Why Do You Want A Tablet?OK, the first thing to ask yourself is why you want a tablet because, let's face it, you don't need one.
Things that you could use a tablet for:
- viewing videos
- surfing the web
- note taking
- entertainment
Well, the iPad (I call it the iSlab) certainly allows you to do this. It's display is a little under 10 inches (diagonal) and it has a 024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi). The display is a back-lit LCD. So if you are looking for a comparable viewing experience, then you need to match this kind of display characteristics.
The iSlab supports H.264 video up to 720p, whereas a lot of the HD devices are up to 1080p.
You also need to consider whether you want your tablet to potentially output to other video devices - like your HD TV...
Surfing The Web
The iSlab boasts a lot about the surfing experience, but it doesn't (and won't) support Flash (from Adobe). Their argument is that HTML 5 will provide a better solution for animation, but the fact is, there is a lot of current content out there in Flash format and it may not be cost-effective for content providers to convert current Flash objects to HTML 5.
Note Taking
You have to understand what your note taking needs will be. In another of my blog entries, I talk about Swype - it's a breakthrough text input application that I believe will make it into most Android-based phones and tablets. You can then use something like Evernote or
Entertainment
You'll want to watch videos on your tablet. So how do you get them there? One solution is to download content from the web - which can prove quite expensive depending on your data plan. Another approach is to load a DVD on to your tablet. With this approach you'll need to consider the amount of on-board storage available on your tablet AND whether it supports either a built-in DVD player or has USB support. Then there's also the question of whether you'd want to output video from your tablet. Does the tablet support HDMI? Some do, so again it's up to you.
Summing It Up
Sit down with a beer/glass of wine/hot beverage, a pad (paper pad that is) and a pen, then note down all the things you THINK you want in a tablet. When you're finished, read the list again (at least a day later) to reassess your requirements. When you've firmed them up, then that's your "shopping list". My advice is to wait until 2011 (at least mid year) because there will be a huge number of tablets released as some of the vendors are waiting on Android 3.0. Also consider other operating systems like Linux. Once again, it depends on how you use to use the tablet. Before the final purchase, clearly think through how you will incorporate the tablet into your day-to-day business. The golden rule with adopting new technology is to make a firm commitment to using it in the way you planned - otherwise it will quickly turn into an expensive piece of shelfware.
