Tablet & Ereader Reviews

The Motorola Xoom is one of a recent spate of released and announced tablets, which is due for release in the next few months. Alongside the iPad and Blackberry Playbook, it offers an engaging range of technology, all of which is useful in its own right and offers a tablet to rival all others.

From a purely aesthetic point of view this tablet is stunningly attractive, providing smooth lines and a style that is unmatched. It incorporates an impressive array of functionality and technology including the latest android version 3.0, otherwise known as honeycomb. The unit itself measures 249 mm high by 167 mm wide and is 12 mm thick and weighs 730 g in weight.

The unit sports a 10.1 inch display screen, which is one of the largest available, and within which it has a resolution of 1280 x 800, as well as providing full HD 1080p support. The unit is able to record video at 720 pixels, with a playback capability of 1080p. Read the rest of this entry »

Android Tablets vs. iPad – this may well become the big tech debate of 2011. I will break down the differences for you and tell you what side I am on! There are several key differences between the two devices.

Operating System

Obviously, one of the largest differences between the two systems is the operating system. Android tablets are running on some version of the Android OS from Google, while Apple’s iPad is running on Apple’s iOS. Both are the same basic OS that runs on the companies’ respective smart phones.

To me, this is just a matter of preference. These days, many developers prefer Android over iOS, as it is much easier to get a new app into Android’s app market. However, every Android tablet (and phone) may run on a different version of the software, which can make it a bit unsettling for users, as some apps may work only on a newer version of Android, which every tablet may not get.

The companies that develop the tablets decide when to push an update of the Android software to each type of device, so one type might get an update, while others may wait for months, or never get an update at all.

As far as I am concerned, there is no clear winner in this arena. If you get a chance, try each one and see which operating system you like best. Personally, I am a bigger fan of Android.

Screen Size

Having a big screen can be a plus or a minus depending on what you plan to use it for, and especially on how you plan to carry a tablet around. For example, I purchased the Samsung Galaxy Tab, considered one of the best Android tablets currently on the market, and a big selling point for me ws the screen was actually much smaller than the iPad.

The iPad screen is over 10 inches, making almost as big as some small laptops. That can be great if you plan to carry it in a backpack all the time and want to watch videos on it, but it does make it harder to carry around. For me, the Galaxy Tab made more sense because I don’t carry a backpack and like to bring it to meetings.

So, again, no clear winner here. You may want to decide first whether you want a wireless device that is portable or if you want the biggest screen possible. One caveat here, however – soon there will likely be tablets running Android on the market that have screens the size of the iPad.

Apps

You can have a discussion about Android tablets vs. iPad without talking about apps. Apps make or break the tablet in my opinion. Having used both operating systems extensively, I will say that, although the iPad certainly has more apps than Android, I have not been disappointed with Android and can find just about any kind of app I can think of. In addition, almost every company that makes an iPad app makes an Android app as well.

In fact, in my estimation, given that Android sales are now surpassing iPhone, and the fact I mentioned above – that it is easier to develop apps and get in the Android market, I would not be surprised to see Android catch up the Apple in the future when it comes to apps.

Cost

It seems that even the best Android tablets are cheaper overall, and you can find some good, cheap Android tablets out there. Both have data plans, and you can’t do much without a data plan on a tablet unless you stay in a wifi zone, so you will likely end up paying about the same there.

However, when it comes to the cost the device itself, Android wins.

This argument will rage on during 2011, but when it comes to Android Tablets vs. the iPad, I am all for Android!

Casey has a new site dedicated to the best android tablets! Check it out at http://www.androidtabletsblog.com.

If you are looking for the eReader that is just right for you, or even the one that is just right for a gift, it can be a confusing proposition. The field of eReader’s is getting crowded with every major online eBook seller now having their own eBooks reading their own specific formats. The following is a breakdown that might help to compare some of the possible options for you

Nook Color

This e-reader has full access to the “android” network. Because of this there is a ton of functionality that make it far superior in many ways to all of the other choices, except the iPad. That is as much of a bad thing as a good. It has a ton of neat features. You can watch video’s, play games, surf online, and of course it is in color. You can do anything that you can do with your android, but on the larger screen of the Nook.

BUT… This e-reader is a little bulkier than the other eReaders. It has a far shorter battery life. Put simply, though not “bad” it is just not quite as good of an eBook reader.

For multi-purpose use, it defeats the other eReaders easily. The problem is that for multipurpose use you would have to then compare it to the iPad, which puts it to shame in every category but cost. So it is not quite as good of a book reader and not quite as good as the iPad. This is not to say that it is not a worthy compromise purchase, but for anyone with an iPad this reader is pointless, where the Kindle or Sony would still be nice additions to have.

Sony Reader

The biggest strength of the Sony Reader is that it uses standard ePub format. That is important because the books you buy are readable on many other formats. Unlike a kindle where the books you purchse must be read on a Kindle, books bought in ePub format may be read on many other devices. Battery life is far longer on the Sony E-reader than on the Nook Color, though not as long as on the newer versions of the Kindle 2. (8 hours for Nook Color, 14 Days for Sony, 30 Days for Kindle 2)

KOBO

Kobo is one of the new entries into the e-reader market. Kobo is a product from Borders meant to compete with all the other online bookstores for a share in the market. Kobo is late to the game, poorly advertised and has no real features that make it stand out. In many ways it is similar to the Kindle 2. When it was first released it was drastically lower than the kindle 2 in price, but now that Amazon has cut the price to lower than the Kobo, this reader has lost all its appeal. Unless new features are released avoid the Kobo.

iPad

The iPad is king of the tablets. The size makes it a little difficult for long term reading. The Battery life is far shorter than Kindle and Sony for travel. But for all around capabilities nothing even comes remotely close. The Nook Color and its access to the android network is the only eReader that even makes an attempt to compete with the functionality of the iPad and it does not even begin to approach it.

Kindle 2

In some ways the kindle 2 is still the eReader to beat. If you desire functionality, it pales in comparison to the Nook Color, and is in a different universe from the iPad. But for PURE eBook reading it may be the best…but by a very narrow margin.

eReader Comparison

These eBook readers are still tough to compare. Many have good points. Click here for an more in depth Comparison between Nook Color and Kindle. For a more in depth review of ALL Ebook Readers, check out: eReader Comparison.

If you are looking for the eReader that is just right for you, or even the one that is just right for a gift, it can be a confusing proposition. The field of eReader’s is getting crowded with every major online eBook seller now having their own eBooks reading their own specific formats. The following is a breakdown that might help to compare some of the possible options for you

Nook Color

This e-reader has full access to the “android” network. Because of this there is a ton of functionality that make it far superior in many ways to all of the other choices, except the iPad. That is as much of a bad thing as a good. It has a ton of neat features. You can watch video’s, play games, surf online, and of course it is in color. You can do anything that you can do with your android, but on the larger screen of the Nook.

BUT… This e-reader is a little bulkier than the other eReaders. It has a far shorter battery life. Put simply, though not “bad” it is just not quite as good of an eBook reader.

For multi-purpose use, it defeats the other eReaders easily. The problem is that for multipurpose use you would have to then compare it to the iPad, which puts it to shame in every category but cost. So it is not quite as good of a book reader and not quite as good as the iPad. This is not to say that it is not a worthy compromise purchase, but for anyone with an iPad this reader is pointless, where the Kindle or Sony would still be nice additions to have.

Sony Reader

The biggest strength of the Sony Reader is that it uses standard ePub format. That is important because the books you buy are readable on many other formats. Unlike a kindle where the books you purchse must be read on a Kindle, books bought in ePub format may be read on many other devices. Battery life is far longer on the Sony E-reader than on the Nook Color, though not as long as on the newer versions of the Kindle 2. (8 hours for Nook Color, 14 Days for Sony, 30 Days for Kindle 2)

KOBO

Kobo is one of the new entries into the e-reader market. Kobo is a product from Borders meant to compete with all the other online bookstores for a share in the market. Kobo is late to the game, poorly advertised and has no real features that make it stand out. In many ways it is similar to the Kindle 2. When it was first released it was drastically lower than the kindle 2 in price, but now that Amazon has cut the price to lower than the Kobo, this reader has lost all its appeal. Unless new features are released avoid the Kobo.

iPad

The iPad is king of the tablets. The size makes it a little difficult for long term reading. The battery life is far shorter than Kindle and Sony for travel. But for all around capabilities nothing even comes remotely close. The Nook Color and its access to the android network is the only eReader that even makes an attempt to compete with the functionality of the iPad and it does not even begin to approach it.

Kindle 2

In some ways the kindle 2 is still the eReader to beat. If you desire functionality, it pales in comparison to the Nook Color, and is in a different universe from the iPad. But for PURE eBook reading it may be the best…but by a very narrow margin.

eReader Comparison

These eBook readers are still tough to compare. Many have good points. Click here for an more in depth Comparison between Nook Color and Kindle. For a more in depth review of ALL Ebook Readers, check out: eReader Comparison.