Geek Evolution

Evolution according to Geeks

Tablets are a natural way of sharing information. They’ve been around since man first picked up a handful of clay and pounded it into the first “touch screen” about 6,000 years ago. The modern version of the tablet is old news to any “Star Trek” fan but the computing technology that makes these things remotely possible didn’t come about until the 1980’s. There were a few fits and starts from various companies over the years. Finally, Apple introduced their iPhone in 2007 and the world said, “Oh, so that’s how you do it!”  In 2010, Apple introduced a large version of their iPhone and called it the iPad. The world said, “Star Trek technology at last!”
 Since then, the world has responded with a dizzying array of tablet computers from various manufacturers. With Christmas just around the corner, I want to take a stab at helping you narrow down your choice if you are in the market for one.

There are essentially two kinds of tablets out there. Those that run Apple’s operating system called iOS and those running Google’s operating system (OS) called Android. Apple is the only manufacturer of Apple devices. Dozens of companies make Android devices. My geek friends will be quick to point out that Microsoft has introduced a new tablet called Surface but I have yet to be able to put my hands on one.

“Which tablet is better?” Sorry, but I can’t give you a good answer. The iPad is very refined. It’s really hard to qualify what makes it so refined but you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into everything about the tablet. It is rare that anyone is disappointed with an iPad.

Android tablets were once perceived to be secondary to iPads but that was so two-years-ago. Leading manufacturers of Android devices have been packing power and features and refining the devices so that it now equals and even surpasss Apple in many ways. So my advice here is this: If you already have an iPhone, you will feel right at home with an iPad from Apple. If you already have an Android smartphone, you will feel perfectly at home with an Android tablet from almost any well-known manufacturer.

The next choice will be “form factor.” Apple just released the iPad Mini. It’s just a smaller version of the iPad which makes it more portable. This form factor has been around for awhile on Android tablets. Buy whatever size fits your hands best.

Somewhere along the line, you’ll need to consider price. You will pay at least $500.00 for an iPad, $350 for an iPad Mini and as little as $150 for an Android unit such as the Kindle Fire from Amazon. Generally speaking, you will get a little more for your money with an Android device but it is hard to make a “bad” choice no matter what you decide. Stay away from the really cheap knockoffs.. You really do get what you pay for.