Just In Time For Your Letter To Santa
It's a big week for tablets. Time to review the state of the gadget market.
The new Kindle Fire is out. It is cheap, sold at or near the cost of manufacture. It’s not a bad tablet, but it’s limited. It's a decent e-reader if you like shopping at Amazon.
Google's Nexus 7 was a big hit this past summer. It's small, light, has a very nice screen, and it's inexpensive. Best, it's the Android's reference platform, running the most current version of Android (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) The 8 GB version is no longer available online. Rumor has it that the 16 GB version will now be the low end $199 model, and a new 32 GB version will be the high end ($249). Another rumor says they're coming out with a ten-incher.
One of the anticipated Microsoft Surface tablets is now making its appearance. While a joy to behold, the general consensus of reviewers has been disappointment. I'm going to discount complaints about the cost. To quote Dilbert's reply to his Pointy-Haired Boss on giving the customer what they want, "They want our best products for free." Here's what's really wrong.
First, the actual design. It's beautiful and elegant, but all kinds of things don't work quite right. Like the power connector, which is magnetized but doesn't quite connect properly, and is located where your right hand will either grip it or knock it loose. There’s that wonderfully clicky kickstand which can only be operated by the left hand. There’s that floppy typepad. (You did pay the extra Franklin for the typepad, didn’t you?) And worst of all, it doesn't run Windows 8. It runs Windows RT, which kind of looks the same, but acts quite differently. All those popular apps that you can find in the Apple App store or on Google Play? They don't exist for Windows RT. All your favorite Windows apps? They’re not there, either. Ars Technica went into exhaustive detail - it's well worth the read if a Microsoft Surface is on your list for Santa.
If you want the Surface that runs real Windows 8, you'll need to wait a few months. It’ll give you more time to turn in bottles for the deposits, because it will cost twice as much.
On Tuesday Apple unveiled the anticipated iPad Mini. It's the same resolution as an iPad 2 (1024 x 768 pixels), but with a 7.9 inch screen rather than a 9.7 inch screen. It's thinner than a pencil, lighter than a notepad, and an altogether lovely device you can easily hold in one hand. This product is Apple’s response to the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7. In addition to its slimmer design, the chief benefit is that it's part of the Apple infrastructure - iCloud and iTunes and the App store with those quarter-million iPad applications.
Then Apple hit us with a surprise. A scant 7 months after launching the iPad 3 with its beautiful Retina display (2048 x 1536 pixels - that's over four million pixels!), Apple has replaced it with the new fourth generation iPad. Same display, but twice the speed and processing power.
This is not to say that the iPad 3 is obsolete. Far from it. But we've gotten pretty used to the idea that there's a new model along every year. I can only assume that Apple is trying to lock up the market for the holiday season.
So, which one should you buy?
The iPad (mini and maxi - you knew that was coming, didn't you?) has the most and best apps and the best infrastructure. It's also got the best support if you live near an Apple store. If you're looking for an e-reader, it supports them all: Kindle, Nook, Google, iBooks, etc.
If price is a factor, the Nexus 7 is a very good deal. Both Amazon and Google are selling at cost, giving away the razor to charge you for the blades. Amazon wants you to use the Kindle to buy books, video, music, and everything else that Amazon sells. Google has its own store, Google Play. They also sell books and videos and music that can be played on the Nexus. But unlike the Kindle, the Nexus 7 supports the Barnes & Noble e-reader software and Amazon's Kindle software. It's not a premium tablet like the iPad, but it is very capable. You can play Angry Birds, use Facebook, take notes with Evernote…
You can't do any of those things on a Microsoft Surface.
Nexus 7 or iPad. I don't think you'll regret either one.