In 2010 we all witness another digital revolution, when Apple unveiled the iPad, a small computer with a screen less than 10 inches in width but touch screen capability, geeks around the world were queuing up to get their hands on it! As we move through 2011 there has been an explosion of Tablet computers, with many leading brands producing their own versions. However, are they just a ‘cool’ gimmick or are they actually better than laptops such as the netbook? Let’s discover the advantages and disadvantages of tablet pcs.
Advantages
The advantages of the tablets pc really depend on what you want to use it for. For example, if you are on the go a lot or, painfully weak, you will be pleased to hear tablets are lighter in weight than most laptops, making it a perfect travel partner. As well as being lighter, tablets have Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, as well as a great battery life.
From a usability point of view tablet computers are a great asset to have during business meetings; because you can scribble notes of type them in. It is also said to break down the barrier you would have when communicating with another person during a meeting, rather than typing into a computer you can casually hold and type into the tablet, so it is more like a notepad.
Disadvantages
This can depend on whether you go for an iPad or an Android based tablet, so I will break into three sections, one specifically for iPad, one specifically for Android and one that is true for both.
iPad – Firstly, you cannot run flash on an iPad, seems around 98% of computers can run flash and sites such as BBC iPlayer run their sites from it, it could hamper your viewing pleasure, when it comes to viewing online media. iPad also has issues with multi-tasking and lacks USB ports.
Android – There has been reports that the applications on Android are a real struggle to download, even household names such as Skype have been affected, so make sure you research your brand and model.
Of course, the processors on tablets are getting more powerful, but they will not compare at all to notebooks. There are some pc based tablets that are more powerful but if you are running heavy programmes you should look at the processor speed and specifications if possible.
Obviously tablets do not have a keyboard, so you will have to get used to using a touch-screen one, unless the model you buy has a docking bay, these have keyboards on and also add to the battery life.
This is a Guest Post from Matt Graham who is a writer who would love an android tablet pc with docking bay, but he is always looking for cheap tablet pc deals regardless of the operating system.