irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
New year... new thread.
Here is the 2012 one for reference:http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,2235.0.html
My summary of 2012 and outlook for 2013:
1. iPad still dominated the market. The mini opened up a new niche for Apple, gave people a lower entry point into the iPad world... and made the iPad more portable. Once they up the display to Retina resolution (and a faster CPU), I think it will be their best seller... even over the 10" iPad. If you're thinking of buying an iPad, either get the mini now... or wait a few months for a new mini... that's the best iOS bang for the buck.
2. Lower-priced Android tablets (which includes Nook and Kindle Fire) are great for Android. If 2013 really brings the magical $99 *quality* Android tablets that are rumored, Apple will lose more market share. Of the low priced tablets, while the Nexus 7 is nice, no SD card is really bad. At that point, I would go for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7". I would recommend the new Nook 7" because of it's 1440x900 resolution, but without a camera (at least a front-facing one for Skyping and kid fun apps)... it's still behind the Tab.
3. Win8 tablets? If you're looking to buy a notebook... I would highly recommend a convertible one. This way you can have your tablet and eat it too. The MS Store has an Acer VivoTab for only $399 that includes the docking keyboard (that doubles battery life). It only runs WinRT... but at $400... really hard to beat that price. For the full Win8 experience, the Acer Iconia W510 is pretty good... and you can buy a docking keyboard that also has its own battery. I would recommend the Samsung ATIV because the Pro version has 1920x1080 resolution, but it's pricey and the keyboard does not have a battery.
4. What about the Surface? I think MS overpriced it in my opinion, especially the RT version (which is the only one out now). MS thinks they can be Apple and make a 40% markup on their hardware... didn't they learn from Android? If the Surface was $249-$299... that would have been better... but at $499 (and you have to pay extra for the keyboard cover), people would rather stick with an iPad. In fact, they should have made a 7" version at $199 to compete with Android and be cheaper than the iPad mini.
5. What is a phablet? Well... it's those giant phones you see people carrying around. It has a screen bigger than 5" and usually has pen input. The best known is the Samsung Galaxy Note series (the Note 2 is the latest one). While I hate big phones... I like the portability of a small 3G/4G connected tablet so this is something I can use. LG came out with one (that no one really noticed)... and there will be more to come.
In the IHO household, I think we'll get a $99 Android if it ever comes out, a mini (to replace our 10" iPad) and a Win8 convertible sometime this year. This way I can do a comparison of all the different tablet offerings.
So what tablet does 2013 hold for you?
Here is the 2012 one for reference:http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,2235.0.html
My summary of 2012 and outlook for 2013:
1. iPad still dominated the market. The mini opened up a new niche for Apple, gave people a lower entry point into the iPad world... and made the iPad more portable. Once they up the display to Retina resolution (and a faster CPU), I think it will be their best seller... even over the 10" iPad. If you're thinking of buying an iPad, either get the mini now... or wait a few months for a new mini... that's the best iOS bang for the buck.
2. Lower-priced Android tablets (which includes Nook and Kindle Fire) are great for Android. If 2013 really brings the magical $99 *quality* Android tablets that are rumored, Apple will lose more market share. Of the low priced tablets, while the Nexus 7 is nice, no SD card is really bad. At that point, I would go for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7". I would recommend the new Nook 7" because of it's 1440x900 resolution, but without a camera (at least a front-facing one for Skyping and kid fun apps)... it's still behind the Tab.
3. Win8 tablets? If you're looking to buy a notebook... I would highly recommend a convertible one. This way you can have your tablet and eat it too. The MS Store has an Acer VivoTab for only $399 that includes the docking keyboard (that doubles battery life). It only runs WinRT... but at $400... really hard to beat that price. For the full Win8 experience, the Acer Iconia W510 is pretty good... and you can buy a docking keyboard that also has its own battery. I would recommend the Samsung ATIV because the Pro version has 1920x1080 resolution, but it's pricey and the keyboard does not have a battery.
4. What about the Surface? I think MS overpriced it in my opinion, especially the RT version (which is the only one out now). MS thinks they can be Apple and make a 40% markup on their hardware... didn't they learn from Android? If the Surface was $249-$299... that would have been better... but at $499 (and you have to pay extra for the keyboard cover), people would rather stick with an iPad. In fact, they should have made a 7" version at $199 to compete with Android and be cheaper than the iPad mini.
5. What is a phablet? Well... it's those giant phones you see people carrying around. It has a screen bigger than 5" and usually has pen input. The best known is the Samsung Galaxy Note series (the Note 2 is the latest one). While I hate big phones... I like the portability of a small 3G/4G connected tablet so this is something I can use. LG came out with one (that no one really noticed)... and there will be more to come.
In the IHO household, I think we'll get a $99 Android if it ever comes out, a mini (to replace our 10" iPad) and a Win8 convertible sometime this year. This way I can do a comparison of all the different tablet offerings.
So what tablet does 2013 hold for you?
