makes it worth it for me. I LOVE my iPad Mini!
Jeremy Smith says
Have you tried the Nexus 7 yet though? I have no problem with you wanting something Apple but waiting for what you really want. I am just offering a cost-effective and quality hardware product that does not take advantage of its customers.
John Wilkerson says
I sold my Kindle Fire and was planning to buy a refurbished iPad 3. Then I went to the Apple store and used an iPad Mini. I bought the Mini. I don’t actually like the 9- and 10-inch tablets. I think they’re too heavy and bulky. The iPad Mini is just right. Fits in my hand and I get the same end-to-end Apple experience I’m accustomed to with my iPhone. I think the price should be around $299 but I have no complaints right now.
Jeremy Smith says
I only hate that they could have given you a better product or dropped the price of the Mini by $100.
Matt Brady says
I’ve got to agree with some of the other comments, I love the iPad mini. I understand it from the spec and price perspective, but as an upgrade from my iPad 2, I adore the size and usability of it.
Jeremy Smith says
I am glad that you love this and would agree that the Mini is an upgrade from the iPad 2. Would you say that you could never get an Android phone because it is not Apple or because it is a worse product?
Matt Brady says
I probably wouldn’t be a good candidate to answer your question. I am a diehard Android phone user, so I look at it from the perspective of having one of each instead being an uberfan and only using one. I don’t disagree with your tech assessments, but I enjoy having both type of devices.