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5 Best Tablets For The Holidays
Looking for the perfect gift for your beloved this year? Something tells us a tablet might be just the ticket. BYTE looks at five: The Apple iPad 4, the iPad Mini, the Samsung Galaxy 10.1, the Microsoft Surface, and the Kindle Fire HD.
6 Slides
A few short years ago netbooks were all the rage. The small, light and cheap ultra-portable PCs were popular holiday gifts, especially for high school and college students because parents could buy a Windows laptop for as little as $200. Today, tablet PCs have grabbed the spotlight. With their mobile broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity options, and ability to create and edit documents -- not to mention their usefulness as e-book readers -- tablets satisfy many of the same needs and desires as netbooks, all in a machine that's easier to use and carry.
There are more tablets vying for your attention this year than ever before. So BYTE chose the five tablets we think will do the best job of making your holidays merry and bright. Some of them -- the fourth-generation iPad, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Microsoft Surface -- are priced over $500. You get what you pay for. The iPad Mini costs less and the Kindle Fire HD is the least expensive, but they might not fulfill your needs.
Our advice: Stick with what you know. Something familiar will be the easiest to learn and give you the most enjoyment out of the box. If you already own an iPhone, for instance, or are really into your iPod Touch, an iPad or iPad Mini might be the best bet. You should be able to run most of your iOS software on your new device. Which iPad you choose depends on your budget and size preference.
If handwritten notes or document annotation are important to you, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 could be a good choice. As an Android tablet it has an immense app catalog and a good collection of accessories. The only drawback is that there have been reports of moderate to severe lag between writing and the appearance of the digital ink on the screen, though we had no problems. Windows might be the oldest platform in this group but it's also the biggest wild card right now. The Microsoft Surface tablet with Windows RT has the potential to be the most productive tablet in this group -- it comes with a keyboard and Microsoft Office. But right now it also has the smallest app catalog, not to mention an entirely new Windows touch interface some people might not like. Don't buy it until you've gone to a store and tried it out in person. If e-books are your focus, a Kindle Fire HD might be the right choice. Like Apple's new iPad Mini, the Fire HD's strengths are its portability and easy-to-read screen. It also has a wealth of Android applications available. Again, sticking to what you know and pairing your Android smart phone with an Android tablet will help save money on apps as some might work on both devices.
Any way you look at it, tablets are big this holiday season, and you probably have at least one person on your gift list who wants one. Consider the familiarity of the operating system, and the availability of apps for the tablet you're considering, and chances are the recipient will be happy with your purchase for a long time.
Apple set the de facto standard for modern tablets with its 9.7-inch iOS-powered iPad. With the right wireless keyboard and software, the iPad is effective as an e-book reader, note taker and basic office computing device. The recently rumored Microsoft Office for iOS might make the iPad an even better work tool.
Apple's newest full-size iPad boasts a more compact connector dubbed Lightning, and an A6 processor. Coupled with Apple's well-established app ecosystem and powered via iTunes, using an iPad as your main computing device is a very credible option, especially if all you're looking for is basic functionality. It plays audio well. It plays video well. It works fine as a gaming device as long you're not a fan of MMORPGs -- massively multiplayer online role-playing games -- in which case you'll need something with more punch.
For a tablet, the iPad is big and heavy. But compared to a notebook computer, it's light and easy to carry. Its communication options are top notch, including both Wi-Fi, and mobile broadband on multiple carriers. Add a good data plan if necessary, and you more than likely have all that most road warriors or students wishing to carry as little equipment as possible could need.
There are lots of hardware accessories available that make iPads more fun or useful. Unfortunately, the new Lightning connector doesn't work with most of the existing accessories out there, and replacement accessories for the new connector are only just beginning to arrive on the scene. Be patient and hardware companies should catch up eventually. Until then you can always buy an adapter cable for under $30 if you have old iPad accessories you'd like to use with the iPad 4.
The fourth-generation iPad is available directly from Apple or any number of online and brick and mortar retailers and ranges in price from $499 to $829 depending on storage and communications options.
Take everything good and bad about the Apple iPad and shrink it down into a lighter tablet with a 7.9-inch screen and you have the Apple iPad Mini. Although its entry-level price of $329 is high -- about $80 more than expected -- the iPad Mini is already proving to be popular anyway. And with cellular versions shipping just in time for Black Friday, look for the iPad Mini to be high on holiday wish lists.
Want a closer look? Check out our full review of the iPad Mini.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the tablet version of the Samsung Galaxy Note smart phone, coming in at about twice the size of the smaller phone-tablet hybrid, or "phablet". The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1's big draw is its S Pen stylus. With the S Pen, the Galaxy can do the one thing that the Apple iPad does not do: It makes it easy to take handwritten notes, sketch, draw, and annotate documents directly on the screen. It's the first full-size tablet to combine all the basic features found in other tablets with handwriting.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 also has more sophisticated multitasking than the iPad or other Android tablets. Watch our video review.
There are only two downsides to the Galaxy Note 10.1, neither a deal breaker in our book. One is that it lacks a mobile broadband option. Although it gives you more freedom, mobile broadband can be costly -- a lot of people prefer to rely on Wi-Fi or mobile hotspots instead. The second problem is that it supports Bluetooth 4 only via a separately sold adapter. This means you can't use an external keyboard without paying for and attaching an extra piece of equipment -- unlike other Android tablets or the iPad. But if you don't mind carrying the extra piece, or if you don't plan to do a lot of typing, you might not care that it needs an adapter to use a keyboard.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is available at a number of online and brick and mortar retailers and is $499.99 with 16 GB or $549.99 for 32 GB.
Microsoft's first tablet, Surface, is finally here, available with your choice of operating system: The new Windows 8 operating system, or with the Windows RT OS.
The Surface RT tablet runs the Windows RT OS and is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 ARM processor. It will not run the Windows classic desktop or any legacy Windows apps -- it will only run Windows 8 apps available in the Windows Store. Other Windows RT tablets are also available, from HP, Samsung and Acer.
BYTE's Todd Ogasawara liked the Surface RT:
Surface RT works for me because of a near-"real" IE browser (Web pages generally work), USB support (huge in my opinion), availability of some desktop components (including PowerShell), and (surprisingly), the Gangnam Style (formerly called MetroUI) two-panel view.
Windows' Surface tablets are so new on the scene it's too early to tell which operating system will be the more successful. We do know the Surface comes with numerous goodies bundled, such as Office 2013 and a free streaming subscription to Xbox Music with a 30-million song library. But the Windows 8 interface is so different compared to anything Microsoft has ever done before, you'd do best to visit a store and try it before you buy it.
Pricing for the Microsoft Surface RT starts at $499 for the 32-GB, tablet-only version (add the magnetic black touch cover for $100 more). The 64-GB version includes the black touch cover and costs $699.
Other BYTE Windows 8 reviews:
-- Windows 8 Consumer Preview - Your PC's Getting a Bit Touchy.
-- Windows 8 Tour: Lock, Login, And Start Menu.
The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch Android-powered tablet. It can run a large selection of Android apps available in the Amazon App Store. Its strengths are its small size and its ability to function as an e-reader. The Amazon "ecosystem" is another one of its strengths -- the ability to have all of your Amazon music, video and e-book purchases instantly accessible on your device.
The new Kindle Fire HD ups the ante in the tablet space with two different sizes and a few different data plan options. There's the traditional 7-inch tablet, and also an 8.9-inch version with a 1920-by-1200-pixel, 254-ppi, laminated, anti-glare touch screen for 25% less glare and an overall better visual experience. The 8.9's OMAP 4470 processor, the Android 4.0 operating system, and the stereo speakers -- an upgrade over the original Fire's mono speakers -- help round out the improved multimedia experience.
For improved communications, Amazon has equipped the Fire HD with a dual-band 2.4ghz/5.0ghz receiver with dual antennas and MIMO radio technology. The 4G LTE version sports AT&T connectivity for high speed Internet access when you're out and about. Wi-Fi-only models come with 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage. 4G models come with either 32 GB or 64 GB of space. Bluetooth is now built in.
Amazon is now charging users for Whispersync. If you go the 4G LTE route, you'll have to cough up $50 bucks a year for a monthly allotment of 250 MB of data, 20 GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 Amazon App Store credit. If that's not enough bandwidth, 3-GB and 5-GB plans will be available for purchase right from the device, but pricing wasn't available at the time of this writing.
The improvements here are clearly aimed at direct competition with Apple's fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini. The Fire HD in any of its forms is likely a decent choice for anyone on your gift list who wants a tablet but doesn't want you to spend too much. You're not going to get the same abilities for screen annotations as you do on the Samsung Galaxy Note, though the device will still function well with Evernote and other note taking apps.
The Fire is the least business-focused of these tablets. If you plan to use it in a BYOD scenario you should check first with IT to see how much support they can give.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" is available from Amazon and sells for $199.99. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is $299 for the 16-GB version and $369 for the 32-GB version. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" with 4G LTE is $499 for the 32-GB version and $599 for the 64-GB version.
The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch Android-powered tablet. It can run a large selection of Android apps available in the Amazon App Store. Its strengths are its small size and its ability to function as an e-reader. The Amazon "ecosystem" is another one of its strengths -- the ability to have all of your Amazon music, video and e-book purchases instantly accessible on your device.
The new Kindle Fire HD ups the ante in the tablet space with two different sizes and a few different data plan options. There's the traditional 7-inch tablet, and also an 8.9-inch version with a 1920-by-1200-pixel, 254-ppi, laminated, anti-glare touch screen for 25% less glare and an overall better visual experience. The 8.9's OMAP 4470 processor, the Android 4.0 operating system, and the stereo speakers -- an upgrade over the original Fire's mono speakers -- help round out the improved multimedia experience.
For improved communications, Amazon has equipped the Fire HD with a dual-band 2.4ghz/5.0ghz receiver with dual antennas and MIMO radio technology. The 4G LTE version sports AT&T connectivity for high speed Internet access when you're out and about. Wi-Fi-only models come with 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage. 4G models come with either 32 GB or 64 GB of space. Bluetooth is now built in.
Amazon is now charging users for Whispersync. If you go the 4G LTE route, you'll have to cough up $50 bucks a year for a monthly allotment of 250 MB of data, 20 GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 Amazon App Store credit. If that's not enough bandwidth, 3-GB and 5-GB plans will be available for purchase right from the device, but pricing wasn't available at the time of this writing.
The improvements here are clearly aimed at direct competition with Apple's fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini. The Fire HD in any of its forms is likely a decent choice for anyone on your gift list who wants a tablet but doesn't want you to spend too much. You're not going to get the same abilities for screen annotations as you do on the Samsung Galaxy Note, though the device will still function well with Evernote and other note taking apps.
The Fire is the least business-focused of these tablets. If you plan to use it in a BYOD scenario you should check first with IT to see how much support they can give.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" is available from Amazon and sells for $199.99. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is $299 for the 16-GB version and $369 for the 32-GB version. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" with 4G LTE is $499 for the 32-GB version and $599 for the 64-GB version.
A few short years ago netbooks were all the rage. The small, light and cheap ultra-portable PCs were popular holiday gifts, especially for high school and college students because parents could buy a Windows laptop for as little as $200. Today, tablet PCs have grabbed the spotlight. With their mobile broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity options, and ability to create and edit documents -- not to mention their usefulness as e-book readers -- tablets satisfy many of the same needs and desires as netbooks, all in a machine that's easier to use and carry.
There are more tablets vying for your attention this year than ever before. So BYTE chose the five tablets we think will do the best job of making your holidays merry and bright. Some of them -- the fourth-generation iPad, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Microsoft Surface -- are priced over $500. You get what you pay for. The iPad Mini costs less and the Kindle Fire HD is the least expensive, but they might not fulfill your needs.
Our advice: Stick with what you know. Something familiar will be the easiest to learn and give you the most enjoyment out of the box. If you already own an iPhone, for instance, or are really into your iPod Touch, an iPad or iPad Mini might be the best bet. You should be able to run most of your iOS software on your new device. Which iPad you choose depends on your budget and size preference.
If handwritten notes or document annotation are important to you, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 could be a good choice. As an Android tablet it has an immense app catalog and a good collection of accessories. The only drawback is that there have been reports of moderate to severe lag between writing and the appearance of the digital ink on the screen, though we had no problems. Windows might be the oldest platform in this group but it's also the biggest wild card right now. The Microsoft Surface tablet with Windows RT has the potential to be the most productive tablet in this group -- it comes with a keyboard and Microsoft Office. But right now it also has the smallest app catalog, not to mention an entirely new Windows touch interface some people might not like. Don't buy it until you've gone to a store and tried it out in person. If e-books are your focus, a Kindle Fire HD might be the right choice. Like Apple's new iPad Mini, the Fire HD's strengths are its portability and easy-to-read screen. It also has a wealth of Android applications available. Again, sticking to what you know and pairing your Android smart phone with an Android tablet will help save money on apps as some might work on both devices.
Any way you look at it, tablets are big this holiday season, and you probably have at least one person on your gift list who wants one. Consider the familiarity of the operating system, and the availability of apps for the tablet you're considering, and chances are the recipient will be happy with your purchase for a long time.
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