Tablet computers have been around for years but it is only in the past few months that major mainstream attention has been drawn to this previously obscure niche. It was the Apple iPad which brought consumers calling and whilst this device is still the most widely known of the tablet PCs it is now in competition with other options from rival manufacturers.
Tablet PCs are typically thin and relatively light, with screens ranging from between five and ten inches in size. Usually you will find that they rely entirely on touchscreen displays for user interaction, with no physical keypads and just a smattering of physical buttons. However, in the future it is likely that hybrid tablets will arrive with slide-out keypads so the market could evolve.
The current range of best tablet PCs on the market use software taken from high end smartphones. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is an Android tablet PC based on Google's operating system. Meanwhile the iPad uses Apple's iOS platform which was previously found on the iPhone and iPod Touch. This pays homage to the mobile heritage and portable capabilities of tablets.
Tablet PCs cannot typically be plugged into wired networks and as such they have to have wireless connectivity. Some have Wi-Fi alone but others feature both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity. This allows them to use mobile networks throughout the country for high speed internet access. In the case of the iPad there is one model which is Wi-Fi only and a more expensive option which has 3G as well, allowing consumers to make the choice of how they wish to connect to the internet.
At the moment there are only two major tablets on the market; the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. There are plenty of other manufacturers who offer tablets and the Dell Streak is worth a look as this is bridges the gap between tablet and smartphone, but the two aforementioned devices are the only ones which are selling in their millions.
The iPad has a 9.7 inch touchscreen display, up to 64GB of onboard storage space and an A4 processor. It offers access to iTunes, the App Store and iBooks which in turn gives users the opportunity to download music, software and eBooks to their tablet. The Galaxy Tab has a seven inch display, runs Android 2.2 and features a 1GHz processor. It also has a pair of cameras, with one on the back for still image capture and one on the front for video calling. Unlike the iPad it can make voice calls like a mobile phone and it too has access to thousands of apps via the Android Market.
Hopefully it will be clear that the tablet market is relatively diverse, which means that you will need to think carefully when choosing a tablet for yourself. Everything from display size to onboard storage space and connectivity type will need to be taken onboard. The type of software that is installed is also important as an Android tablet PC might have apps that the iPad does not and vice versa.
There are cheaper versions out there and it is usually better to spend a little more for a reputable device rather than hope for a bargain basement solution. Whichever you decide is the best tablet PC, you will probably be very satisfied with its performance compared to a notebook- provided you opt for a device from a major manufacturer.
Eric Muhanji is an expert author of Telecommunication industry and contributes his valuable thoughts for telecoms industry readers. Get the best deals on tablet PCs deals from dedicated sites like mobiles.co.uk.
