GETTING YOURSELF A TABLET THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?
The holiday season is here and so is the spirit of giving in the air. I recently received a call from a long lost friend enquiringly on how he can be able make an informed decision before he buys the gadget. Its no lie that tablets have seen a very fast adoption especially in the media and research industry. Just take a look at any TV stations newsroom and you will see Ipads all over. Our celebrities have not been left behind in hyping that crazy and hence laptop sales are taking a beating.
So, it is your turn get your hands on one of this must have gadgets but do you really know what to look for? I bet you do know wanna what wanna do with the tablet though!
Apple's iPad remains one of the best options out there, largely due to its relatively mature ecosystem and overall polished operating system. The second-generation model hit store shelves in March, taking the same $500 starting price as its predecessor while sporting a slimmer design, a faster dual-core A5 processor with up to 9 times faster graphics, and rear and front facing cameras. The new, iOS 5 that was launched October packs more than 200 new features, including wireless sync, revamped notifications, a new BBM-like messaging application, and iCloud synchronization. Ipad 3G is available on Bonga Africa at Kshs80,000. This the most popular tablet in the market due to the fact that it is from apple and it was amongst the first tablets to really have a positive reception. Some of the drawbacks if you are buying an Ipad is the fact that most of the applications on the itunes store are for pay... (they need to embrace M-Pesa #Just saying) and it also lacks flash. This can be an expensive acquisition depending on your source
On the Android camp, Motorola made a splash earlier this year when it released the first tablet to run Google's tablet-optimized operating system (aka Honeycomb). But initial enthusiasm for the device didn't translate into stellar sales, in part because of its high price but also due to its thick design and the fact that some features were missing at launch. The tablet retails at Kshs 95,000 online that that makes it a No No for me
Eventually more Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets made it to the market and now we have options like Acer's Iconia Tab, offering features on par with the Motorola Xoom at iPad-beating prices (but weighing in among the heftiest Android tablets), and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, which has a tempting $400 starting price and an optional keyboard dock.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was launched recently amid positive reviews, taking the title for slimmest tablet on the planet. This has given Apple a run for there money and raised a few patent fights which I personally deem to be good for the consumer. Other noteworthy options include the 3D capable G-Slate (or Optimus Pad) from LG, though it's certainly priced at a premium, and the HTC Flyer that offers an optional stylus and has a 4G variant known as the EVO View ($400 with 2-year contract). I am yet to experience the last two gadgets and so I cannot vouch for them at all
In our opinion Windows tablets simply cannot provide the same level of experience as their iOS and Android counterparts, so we're not including any model in this update -- and most don't even make it to retail anyway.
There's the BlackBerry PlayBook and HP TouchPad. The former hasn't been doing too well, but diehard BlackBerry users will stand behind the platform, while the latter is set to face an uphill battle when it debuts on July 1. At least on the surface webOS seems like a very polished OS but it hasn't had much luck on the adoption side and thus with third-party developers.
I have not been a fan of anything bigger than a smart phone 4.2 screen size wit access to my dropbox and LiveDock from Sony Ericsson but an Android tablet will do for me.
Currently you can get a Huawei tablet at around Kshs 30,000 as well as the Samsung Galaxy 7 inch which retails @ at around Kshs 30,000 will do. The biggest advantage with android is that you will be able to download flash from the android market place unlike the IOS operating system.
Well, there you have it, depending on your budget and what you really want to do with your budget. I will advice you keep your laptop for typing(if you have any) since the accessories such as the keyboard are not easily accessible in Kenya but am sure you cannot go wrong with a Samsung coz the seem to be committed to making it happen when it comes to the African market.
So, it is your turn get your hands on one of this must have gadgets but do you really know what to look for? I bet you do know wanna what wanna do with the tablet though!
Apple's iPad remains one of the best options out there, largely due to its relatively mature ecosystem and overall polished operating system. The second-generation model hit store shelves in March, taking the same $500 starting price as its predecessor while sporting a slimmer design, a faster dual-core A5 processor with up to 9 times faster graphics, and rear and front facing cameras. The new, iOS 5 that was launched October packs more than 200 new features, including wireless sync, revamped notifications, a new BBM-like messaging application, and iCloud synchronization. Ipad 3G is available on Bonga Africa at Kshs80,000. This the most popular tablet in the market due to the fact that it is from apple and it was amongst the first tablets to really have a positive reception. Some of the drawbacks if you are buying an Ipad is the fact that most of the applications on the itunes store are for pay... (they need to embrace M-Pesa #Just saying) and it also lacks flash. This can be an expensive acquisition depending on your source
On the Android camp, Motorola made a splash earlier this year when it released the first tablet to run Google's tablet-optimized operating system (aka Honeycomb). But initial enthusiasm for the device didn't translate into stellar sales, in part because of its high price but also due to its thick design and the fact that some features were missing at launch. The tablet retails at Kshs 95,000 online that that makes it a No No for me
Eventually more Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets made it to the market and now we have options like Acer's Iconia Tab, offering features on par with the Motorola Xoom at iPad-beating prices (but weighing in among the heftiest Android tablets), and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, which has a tempting $400 starting price and an optional keyboard dock.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was launched recently amid positive reviews, taking the title for slimmest tablet on the planet. This has given Apple a run for there money and raised a few patent fights which I personally deem to be good for the consumer. Other noteworthy options include the 3D capable G-Slate (or Optimus Pad) from LG, though it's certainly priced at a premium, and the HTC Flyer that offers an optional stylus and has a 4G variant known as the EVO View ($400 with 2-year contract). I am yet to experience the last two gadgets and so I cannot vouch for them at all
In our opinion Windows tablets simply cannot provide the same level of experience as their iOS and Android counterparts, so we're not including any model in this update -- and most don't even make it to retail anyway.
There's the BlackBerry PlayBook and HP TouchPad. The former hasn't been doing too well, but diehard BlackBerry users will stand behind the platform, while the latter is set to face an uphill battle when it debuts on July 1. At least on the surface webOS seems like a very polished OS but it hasn't had much luck on the adoption side and thus with third-party developers.
I have not been a fan of anything bigger than a smart phone 4.2 screen size wit access to my dropbox and LiveDock from Sony Ericsson but an Android tablet will do for me.
Currently you can get a Huawei tablet at around Kshs 30,000 as well as the Samsung Galaxy 7 inch which retails @ at around Kshs 30,000 will do. The biggest advantage with android is that you will be able to download flash from the android market place unlike the IOS operating system.
Well, there you have it, depending on your budget and what you really want to do with your budget. I will advice you keep your laptop for typing(if you have any) since the accessories such as the keyboard are not easily accessible in Kenya but am sure you cannot go wrong with a Samsung coz the seem to be committed to making it happen when it comes to the African market.
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