Tablets have become one of the most popular mobile devices. Many company are seeking to find the best ways to integrate tablets into their businesses. One of the most important decisions is choosing the right kind of tablet for your needs. With all the options currently available, here is a quick run down on the differences between the most popular tablet technologies. All you have to do is figure out which features are most important to you, then pick the tablet that best suits your needs.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the main characteristics of tablets, focusing on the 5 most popular tablets (as of 2012), which are:
- iPad
- Microsoft Surface
- Google/Samsun Nexus 10
- Google/Asus Nexus 7
- iPad mini
Size
With these 5 tablets, there are two main sizes: the 10-inch tablets (the iPad, Surface, and Nexus 10) and the 7-inch tablets (the iPad mini and Nexus 7), with the Surface having the largest surface area and the Nexus 7 having the smallest. In terms of weight, the iPad mini is the lightest of all the choices, and the Surface is the heaviest.
Resolution & Speed
Two main concerns with tablets are their resolution and processing speed. For resolution, the Nexus 10 edges out the iPad. Though the Surface has the fewest pixels per inch, it has a ClearType technology that improves the perceived resolution, which means that the iPad mini has the lowest perceived resolution. In processing, the iPad, Nexus 10, and iPad mini all have dual core processors while the Surface and Nexus 7 both have a quad core processor.
Memory & Storage
Two additional areas to take into consideration are the RAM (random-access memory) and storage capabilities. Of the 5 tablets, the Surface and Nexus 10 have the most RAM (at 2 GB) and the iPad mini has the least (at 512 MB). Most of the tablets come with different storage options (from 16 GB to 64 GB). However, the different operating systems for each of the tablets take up different amounts of room, which can greatly affect the amount of actual storage room available. Surface’s Windows RT takes up the most space, but the Surface is also only one that offers an external storage device.
Wireless
One last area to take notice of is the wireless element. All of the tablets have Wi-Fi capabilities which allow you to connect the tablet to a wireless network. However, only the iPad, iPad mini, and the Nexus 7 also have the ability to be connected to a cellular data plan.
