Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Android
    • Android
    • Applications
    • Mobile
    • PC Hardware
    • Small Business

    Android, iPad, Other Tablet Choices Broaden but Confuse Market

    Written by

    Wayne Rash
    Published December 11, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      The problem of which tablet to choose has grown significantly beyond the once default choice-the Apple iPad. Now there are a number of Android tablets on the market, and there are more tablet choices coming. Viewsonic is starting to offer a tablet that works with either Android or Microsoft Windows 7.Research In Motion has announced (but not shipped) its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. And, of course the wireless carriers are hoping you’ll pick one of their tablets.

      But even with the carriers, the complexity grows. You can get a Samsung Galaxy Tab from all four of the major U.S. carriers at a wide range of prices for what’s essentially the same device. Verizon Wireless and AT&T are selling the iPad, although Verizon ships it with a WiFi hot spot and AT&T with 3G support. Archos, meanwhile, sells an Android tablet without 3G, but it has Bluetooth that should let you tether it to your smartphone so that you can get 3G.

      There are also a bunch of Android tablets that I’ve never heard of, which would make me pause before I plunked down money for one of them. And then there are the e-readers, which aren’t exactly tablets, even though the two primary products, the Kindle and the Nook, run versions of the Android OS.

      So the question is, if I were to buy a tablet, which one would I choose? How would I choose?

      This is an important question because an Android tablet has appeared on the Christmas list of one of my children. This particular family member works for one of those three-letter government agencies that keeps him on the road a lot, so he wants something that will let him watch movies and read books. He doesn’t want 3G necessarily, but he’d like to be able to tether it to his BlackBerry when he can’t find WiFi.

      If this quandary sounds familiar, it’s because I went through a similar process when I was looking for an e-reader prior to a trip overseas. My thinking at the time was that it would be nice to have several books to read without having to actually carry those several books. As is the case in such decisions, I chose the product I did for reasons that had nothing to do with my primary purpose.

      For a look at what tablets are dominating the 2010 holiday shopping season, please click here.

      And I’ll admit (despite the flak I’m sure to catch) that I bought an iPad. But the reason is one that will not come to mind for most people. The reason in this case is because I can get the complete set of Jeppesen aviation and airport charts only for the iPad. They’re not available for any of the various Android platforms. And if you’ve ever carried a set of Jeppesen charts around in a briefcase, you’d understand immediately. Those things are heavy.

      But my requirements are a little more esoteric than those of some people. My son, for example, isn’t a pilot. He manages navigation just fine using his BlackBerry. So we’re back to the beginning of the question. What to choose?

      He wants to watch movies, so the Amazon and Barnes & Noble readers are out. That leaves the Android tablets or an iPad. The iPad costs too much and, besides, he wants an HDMI port. So we’re now considering an Android tablet. The Archos 70 has the required port, but it seems to have limited memory, and from what I’m told (assuming I’m being told correctly) it won’t support Android beyond Version 2.2. But Android 2.3 is the one optimized for tablets.

      All of the Galaxy Tabs will reportedly support the new version of Android when it’s available for that platform. But those tablets are expensive-at least as expensive as the iPad-and they all have a 3G radio that requires some sort of data service. That means more cost.

      So if cost is a major factor, then the best choice seems to be the Archos and then hope that it will find a way to support Android 2.3. But, of course, that tablet is perpetually out of stock at Amazon, so maybe I can’t buy that either.

      Now that I’ve pondered the Android tablet choices by looking at them as potential gifts, I’ve found that I’m running across the same set of issues that I’d run across when choosing a tablet for business. It’s always critical to balance cost against functionality, and features against requirements. If you need that HDMI port, then there’s no point considering tablets without it. If you need to be able to upgrade to Android 2.3, then it’s a waste of time to consider tablets that can’t be upgraded.

      In a way, the tablet market is kind of like the very earliest days of PCs, when it was common to find a wide variety of mutually incompatible devices, each of which did one or two things well, but none of which did everything well. We’ve moved to the point where PCs are fairly standardized, and that makes life easier when it comes to integration. Perhaps with tablets, Android and otherwise, the best course of action is to wait until the market settles down a little unless you absolutely, positively have to have a tablet right now.

      Wayne Rash
      Wayne Rash
      https://www.eweek.com/author/wayne-rash/
      Wayne Rash is a content writer and editor with a 35-year history covering technology. He’s a frequent speaker on business, technology issues and enterprise computing. He is the author of five books, including his most recent, "Politics on the Nets." Rash is a former Executive Editor of eWEEK and a former analyst in the eWEEK Test Center. He was also an analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center and editor of InternetWeek. He's a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.