People who are considering purchasing a new tablet or want a second one that is inexpensive have probably seen off-brand devices offered by various electronics and gadget websites.
These “no-name” tablets are often only half the cost of mainstream items and the lure of a cheap tablet can be hard to resist. But are these tablets worth taking a chance on? We'll go over the ins and outs of buying one and give you our take on this.
So taking some artistic license from Shakespeare on these tablets, the point of interest is this: To buy or not to buy; that is the question.
Cheap and good?
The first thing that comes to anyone’s mind about these bargain-priced tablets is if they’re any good at all. The answer to this is maybe. If you shop carefully and do some homework, and don’t need a lot of CPU power, they can be quite good. More...
Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet was released in the United States in November 2012, and was seen by many in the press as a challenger to Apple’s iPad. Two months later the iPad is still king of the tablets, but Amazon’s Kindle Fire has shown itself to be a viable alternative for those who want a tablet at a fraction of the cost of an iPad.
So just how good is the Kindle Fire and what sort of impression did it make after two months of use? Stay tuned and we’ll find out.
The basics
The basic configuration of the Kindle Fire 7-inch tablet, for those who are into tech statistics, stacks up with a dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP processor, 16GB of internal storage, 1280 x 800 HD color display, 1GB of RAM, Dolby Audio, dual stereo speakers, HDMI port, dual-band/dual antennae Wi-Fi, and a battery life of about 11 hours.
The real world
The Kindle Fire runs on an Amazon customized Android operating system, which means it doesn’t have the full functionality of an unmodified Android OS. For the most part, you will only be able to download Android programs from Amazon’s App Store and not from the huge library of content on the Google Play Store. Good for Amazon, not so good for the end user. More...
Just as expected, Apple recently announced its newest product, the iPad Mini which goes on sale today. The device itself may be slightly bigger then some of the other competitors in this category, but its definitely sleeker. Its extremely thin, strangely light, and downright beautiful. If we were going to hold a competition for overall look and feel of the device, the iPad Mini would win hands down, but that’s not why we're here!
The specs are nothing to scoff at. It will have an A5 processor, 5MP camera and 720p video. With 512mb of RAM, the iPad Mini is right in line with the iPad 2, including its resolution at 1024x768 at 163ppi, falling short of the Nexus 7 at 216ppi. This allows all the iPad apps to work flawlessly without Devs having to do excessive rescaling.
When the iPad Mini was rumored, one of the larger complaints was that the excessive amount of downsizing needed by App Developers to make their products work on the new screen would turn them away. Luckily by using the same resolution of the iPad 2, Apple avoided that. More...
By Frank Ling
The first Windows tablets have been released by Microsoft in October and the question on some people’s minds is this: "Should I consider buying one?" We’ll present some of the highlights and lowlights on these tablets so you can make a decision for or against purchasing one.
Windows RT
The first Surface tablets by Microsoft don’t really run the full-blown version of Windows 8, but a variant of the operating system. This is an important point because Windows RT will not allow you to run and install many of the Windows apps you are used to such as Photoshop, Facebook, Twitter, and Pandora, just to name a few.
For some, this may be a deal breaker, but if your needs are to remain tightly in the Microsoft ecosphere, and a small selection of available apps found on Microsoft’s App Store doesn’t bother you, you’ll be just fine. In addition, each Surface RT tablet comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Internet Explorer. More...
By Frank Ling
Apple has sent out invitations to the press about an upcoming event for October 23, and most industry observers are guessing that Apple will be announcing its newest member to its iPad family, the iPad mini.
What is it?
At the moment, the kings of 7-inch tablets are Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 7. All this attention and huge sales numbers for these devices has finally gotten the attention of Apple and it seems that the company will finally enter the market with a small tablet of its own—the iPad mini.
The specs
As it is with most pre-released Apple devices, specific details on the small iPad are hard to come by, but what has been speculated is that the new iPad mini will sport a 7.85-inch display and feature virtually everything that its larger big brother has—just on a smaller scale.
The price
A recent leaked price list from MediaMarkt.com, a large European online electronics retailer, shows 8 different models of the iPad mini. When currency conversion is factored in, the entry level version may be priced at $249, while the high-end LTE 64GB version will clock in at $650. More...
By Frank Ling
Prior to the launch of Apple’s iPad tablet just a scant two years ago, the word “tablet” only refereed to a pad of paper for taking notes or drawing sketches. Since the iPad launched in 2010, there have been a literal explosion of tablet devices offered by other manufactures.
In this article we’ll try to clear the path so you can choose a tablet that’s just right for you.
Size matters
When tablets first started out a few years ago, all of them offered a screen display size of about 10-inches. The primary manufacturers of these tablets were from Apple and Samsung.
A short time after, new tablets began to emerge in smaller 7-inch display sizes.
The first step in choosing the right tablet for you is to decide what your needs are for a tablet. If you’ll be primarily surfing the web, checking email, reading eBooks, playing games, and portability is a big factor, 7-inch tablets may be the way to go for you. They are small, and light enough to place in a purse, handbag or backpack.More...
By Frank Ling
Many of us don’t give a second thought to how we carry around our mobile phones. They’re usually tucked away in a pocket where they’re susceptible to all types of damage from loose change, house keys, and other objects. Purses also contain their own little shop of horrors to mar and scratch cell phones.
Tablets fare a little better because most users buy an aftermarket case or screen protector. But after a while, the care for a new device starts to get more casual and the dings and dents start to accumulate.
Keep your machine clean and pristine
The thought of keeping our electronics neat and clean isn’t the highest priority for a lot of us, but the benefits of doing so can mean extra cash in your pocket when you trade them in. All it takes is a little care, a few dollars of investment, and a little foresight on what these preventive measures can do for you.
Buy an outer shell
Whether you have a tablet or a mobile phone, a small investment in the purchase of a protective case covering can not only help you to preserve the new look of your device, it can also save it from minor damage related to slippery fingers syndrome or the occasional accidental drop. More...
By Frank Ling
Microsoft was teasing the press and the public last week when it mysteriously said that it would make a major announcement about something in a few days. When Microsoft set this up it was going for maximum public relations effect and it accomplished this by setting off the rumor mills in the industry at full tilt.
Tuesday, June 19, was the big day for the revelation and it was a remarkable one for many – Microsoft revealed its first Windows 8 tablet for the entire world to see and from preliminary reactions from the press, it may give the iPad some serious competition.
Scratching the Surface
The new Windows 8 device is named the “Surface” tablet and will come in two operating system configurations. The first version will be running under a modified Windows 8 OS called Windows RT. These will be available in 32GB and 64GB models. Pricing will start at around $499. More...
By Frank Ling
It’s been about a month since the New iPad officially launched and the question, on some people’s minds, is whether it’s a good idea to buy it or not. Spending half a grand on an electronic device isn’t a small matter for most people, so we’ll try to clear the air and give you the lowdown to make this decision.
The critics love it
Consumer Reports, a non-profit organization dedicated to reviewing products of virtually every kind, gave the New iPad its highest rating for tablets and said it was “superb.” This high praise from Consumer Reports carries quite a bit of weight because it has a long history of being one of the hardest review organizations to please.
The New iPad’s new Retina display has earned a reputation for being the sharpest and most colorful among all tablets and is the primary reason for the enthusiasm surrounding the new device. Consumer Reports said it has set a new standard by which all other tablets would be judged by. More...
By Frank Ling
San Francisco, CA | It was a typical day in the city yesterday; a brisk 50 degrees with the sun shining brightly in an almost cloudless blue sky that many native San Franciscans are used to, but is seen as an anomaly in other parts of the nation during this time of year. And Apple’s press conferences about the new iPad launch reflects this day nicely — bright and brisk.
This was the setting for the announcement of the new iPad at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, walked onto a stage that was adorned with purple backdrops and blue lighting. People packed in, anticipating the latest release, which would be called the "new iPad." Clever, right? More...
Ever since the iPad was released in 2010, people have wondered, "Why do I need a tablet?" There are several reasons, and several uses for tablets that make them a surprisingly invaluable part of everyday life.
There had been tablets before iPad started the craze, but the Apple product showed exactly what a tablet could do. Among the main reasons why tablets are now so vital to users and businesses alike are that they are disposable (stay with us on this), offer more visual real estate, and are even more portable than a laptop. More...
Apple re-invented the tablet category with the iPad, and now there's several different generations from which to choose. Each of these have only slight differences, but they are all still identifiable! When it comes to identifying your iPad on the website, there are 4 things you will to figure out: iPad Generation, Storage, Antenna Type, and Carrier (if applicable). Read below to learn how to figure out which iPad you have.
More...