The transition from netbook to tablet happened so fast that some of us are still trying to figure all of it out. I bought my netbook (which prompted me to write the article "getting around the netbook trap") just 6 months ago and now it is already obsolete. Apple has made its mark on the IT landscape by introducing the iPad which is revolutionary piece of equipment. However some of us are not big fans of Apple as we are reluctant to pay premium for the fancy design and proprietary operating system. In that case what other options do we have?
The best choice would be to go for a tablet with the open source Android OS. The latest version is 3.0 Honeycomb which will be available later on in the year through higher power tablets such as the Motorola XOOM. However for now, Android 2.2 Foryo will have to do. Besides, any tablet you buy today will be made obsolete quite quickly when Android 3.0 becomes mainstream.
One of the popular choices for Android powered tablets is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. However, if you think about it, it costs more or less the same as an iPad which runs the proprietary ios operating system. So where did the saving on the free and open source Android OS go?
When iPad first came out, the market was flooded with iPad “clones” which looked like the iPad but didn’t function like the iPad due to the lack of a proper operating system. If you take a closer look at these “clones” they have similar hardware to an iPad but were much cheaper. i.e. most of the cost of the iPad can be attributed to its proprietary operating system. With the rising of Android, this is becoming less of a problem as it is free and open source. Anyone who can build a compatible piece of hardware can install the free Android OS on it. Therefore the price we pay for an Android powered tablet should be mostly due to the hardware. Again if you take a closer look at the Android powered tablets in the market, you will see that the hardware is similar. If this is the case then why do some of the tablets cost much more than others? One way of looking at it would be the “brand”. I mean why does a BMW cost more than a Toyota?
So if you are not really bothered about the “brand” and want a tablet to really get the job done, then a lot of more affordable options are available to you. However make sure you decide what you would use your tablet for before hunting for one. In my case, I just want to check my personal e-mails (not the office e-mail), skype my family and friends with video, occasionally browse a website, watch youtube and read bedtime stories to my daughter. I’ve decided that the OKPAD would be okey for me. It has all that I need and is just about RM550.00 (US$ 180 approximately). There are many others which you can choose from. For example APad, Superpad, Maylong M-150 (which is under US$100). Each of these tablets will have their own strengths and weaknesses. So make sure you buy one which suits your needs best.
Since the current tablets in the market will be soon obsolete just like any other new piece of technology out there, the best bet is to look for “throwaway technology”. This means that you can throw away your current piece of technology and upgrade at any time since you have not paid premium for it. Gone those days when a piece of technology lasted three generations. We are lucky if it lasts for three months these days. Besides if you just pay 25% of an expensive tablet for a tablet which does pretty much the same thing, you will have the savings from not buying the expensive product in your kitty for a quick upgrade. Think of the poor consumers who paid premium for a piece of technology which is already obsolete… Only the savvy consumer will have the last laugh.
