The tablet phenomenon

by Drew Patchell | 19 Mar 2013

Are you in the market for a tablet or wondering what all the fuss is about?

A tablet is a mobile personal computer with touchscreen technology. Unlike the traditional desktop computer or laptop, tablets utilise an on-screen keyboard and have no need for a mouse. Instead of using traditional software that is installed, tablets’ main software programs are called applications (apps) and are downloaded by the user.

Platforms

Apple iOS and Android are the two main software platforms, with the new Windows 8 platform slowly gaining market share with the release of the Microsoft Surface tablet. The Apple iOS platform is only available on the iPad range of tablets, while the Android software platform is open source and available for any tablet manufacturer to use.

Size matters

Tablet computers come in all shapes and sizes. The smaller tablets such as the iPad mini feature approximately 20cm display screens while the larger variety of tablets such as the iPad3 have screen sizes of approximately 25cm.

While the smaller tablets are lighter, more portable and easier to hold in one hand, the text size is significantly smaller and the on-screen buttons are harder to use. The larger tablets boast more powerful processors and a better user experience for watching videos, visiting websites and general use, but they can be twice as heavy as the smaller versions.

Cost

The bottom of the range Android tablets sell for less than $100 while the top of the line 64GB iPad 3 with WiFi and 3G retails for $899. The average tablet computer, selling for around $350, provides the necessary tools for a great user experience. If you are a new tablet user, it may be worth buying a second-hand tablet.

The best time to hit Ebay for a second-hand tablet is just after a new model has been released as users are eager to offload their old models at significantly  discounted prices.

Features

Camera: A minimum of five megapixels with a HD video recording function

Battery life: A minimum of eight hours’ usage time before requiring charging

3G: Be careful when purchasing an iPad. There are WiFi-only versions that can be connected to your home or a public WiFi internet account, but can never be connected to mobile networks.