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They're all the rage and are here to stay, but what exactly are tablet computers, what can they do and which one should you buy? Read our post to find out what all the fuss is about
The basic definition of a tablet PC is a portable computer that uses a touch-sensitive screen, rather than a traditional QWERTY keyboard and mouse, as the primary means by which the user inputs information, browses the internet or controls games, software and other applications on the device.
Indeed, the booming markets for cheap netbooks and smartphones have contributed to the emergence of the new market for affordable tablets. They are in many ways the next stage in the evolution of portable computers, building on the developments made by netbook and mobile phone manufacturers in creating ever more portable processors, flash-based storage, smaller, increasingly powerful batteries and improved wireless and mobile connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 3G networks.
Tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Apple iPad use the latest versions of the ARM processor, which was previously only used in smartphones. This is now capable of powering a portable computer designed for browsing the internet, viewing photos and video or playing casual games.
While the netbook is sometimes described as little more than a smaller, cheaper and lower-powered version of a conventional laptop, the tablet computer gives increased value beyond promise users enhanced portability (by being far lighter and easier to carry, having jettisoned the keyboard altogether), as well as an entirely new way of interacting with work, web and entertainment apps.
For many computer users, particularly younger children and those who are not able to touch-type, touchscreen control that allows you to input using fingers on a screen, as opposed to controlling a cursor with a mouse or touchpad, is far more intuitive. The obvious educational value of tablet computers, both at home and within the classroom, is certain to drive forward this new technology in the coming years. And for those that do want to type using every finger, each new tablet PC operating system comes with a built-in 'virtual' QWERTY keyboard for knocking out the occasional email, word processor document or instant message to friends and family.
What can a tablet do for you?
A tablet computer is a superb device for those that want a portable machine to surf the web, enjoy music and movies, or just check and update their Facebook profiles. Basically, it's far easier to slouch on the couch with a tablet on your lap than it is to have a netbook or laptop precariously balanced on your knees. But what else can you do with a tablet that you might not want, or be able, to do with a netbook?
The emergence of new operating systems (OS) such as Apple's iOS and Google's latest tablet version of its Android OS (nicknamed Honeycomb) and their accompanying online app stores means there are lucrative new markets opening up for games and application developers to create ever better entertainment, media and productivity software.
Traditional 'old media' content producers, such as magazine and newspaper publishers, have also been quick to get in on the act. You can now get digital subscriptions to tablet-friendly versions of your daily newspaper or favorite magazine, providing you with a new way of keeping abreast of the news. These are all designed to be more appealing and offer more interactivity to the user than accessing a bog-standard website. All of this means that a touchscreen tablet is ideal for consuming information or multimedia content.
Added to this, the shift in the computing industry to what is often referred to as 'cloud computing' - whereby users store their data online instead of on a local hard drive, and access music, movies, TV and other multimedia content by streaming them from the internet- has also been an important reason why tablets are becoming increasingly popular. While the on-board storage of your touchscreen slate tablet might not match your desktop or laptop's capacious hard drive, the fact that you can watch TV shows and movies using services such as the BBC's iPlayer and Channel 4's 40D, or listen to music via music-streaming software such as Spotify, means that you are far less reliant on storing your favourite shows or songs on your own machine. What's more, there are apps for all these brilliant services, so you can use them in a manner that's intuitive, relaxing and comfortable.
Six ways that a tablet can improve your life
GREAT MOVIES & TV
With their portable designs and vibrant screens, tablets are ideal for watching films or TV shows. With most tablets packing a camera, you can also record and edit your own home movies and then connect to your HDTV to share the results with friends and family.
CHAT WITH FRIENDS
If you're looking to stay in touch with friends and family around the world, it might be time to ditch the phone and get a tablet instead. With apps such as Skype and Apple FaceTime, you can make video calls to anywhere in the world, often completely free.
AMAZING APPS
Perhaps the most fun feature of tablets is their ability to be enhanced by high-quality applications - often free. Whether you want your tablet to function as an HDTV, a home recording studio or a games console, you can be sure there will be an app to do it.
PLAY THE LATEST GAMES
Forget the Nintendo 3DS, the biggest name in handheld gaming is the tablet, home to the next generation of hit games. While tablets' low-powered graphics can't beat gaming laptops, their portability and unique interface makes them great gaming systems.
BOOKS & NEWSPAPERS
With their handheld design, gorgeous screens and intuitive interface, tablets are perfect for flicking through books and newspapers. Thanks to packed online bookstores, bestsellers are always close to hand and you can download them wherever you may be.
PHOTOS & MEMORIES
Thanks to their stunning screens, tablets are perfect for viewing your photos. And with most sporting a camera, you can even use them to snap and edit pictures on the go. Using multi-touch gestures, you can zoom in and out and spin pictures around for a better look.
Can a tablet replace a laptop?
If you are looking to replace your netbook or laptop and are considering buying a tablet, then you really need to consider what you are going to use it for. If, for example, you are going to need the machine for work purposes, then a tablet is probably not the right machine for you.
This particularly applies if you are looking for a single machine on which you can easily perform a wide range of work functions, such as writing text-heavy documents or compiling complex spreadsheets, while also using it for your personal entertainment and web use at home and on the move.
With no dedicated physical keyboard, you are likely to find that using a tablet's onscreen keyboard to type up long documents is far too fiddly and not at all conducive to long-term work.
If, however, you are looking for a second portable computer to use alongside your main machine and want to use it mostly to consume information and surf the internet, while listening to music or idly checking out what's popular on YouTube this week, then it's really worth considering investing in a tablet as opposed to a slightly more cumbersome netbook or low-end laptop.
The comfortable touch interface, large screen and easy usability make tablets accessible to the youngest or oldest of users and anyone can enjoy all that the internet has to offer, even if you have little or no experience of using a computer before.
While some users may miss the physicality of hitting keys while typing, many others don't seem to mind the lack of a keyboard. Plus, there are plenty of office-friendly apps being developed for the iPad, Android tablets and all other new slate PCs, which means that they are fine for occasional work use.
Basically, you need to decide which camp you are in before making your final buying decision. Are you going to value the lightness, interactivity and instant-on appeal of something like an Apple iPad or an Android tablet over the familiarity of a laptop's touchpad and keyboard to use your main applications and surf the internet? If so, then a tablet could be the ideal portable computer for you to buy.
Windows 7
Not one to miss out on the emergence of a new category of personal computer, Microsoft is busy developing tablet-friendly versions of its ubiquitous Windows OS. While several tablets are already available that use the existing Windows 7 operating system, there are also rumours that functionality can feel somewhat Microsoft is readying a tablet version of the forthcoming Windows 8 soon, in an attempt to compete with Apple's iPad and the many Android 3.0 tablets that are arriving on the market this year.
Microsoft Windows is already by far the dominant operating system, found on most of the world's desktop and laptop computers. It is clear that many users will greatly value the familiarity and connectivity of a Windows-based tablet, which will easily synchronise with their main home or office computer. The company is also making fast headway in the smartphone market, with its recently released Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system.
For now, Windows 7 already offers tablet users the option to ditch their mouse and keyboard, with Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions all offering touchscreen and multi-touch control support and handwriting recognition.
The main downside to choosing a tablet with Windows 7, however, is that the operating system wasn't designed strictly with tablets in mind. As a result, the touchscreen tacked on and you certainly get the sense that you're using an operating system that was designed to be used with a mouse and keyboard rather than with your hands. This is made even clearer when you compare it with tablets running iOS or Android and feel just how smooth and comfortably tablet-centric they both are in practice.
On the plus side, as Windows is the most used operating system in the world today, you'll find that the vast majority of software and hardware currently on sale is fully designed with Windows-based computers in mind. As such, anyone choosing to purchase a tablet running Windows can buy almost any computer-related product they come across, and be pretty much guaranteed that it will install and run with no problems at all on their tablet.
BlackBerry PlayBook
Designed for those users that want a tablet PC as a work tool as well as a casual entertainment, web-connected slate, Research In Motion (RIM) has released the BlackBerry PlayBook. It features RIM's own OS, honed to allow corporate users to squeeze the most from their tablet.
The BlackBerry PlayBook features a fairly nippy 1GHz dual-core processor, two built-in Full HD video cameras, HDMI output and Wi-Fi, as well as full support for Adobe Flash video and HTML 5. This is certainly one reason why many YouTube and internet video fans might prefer RIM's tablet OS to Apple's Flash-unfriendly iOS.
Whether or not BlackBerry's new 7-inch tablet can persuade consumers to switch may depend on how well the OS appeals to BlackBerry smartphone fans and waverers alike. For the corporate user or web addict, however, the mere fact that the PlayBook supports loads of web platforms and technologies may well be the factor that seals the deal.
HP web OS3.0
Tablets may well currently be dominated by iOS Ik and Android 3.0, but these are certainly not the only ones you can opt for.
Palm, recently bought out by HP, first introduced the webOS software back in January 2009. HP's new tablet version of webOS is set to compete with RIM's BlackBerry OS, more so than Android or Apple iOS, as it will appeal to the business user and those looking for a tablet device that can easily double-up as a work and entertainment machine. Users with Palm smartphones will no doubt be more inclined to invest in HP's TouchPad, as they will already be familiar with using webOS.
HP's new webOS will work seamlessly with a number of cloud-based services and will also sync with printers and other peripherals in your home or office. It's designed to be a workhorse with fast multi-tasking between a selection of productivity apps, as well as providing users with access to entertainment options.
Android 3.0
If you are already using a smartphone running Android, then it is likely that you will be keen to invest in an Android tablet, capitalizing on your familiarity with the OS, as well as being able to sync your mobile phone with ease.
Google has put considerable time and resources into ensuring its Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet OS is specifically designed for use on tablets. The new Motorola Xoom tablet is one of the first devices to appear on the market running Android 3.0. One of the main new additions is the arrival of the System Bar which sits at the bottom of the screen and is the user's primary way of navigating around the OS. There is also an application-specific Action Bar which appears at the top of the screen when an app is running.
Google has considerably improved the multi-tasking options available with Android 3.0, with
Honeycomb's Recent Apps feature giving you a list of thumbnails of currently active tasks to switch between easily. The company has also improved the on-screen keyboard, with larger keys and better copy and paste options. In addition to the Motorola Xoom, there will be numerous other Android 3.0 tablets to choose from, with many big name tablet manufacturers all planning to offer their own devices running the Honeycomb operating system as 2011 progresses.
Apple iOS
The popularity of iOS for most users comes from how easy people find it to use. While Android comes in many flavors, the simple touch-based interface of iOS is almost identical, regardless of whether you use it on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Another benefit is Apple's excellent App Store, with thousands of apps all tested to meet Apple's strict quality standards. Even Android's growing Market app store cannot yet match the scope of Apple's offering. So if adding apps is something you're keen to do, then the iPad is arguably the best choice at present.
iOS is not without its flaws though. As with all Apple products, iPad users are tied into Apple's way of doing things and have little freedom to customise their tablet.
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