With 350+ versions of the tablet PC, including half a dozen from Indian companies, selecting the right one with a suitable configuration that fits in one's budget is not easy, says Chandragupta Amritkar

There are at least 350+ versions of the tablet PC in the global market and the number is rapidly increasing as many different companies trying to get in on the action by manufacturing their own makes and models in all different price ranges. With all of the competing products coming on the market consumers have a lot of options to choose from but with so many options available, choosing the best one for the money can be difficult.

So, what is a tablet? In a layman's words we can put it as 'A tablet PC is essentially a wireless and portable personal computer in the form of a notebook or a slate that allows users to interact with just with their fingers or with a stylus or digital pen on a touchscreen.

Choosing the Tablet

If vitamin M is a problem and you don't want to flaunt your tablet PC then you are surely looking for an economical tablet PC but you'll also want it to have all necessary features and which ones you are willing to compromise on in exchange for a lower price.

Processor, RAM and Hard Drive

Processor speed, RAM and hard drive are important considerations no matter what type of computer you're buying be it a desktop, laptop, netbook or tablet. With a faster processor you will have a faster computer. If you opt for an expensive tablet then find one that has a dual core processor with a speed of 1 GHz or more. With more RAM you will be able to have more programmes running or complete multiple tasks at the same time. If you generally download a lot of music or movies on your tablet you will need a large hard drive as this will really start to eat up your storage level. The storage capacities commonly found in tablet PC are - 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB Type of Screen"The type of screen that your tablet PC has will also affect the price. Remember tablets PCs use a touchscreen instead of a keyboard. A keyboard and a mouse can be attached to a tablet if you don't like using your fingers or a stylus. There are two types of touchscreens one is a capacitive touchscreen and the other is a resistive touchscreen. Resistive touchscreens are considerably less expensive and visibility in sunlight is not as good. The screens on tablet are usually between 7 and 12 inches long.

Video Resolution

Indians love to watch HD videos, movies, serials, songs, HD youtube videos, etc. For this, ideally, the HD video resolution should be 1920x1080p and 1280x720p. Lesser cost tablets comes with lower screen resolution. So please check the resolution.

Camera, Battery Life, etc

There are a number of other factors too. Having a better quality built-in camera is very useful if you intend to do video conferencing or take photos. This may add to the cost of the tablet PC. Many tablet computers now come with either 1 or 2 built-in cameras. The purpose of the front facing camera is generally for video calling, whereas the rear facing camera is designed for you to take photographs and record videos.

If you will be using your Tablet PC when you are on the go you will want to make sure it has enough battery life to do whatever you need it to do, especially if you fly a lot. Most tablet PCs will have a battery life that lasts between six and 10 hours.

Operating Systems (OS)

But naturally the iPad operating system (iOS) is most popular and easy to use, but it does not support Adobe Flash videos and games. There is presently only one tablet PC making use of this operating system, that is, the Apple iPad. The Android OS is fast catching up. The Android tablets that are currently being manufactured come with a lot of different options. Most of this cheap tablets are available with earlier Android versions which is way old than the latest version which is 3.0.

(Android Honeycomb 3.0 from Google is especially optimised for tablets) These cheap Android tablets tend to have drawbacks such as slower speed. But this doesn't mean one can't browse the internet, listen to music, watch videos and read eBooks. Apart from this there's the Windows operating system, BlackBerry products have their own BlackBerry operating system and HP tablets are using the webOS operating system.

Connectivity

Most tablets that are manufactured today have easy connectivity to the Internet including the lower-priced tablets. Some of the different types of connectivity available are Wi-Fi, i.e., use the wireless capability at home or at various Wi-Fi hotspots across the globe; Bluetooth; 3G - offered mainly by high end tablets as this type of connection can work even if one is not close to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Generally there is an additional monthly payment involved to the service provider; GPS - mainly for map functions and not a necessity in India."A standard or mini USB sockets are included in most tablet computers and are very beneficial as you can connect many different external devices, such as storage or keyboard.

Also, you can check if the tablet PC has card reader slots (in case one needs to add extra memory); SIM card slot (meant for 3G or 4G tablets); and HDMI output (for connecting to a television).

With competition heating up you can certainly get a good functional tablet for under Rs 10,000/-. Though not comparable with the iPad or the XOOM or Samsung galaxy, invariably they will get the basic necessities done. If you don't need fancy options and want to use the tablet for basic work then opt for the ones in the range of Rs 10,000/-.

(The writer is with Global Features and can be contacted at chandraguptaa@hotmail.com)

Pros & Cons

Advantages of tablet PCs compared to notebooks are their size and weight. Due to their portability, they are very practical and can be used while sitting in sofa, lying in bed or walking around. With a size of a book and special e-reader application they can replace the traditional reading source. The tablet is becoming an all-in-one reading device, with access to digital versions of thousands of books, newspapers and magazines.

On the negative side, especially the screen that is prone to damage as they are carried around and used in various situations and environments. Compared to other personal computers as notebooks and PCs they have weaker capabilities. Tablets, with their limited screen size and lack of a keyboard, are not yet as effective for tasks that involve a great deal of typing or creative work. And unlike PCs, tablets don't yet allow users to burn CDs or DVDs, play more graphics-intensive video games or store large music and photo collections.