2012 will be remembered as the year the Tablet war started. Tablet have been around for a few years now, but it is this year that will be remembered as the year that they finally became a mainstream consumer good. With the iPad Mini finally entering the market, along with a slew of 7 inch android tablets, tablets are finally becoming both affordable and convenient. There are even Window tablets for their more stalwart fans.Christmas may be over, but January sales loom and some students will be looking for tablets to take to lectures, or just for entertainment. Listed below are the more affordable options as well as a small review for each one which will hopefully help students who are stuck between the many many options.
The biggest contender in the market is also the most expensive, with the cheapest option, the 16GB version, retailing at £269. Realistically the question of whether you’ll like the iPad mini depends on whether you like the iOS operating system. Essentially, if you’re an iPhone owner you’ll probably prefer the iPad. However, it’s lack of a retina display (the thing which makes iPads look so pretty) and hardware that is on par with the Nexus 7 means that the price leap from it’s competitors makes it hard to justify buying this over other tablets. Despite that, it has a slightly smoother UI and the Apple store, which is still better than the Google Play store.
Amazon has been steadily upgrading its signature e-reader for years, and a move into the tablet world was inevitable. Their first attempt, the original Kindle Fire, was almost a failure. It simply wasn’t powerful enough to stand up to the competition, making it little more than an e-reader with some added bells and whistles. However Amazon have really stepped up their game with their latest pair of tablets. There is an entry level Kindle Fire for the low price of £129 but without a HD display and less power than its big brother it really isn’t worth just saving £30. The Kindle Fire HD on the other hand boasts a rich HD display, good speakers and the best connection to the internet of the 7 inch tablets. However, despite using the Android operating system, Amazon puts a lot of limits on what you can do with your tablet.
Google’s power play into the tablet market has been impressive. The Nexus 7, the 7 inch version of their Nexus range, is as powerful as the iPad Mini and has a better display than it. On top of this it only costs as much as a Kindle Fire HD. It has a powerful dual-core ASUS processor and is perfect for playing games. The Android operating system, while maybe not as clean or as easy to use as the iOS or Amazon’s conversion, represents Android at its best. Attractive, utalitarian and easy to modify to your liking. However, google has made enemies with its rather brusque entry into the industry, and the movie and book section of their store has suffered as a result. Furthermore, TV series cannot be purchased off of Google Play yet in the UK, meaning that the Kindle and iPad are better for these functions. Still, it is perfect for those already using Android devices as you can easily sync all the content you already own to the Nexus. This is a great tablet, at a great price, nothing more needs to be said.
Many tablets don’t come with expandable memory, meaning that the capacity you choose (16 or 32GB) is what you’re stuck with. If you can afford an extra 50 pounds then try and get the 32gig option. 16 gig doesn’t go far enough. Also, it would be advisable to buy a case and a screen protector as none of them come with them and you’ll want to avoid scratches as much as possible. Most can be bought for £20 or less.
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