TABLETS
Hardware
Google Nexus 7
Price: from $310
Website: www.google.com
Google
Nexus 7
Others have had 18 months to make a tablet
success of Android, and they haven’t come close to Apple. So it’s time for The
Big G itself to have a go, with a little hardware help from Asus. For its
price, the Nexus 7 is unrivalled in specs and speed, but a 7in screen makes it
more of a Kindle Fire rival than an iPad-beater. Good for Apple and Google; not
so good for Amazon.
Pros
·
Ludicrously cheap
·
Runs Android Jelly Bean
·
Quad-core
·
HD screen
Cons
·
Small display
·
No 3G option
·
No SD expansion slot
Android Beam - Special skill
There aren't many tablets out there with
NFC capabilities. On top of contactless payments, you'll also get contactless
contacts (and more) thanks to Android Beam, which will whip info between
devices at a tap.
Apple iPad
Price: from $560
Website: www.apple.com
Apple
iPad
Try as they might, no-one's managed to
assault Apple's carefully defended position as the tablet maker of choice. A
combination of great price, near flawless performance, unbelievably crisp
screen and a critical mass of apps keeps the iPad ahead. Its rivals may beat it
in one area or another, but none has yet delivered the whole anti-Apple
package. Keep trying, lads.
Pros
·
Long battery life
·
Value for money
·
Retina screen
·
Apps
Cons
·
Heavy-handed software restrictions
·
Expensive accessories
A5X Processor - Special skill
On paper the iPad's dual-core CPU is a
laggard compared to the Tegra 3 chip some Android tabs run, but it's the A5X's
extra memory read-write speed that keeps graphics smoother and performance
feeling faster.
Microsoft Surface
Website: www.microsoft.com
Microsoft
Surface
MS has never made its own computers before,
so Surface is a gamble. But it's looking good - this 10.6in slate runs Windows
RT, a streamlined version of Win 8 designed for tablets (Surface Pro runs the
full thing, but is thicker and heavier), and initial reports suggest excellent
build quality with a 3mm-thick touch-sensitive keyboard cover. Your Win 7 apps
won't work on it, mind you.
Pros
·
Keyboard Touch Cover
·
Nvidia Tegra processor
·
First-party Microsoft support
Cons
·
No India release info yet
·
Won't run any legacy Windows apps
Sensor Fusion - Special skill
Without desktop apps it's easy to write off
Surface RT as a bit 'me too'. But it does some things well, such as 'sensor
fusion' which integrates feedback from accelerometers and gyros for unrivalled
spatial awareness.
Tablets - OS
Android Jelly Bean 4.1
Price: free
Out now (on nexus devices)
Android
Jelly Bean 4.1 for Tablets
Many of Jelly Bean's new functions benefit
both phones and tablets, so the changes you'll see on your phone will extend to
your tablet too. Good for the bigger screen are the new Chrome browser, which
uses pre-caching to speed up page loading and syncs tabs across devices, the
near-psychic keyboard, and Google Play's mags - although for now, they're
US-only.
Pros
·
Customizable
·
Chrome browser
·
The slickest Android yet
·
Google Play improving
Cons
·
Comparative lack of app support for tablet-size
screens
Customization - Special skill
Android still owns its rivals when it comes
to screen customization. You can set Jelly Bean up almost any way you want - no
two homescreens are the same. Unless you set up two to look identical. Plainly.
Apple iOS 6
Price: free
Due October
Apple
iOS 6 for iPad
Like Android, many of the iOS upgrades are
designed to improve all devices. But with iOS 6, iPad 3 owners can now take
advantage of Siri's subservience to launch apps, post to Twitter and Facebook,
and ask what the football score is - or how far it is to the office. However,
iOS' tablet superiority is down to apps. Nothing can compete with its creative,
productive or mag app roster.
Pros
·
Seamless iCloud syncing
·
FaceTime over 3G
·
Stunning array of apps and media
Cons
·
Siri still very US-centric
·
Lacks customizability
·
Still no widgets
3G Facetime - Special skill
One of the most fulfilling things you can
do with an iPad is video chat - and with iOS 6 that's possible over 3G using
FaceTime. Just remember: raising your chin during conversation is not flattering.
Windows 8 RT
Price: free
Only pre-installed
Windows
8 RT
Microsoft's tablet OS is much closer to its
desktop counterpart than the other systems. Unlock it by drawing patterns on to
a photo, just like in Windows 8 Pro, and you'll be taken into the Metro Live
Tiles interface, where the same Win 8 gesture controls apply: flip through
running apps, bring up Charms icons, or zoom out through menus. Oh, and the
full Office suite comes free. Neat.
Pros
·
Attractive and easy to use
·
MS Office bundled
·
Updates feeds when asleep
Cons
·
IE10 is only browser
·
Windows Store currently limited
·
No Windows Media Player
Internet Explorer 10 - Special skill
A pretty slick reinvention of the browser.
IE10's full-screen approach means that unless you're typing in the URL or search
bar, menu bars will melt away, leaving pure website behind. Oh happy internet.
Cloud Storage
Google Drive
Price: from free
Website: www.drive.google.com
Google
Drive
Drive turns Google Docs into a service that
takes not just spreadsheets and text, but any file type. On the one hand it's a
slightly ungainly hybrid of Dropbox and an online office app - but it works
really well, providing all of your kit with easy access to the same files. With
a Google account handling calendar and contacts, and Picasa storing photos, it
also keeps your precious data safe.
Pros
·
Simple desktop integration
·
Converts scanned docs to text
·
iOS apps available
Cons
·
Odd barrier between Drive and Picasa
Document Collaboration - Special skill
The genius of Google Docs is that people
can edit the same doc at the same time, yet it's still easy to find the latest
version. A complete history is stored if you need to go back in time.
iCloud
Price: from free
Website: www.icloud.com
iCloud
Apple's take on the cloud is typically locked
down. You can't upload files willy-nilly; rather, Apple uses iCloud to
seamlessly sync media, docs and data from compatible programs across all of
your Apple kit, and provide access to your iTunes media whenever you want it.
Best of all is the backup: lose an iOS gadget and your apps and settings can be
effortlessly restored to a new one.
Pros
·
Photostream syncs snaps across iDevices
·
Unlimited iTunes storage
·
Backup
Cons
·
Only 5GB free for backup, docs
·
No file browsing
·
Only works with OS X and iOS
Developer Integration - Special skill
iCloud isn't just about syncing Apple
services. OSX and iOS developers can design apps that, say, store a game saved
in the cloud so you never lose your place across your devices.
SkyDrive
Price: from free
Website: www.skydrive.live.com
SkyDrive
Microsoft's SkyDrive has been recently
rebooted, readying it for Windows 8. A long-awaited desktop app allows you to
sync folders in Windows Explorer, and integration with MS programs means that
you can share files from Outlook without emailing giant attachments. As with
Google and Apple, your MS Live account also safely stores email, contacts and
calendars.
Pros
·
Biggest free allowance (7GB)
·
Easy file sharing
·
Android and iOS apps
Cons
·
No deleted item recovery
·
Online Office document editing apps slow
Fetch Remote Access - Special skill
Want something from your home PC but forgot
to copy it to the cloud? No problem - SkyDrive's remote access allows you to
browse the hard drive of any computer that's on and logged into your Live
account.
