And I Thought 7 Inches Was a Good Thing - Tablet Review

Hi. It's your friendly neighborhood TechBender here. Yes, I'm still alive. Seriously. I promise. It's me... Oh stop.

The other night, while taking care of some tech-related business at Best Buy, I decided to put my hands on some of the new tablets that are currently on the market. Since my last post this past January, Apple has announced, released, and blown the hinges off the tablet market with the iPad 2. Last October, I wrote an article entitled Books & Pads & Slates & Tabs....Oh My! where I discussed tablet computers and the challenge of catching up with the original iPad. While BlackBerry, HP, Samsung and Motorola were busy trying to come up with an answer to the iPad, Apple was behind the scenes quietly working on improving their device. The result was the iPad 2. I followed that up with the article Motorola Comes Out Swinging at CES 2011, where I discussed that maybe, just maybe Motorola had developed the much needed competitor. Yes folks, I do think Apple should have competitors. Healthy competition pushes all parties to make cool tech gadgets your friendly neighborhood TechBender loves to spend his money obtaining.

Motorola Xoom http://www.motorola.com/

After putting the Motorola Xoom through its paces, I must say, great job Motorola. You delivered. I still think your entry price of $599 for 32gb is a bit too high to directly compete with iPad 2, but that's this TechBender's opinion. In terms of hardware, operating system, and ease of use, you're what I expected. It's always a good thing to be what the TechBender expected.

If $599 is a little too rich for your blood, and you're looking for an Android 3.0 device instead of an iPad or iPad 2, then I would suggest the Acer Iconia Tab A500. It's a 10.1" display Android device at a price point of $449 at Best Buy. It's a bit heavier than the original iPad, but you can't beat the price. It does almost everything the Xoom can do, at a more affordable price.

But what about Samsung Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook? What can I say, folks, they fell short. They didn't make the Techbender smile. They missed the height requirement. I just don't get the 7-inch form factor for Tablet devices. For eReaders, I am all about some 7 inches, but for a full tablet computer, a 7 inch just doesn't satisfy. I'm not even going to talk about the interface of the PlayBook, which is laggy and is the opposite of intuitive. I rarely do this, but I have to watch out for my readers. Do not buy a PlayBook until they release a larger-sized screen, add native e-mail support and upgrade the touch screen responsiveness. I expected so much more from the PlayBook, but it's simply not ready to compete with the Xoom or iPad. At $499 for a 7" screen and an unpolished, unintuitive user interface, this device is not TechBender recommended.

In previous TechBender posts, I've introduced the concept of the circle of technology. Your personal circle encompasses all the devices that make up your technical life. In my world, a 7 inch satellite computer just seems too small to be useful, when my phone is 3.5 inches and my laptop is 15 inches. I want something in between. The only circle I can think of where a 7 inch screen would be useful is if the user did not have a smartphone. So, the TechBender recommendation is, if you own a smartphone and are in the market for a tablet, jump up to a larger size tablet. Both sizes are similar in cost so you're getting more screen for your buck. Please note, I'm not knocking eReaders. eReaders are devices that do a few things well, and are focused on reading. Tablets should do a lot of different things well, outside of just reading.

Nook Color
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

The device that I haven't mentioned in this review is the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. I highly recommend this device. Of course, this recommendation is a bit contradictory to what I've already written because the Nook Color is an eReader, which I just mentioned means it's not a direct tablet competitor. Also, the Nook Color is 7 inches. Didn't the Techbender just say he didn't like 7 inches in a tablet? Let me bend your mind around this a little bit. The TechBender has never been one to follow all of the rules, just most of them.  And he especially breaks the rules in terms of price. In the case of the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble has turned the device into a tablet by recently releasing a version of Android for the device to give it more functionality. So, why recommend it? The price of the Nook Color is $249, and Barnes & Noble is not planning on increasing the cost. Yes, you read correctly, $249 for a functioning tablet with Android and Angry Birds.  For the money, you can't beat the value of the Nook Color.

So, if you're in the market for a tablet, I recommend the iPad 2 or the Motorola Xoom. If money is an issue, I would suggest either the Acer Iconia Tablet at $449 if you prefer Android or the Original iPad which is running around the same price. If you are patient, you can also pick up a refurbished original iPad on the Apple.com site at $150 off retail. If you do not own a smartphone, then the 7 inch Samsung Galaxy tab may be the right device for you. I do not recommend the BlackBerry Playbook because the interface is not intuitive and it's still missing key features, such as a dedicated mail client. If you're not sure about a tablet, but have a few dollars to burn, then the Nook Color by Barnes & Noble is a great entry device that will not break the bank. Whatever you choose, tablets are here, and they are taking over.

Happy Tech Geeking!  Oh yeah, the TechBender is back.  My apologies for the hiatus.