Kim Komando: Compare top-tier tablets to find the right one for you
BY KIM KOMANDO
Sunday, December 02, 2012
12/02/12 at 3:28 AM
What do American consumers want more than money or peace and happiness this Christmas season? If you said a tablet, you're correct - at least according to a Consumer Electronics Association poll.
The same poll also found that a year ago 14 percent of American consumers owned a tablet. It's more than double that now.
So why is tablet fever so high? For the first time since the iPad debuted in 2010, consumers have some really good choices among competing tablets made by Amazon and Google.
It's a good time to review those choices and help you pick the tablet that's best for you - or that special someone on your gift list.
Android tablets: Android tablets - which run Google's Android operating system - are becoming a big threat to the iPad. Google has made Android available to all tablet makers, but your best bets for now are Google's own flagship tablets, the Nexus 7 ($199) and Nexus 10 ($399). These gadgets run the latest version of the Android operating system, 4.2 or Jelly Bean, and are the first to receive updates. They can go neck-and-neck with the power, features and usability you'll find on similarly sized iPads, too, but at a lower cost.
Google Play offers 700,000 apps, movies, music and e-books.
A Nexus tablet is a good buy if you want a powerful tablet that isn't an iPad.
Amazon tablets: Amazon's Android-based Kindle Fire tablet got a major upgrade recently, along with a few siblings, making it a more competitive option.
Amazon revised the original Kindle Fire, with more RAM, faster Wi-Fi and a front-facing camera, but it dropped the price to $159 from $199. In addition, Amazon released the 7-inch and 8.9-inch Fire HDs.
The $199 7-inch Fire HD has a 1280-by-800-pixel screen, 16 gigabytes of storage, dual Wi-Fi antennas and stereo speakers for movies. The 8.9-inch version starts at $299 and has the same specs but upgrades the screen to 1920 by 1200 pixels.
The main attraction of the Kindle Fire is that it ties in closely to the extensive Amazon ecosystem of music, movies and e-books.
You can pay more for additional storage and an AT&T 4G LTE cellular connection. For example, the 32GB, 7-inch Kindle HD with 4G cellular is $499. A similarly equipped iPad Mini is $559.
If you want a tablet that's simple to use but want to save some money or just buy something besides an Apple product, a Kindle Fire is a good choice.
Apple iPad: The fourth-generation iPad with Retina display benefits from a new high-powered processor and graphics system that allows gamers and content creators more flexibility on the go.
Gamers can download apps that rival home game consoles. Content creators have access to video editing, photo editing and drawing apps that nearly match computer-based programs.
The iPad's $499 starting price makes many potential buyers think twice. The 4G cellular version costs $130 more. Apple still sells the 16GB Wi-Fi version of the iPad 2 for $399. You can also opt for the new 7.9-inch iPad Mini for $329.
Original Print Headline: Guide helps you find the right tablet
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. Listen to her show from 1-4 p.m. each Sunday on KRMG am740 or fm102.3. To receive her newsletters, go to tulsaworld.com/komandonewsletters.
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