7 Things to Find Out Before Buying a New Tablet
These days owning a tablet is more of a necessity than a luxury. True or not, the truth of the matter is that everyone today secretly desires to own a tablet owing to the flashy commercials and materialistic bombardment by tablet manufacturers, of advertisements continuously hammering you with the message that you are missing out on something extremely important in your life. If you too have already been bowled over by the desire to own a tablet, go for it! Though it may seem just a lavishness of sorts, a tablet has its benefits as well. But before purchasing a tablet, there are certain things to consider in order to enjoy its full efficacy. Listed below are 7 things to find out before buying a new tablet.
1. Form
What kind of a size, weight and feel are you looking for? There are a variety of tablets with varying screen sizes to suit your needs. If you want a tablet for basic internet surfing, gaming and reading e-books, you could go for a 7-inch tablet like the Google Nexus 7. It is lightweight, easy to carry and hold in one hand. 8-inch tablets are the next level. Slightly heavier than their 7-inch counterparts, the 8-inch ones, like the iPad mini, can also be carried while traveling but are not as easy to hold in one hand. If you want a still bigger screen size, go for the 10-inch tablets like the Galaxy Note 10.1. These give you an almost laptop screen feel, but without a keyboard. They offer a touch screen though, making them ideal for creating and editing documents, intense web browsing and heavy gaming.
2. Operating system
Find out which operating system you would like to subscribe to. As of now, there are three types—the Apple iOS 7, Android and Windows 8.1. Of these, the Android operating system is most popular and has highest subscribers. It is because Android not only has several upgrades and versions available, it also provides a plethora of apps and games which you will surely find useful. Android has something for everybody. Apple iOS 7 caters to the Apple tablets—iPad and iPad mini series of tablets exclusively. The Windows operating system designed by Microsoft is also picking up popularity though it does not have much to offer as far as variety is concerned and when compared to iOS and Android.
3. Hardware
You should also find out about the processor that would suit your needs. Processors are the chips that run your tablet – they are basically what a CPU is for your computer. A powerful processor in your tablet will give you a snappy performance. Ensure a good RAM; ideally a 1 GB or 2 GB RAM will make working on your tablet very smooth and devoid of any lags or sluggishness. A powerful RAM ensures faster and smoother responsiveness and avoids hanging the device. You should also note the battery life your tablet is offering. On an average, your tablet should not offer you anything less than 7 hours of battery life.
4. Connectivity
Does the tablet you are considering have a SIM card slot? Or does it work only on Wi-Fi? Some tablets provide a slot for a micro SIM while others do not have call facility. Also you should see whether you would be able to transfer files like music, videos and photos from your PC or other devices like mobile phone into your tablet. In such case, the tablet should have USB connectivity compatible with your other devices. It should also have Bluetooth. Apple tablets (iPad and iPad mini) do not provide this convenience unless all your other devices like mobile and laptop too are Apple products, that is, you are at the same time also using an iPhone and a Macbook.
