Tablets are changing the way we stay connected and entertained when we're on the move. Take the best bits from your phone and laptop and mix them up in a highly portable package – and you've got a tablet.
Effectively, a tablet is smaller version of a laptop or netbook, although it doesn’t use the same applications as these bigger, heavier gadgets.
With sizes ranging from about 7” to 10”, a tablet screen is generally more than twice the size of that on a smartphone – and the screen is often what makes a tablet special.
Many people use tablets for entertainment on the go.
The experience of watching movies, playing games, reading ebooks, browsing the web and listening to music is usually far superior to that you would get on a phone all in a small, lightweight package (and we all know the hassle of carting around a laptop).
The quick start-up times (much faster than waiting for everything to load on your computer) and big, easy-input touchscreen keyboards (no more finger cramps) are also big tablet bonuses.
On a tablet, you can also do lots of the stuff you’d use your phone for, such as browsing and downloading apps, checking maps and even making calls and sending texts, as long as your tablet can connect to a 3G mobile phone network.
Tablets that don’t have 3G are usually WiFi-enabled, meaning you can connect to broadband at home or when you’re out and about.
But there are some things to consider.
Some tablets can’t access stuff you’d use on your PC, such as Flash video – so browsing the net won’t always be the same. Also, even though many smartphones have first-class cameras and high quality video recording, many tablets are still catching up in this area.
You also need to consider battery life – some tablets use up a lot of power and you have to make sure you get one to suit your needs.
But the benefits of owning a tablet are undeniable and tablet technology is getting better all the time.
So, consider this bit of kit as the big brother of the smartphone and the little brother of the laptop.
Maybe it’s time you
added a tablet to your gadget family?
