i have been kicking around the idea of purchasing a tablet for a while now (somewhat to save my notebook computer a little bit). Mainly for stuff like email and light web surfing. i also kind of like the idea of having a portable media device.
So, what are my current thoughts on tablets...
Now for the contenders... If you don't know, Amazon recently unveiled the successor (or second version) of the Kindle Fire - dubbed the Kindle Fire HD. The Kindle Fire HD ships September 14, 2012 (who knows when it would start showing up in stores). Apple is heavily rumored to be releasing a slightly bigger than 7" tablet at the $249.99- $299.99 (USD) price point. The Microsoft Surface RT is a 10.6" tablet that is still shrouded in mystery (at least as far as specs go). Supposedly, the MSFT Surface RT tablet will be launched on/around October 26, 2012. The Google/Asus Nexus was released a little while ago.
So which tablet appeals to me today. In order from preferred to not. i guess that depends on several things...
1) Microsoft Surface RT tablet: if i can actually find this at a nearby retail store, and it would be under $400 (USD) i would strongly consider buying it. Anything more than that price point and i would have to consider something else. It is a little bigger than i would like, but it seems to be much more of a full featured device. It also may include Office 2013 Home and Student. The keyboard attachment is interesting (if it isn't costly). i am a little worried about the Windows Store - i would prefer to pay for apps/etc with pre-paid/point cards. i am not sure if this will be possible (it should be). i think that the Metro interface can be good for tablets.
2) Kindle Fire HD: The price seems about right (i probably would purchasing it without a second thought if it came in $50 cheaper). The stated price is $199.99 for a 16GB model and $249.99 for a 32 GB model (prices are in US dollars). i like that i could theoretically get apps through AMZN (probably the easiest way). i am not what you would call "bullish" on Android for tablets (ok for smart phones- tablets not so much). If it would have had an SD card slot, that would have been better.
3) Windows RT tablet (non-surface): This would probably be from someone like Samsung or Asus. i would have a $400 limit on this. Comments from Asus and Samsung make it appear that $399.99 might be the entry level price for RT tablets.
4) Google Nexus: Before the Kindle Fire HD was announced, this tablet looked somewhat interesting. However, the Kindle Fire HD kind of blows it away in some stats - like available memory. Now it looks to me like it may be a little underpowered. i also had concerns about the lack of pre-paid cards on Google Play (maybe that is remedied by now)
5) Apple 7-8": Ok, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that i would actually buy one of these. i have never bought an Apple product and don't intend to anytime soon. Apple tends to overprice everything it makes.
As it looks to me... if i had to guess which tablet i might acutally purchase it would be the Kindle Fire HD - as i believe that the Microsoft Surface RT will be too expensive (by $100) and will not be easily available at retail. i am not sure that i would actually purchase a tablet, but this is as close as it has come to it (almost).
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