Which Tablet should I get…..?

In today’s computing society, tablets and phones are becoming more and more commonplace, and with so many choices, more and more people are questioning which one they should consider buying? 

While most phones and tablets today offer similar features, one of the largest differences you can find between phones is the “operating system” or OS. Just like a computer, phones and tablets have underlying software which acts as a framework to install your apps on top of. There are in general three main flavours of OS which are: 

1. Android. The most popular choice with just under 70% of the market according to one research firm. 

2. iOS or Apple. This is the second most popular, with 20% of the market. 

3. Windows. This is installed on under 3% of all smartphones. 

While each performs relatively the same, because we often get asked “which one should I buy?” we’ll just consider some of the key difference. 

Android is open-source, which while it may not mean much to you, means that it is “free” to developers and phone manufacturers. This is why these phones are often cheaper; you’re not paying a premium for that company’s software. This open-ness means that essentially everything “can” be configurable in one way or another. If you like to tinker, this is the best choice, and if you don’t, most Android devices are still standardised across devices and easy to get used to. 

iOS or Apple devices are not as open as Android, but this has other benefits. Often considered simpler to use, more secure and having the most apps to accomplish what you want, this is a good choice for those who want something easy to use straight out of the box. 

Windows comes in a many flavours, and is a good choice for some, especially businesses. The reason for this is that it can run Office applications, like Word and Excel, for out of the office processing. The flavours of Windows on touch-devices have different functions too: Windows Phone OS are for smartphones, Windows RT is a basic OS for phones and tablets. In saying this the most feature rich is Windows 8 Pro, although it’s mostly restricted to tablets, the reason Windows 8 Pro is so different, is because it features a “desktop” like a normal PC and can install normal PC software, not just phone apps. So in a nutshell if you have something you can only get on your PC, but couldn’t live without on a tablet; a Windows 8 Pro tablet can do it. 

Remember to speak to your local IT experts for any issues you have or advice required.