Price
Like smartphones and other tablets, 25.4cm
devices are also available across a wide price range. This display size though
won't be available in the below $245 range, also known as the budget range. The
iBall Slide mentioned above is priced at around $294.
25.4cm devices are available for ' 16,000
onward, going well beyond $817. The Apple iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
are high-end devices priced around $817. But these are immensely powerful
devices, which would often be more than what you need. On the other hand, for
hard-core gadget fans, the unparalleled performance that these bring would be a
treasure.
The
Apple iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 are high-end devices priced around $817
Calling or non-calling
Many people may like to replace their
smartphone with a tablet. In our humble opinion, your smartphone should be a
companion of your tablet (especially if you are buying iPad). However, tablets can
be used for phone calls and can replace smartphones if you want. Just a
suggestion, go for a Bluetooth or other headset if you intend to use a 25.4cm
tablet for calling purposes as well.
There are myriad offerings from companies
like Xolo, iBall and many others. The tablets are usually priced over $326.
Many
people may like to replace their smartphone with a tablet.
Build
At this point you may be wondering how two
25.4cm tablets differ in their build, form factor, etc. Well, in theory they
should not, but they can and they do. The build of a device plays a huge role
in its portability. A slim device like Apple's iPad Air would be much easier to
carry around than others.
Another example of the build quality is
that seen in Lenovo Yoga 10 tablets. These tablets can be docked without a
cover or keyboard, allowing you comfortable setups for Skyping with family,
watching movies, etc. The build of Lenovo Yoga 10 has been liked by most users.
Also important is the weight of the device.
Lesser the weight, easier it is to carry the device through crowded public
transport and on long journeys.
Operating system
The operating system is a factor that
everyone looks at while buying a tablet or laptop. Here's how we suggest you
choose yours. The premise from the beginning has been that you are going to use
your tablet as a replacement for your laptop. Let's face it, nothing quite
matches the functionality and wide usage that Microsoft's Windows presents when
it comes to PCs. Unfortunately, there are not many Windows options available
for tablets. The Asus Transformer Book T100 is a good Windows tablet though,
which easily passes as a netbook when docked.
Others like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
that we have mentioned here run on Apple's iOS or Google Android operating system.
You will find that both these OSs are good replacements for Windows. The fact
that Microsoft leads in the OS segment has more to do with users being
comfortable with the OS on their PC and not wanting to try new ones. Android
has apps like QuickOffice which replaces MS Office. In addition, it also has
apps for Skype and virtually everything you need.
Conclusion
A
25.4cm tablet can be a perfect replacement for a netbook.
A 25.4cm tablet can be a perfect
replacement for a netbook. In fact, if you look at Asus Transformer series, you
will find devices that replicate netbooks, a genre that the company is often
attributed to have pioneered. Further, if you happen to buy an iPad Air, iPad
with Retina Display or Galaxy Note 10.1, you will get much more power than your
netbook offered.
Electrics for you – August 2014 – Page
13
