Friday, March 11, 2011

My New Toy: Apple iPad vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab vs. Motorola Xoom

While on vacation back home, I came to the realization that I really want a tablet because I wanted to play around on the Net but my phone was too small and I didn't want to lug out my laptop. The perfect scenario for a tablet.

On paper, the iPad (Gen 1) still seems like the logical choice since it's more established and essentially created the market. I still think the device is handcuffed because it doesn't provide essential features, and is already obsolete. Plus, I'm trying to break my dependence on Apple and their smug attitudes (still not happy how they handled the iPhone 4 debacle). The bright side is the first gen version is cheaper now that the wholly unnecessary iPad 2 officially hit the streets, and would still address the basic needs I'm having.

The two Android tablets that have become the frontrunners to be the iPad killer, the Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, are tempting but also riddled with drawbacks. While I like my Android phone, I still don't know enough about the operating system to be dazzled by these new devices. I still don't see how Android is better than iOS. While they do have the bells and whistles that I'm looking for (dual cameras, Flash), I haven't heard many positive reviews about them. From what I can tell, the Galaxy Tab uses an version of Android that doesn't translate well to the tablet format, and the Xoom is too glitchy. But they're not Apple tabs, which is a plus (sorta).

The thing is, I don't NEED a tablet. The combination of my smartphone and my computer is sufficient, although not necessarily the most convenient pairing. I also cannot fathom dropping the money required to actually purchase one of these devices, but that's not going to stop me from thinking about buying one.

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