By Laju Arenyeka

SO, you’re tired of carrying your laptop around, and you’ve finally decided that you need a tablet to carry out your daily tech needs. Congratulations. But you have an even greater challenge ahead: how do you know what tablet to buy? Just like in Medicine where the wrong tablet prescription could endanger your life, buying the wrong tech tab could endanger your career. That why you need to consider the following:

Operating system: iOS, Android or Microsoft?

Apple’s  iOS has considerably more tablet optimised apps than others. It also wields a user interface that is easy to use but not very customizable.  And since the operating system comes only with Apple Tablets, the high end price is something to consider. iOS is one of the easiest systems to use, and the App Store has  almost half a million quality apps and digital magazines optimised for the iPad.

On the other hand, tablets which run on the Android Operating system are often cheaper than other tablets. Although Android Apps aren’t always optimised for bigger screens, the tablets are usually very customizable. User accounts on Android tabs also allow for separate settings for each member of the family. The Windows Operating system is usually in two versions: Windows RT and full Windows 8. However, Reviewers say that it is not that much choice compared to Android. Although there are very limited number of quality tablet apps, Windows RT tablets come with Microsoft Office for free.

Budget

People say that money makes the world go round. That remains debatable, but one undeniable truth is that to get the right tablet, budgeting is key. Generally , 7-inch tablets are much cheaper than 10-inch ones and iPads are more expensive than Android tablets. While it’s no use getting an expensive tablet if a cheaper one can meet your needs, it’s even worse buying a tablet that won’t meet your needs simply because you want to save money. Whether your budget is high end or low end, there’s most likely a tablet for you. Just be sure to read reviews, ask questions and take your time in deciding.

Practicality

What do you want to use your tablet for? How often do you want to use it? You might need to take a longer time answering these questions, but without the internet, your tablet could very well be a modern typewriter.  4G tablets allow you to insert a SIM card so that you can use a mobile network to have internet access wherever you can get a signal.  You’ll need a subscription, though. Note that all 4G tablets can also use a 3G connection. 3G is an older technology and therefore slower than 4G.  But try not to restrict yourself to tablets with only wifi connection.

Size

Tablets usually come in 7-inch and 10 inch sizes. 7-inch tablets are very portable and comfortable to hold with in one hand, they are usually cheaper than 10-inch versions, and are best for reading books and commuting. However, small screen makes browsing the internet a bit trickier and may not be the best for digital magazines and newspapers. 10-inch Tablets have a large screen which is good for TV, video and visually impaired it is also best for reading newspapers and magazines.