Why do tablet prices vary so much?

Tablets are very popular now, but tablets have been around for years.  They were basically a notebook computer with a touch screen.  And then came the iPad, and it revolutionized the tablet market.  The iPad is a less powerful computer with limited functions, but Apple made it simple to use and navigate.  Anything bigger than a smartphone that looks similar to an iPad is considered a tablet.

The more popular tablet types are the iPad, Kindle and Android tablets.  These tablets use a less powerful processors than a laptop, but generally have much better battery life.  They are excellent for web browsing, watching video, listening to music and checking email.  They generally have limited hard drive space and limitations on what software can run on them.  These tablets generally run from $300-$700.  Decent ones run around $500.

The other types of tablet are the “notebook substitute”.  The Microsoft Surface Pro and the Asus Taichi are good examples.  These tablets have notebook type processors, and have larger hard drive storage capacity than the iPads, Kindle and Android tablets.  They can also run desktop applications and games.  The big drawback is the battery life of these tablets is generally 4-5 hours of continuous run time.  These tablets cost as much or more than a notebook, generally $700-$1200.

With all of these tablets, be careful what you are buying.  Running out of hard drive space is the most common issue we see with tablets.  Generally the hard drive you purchase is the hard drive you will have for the life of the tablet.  Many tablets have memory card slots that can significantly increase the storage of your tablet.  Also decide the function of the tablet.  If you are looking to browse the internet and view videos, any tablet will do.  If you are looking to run Quickbooks and Photoshop, a more powerful “notebook substitute” tablet is the way to go.

Feel free to contact us to discuss this article or if you have any questions about this article.