You have to admit - there's something
special about receiving tablets. Perhaps it lies in the beautiful and portable
design, or maybe it's because they're best for watching movies and playing
games rather than pounding out important memos on a deadline. However, their
role as entertainment devices is also changing: we have seen the tablet with
pen input and bundled keyboard docks burst onto the market, and Windows 8 is
enhanced business-friendly image. No matter where you are in the field of
work/play, we have selected some great tablets for you. Keep reading to find
out.
On the cheap
Apple
iPad mini
After years of rumors, the mini is finally
here. Does it live up to the enormous hype? Yes - and it was surprising in some
aspects, with a unique anodized aluminum backing, impressive battery life and
performance that outclass earlier-generation iPads. The $329 price is higher
than the competition, but you get what you pay for. In this case it is the
excellent design quality and access to the tablet-friendly App Store.
Main Specification: 7.9 inch display (1024x768), dual-core A5 processor, 16GB of
internal memory, 512MB RAM, weighs 0.68 pounds, rated for up to 10 hours of
battery life.
Price: $329 from Apple
Apple
iPad mini
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Nexus
10
The big brother of the Nexus 7 impresses
with a stunning 2560x1600 screen, excellent gaming capabilities and powerful
sound quality. The drawback is mediocre battery life: we are talking about 7
and a half hours while its rivals offer more than 10 hours.
Price: $399 from Google
Acer
Iconia Tab A110
Looking for a tablet that provides Jelly
Bean and a lightweight design on a budget? The 7-inch A110 7 delivers, and it
runs a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 processor.
Price: $230 on Amazon
Mid-range
Apple iPad 4
The mini may be stealing some of the new
9.7-inch iPad's thunder, but the smaller tablet can't compare with this
device's super-fast performance - thanks to the A6X chip under the hood - and
an elite 2048x1536 screen. As its 7-inch brother, the fourth-gen iPad has the
new Lightning connector, making it incompatible with the old docks and
accessories. However, if you have the money, this item is worthy.
Main Specification: 9.7-inch IPS display (2048x1536), dual-core A6X processor, 16GB of
internal memory, 1GB RAM, weighs 1.44 pounds, rated for up to 10 hours of
battery life.
Price: $499 from Apple
Apple
iPad 4
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Samsung
Galaxy Note 10.1
Famous for its S Pen, the Note 10.1 is both
a costly sketchpad and a capable Android tablet. Its Plastic design is not the
most advanced, and the price tag should be $100 lower, but features such as pen
input and multi-screen view are great and useful.
Price: $499 on Amazon
Dell
XPS 10
The XPS 10 is one of several
productivity-minded Windows RT slates available, targeting business users with
security features such as TPM plus integration with corporate IT departments.
There is an optional keyboard dock, which has 2 extra USB ports, HDMI and
longer battery life.
Price: $500 from Dell
Money's no object
Microsoft
Surface with Windows RT
Redmond's slate boasts a business-friendly tablet,
with sold-separately (but mandatory, in our opinion) Touch Cover provides the
ability to increase productivity with a comfortable keyboard. The 10.6-inch
tablet is perfectly designed, and the cool matte surface feels great in the
hand. That is, those who prefer apps and entertainment than getting work done
on the go will want to stick with Android or Apple ecosystem, which provides
greater content selection.
Main Specification: 10.6-inch display (1366x768), quad-core Nvidia Tegra T30 processor,
32GB of internal memory, 2GB RAM, weighs 1.49 pounds, rated for up to 8 hours
of battery life.
Price: $$599 (incl. Touch Cover) from Microsoft
Microsoft
Surface with Windows RT
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Lenovo
IdeaPad Yoga 11
The ARM-powered Yoga 11 is contributed by
the most unique form factor: as the name implies, it sports a flip-and-fold
design that allows it to transform from laptop to tablet and vice versa. In
addition to versatility, you have Lenovo's keyboard and Tegra 3 processor.
Price: From $799
Asus
VivoTab RT
The device has a slim lightweight design
and long battery life that we enjoy from current Android-based Transformer
tablets of Asus, and an optional keyboard dock provides a physical keyboard and
touchpad that are quite good (though slightly cramped).
Price: $549 on Amazon
