Much has been said about the iPad, and because of it, we now have a new wave of technology and innovation revolving around tablet computers. If there's anything the iPad ushered in, it's a renaissance in touch-screen and tablet computing.
Prior to the iPad, tablet, touch screen and convertible computers have existed, but they never got into the mainstream market because of the prohibitive price. And according to this Forbes article by Mark Tobias, one other reason that the Tablet never really caught onto the market was that the hardware/software implementation wasn't smooth enough.
There are three touch-screen tablet players in the market today: The Apple iPad (currently on iPad 2), the Android tablet (which will differ in awesomeness, depending which brand and model you choose), and the Blackberry Playbook.
Here are the reasons why we recommend an Android tablet:
1. Integration with Google. We can't say it more often enough. The integration with Google services is what makes an Android extra-awesome.
2. The Android Tablet is consumer/casual-user-friendly. If you're buying a tablet as a consumer, a lot of Tech pundits do not agree with choosing a Blackberry Playbook if you're buying it as an end-user or regular consumer. While the experts believe that it's a great business device still, an end-user who may want to use a tablet as both a plaything and a workhorse, may not be happy with the dearth of applications, especially games, on the Blackberry ecosystem.
3. It is more economical to own an Android Tablet in the long run. While the iPad is definitely the king of tablet computing at the moment, a budget-conscious user may not like the fact that he would need to purchase nearly all the apps he may want to have from the Apple Store. Yes, there are free apps, but these are trial versions. Full versions will cost $0.99 and up. This may be affordable for some, but for a good majority of the Filipino users, paying for software isn't something most of us would like to do. If you can get something else for free, why would you have to pay for it.
On this note, needing to use a credit card to pay for your app purchases is also an inconvenience that a Filipino consumer may not be willing to contend with. Most Filipinos don't own a credit card, and those who have never owned one may not be willing to apply for a credit card just to be able to buy software. Also, with the incidences of credit card fraud in recent times, even credit card holders may not be willing to use their credit cards for online purchases.
Thus, if you can relate to these characteristics, then you may benefit more from an Android Tablet than an iPad. Yes, there are credit card alternatives like Unionbank EON or Smart Money, but nothing beats free, really.
If you've decided on getting an Android device in the near future but are torn between an Android tablet and an Android phone, well, keep watching this space in the coming days, as we'll be helping you decide which to get. You may also subscribe to the Android Alliance RSS Feed to follow our updates.
Indeed, the Android is going neck and neck with Apple's offerings. In the end, the final shootout may well be between these two Tech industry players. In the meantime, these are lists of the best Android tablets in the market, as of June, July and September 2011:
Previously, we discussed about how China has penetrated the Android market with its Android gadgets at rock-bottom prices. In that same post, we touched on one very exciting gadget that Asus unleashed on the Android world: the Asus EeePad Transformer.
Despite the kitschy name, this tablet promises to pack a punch: not only does it come with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor (promising up to 1GHz of computing speed, just like the iPad), it also comes with its very own docking keyboard.
An Android Tablet with its very own docking keyboard already takes this Asus Android a notch above the iPad. While the iPad definitely carries the Apple prestige with it, and will never fail to turn heads when you use it in a public place, for the practical road warrior, the Asus EeePad Transformer would be a better buy.
If you're a businessman, a web designer, or even a freelance writer who's making presentations to new clients on the fly, the iPad was a great accessory for giving slick business overviews. But its big limitation was that its touchscreen keyboard is hardly comfortable for typing. Let's face the fact that not even Apple has perfected touchscreen typing just yet. For those who type a lot, especially writers, a physical keyboard is a must.
That is why the EeePad Transformer is a viable alternative to the iPad. Not only do you get the physical keyboard sans the fuss (no need to search for a keyboard accessory with the most seamless integration with the iPad), you also get it at a very reasonable price. According to Yugatech, the EeePad Transformer, when purchased with its docking keyboard, costs only around Php 29,990. If you only want the tablet sans the keyboard, the price is Php 22,995. According to another source, however, the 16GB version is at Php 20,000, the 32GB version is at Php 25,000, while the dock is at Php 7,450. Either way, the EeePad Transformer is now available in leading tech stores in the Philippines, and we will update this post regarding its actual store price.
China, despite its reputation for products that wear out so easily, was among the first to use Linux as a platform for its mobile phones. While the major brands had their own proprietary OS for their phones, Chinaphones were copying the interface off of the phones they manufacture for their clients. Most likely, the WiFi-enabled Chinaphones which looked like knockoffs of Nokia phones, Blackberry phones, even iPhones, were running customized Linux platforms. Thanks to that, budget-conscious consumers can buy phones that look almost like the original high-end brands, but would have paid for only a fraction of the price.
Today, Chinaphones, or, rather, Chinagadgets, have taken things one step further: They have actually copied the iPad, stuck the Android OS into these, and sold them to the market as APads, DPads, MID tablets, iRobots among other names. A great way to spread the Android love?
What is remarkable about these gadgets is that they are half the price of branded Android tablets, and a quarter the price of iPads. For those who only need a gadget to surf and read with, this isn't such a bad deal.
However, there are performance issues with every APad or DPad you buy. Remember that these are budget gadgets, and you can't expect them to be as snappy as an iPad or even a branded Android tablet. Also, the material they've been made with is usually substandard. And since these are China-branded and not made for US client companies, expect that they'll barely care to put these machines through Quality Control. In short, when you buy one of these at prices that range from Php 3,400 to Php 6,000, expect to get what you've paid for.
A better alternative would be the Cherry Mobile Superion tablet, the price of which has now been lowered to Php 13,999 from Php 19,990. And still a better option would be the iPad itself, since the iPad 1 has been selling for Php 19,000+ since the iPad 2 came out.
Though the Samsung Galaxy tab tried to pose a threat to the iPad, though some Galaxy Tab users have complained that they didn't like the gadget.
In the US, the Motorola Xoom was a crowd favorite. LG has also released a tablet of its own, and so had HTC. Acer also released its Iconia line, but was met with yawns, especially thanks to one of their gadgets, a dual-screen machine.
So far, if there's one Android tablet that we're looking forward to, it would be the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. It's the Taiwanese giant's latest offering, and it's already making waves in the tech niche. If you recall, Asus was the first to break the ultraportable's prohibitive price by creating the eeePC, the granddaddy of all netbooks. Today, they add excitement to the Android field with this latest offering.
So would you, in the interest of cutting corners, go for a China Android Tablet? Or would you rather pay a premium for an Android Tablet from a trusted brand?
