Battle of the Tablets

We are living in the post PC era. I am not saying this as a node to the former Apple CEO, the late Steve Jobs. It’s true; this is the post PC era. If you have any doubts, just look around you; see how many people depend on their cell phones to get online? Tablets are the true post PC era gadgets since they take the best attributes from portable computers and merge them with cell phones in a convenient, mobile form factor. If you do not already own a tablet computer, you should consider doing so.I am going to examine the tablet offerings currently on the market as well as the bundled deals (if any) from the service providers; I will then give my verdict on each of the deals.Before I delve into the nitty-gritty, perhaps I should shed some light on why you would need a tablet computer. So here goes: A tablet makes for convenient on the move computing due in part to fast booting, and portability. Besides, with the hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, a tablet can handle almost any task imaginable on top of access to the internet. Most of these conveniences are non-existent on laptops and desktops. Here are reasons why you need a tablet, in more detail.• Computing on the goA tablet allows you to perform on-the-move tasks such as word processing, editing documents or updating a blog.• CommunicationSending and receiving emails, video chatting and instant messaging.• Social mediaMost social media sites (facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin) have tablet clients for easy social networking on the move.• Media consumptionFrom enjoying your movies, music and sharing photos with friends or family, a tablet will do all.• Research and learningA tablet can be invaluable tool for scholars and researchers if connected to the internet for learning and reference.• GamingA tablet is perfect for playing casual games with the children or when waiting for an appointment in the lounge.• ReadingReading ebooks and digital magazines On to the tablets, shall we? Apple Ipad 2Available at TIGO for Rwf509,000Technical specifications:The Ipad is powered by a 1 GHz duo-core processor, 1GB of RAM and capacities of 16GB,32GB and 64GB. The ipad boasts of a 9.7 inch capacitive screen with a resolution of 1024X768, a VGA front camera and a 5 mega pixel rear facing camera, WIFI or WIFI + 3G, Bluetooth, speaker, microphone and a 25w battery. Pros- Extremely good battery life. You can play with the ipad for hours without worrying about the battery dying on you.- Very responsive to the touch. - Plenty of apps to install - Brilliant high resolution screen ConsRelying on itunes to load content and download apps.No provision to expand the internal memory Expensive. Rwf509,000 million is quite a hefty figure.Samsung Galaxy TabAvailable at MTN for Rwf320, 000 and TIGO for Rwf290, 000Technical specifications1Gh processor, 512MB of RAM, 16, 32GB capacities, 7 inch capacitive screen, 3.1 mega pixel camera, 4000 mAh batteryConnectivity: 3G, WIFI, Bluetooth, WIFI Powered by android 2.2 (Froyo)Pros- The size is convenient - Expandable memory via memory card - Very responsive screen- Very fast download speeds courtesy of the 3G modemCons- The battery can run down quickly when watching video or playing heavy games. - The device is very smooth and slippery, and so may fall out of your hands ZTE 9Available at TIGO for Fr200,000 Technical specifications1 GHZ processor, 512BM of Ram, 512MB of on board storage, expandable to 32GB by micro-sd card, 7 inch resistive screen , 3400mAh batteryConnectivity, WIFI, WIFI hotspot, 3G, Bluetoothpowered by android Pros- High speed internet, up to 7.2mbpsvery affordable - Hotspot feature for sharing internet connection with other devicesCons- Resistive touch screen less than ideal user experience - Battery life might be problematic Wrap up: Your budget should determine which tablet you end up with. However, consider a capacitive screen, long battery life and fast internet as the key points before you decide to splash your hard earned Francs.