Electronics
Tablet computers are today’s big thing, and
here are five to consider for your program
the Tablet
Reign of
THESE
sleek
TABLETS
will give
your
winners
PRESTIGE
By Leo Jakobson
Apple’s iPad is on fire, but a whole new generation of competing tablet computers
is now on the market. The new tablets tout improvements from more
complete web-browsing capabilities
to highly robust operating systems,
notably Google Android.
Google developed the Honeycomb version of Android specifically for tablets, rather than using
the operating system it originally
designed for smartphones. BlackBerry and Microsoft also have created operating systems, though they
command smaller market share.
One key product feature in the
tablet world is apps—the programs
that run on the devices. Here, Apple
has a huge advantage; there are
vastly more apps for the iPad than
there are for Android tablets.
Another major differentiator is
screen quality and size. This is an
area where some competitors are
outdoing Apple’s iPad, with screens
that are both larger and capable
of displaying high-definition video.
Most new tablets have front- and
rear-facing cameras for video chat,
taking pictures, and recording video.
Still, there are many similarities
among tablets. All of them have
touch-screen interfaces, are as thin
and light as their manufacturers
can muster, and connect to the web
either through Wi-Fi or cell phone
networks.
