Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 with removable mouse function keyboard Catch my vid on Tablets and eReaders on my Global Sunday Morning News: http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/dec+18++tech+talk/video.html?v=2178049687&p=27&s=dd#themorningnews/video
TABLETS, iPADS OR eREADERS?
The line between eReaders and Tablets is
getting fuzzier as each of these distinctly different portable devices tries to
emulate the other. So if you are contemplating a new portable small screen device
for the Holidays, here is a refresher.
Let’s be clear: tablets and iPads use an
LCD screen, like a laptop and behave like laptops while eReaders use E ink
technology which resembles printed paper, great for book-reading but is too
slow to run other applications.
Tablets and iPads are brighter, have more
contrast and are difficult on the eyes after long periods of use. But they are
more powerful, can run computer-like applications, offer great Internet
browsing, run office apps and have access to hundreds of thousands of free or
cheap applications including games. They all have onboard digital cameras, front
and back, shoot HD video (720p or 1080p)
handle many email accounts and can consolidate your social networks. All have
WiFi and Bluetooth, while better models have GPS and tilt-sensitive screen
accelerometers and about half also have optional 3G or 4G data connection
through local carriers which includes a discounted purchase price with a three
year data plan. Almost every tablet runs on some version of Google’s Android
OS, almost all recent models are upgradeable to the new Android “Ice Cream
Sandwich” OS 4.0 early 2012.
Tablets and iPads differ from more powerful
PC laptops in that they don’t use a mouse. Instead, they use a multi-finger
touch screen but can accommodate optional
Bluetooth keyboards.
eReaders are thinner, lighter, run longer
and are best for displaying black and white textbook like images with no
discernable dots on their adjustable font display. That’s why a 6-inch eReader
looks so good. They can be read in bright outdoor daylight or simply catch a
few rays in a dimly lit room. Some have an Internet browser, but very limited.
Many include MP3 audio capability to read with background music or simply use
as an audio player. Colour E ink has generated press but is still in its
infancy. Most eReader makers are taking a wait-and-see attitude on colour E
ink.
Here is a brief “what I like
best” run-down on current popular tablets, pads and eReaders, most having
the common features mentioned above. This is based on features you may
appreciate, or not, long after buying the device. Features you can’t change and
have to live with. Prices vary based on memory, screen size, data connectivity
and shopping outlet.
Tablets and Pads
-iPad 2 from Apple, from $519 has the most
responsive screen touch, essentially becoming an extension of your finger,
although it’s not as sharp as newcomers. Still, the user experience is still
tops. It has the simplest interface requiring the least number of clicks and
finger swipes to get things done and is great on batteries. It is unbeatable in
working and synching your data with other devices in Apple’s free iCloud
service. Its cleverly designed multi-angle folding cover is genius. Hint: If on
a budget, check out pre-owned original iPads which can be had for half price
online on eBay or kijiji. They work great, are upgradeable to OS 5 including
iCloud.
-Samsung’s Galaxy 10.1-inch Tab 4G $649 and
8.9-inch Tab LTE $649, are not cheap, but seem to share the same engineering DNA
as the iPad, as does the Galaxy Nexus phone to the iPhone4S. They are thinner,
lighter, sharper and have, unquestionably, the best colour screen quality than
competitor models. Samsung throws in its
own flavour of innovative applications in addition the Android Market store. you
can get a couple of hundred bucks off if you take on a three-year $20-$35 data
plan with Bell. I personally like the LTE 8.9 inch as a perfect size for travel
and it can achieve the fastest data connection, 12-25 Mbps realistically, in most Canadian cities.
-The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101,
$399.99, is the second thinnest Android 3.1 tablet, also more powerful than
most. It too is sharper than the iPad. has great sound and offers the best
laptop-like expansion with an optional removable keyboard dock that makes it
look like a clamshell laptop. Combined with the dock’s built-in battery, the
TF101 can run for 16 hours. It has two USB 2.0 ports, an SD card slot and get
this: a mouse pad with a fully functional mouse cursor. Winner. One can argue
than the $499 combined price for an Android tablet and dock is approaching cheap laptops but if laptop
speed is not important, it’s a good choice for two portable shifts of work or play
on battery. It also has the smallest charger. Bravo. Listen-up everyone!
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-Acer’s Iconia Tab A500 10.1-inch tablet
similarly powered like the Asus TF101, $349.99, has the most uncluttered screen
on first start with a nicely organized bookshelf look for your multimedia,
social, games and reading apps and an easy way to add to each. It had the least problems connecting to my
home WiFi and has the largest speakers in this grouping, and fuller sound. The
screen is 10-point touch. Despite being the heaviest of the lot, it provides 10
hours of Internet browsing.
-The Sony Tablet S, $449, has Sony written
all over it for “just another” Android tablet. It’s easy to hold with
a 9.4-inch screen using a clever thin wedge design and concave sides with all
the buttons, including SD memory slot nestled
out of the way. Being Sony, it hooks you up with the company’s Reader Store and
the newest movies through the Sony Entertainment Network, currently offering up
to $70 of freebies. It’s also an IR remote control for your theatre room
working with non-Sony products as well.
-Toshiba’s 10.1-inch Tablet, alson on
Android 3.1, starting at $379, is the closest thing to a full computer slate.
It has removable batteries, exchangeable colour back covers, great softest grip
for long hours of use, standard USB 2.0, an SD memory slot, HDMI out (the kind
you can actually find cords for) and includes a file manager to moves your
stuff around, like a PC.
eREADERS
Most eReaders offer a package deal. Don’t
fall for it. Sure you save on the first several books, but then you may be
stuck with a model or brand you don’t like. Take time and compare the reading
experience in stores, side by side.
-Amazon’s new Kindle, $109, has the same
6-inch screen size of the keyboard WiFi and 3G siblings, but minus the keyboard
or MP3 music or audio jack. But it’s small, easier to carry, has WiFi, easily
gets you to your previous Kindle books. It’s available in multiple languages
including French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Italian. Kindles
still have the visually smoothest E ink page turn experience than competitors.
-The Sony Reader WiFi 6-inch screen
recently discounted to $119.99, a hot deal, is light and thin and offers the
best book deal ever: you can “burrow” library books for free from
virtually any library membership in North
America. It also takes additional memory and is a great MP3 player while you
read or just listen.
-Canadian Kobo’s newest 7-inch colour
screen Kobo Vox eReader, $199, is a hybrid, like the Kindle Fire which is not
available in Canada yet. It’s an LCD screen with good web access, email and
runs a large selection of especially modified Android apps. Its Pulse feature
lets your share reader experience on Facebook. Kobo is aiming for the largest
selection of children’s eBooks. Kobo also has a free eBook reader app for Apple
iOS, Android, BlackBerry and HP WEB OS. http://www.kobo.com
Here is a video link to my GobalTV Monday Morning News Tech Talk segment this morning with co-host Mike Sobel:
-For gamers or music fans yearning for fresh tunes, check
out The Greatest Video Game Music CD, $19.99. It features 21 video game theme
songs from Advent Rising, Angry Birds, Super Mario Brothers, World of Warcraft,
Tetris, Final Fantasy, Halo 3 and more. Performed by the highly acclaimed
London Philharmonic Orchestra, the richness of the music score brings a new
dimension and awareness of the uniqueness of game themes normally just playing
in the background.
-Winter gloves that
work on any touch screen iPhones, iPads, BlackBerries and Android devices? Made in Canada you say? Yes, in four different
sizes in grey, black or honeysuckle and two different styles. They also feature
embedded rubber for better grip. Available at Blacks Photography, $18 or at http://www.glidergloves.com
-The FujiFilm FinePix HS20 EXR 16 megapixel 30X zoom, 24-720
mm equiv. $399, has many surprises. It’s
great for macro photography (1 cm), sports, wildlife and travel. Its 3-inch
tilt screen switches to a digital viewfinder automatically when close to your
eye and the 11 frames per second high speed shooting makes you feel and shoot
like a pro. There are plenty of quick get-to buttons for on-the-fly
adjustments. Fuji is renowned for its quality pictures in available light and features
professional RAW shooting mode as well as JPEG, including in-camera conversion,
meaning you don’t need expensive programs to see your quality pictures
onscreen. A welcome feature, especially if you are away from civilization and
electricity is that the HS20 runs on four replaceable or rechargeable AA
batteries. Nice. The HS20 uses an larger enhanced picture sensor for better
quality than most point-and-shoot cameras. Check out National Geographic Photographer
Bruce
Kirkby’s side-by-side impressive comparison with a full-frame DSLR at:
http://bit.ly/FujifilmHS20EXR_EN
-OK, an electric shaver with five rows of blades? I thought
that was a bit of overkill but when Panasonic sent me their Pro-Curve Arc V-Blade
ES-LV61A wet/dry shaver for a try-out,
it took me more than a week to appreciate what lot’s of fast-moving 14,000 CPS sharp
blades can do. Panasonic’s new technology of having these three-way flexible
ultra nano-thin blades act in sync, vibrating, pulling and cutting makes it
faster to get to a close shave with minimal passes and skin abrasion. Sure, I
could get “similar” closeness with my older three blade model but it
leaves a red rub mark after trying so hard. You notice the ES-LV61A difference
8 hours later when no stubble has grown back, especially under your chin and
neck. Nice. Its only drawback is that it’s harder to shave accurately around a
beard or mustache. There is also a pricier version with an auto cleaning dock. www.panasonic.ca
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