10 Tablet Must-Have Features

If you are looking to buy a tablet soon, it is advisable that you first do your homework and not be overly influenced by marketing hype. There is no arguing that Apple's products are some of the best available, but you must first decide if it is the best for you and your wallet. Read one of my previous posts The Galaxy of the Tablet for more information on tablets in general.

In order to help you decide on a tablet, here is a list of 10 things that a tablet must have for you to even consider buying it.

1. Big display: By big display I mean a display that is big enough for you and for your intended use of the tablet. If you intend to do mostly web browsing and stuff like that, a 7 inch screen would be big enough. If, however, you intend to watch video's with the family or do photo editing or play high resolution games, then a bigger screen size would perhaps suit you better. The intended mode of transport must also be taken into consideration. If you intend to carry it around in your handbag, then it must typically be smaller than your handbag. If, however, you are going to carry it around in a briefcase or its own carry case, then go as big as you like. Just remember that with increased size comes increased weight, and the heavier it is the less comfortable it will be to use for extended time periods.
2. Good Operating System: Can the tablet's operating system do what you want it to do? At the moment, the most proven operating systems are the iOS from Apple, and the Android 2.2 and Android 3 (or Honeycomb) from Android. Until they can successfully convince the critics, rather stay away from Windows 7 or webOS for the moment.
3. Lots of Applications: The availability of applications is a major must-have for any tablet. Applications extend the functionality of the device and typically provides more entertainment and productivity. Apple has a huge collection of apps available for its iPad and iPad 2, some free and others not, so you don't have any worries there. Android also has more than enough apps available, and isn't as strict as Apple when it comes to accepting new apps, meaning you could easily write your own apps and make it available to everyone else for free or at a cost.
4. The Right Price: This is something only you can decide on. It is important to keep in mind that you most often get what you pay for, so it is best not to go for the cheapest no-name brand made in China. That being said, the most expensive ones are also not always the best. Compare features and fuctionality, then bring in price.
5. Value for Money: This one is a follow-up on the previous point. Is it worth its price? Does its features and functions justify the price? This all depends on what you value most. If you value luxury more than practicality, be prepared to pay for it.
6. Two Cameras: Only if you want it. It does add value (and price) to the device. Use it for video calling, taking video's and pictures, etc. If you don't need two cameras, you can consider a cheaper tablet with just one or even no cameras. Once again, it depends on what you value.
7. Excellent Virtual Keyboard: Since a tablet uses a touchscreen interface, the only way for you to communicate with it and through it is by using its virtual keyboard. Therefore, it must be easy and comfortable to operate. The virtual keyboard must be very responsive without making a lot of mistakes. Test drive a few tablets' virtual keyboard to see which one is more comfortable and efficient for you.
8. 3G connectivity: An absolute must if you live in South Africa or any country where Wi-Fi hotspots are not readily available or not in your neighbourhood. Even if you are lucky enough to have Wi-Fi hotspots close by, a tablet is meant to be a mobile companion and 3G connectivity is crucial to achieving that.
9. Flash Support: If you plan to use your tablet as a partial computer replacement, this is a must. Many websites today use flash, and if your tablet doesn't support it, your web browsing experience will be seriously crippled. Apple decided that Adobe's Flash is a potential security risk that it does not need, hence the iPads don't support flash. Android, on the other hand, have shown them that they actually do need it, and Android operating systems from version 2.2 onwards support flash.
10. Good Battery Life: Once again, a tablet is meant to be a mobile companion. You therefore don't want to be limited in that mobility with a power cable every few hours. Depending on what you intend to use your tablet for, you should consider what kind of battery life you require and can settle for. The longest is obviously the best, but comes at an increased price. Whatever you decide to do with your tablet, you must be able to get at least a few hours of work out of it before it needs recharging. Remember that web browsing uses more battery power than just running applications. Most tablets have separate battery life specifications for web connected and non-connected activities.

So that is my list of must-have features for a tablet. I hope it proves to be helpful if you are looking at buying a tablet. Next time I will be looking at the top 10 tablets on the market at the moment. Until then, please feel free to leave a comment.

The Battle of Tablet vs Laptop

The tablet has taken over many aspects and features that was until recently limited solely to the laptop computer. They also went beyond laptop capabilities by combining smartphone features like touchscreens and digital cameras. Although tablets have many advantages over laptop computers, it would be wise not to discard your laptop just yet. Here’s why.

 

Despite the fact that you can now browse the internet, play games, watch videos, edit and view photo’s, and listen to music while lounging at the pool, laying in bed, travelling on the bus or train, or basically anywhere you want, there are still a few key things that prevents laptops from going obsolete.

• Price: laptops are generally still cheaper than tablets, especially when looking at high-end tablets like the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc.
• Input speed: using a traditional keyboard for typing is still faster and more effective than using a virtual keyboard, especially with high volume typing workloads.
• Ergonomics: although a tablet can be operated with one hand, it does not provide room for a wrist rest like a laptop does. The user also needs to constantly move their arm when operating the tablet, which could become tiresome.
• Video capabilities: where laptop computers have discrete graphic cards, most tablets have embedded graphics processors. According to those who know, the quality of graphics of the graphics card and graphics processor are not yet on the same level.
• Processor speed: tablets still have a long way to go to compete with the processor speeds of laptop computers.
• Folder management: tablets are not yet as folder orientated as laptop computers are. Anyone who uses a computer for work and business knows of the importance of folders and good folder management.
• Windows: this is maybe one of the most important reasons to keep your laptop. Only Windows tablets do Windows, and they are rather expensive and not as popular or polished as the other high-end tablets. So if you want to use Microsoft products like Office, then a tablet is not the best computer to use.

So that is a few of the most common reasons to keep your laptop a little while longer. The conclusion is this: for recreational use, a tablet is great. For work or business use though, a laptop is still better.

 

The Galaxy of the Tablet

The galaxy of the modern tablet (or tablet PC as it is also known) is one that is rapidly gaining in popularity and demand. With the recent release of the new iPad2, everyone wants one. But what exactly is a tablet and what does it do? Read on to find out.

A tablet can be defined as a complete personal mobile computer that is larger than the average mobile phone or PDA, but smaller than the average laptop or notebook. It is basically an entire computer shrunk into a flat computer screen with the keyboard and mouse replaced with touchscreen functionality.

One of the key features of a tablet is the fact that it is mostly or fully finger driven and uses a multi-touch capacitive touchscreen instead of a simple resistive touchscreen which is a stylus driven system.

Operating the touchscreen of the tablet allows more integrated hand-eye operation and co-ordination, and is a more direct form of control. You directly point and touch the object you wish to select on the screen as opposed to moving an external mouse in order to move a cursor on the screen to the object. It therefore allows for a more natural user interface than a normal PC which uses a command line interface or mouse driven interface. A virtual keyboard is normally used to do any typing required by the user. When the quantity of typing work to be done is substantial, an external detachable keyboard can be used so that it can easily be converted into a notebook computer. The keyboard is attached to the touchscreen by a swivel or slide joint, and is usually propped up either by its cover or a detachable stand pin.. The touchscreen can also be used to do handwriting recognition when using a stylus, and is used in particular with Chinese, Japanese and Korean writing where symbols are used instead of characters to form words and ideas.

The multi-touch capability of the touchscreen allows multiple simultaneous finger touches to be recognized. This allows for interactive object manipulation. One common use for this function is as a zoom in/out function, where a pinch outwards zooms in, and an inward pinch zooms out, as if shrinking and stretching the screen with your fingers.

An important aspect of a tablet is its size. They mostly vary between 5-11 inches, depending on the model and manufacturer. One of the most important things to consider when choosing a tablet is choosing the correct size for its use. If you intend to carry it around in a handbag, then smaller would obviously be better (also depending on the size of the handbag). If it is to stay at home or travel in a briefcase, then bigger is maybe better. If its main use is to watch videos, live TV and view pictures, then bigger is definitely best. If it is to do more web browsing and more “work” than play, then size would not be the deciding factor, but price.

Other features of modern tablets include a accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensors, a storage drive, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, and a USB port.  

• Accelerometer: An accelerometer is a device that can detect physical movement. In the tablet it is used mainly to detect the orientation of the tablet (portrait or landscape) and as a tilt sensor.
• Ambient light and proximity sensors: The ambient light sensor measures the ambient or surrounding light intensity and adjusts the display brightness accordingly. The proximity sensor can detect when an object is close to it. This has been used with the new iPad 2 to automatically lock the screen when the cover is closed.
• Storage drive: This is the memory part of the tablet where data and applications are stored. It usually consists of internal flash memory, and ranges vary according to model and manufacturer.
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi enables the tablet to connect to a wireless network as long as it is in range. Wi-Fi hotspots are common in airports and coffee shops in larger cities around the world, and allow mostly free internet browsing.
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth is also a wireless technology that allows the exchange of data over short distances. It is used in tablets mostly to transfer data from one device to another.
• 3G: 3G enables internet connectivity even when not in range of a Wi-Fi network. This is an important feature if you live in a place where Wi-Fi hotspots are not readily available.
• USB port: A USB port allows USB devices (like wireless headphones, for example) to be connected to the tablet.

One of the most important elements of any tablet is its operating system (OS). The two main competitors when it comes to tablet operating systems are Apple iOS and Google Android. Although the Apple App Store provides more than enough apps for its iPad and iPad 2, you can only install apps approved by them. It is described as a “closed fence” system. On the other hand, Android is more generic, and almost anybody can write an app for them. Both systems, however, have their own pro’s and con’s.

So what exactly do you do with a tablet? Well, just to give you an idea, here is a list.

• Web browsing
• Send and receive e-mails
• Watch video’s
• Watch live internet TV
• View pictures
• Read e-books
• Use as a GPS
• Use as a digital picture frame
• Use as a cookbook
• Play music and streaming audio
• Read newspapers
• Play games
• Do social networking
• And many more...

A tablet can therefore replace a DVD-player, a GPS, a digital picture frame, an eReader / Kindle, MP3 player/iPod and a PSP or hand-held gaming device, all in one. Pretty nifty, don’t you think?

But replacing all these gadgets doesn’t come cheap, and most high-end tablets from leading brands can be quite expensive. If you are considering buying a tablet, don’t be blinded by all the hype surrounding these brands. If you’ve got the money, then go for the iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab because they really are great products. If, however, you are a little more careful with your spending, then do your homework. Apple and the iPad isn’t everything. There are a lot of Android tablets that can hold their own and are also worth considering. I will be discussing the iPad 2 and its Android alternatives in an upcoming post, so look out for that one.

So that is the galaxy of the tablet explored a little bit. I will be exploring more of this galaxy in future posts, so pop in regularly to see what I have to say. If you have any questions or remarks, please feel free to leave a comment.

Exploring the world of the iPhone 4

For my first post I want to discuss one of the most sought-after gadgets at the moment:

the iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen smartphone developed by Apple, and is the fourth in the iPhone generation. The “i” prefix does not officially stand for anything anymore, but is Apple’s branding trademark for all its products (like the iPad, iPod, iTunes, etc.). A smartphone can be best described as a mobile phone integrated with a handheld computer. They run complete operating system software allowing the user to install and run more advanced applications. The list of iPhone Apps gets longer every day (over 350 000), and you can find an app to do basically anything these days. The phone comes out with a few apps installed already, but you can easily download more from Apple’s App Store. Many of these apps are free, and many are not, so just double-check before you download to avoid unexpected costs.

The touchscreen functionality is one that is becoming more popular in gadgets lately, and is also available on some Nokia, LG, and HTC cell phones, to name just a few. Instead of pushing or touching buttons, you simply touch the screen to operate the device. The touchscreen means that the phone can have the minimum amount of external buttons without impairing the usability and functionality of the phone. It also means that the phone can have a larger screen. The iPhone 4 has only one button on its front face, and four buttons around its side. When using a touchscreen phone for the first time it might feel a bit different and complicated, but it is actually a lot more logical and user-friendly to many of the standard mobile phones we’ve grown accustomed to. The key to getting used to it is simple: don’t be afraid! Touch and drag and point as much possible. If you break it by just touching, it was broken to begin with. And most of the time the phone will ask for confirmation before deleting anything, so you are quite safe. The glass on both the front and back face of the phone is coated with a special fingerprint-resistant coating, so unless you operate your phone with grimy and greasy fingers, you won’t leave too many finger marks. The coating also helps your finger to glide over the glass, making it easier to work with.

The iPhone 4 has many cool features like FaceTime, Retina Display, Multitasking, HD Video Recording and Editing, and a 5-Megapixel Camera with LED flash. Here is what they do.

FaceTime is video-calling using two cameras, one in the front focusing on you, and one in the back focusing on everything else. You can switch between cameras at any time during a call with just a tap of a button. The best way to explain why you would want to use this is with an example of a news journalist on the scene of some news-worthy story. He wants to show the viewers his face while he is reporting, but he also wants to show his viewers what he is seeing when something is happening. Now if he didn’t have two cameras to cut to, he would have to do the whole 180-degree camera spin a few times, resulting in some sea-sick viewers. As with all video-calling devices, you can see what you are showing the person on the other side using the little “view-finder” window in the bottom corner of the screen.

The Retina Display is a very sharp, vibrant, high-resolution screen, the best yet in the iPhone family. The name comes from the fact that the pixel-density of the screen is so high that the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. Looking at the object on the screen is compared to looking at the object with your own eyes. The iPhone 4 has a 3.5 inch display with a 960 x 640 pixel resolution. Very nice.

The Multitasking feature enables you to easily switch between third-party-apps and iPhone-apps without slowing down performance of the foreground app or draining the battery. The fact that Apple is drawing attention to this feature must mean that is was a problem in previous iPhones. Glad they fixed it.

The HD Video Recording feature enables the user to shoot their own movies in high definition. Many other mobile phones also have a video recording feature, but very few have high definition recording. The iPhone 4 can also capture good-quality footage in low-light using the built-in LED light and illumination sensor. The editing part, however, is not included as standard with the phone. It is done using the iMovie app, which is available on the App Store for $4.99 (about R40.00). The good video recording quality of the iPhone 4 means it can replace your digital video camera for most instances when you are not recording for long periods of time. The longer the recording time and better the quality, however, the more memory it requires, so best to restrict your recording to a few minutes at a time.

The iPhone 4 also has a 5-Megapixel Camera with built-in LED flash. By using the front-facing camera it is now also easy to take self-portraits.

Another cool feature of the iPhone 4 is the gyroscope and accelerometer. I know it is not unique to the iPhone, but it is still something worth mentioning. The iPhone 4 has a gyroscopic sensor that detects angular acceleration in all 3 axis, enabling it to calculate yaw, pitch and roll. The accelerometer detects any acceleration, shaking, vibration shock or fall of the device along all 3 axis. Although this is one of the less functional features of the iPhone 4, it is one of the coolest, according to me anyway. It makes the device seem more life-like when it interacts with the user in such a way. It is mainly for use in apps like games where you use tilt to navigate an object, but there are a lot of clever and creative people who have thought of a lot of fascinating ways to entertain the user with this feature.

To view all the technical specifications of the iPhone, follow this link:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html

Regarding network connectivity, the iPhone 4 uses a Micro-SIM card for all devices running on a GSM network (cell phone network with 3G). The Micro-SIM card is not like an ordinary SIM card that you can buy for a few cents. This is an important thing to keep in mind. The launch of the iPhone 4 in South Africa was actually delayed in many parts of the country because of the fact that the Micro-SIM cards for our networks were not readily available yet. I think that this issue has been sorted out now, but it is still worth keeping in the back of your mind if you want to purchase an iPhone 4. You can convert an ordinary SIM card into a Micro-SIM card with knife or a pair of scissors, but I don’t really recommend it.  

In contrast with an ordinary cell phone, the iPhone 4 does not store data on the SIM card, but in built-in flash memory. There are two iPhone 4 models, one with 16GB internal flash memory, and one with 32GB memory, which is understandably more expensive.

One of many accessories available for the iPhone 4 is a Bumper. A Bumper is a ring of rubber and plastic that surrounds the edge of the iPhone 4. The people at Apple have worked very hard to produce the delicate design of the iPhone 4, and they don’t want you to damage it. The Bumper wraps around the edges of the device, but does not cover the front or rear faces of the phone. It does protect the screen from hard bumps and shocks, but not from my handbag. I would therefore get a carry-case or other cover to protect the screen also.

          

Availability and Price

The iPhone 4 is readily availably at many global sites such as Amazon.  Take note that if you live in South Africa, you can't order from Amazon.com. They no longer deliver to South Africa  due to the high rate of postal theft. You can however order from Amazon.co.uk. They usually have similar products to the American site, and prices just differ slightly depending on the exchange rate.

    

In South Africa, the iPhone 4 is mostly available at Vodacom and MTN stores. It is, however, at this stage only available for Vodacom and MTN networks.

Take note: Before buying an iPhone 4, make sure that it will work with your cell phone network provider. Most of them come out locked onto one network only. This is especially important if you are buying your iPhone 4 online. If it is locked onto the wrong network, you will have to unlock it by "breaking" it (read: hacking and cracking), and personally I do not like "breaking" anything that costs this much.

Price USA:

• iPhone 4 16GB: $199
• iPhone 4 32GB: $299

Keep in mind that in the USA, to get iPhone 4 at these prices you will have to renew or sign up for a 2 year contract with AT&T.

Without contract:

• iPhone 4 16GB without contract: $599
• iPhone 4 32GB without contract: $699

Price South Africa:

This depends highly on the type of contract and the provider, but here is a price list for Vodacom just to give you an idea:

Vodacom iPhone 4 Pricelist

Online prices (South Africa):

• iPone 4 16GB: R6400 - R10 000 
• iPhone 4 32GB: R7800 - R11 000

      

Kalahari.net: iPhone 4 32GB

Kalahari.net: iPhone 4 16GB 

 

So that is the world of the iPhone 4 explored. It is a very high quality device and nothing else comes close, but its still way too expensive for me. It is, however, a really great gadget to make all your friends and family green with envy, and nobody ever said envy comes cheap.In my upcoming posts I will be looking at the hottest craze at the moment, the tablet, and the galactic war between Apple and Android. Till then, please feel free to comment on this post.