The tablet market has been growing exponentially since the 1st generation iPad came out and Apple has always had the biggest share of the 10-inch tablet market. Competitors found they could not compete with the iPad in the 10-inch market (although Samsung is certainly not giving up).
Manufacturers started making 7-inch tablets starting with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Samsung and recently, Google & Asus amongst others. The smaller form factor is highly favoured over the 10-inch for reading and playing games, and it is also considerably cheaper.
Yesterday 24 October, Apple unveiled their latest offering, an iPad mini tablet. It is 7.9 inches and according to a number of reviewers that have handled the device, it blows the competition away. Some have poked fun at it though, basically calling it galaxy note look alike.
Apple has decided to stick with their tried and tested premium pricing model. The US starting price is $329 for the 16G model, with the prices going up from there. One wonders how much the iPad mini will cost when it finally reaches a market like ours.
There are many other options for people who want to buy tablets; the Microsoft Surface, the Nexus 7, the Huawei MediaPad, Samsung Note 10, the iPad family, and a multitude of Chinese imitations that have flooded the market.
Share
Home
11 comments
I say the Surface. Right now, if we were to say the Surface is going to cost the same as the iPad in Zim as it is in the US then I would buy the Surface because I get more if we compare the specs sheet.
In here, not many people are familiar with cloud computing so the Surface works great considering that it has a USB port and microSD expansion, which is great compared to Apple’s Lightning connector (i.e if they are using that one).
I’ve also noticed that Apple and Google are trying to overshadow Microsoft’s launch for the Surface (Oct 26) and Windows Phone 8 (Oct 29, the very same date Google is launching new Android devices and new version, possibly called Key Lime Pie, which is yet to be confirmed).
Am not a Surface fan, but would rather have that than an iPad for that same reason you mentioned…the apple products are too rigid
the problem with surface in my case is no 3g just wifi
Some tech sites say the 3G version might come at a later date, maybe early 2013, besides, it has a USB port, so you can use your dongle. MS did think this through you know
sorry on the go; you waiting for a client in a lobby or restaurant and you have to plug in a modem to check your mail…that is a no no for me.Anyways time will tell on surface I am an MS fan so will probably buy one.
Weak. You can always use your phone if it’s a non-essential e-mail check. If I had to type out some lengthy response I’d rather have the Surface on me. (I would expect to have wi-fi internet available in the type of restaurant or hotel you might meet for business)
I wouldn’t rush to get a surface yet though as reviews (of Win RT, keyboards and physical dimensions) haven’t been stellar. It sounds like this product is not quite there yet. Great concept but MS need to revise their product before the other lemmings wise up.
Surface RT is more of a consumer tablet. Surface Pro is for business
Windows 8 Pro runs on Intel/AMD chips so you can use traditional desktop programs made for Windows XP up to Windows 7.
The Surface might not be here until 2013 but I think by then retailers would order the 3G WiFi capable version. The Nexus 7 sold out even though it was for WiFi only.
Already have one. Gone are the days of huge bookshelves that take-up space in the home. Buy an ebook and its a pleasure reading at night in bed with your 7-inch tablet. Android naturally. There are now many tablet models on the global market, it’s just that the Zim market has yet to realize the utility of these devices. And in many first world countries they are replacing books in the class-room.
I no longer trust these reviewers especially CNET, PC Mag and PCAdvisor. Anything made by Apple blows them away and gets 5 star editor ratings but the user ratings are usually lower than that. The Android tablets and smartphones usually get 3.5 star editor ratings but user ratings are much more than. I think they are affiliates for Apple. I have a Samsung Tablet and my friend has Apple Ipad2. While I get to get most apps for free, she has to pay for most of them. While I download my apps straight to tablet, she has to log on to her laptop, connect to itunes and transfer the apps to the ipad. I say big up to Android and big up to open source. The Ipad is overrated and overpriced.
You don’t need a computer to install stuff to an ipad. Your friend must be finding it convenient for some other reason like her connectivity means.