Are Cheap Tablet PCs Worth The Money?

I review all types of tablet pc, even cheap ones, some websites don't bother, but I think they should never be ruled out of your decision. But are they good value for money, or are you better off spending more money on a more expensive, well known brand? ...By the way, I prefer to call them budget tablet pcs, and just like their more expensive counterparts can be good, they can also be not so good. Seems like I'm stating the obvious right? Well, yes, but my point here is that some cheap table pcs can be very good, as well as very good value. But when it comes to cost, how much is cheap? If you look at Apple's iPad or Blackberry's PlayBook you could easily spend over £500. Now compare that to some of the laptops you can buy, it could end up seeming expensive.....

iPad's Explained

So, go on, tell me what an iPad is? I've seen the adverts and all my friends are talking about it, but I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about? No problem, read on and all will become clear...For those of you out there who don't really know what an iPad is, other than it's some sort of technology gadget that a lot of people seem to be talking about, I'll explain exactly what one is, and indeed, what you can actually use it for! You might be missing out of something you will need and love, who knows? The iPad, and iPad2, and who knows, maybe an iPad 3 by the time you're reading this, are known as Tablet PC's. This is because they look like a tablet, no, not like a pill that you swallow, they are not that small. The iPad has most of the capabilities of a PC and can be thought of really as a small laptop, however, I like to think of them more like a large mobile phone that can't make calls (for your reference I mean a smart phone and not a mobile phone that can just make calls and text).

Bestselling Tablet Computers

When writing tablet pc reviews you're often asked "What's the best selling tablet pc"? My reply? "Apple iPad (2)" There that was simple wasn't it, I'll get my coat. But, it doesn't really matter what the best selling tablet pc is, people will always buy the one that's been talked about the most, or advertised the most. However, there are forecasters that say the iPad won't be number one for long. It's predicted that Android tablets will out sell the iPad by 2014.
That said, of recent months the iPad has increased sales, whilst Android have slowed.In fact, if you look at figures, they tell an interesting story about the sales in the PC / Laptop market too. 
Tablet PC's have also been taking market share from laptops too. That's very interesting, mind you, read in to figures what you will, but maybe the time has come for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer (iPad transformer?) This is a tablet with an optional docking keyboard that also has a battery pack in it, helping charge the tablet as well!

Understanding Tablet PCs

You might have heard people talking about tablet pcs or you might have read some articles where they have been mentioned, but what exactly are they? You've come to the right place, we'll explain what tablet pcs are, and what they can be used for. We'll let you know if they can replace the laptop, as well as answering if the desktop days are even numbered! One of the most well known tablet pc's is the Apple iPad. Of course, this doesn't mean it's necessarily the best tablet pc for you. There are a number of people who dislike the iPad because they feel Apple has too much control over the device that they are meant to own. As with laptops, tablet pcs come in different shapes and sizes, having said that they aren't as different from each other as you might think! As with anything new the choice can be a bit confusing, however, if you are on a budget, stick to it and your choice should be quite straightforward.

iOS or Android?

iPad's Don't Support Flash

Most people that do tablet pc reviews go on and on about how important Flash it. But is all the moaning about Apple mobile devices not supporting Flash just a big flash in the pan, or are there real issues around Apple's refusal to support Adobe's Flash product? And more importantly, what the heck is Flash anyway? Flash, Ahhhahhh..

Amazon Kindle Fire

It's been announced in the US (no UK dates yet, but unlikely to be before Christmas) its really been one of the worse kept secrets, but we've got together some of the more credible bits of information to at least give you some idea. It will be a 7 inch screen, there should be a 10 inch one shortly after, maybe next year (2012). The Kindle Fire will run Android and it's expected to be tightly integrated with the Amazon online store and apps store via Amazon's Web Services (AWS)..

Are Budget Tablets Hard To Swallow?

Tablet pc reviews shouldn't just be about the higher end of the market and not everyone wants to spend £400 plus. However, choosing a so called budget tablet pc can be a concern, this is mainly because they are sometimes so much cheaper than their rivals it raises suspicion. It is natural to start asking questions like; will it be fast enough? Can it run the software I want? and of course will it be stable enough. We've all seen an iPad 2 and a Motorola Xoom tablet for around the £400 mark, but can a sub £200 one really be any good? Of course my answer will be; "It depends" it is really all about how you are going to use it. It's unfair to compare the Cambridge Science Vector G7 tablet with the a fore mentioned machines. It's half the price for goodness sake, and therefore it's reasonable to expect it's about half as good, isn't it? (Now with Android 3.0!)

Nothing Compares To You?

It's the downfall of many tablet computer reviewers; the first thing they do when looking at a new device is to computer it to the iPad. I guess the reason is two fold, firstly, most people know what the iPad is, and secondly, it's one of the best out there. How many reviews have you read that say something along the lines of "The screen isn't as good as the iPad"; "It can display flash web content, unlike the iPad". And before you say it, I'm just as bad as everyone else! People are either full of praise for the iPad, or absolutely despise everything Apple ever created. You could liken Apple to Marmite, in a weird food type way. You either love them, or you hate them. In my case, I quite like Marmite, I definitely don't love it, but I don't hate it either. Maybe that makes me well placed to review the iPad 2. Except of course, I'm typing this review on an iMac, and I have an iPad - the original that is, not the iPad 2. I'm hoping the iPad (1) will become the "iPad Classic".

So, you've gathered from my intro I'm not exactly unbiased, but then I'm not in Apple's pocket either. So, read on and try to judge the review coming from someone that doesn't hate Apple......

Will the Flyer Take Off?

The HTC Flyer is HTC's first attempt at a Tablet PC. But with no Android 3.0 (yet) can it really be a proper tablet pc, or is it just like a big HTC phone, without the ability of being able to make calls or send texts? Is a 7 inch screen really big enough? When HTC announced the HTC Flyer, a first glance down the tech specs makes you ask the question; No Android Honeycomb? This is Android's operating system made especially for the Tablet market. Having said that after about 5 minutes on a tablet pc with Honeycomb installed you're thinking; "Hang on, there's some phone type settings left behind". Which gives you the overall opinion that maybe it's been a bit rushed. That said, the Flyer isn't bad because it doesn't have Honeycomb, in fact, depending on what platform you've come from, HTC's Sense UI saves the day here. You'll feel more at home being a previous HTC phone owner, it's not so radically different. The design is not unlike the HTC Desire, I guess the "if something isn't broke, don't fix it" rule applies here.

Xoom - Flash Enabled Masterpiece?

Motorola Xoom has a 10.1" screen and display is 1280x800. It's a very capable machine, fast, sleek, minimalistic design. But have Motorola included Flash with the Xoom just because Apple doesn't? At the heart of the Xoom beats an Nvidia Integra 2 1GHz processor and it really powers the Xoom along at quite a cracking speed. The design itself is minimalistic and somewhat bland. As with a lot of manufacturer's they can't help but compare themselves to the iPad2, and they have to add things that the Apple machine doesn't have so they can attract users that want those features. Here of course we're talking about USB support and Flash, both of which the Motorola Xoom incorporates, but is it at a cost, or do they bring genuine benefit? The Xoom is 4G ready.