Noel's Christmas 2012 Tablet Guide

Quite a bit has happened in the market place since my earlier 2012 blogs on tablets. I've been asked about what I like these days and provide an answer below.

Windows 8 provides an opportunity to have a common user interface across one's laptop, tablet, and phone. That comes at the expense of learning a new user interface on the laptop (though there is a legacy interface available, but that defeats the point of a common interface). It would also be nice if the data sharing was close to seamless between devices. I've started using Dropbox for that purpose between WIndows 7 laptop, iPad, and Android phone. For me it's too early to tell it Windows 8 is worth migrating to from Apple or Android.

The 4th generation iPad is 4 times faster then the gen 1 device my wife has and is twice as fast as gen 2 and gen 3. The retina display is nice and the number of customized tablet applications is greater than for Android.. I don't like the iPad's continued lack of Flash support. The iPad mini failed to impress me relative to Android offerings.

I'm not a big fan of 7" screens since my eyes and fat fingers prefer a 9-10" screen and because I've got a smart phone with a fairly big screen. I've been liking my Samsung Galaxy S III phone with its 4.8" display relative to the 3.5" display on my previous phone for viewing and typing. I've also liked my Otter Box Defender case for the phone. A 7" screen does not add much screen size and no resolution relative to that device.

In the 9" screen and larger category, I've got three Android favorites.

For value ($299) and media support, I like the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9". It has been announced, but is not shipping for a few more weeks. I would not buy one until at least the end of the year. This is so I can see user reviews in addition to the specs and advertising.

For speed and screen resolution, I like the newly announced Nexus 10. It is simply the latest and greatest.

For usefulness as a tool, I like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. The key feature is an S-pen and apps which support its capabilities.

I currently don't have a compelling reason to get one rather than the others. If I do get one sooner rather than later "just because", I would lean to the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. This is due to the lower price with the idea that the money saved would be a start towards an upgrade sooner rather than later.

If one is looking to replace a laptop with a tablet, an external keyboard is essential for doing large amounts of text input. One should also confirm that the on-board data storage and cloud storage will be adequate for one's needs.