Category: Tablet

Which Tablet is right for your Business? Part Two

Paul
New iPad/tablet kitchen mount. Very handy.

Size and weight Counts!

So In the Previous Entry we talked about the differences in tablets themselves.   I hate leaving it alone, so we are going to pick up where we left off!  Some questions that we first must ask and then answer are:
  • What will it be used for?
  • Will it be carried around a lot?
  • Do you need Internet?
  • Storage Space?
  • Accessories with it!
  • Battery Power?

Even though these seems like a few questions that are not important, may actually be important.   You could need internet for emailing people or just to take orders.   So it isn’t like you should ignore these or others.   Each question helps you determine which Tablet is best suited for your needs and which one maybe more or less expensive depending on how you intend to use it!

Do research!

If your like me you may have found this blog because you were doing your research but it doesn’t mean it ends here.   You will want to learn everything from wherever you can.   For example, did you know the Ipad can’t have an external SD card and thus might not be the best for your situation.   

I will tell you that each Tablet comes with it’s unique personalities and you will have to treat each one differently.    

The difference between an Ipad and the Acer A200 that I bought is quite simple, The Acer can have an Micro SD card and has an USB input so you can do multiple things to it compared to the Ipad which is limited to only a few things and can’t be easily upgrade with memory or size.  Although, probably has great speed and reliability, it however isn’t as important to me as which one actually you need.

Got Internet?

This is one of those really important questions because you have so many things that you might need.   I remember one time when I needed to get online to look up a solution for a problem at a friends house. He didn’t have wireless only wired and he only had one system that I was working on at the time.   I learned the hard way to always have a Mifi card on me in case that happens again.  Although you could also Tether to your Cell phone like I did but then you will still need to worry about charges to your account unless you already have it setup for just that.

If you did get a tablet how would you use it on the internet what are the cost to tethering it or buying a Mifi card for just that.   You got to make sure the expenses aren’t going to hurt your chances of making money and how to recoup your need for the internet.

I know this is a lot to think about, but remember which ever tablet you decide on will have to last you for a year or two.   It also might be a good idea  to get insurance on it [Affiliate Link] in case you break it or a customer’s kids break it!

Which Tablet is right for your Business? Part One!

Paul

Tablet Central

Ipad, Windows, or Android?

I was asked this question recently and I really was struck dumb by the question.   When people ask what the difference in tablets are and why one cost 800$ and others cost 100$ to 200$?   I’d never really understood why some people haven’t gotten the idea that all tablets are the basically the same.   No tablet that I know of will ever be perfect and be the ruler of all other tablets.   It just isn’t that simple and thus it will be something that is more of a personal decision and maybe even a price decision.   Just because you can afford to pay for an Ipad doesn’t mean you should buy one, and just because you have the money to buy an Android doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wait and do you research.  

The Ipad!

 

Even though I know some of you will say the Ipad is the best and no one can beat them.   I’d have to say that is your opinion but I am not here to debate opinions but to talk about what the Ipad is and what it  can do.   

 

The IPAD is an Apple Product and is all proprietary hardware and software to Apple.   It has been said that it is the fastest and most stable Operating System out there and that it is just a notch above Windows.   I think the reason people say that is that it is always going to be hard to ruin a closed product like that with software that hasn’t been tested or allowed on the operating system.   They might seem good but they worry me about security and how they believe they are secure by being obscured with the Tablet Code and Tablet Hardware.  You might not find an application that is available for your business with an Ipad but then again you might have to figure out how to do it without Apple’s permission or help.

Windows Tablets!

Now this is something that should be easily understandable, if you have a Windows Machine at home then you will understand that a Windows Tablet is a smaller and more compact version of Windows for the desktop.   You can’t do everything on the tablet like you could on a home machine or laptop but you can do a lot more than you will ever think.  

Windows have Viruses and so does Windows Tablets!   I’m sure I have that one all to often, and I could argue the point but I will say this much every system you use can and most likely at one time or other has had a virus or has been infected so it really doesn’t make much since to worry about it.

A windows can do just as much as an Ipad but may be different in that respect.   You can install almost anything you want and decide how you may or may not want to use it.   With that being said, you may not be able to view movies or shows streaming from the web.   Some Windows Tablet’s aren’t designed to do that.   Microsoft is trying to protect you that way by not allowing you to do that.  Some windows tablets actually can have and use USB out puts, unlike Ipads.   You probably can’t do as much with the Ipad that you can do with an Windows Tablet or an Android Tablet!

Android Tablets!

So we are down to the Android Tablets, which include the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire.   Even though the Kindle Fire doesn’t have the same face as the Nexus 7 under the hood it is the same.   They all are using what is called the Android Operating System and thus isn’t as wildly secretive.   Anyone who wants to can produce an App for the Android marketplace.

With that being said, you do have to be a little more careful of which app to install and read the comments and reviews of people who have installed that app on their device.   You may find some apps that do some strange things to make money.   After all, most app’s in the marketplace are free and thus the companies who make those apps are wanting to make money.

You will find that the Android Tablets are much cheaper and you can do almost anything you want with the tablet in reguards to Moding it or installing what you want.   It is considered an open source system so every person who makes the app or even helps with the Operating System can change it to help make it more secure.

Well this is the first Part of a Mini discussion.  This first part was to help you understand and get an idea of all this.   I will be posting the second part of this sometime in the coming days to weeks but I had to start with the basics.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

Reviewing the Acer Iconia A200 10.1 Tablet!

Paul

Acer Iconia A200!

I found the tablet for me, it is Acer Iconia A200 10.1-Inch Tablet [Affiliate Link]and I must say I am loving this little tablet.   It is far better than some of the others that you might of wanted.   Here are the specs for the tablet:

Screen Size 2.5 inches
Max Screen Resolution 1280 x 800 pixels
Processor 1 GHz Tegra 2.0
RAM 1 GB DDR2
Hard Drive 8 GB
Graphics Coprocessor NVIDIA GeForce GPU
Chipset Brand NVIDIA
Wireless Type 802.11bgn
Number of USB 2.0 Ports 2
Average Battery Life (in hours) 8 hours
Other Technical Details
Brand Name Acer
Series Iconia
Item model number A200-10g08u
Hardware Platform PC
Operating System Android Honeycomb 3.2
Item Weight: 1.5 pounds
Item Dimensions L x W x H 10.20 x 6.90 x 0.48 inches
Color Titanium Gray
Processor Brand NVIDIA
Processor Count 1
Computer Memory Type DDR2 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size 8
Hard Drive Interface Serial ATA

 

So let’s talk about this little tablet!

It has a very vivid display and lasted approximately 6 hours with me with moderate screen brightness.   I can watch Google shows or Movies thanks to their Google Play Video App.   I also like that I can download movies and shows to the tablet without having to Sync with a Desktop or tablet.   Here are the Pro’s to the tablet that I can think of:

 

  • Comes with Android 3.2.1 but can be upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3) with an over the Air update Approximately 260 meg download.
  • The Weight of the Tablet is about the same weight as an IPAD or a 7 inch tablet.  
  • Watch Netflix or Hulu with no problems
  • USB Ports: Can plug in a usb keyboard, Mouse or a barcode scanner [Affiliate Link] and use it the way you want not the way they want you to use it. (I’ve tried all three USB devices and not had any problems)
  • Reading kindle books or web browsing.
  • Emailing people using a Keyboard.
  • Can even watch Amazon Shows and Movies using the Web browser with no major issues.   

 

As you can see this tablet is versatile and can be used for business or pleasure depending on what you need it to be used for and how you intend to use it.   I find the speed of the processor adequate for the size of the tablet and haven’t had any major issues with Ice Scream sandwich and Acer!   I bought this tablet because I have used an Acer Laptop and I have found all Acer products to be durable and stands up to time.

The Cons:

  • Google Video Play Store — They are getting shows and movies that I would buy from them but I would love to have BBC and some other Science Fiction shows to be available there.  They do However Have the Warehouse 13 Series and Mythbusters Series that I like so much but I am hoping I can switch entirely to Google in a few months.  
  • The Screen size is smaller than the Ipad but it isn’t a big deal if you just want to use it for reading or viewing videos.   I found the video playback to be really nice and neat.
  • Default web browser needs to be removed.   I installed  the Dophin Browser because it was much more smoother and faster to run.   
  • No Jelly Bean update — Acer confirms that they will not havew the Jelly Bean on this tablet.  I however will be looking around for a way to do it myself.

I really am not happy they will not have Jelly Bean on this version of the tablet but I am sure someone will make a mod for me to do just that because I believe that it is capable of doing so.   I do think this was a great buy and I as such encourage people to go check out other Acer Tablets or for that matter this one all together.

Paul Sylvester

Amazon Affiliate Link