Even though it’ll become obvious in this post that I’m a fan of the Apple iPad (2), the iPad is NOT the only game in town. Not long ago, Amazon tried to put a dent in iPad sales by introducing the much less expensive Kindle Fire, and considering the $199 price tag, it was a big dent. Then more recently Google joined the low-price tablet game with the Nexus 7, also $199. Although the Fire and the Nexus 7 both have 7 inch screens and the iPad screen is 9.7 inches, some will select the iPad over the Android-based tablets for more screen real estate. Others will make their selection based solely on value.
An interesting article on the topic of choosing the right tablet from models currently available can be found here (Narrowing down the new choices in tablets). But I’ll simplify the process even more. If I were to spend my money of a new tablet today, I would only consider two models – the Nexus 7 or the iPad 2 (not the new iPad). My reasoning follows:
1) For the value shopper, “the Nexus 7 features newer, better hardware, has the absolute latest Android software from Google, and weighs less” than the Kindle Fire. The Kindle was great in its time but is currently being eclipsed by the newer Google device. Of course, Google, Amazon, and others will be bringing ‘new and improved’ products to market over time, thus rewarding the patient consumer with more choices.
2) For those not as concerned with tablet bargains, the Apple iPad continues to be a solid investment. My approach is to invest one generation behind with Apple tablets (and iPhones). This means that someone in the market for an iPad today would be looking at an iPad 2. This device has great battery life, has lots of applications to choose from and can be purchased for less than the latest and greatest iPad with ‘Retina display’. You won’t catch me saying bad things about the new iPad – it’s as amazing as the models that came before it. But the release of the new iPad reduced the price of the iPad 2 making it a better value. For that matter, consider getting a refurbished iPad 2 and save even more. I’ve had very good luck with refurbished products from the Apple store, so consider it a viable option to save a little money.
For book reading, checking e-mail, Web browsing, etc., value tablets like the Nexus and Fire will do fine. However, specialized applications such as those used by pilots (Electronic Flight Bag – EFB apps) could well limit your platform choices. That said, before buying a tablet, consider what you’re going to do with it, and what applications and accessories are available to address your requirements. Next, you’ll need to decide how much memory your device should have on-board (for storing music and photos if you do that), and if you’ll need cellular data access or if WiFi access alone will do. Then invest…
Of course there will be a better, faster, cheaper gizmo showing up in the press next week that you wish you had waited for. That’s the way the high-tech market works. But you don’t need to wait. The options available to you today are fantastic, and prices are reasonable.
