Looking back in time, there effectively were no consumer tablets in the beginning of 2010. Sure, Microsoft had Tablet PCs for nearly a decade prior, but these were heavy, had relatively short battery life, and suffered from a desktop operating system that wasn’t optimized for mobile use. It was Apple’s original iPad, making its debut on store shelves in April 2010, that kicked off the current tablet frenzy. Since then, companies have jumped into this hot market, hoping to score some of the estimated 53.5 million tablet sales that research firm IDC expects this year alone.
It took time for iPad competitors to appear, however, as Research In Motion, HP, Samsung, and many others scrambled to create or use new mobile operating system for such devices. At the Consumer Electronics Show this past January, a full eight months after the first iPad arrived, a slew of Google Android tablets were shown, and I had my first hands-on experiences with RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook. And just last week HP launched its TouchPad with the webOS system. Of course, while all this tablet activity happened in the first half of 2011, Apple improved the iPad with a successor device that’s even faster than the original, has two cameras, and can stream media to HDTVs.
Fast-forward to the present day, and there are now a number of tablet choices that simply didn’t exist 14 months ago. It can be overwhelming to pick and choose, because each tablet platform and device has certain pros and cons, even as most have $499 starting prices. I’m in the unique position of having at least one tablet from each platform in hand right now. After using them all in the past few weeks and months, I can’t tell you which tablet is the best for you, mainly because everyone has different needs. But my hands-on use of these devices can offer insights into which have standout features and which still face challenges that might not be acceptable to you.
The iPad has the advantage of successful "first mover" status, so when many consumers think tablet, they think iPad. And why not? Apple prepared users for the iPad by honing the iOS operating system since 2007. Put another way: If you know how to use an iPhone or iPod touch, you already know how to use an iPad; there’s no learning curve involved. Aside from the ease of use, the iPad has not only the most apps available, but it has all of what I’d call "top-tier" titles. I’d be hard-pressed to think of a killer app from another platform that doesn’t already exist for the iPad.
Apple’s iPad has also provided the widest array of media options for the longest time. ITunes natively has support for major music labels as well as many movie studios and TV content providers. Where it falls short in these areas, it makes up for in the apps: Netflix and Hulu Plus, for example, add content Apple has no license to provide, and these types of apps have been slow to appear on other mobile platforms. Add in simple media streaming to an AppleTV through the AirPlay function, and the iPad makes for a great media solution over competitors.
While there’s much to like—and the iPad is a known commodity with great application support—it’s not for everyone, nor for every situation. Earlier this year, I found I preferred to carry a smaller tablet outside the home, and I dumped my iPad for that reason. I later picked up an iPad 2, but my uses for it are limited to around the house: in bed, on the couch, or at the kitchen table. Many consumers tote their iPad all the time, and while you can take it anywhere, it’s not as easy to use everywhere as a smaller device is. People looking for more portability might consider a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, BlackBerry Playbook, or HTC Flyer, for example.
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