Today's blog will focus on Android based tablets - which ones I like, which ones I dont, and why I, personally, like them more than iPads.

I think Google created a pretty excellent product when they released the Android based cell phone. I have owned three different Android models and for the most part I have been very satisfied with each of them. When the first Android tablets came out I was not as excited. They were basically large screen units running an operating system designed for a cell phone. With the release of Honeycomb (Android 3.x) a true tablet styled operating system was born.

Why is there only 1 brand of iPad - Apple but dozens of Android brands - Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy, Lenovo K1, Toshiba Thirve, ASUS Transformer, Acer Iconia, etc? Mainly because Apple does not allow third party vendors to build tablets using Apple's iOS. Google on the other hand, licenses Android to any third party vendor willing to pay the licensing fees.

What are the differences between Android models? The version of the operating system installed, bundled software installed and some hardware features. These 3 components help determine the cost of the unit and in my opinion - whether or not you really want to purchase it. Just today I found a 7" no name Android based tablet for under $60.00 - would I spend my $60.00 on it - NO. Why? 1st reason - it is running Android 2.2 this is the OS Google created for cell phones; it just doesnt work well on non-cellular tablets. 2nd reason - only 4GB of storage (25% of what my Lenovo has) load a few songs or a movie and you are out of space :-( 3rd and biggest reason - the Android Market. Market is how users can purchase and download apps for their tablet. Of the few off brand models I have reviewed for clients none allow access to Market. They have their own branded Market-like download area but all of the ones I have browsed are terrible. Very few applications, even fewer that users would actually want, and in my experience of the ones users might want many apps simply do not work.

So if you are looking to purchase a "cheap" tablet please check the reviews on them first. Google the model you are considering and see what others are saying about it. If you have never heard of the brand before do your homework. Feel free to shoot me an email, I would be happy to give you my $.02 for no charge.

Features to look for when purchasing a Android tablet:

Operating System - Honeycomb 3.0 or higher - avoid tablets running Android 2.x

Storage - 16GB or larger (most can not be added to later so dont shortchange yourself). Most Tier 1 units come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB (each step up typically adds $100.00 to the price tag)

Processor - Dual Core (Tegra 2 minimum) Tegra 3's are starting to show up which adds a nice speed boost.

Camera - Front and Rear facing (1.3 Megapixel or higher)

Wireless - 802.11n

Lastly, why do I personally like Android based tablets over iPads. Personal preference. As a tech I feel like I have more control over how I use my tablet. Apple makes some great applications but when something does go wrong I dont like having to call tech support and them fix it without me figuring out what they did. Also nearly every app I run on my Android was free. With my iPad everything worth getting costs me another $.99 / $1.99 / $4.99 and I hate getting nickeled and dimed to death.

Please remember this blog is nothing more than my opinion. Feel free to comment on my post but if you do not agree go start your own blog and post your wisdom for all to read.

Have a nice day!

Doug