Tablet computers are currently right at the top of most peoples list of must-have gadgets, rivaling smartphones and portable music devices for the title of ‘best selling gadget’. However, many people are still unsure as to how they differ to smartphones and laptops and why they might need one.
Your ‘need’ for a tablet depends on why you might be interested in one. Some people are interested because they have a genuine need for a portable computer, some because they’ve heard all about them and want to know what they do and others want them just because their friends have them and they think they’re ‘cool’. There is a whole [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]new range of laptop tablets[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]new range of laptop tablets[/tp] on the market which begs the question for those looking for a new one or to find out what the fuss is all about – what should you look for in a good tablet?
The first check should be the quality of the user experience, particularly when playing games or reading. They’re the perfect size to hold in one hand and play games with the other, tapping the appropriate part of the screen to control the actions in the game; or swiping your finger to scroll through the book or article you’re reading.
Practicality is another reason to invest in a tablet, as anyone who has carried a laptop around all day would testify. Laptops are great, but having to carry it around along with the power cables can become hard work, especially on trains and buses. Tablets, on the other hand, are around half the size, lightweight and can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand rather than taking up most of your seat and the person sitting next to you on the morning commute.
They also provide the ideal platform to read and send emails, proving to be the perfect size to read the messages and attachments clearly as well as the fact that the keypad is larger than on a smartphone so you can compose your message much more quickly without tapping the wrong button as you so often do on a smartphone.
Speed is key in everything we do these days. Technology has come so far that people want everything at their fingertips, and they expect it instantly. With a tablet, a quick swipe of the finger and – optionally – an access code and you’re able to do whatever you like from sending an email to browsing the web or updating your Facebook status to say how great your new tablet is!
Being able to do your everyday work is also proving to be increasingly important, and tablets are much better for this than ever before. Today, they have apps and software that makes using office documents – such as word processing and spreadsheets – much more user-friendly while on the move so you can reduce the amount of downtime in the office. Because of this, the processor and operating system of a tablet are better than ever because they’re faster and more effective than their predecessors.
Of course, one of the biggest factors in your decision is likely to be based around cost. If you’re going away to University and need a laptop or tablet for work purposes, you want something that’s fully equipped with everything you need – but affordable based on your student loan. Similarly, someone looking for a machine to do their homework on and maybe chat with their friends isn’t going to need a device that breaks the bank so look out for the best deals in terms of spec and price. A basic rule of thumb is that the more spec – the higher the price.