Introduction to Tablet PC's

Tablet PC's are the new thing that everyone wants or thinks they need. These small and light computers can be a lot of fun as well as useful in certain areas of our lives. But are they really a laptop killer or computer replacement? The short answer is no. They are however, another tool in our electronic arsenal of toys to make our life easier. Now don't get me wrong they are not all toys, but many aren't much more than that. I would like to break in down to 3 classes of Tablet PC's so you can better understand.

1. Basic
2. Working
3. Professional

Now how do you tell them apart? Well this is where it gets interesting, but let me see if I can make it easy for you. Almost any time a new type of electronic device hits the main stream market hundreds of companies come out with their version of the product. Many of these versions are good products and some are very well made. But, about half of them are basic Chinese knockoffs or look a likes that look very fancy but are not made with quality parts. Some of these low cost units will work for a time the fail, you get what you pay for. Let's briefly talk about each of these classes and their differences.

Basic Tablets PC's:

These units sell from about $100.00 to $300.00 and usually come with a proprietary operating system. Some have the android OS installed, but have a older version. The screen size can vary from 5" to 10" and the touch technology is basic to poor in function and accuracy. The storage capacity ranges from 8- 16 GB of storage memory. They use poor batteries and have almost no tech support or the manufactures website is in Chinese. These units are throwaway; you use them until they stop functioning then toss them. They cannot be upgraded and really are not worth more than a toy for young kids to play with. Now once in a while you will find one that will work pretty good, but they are few are far between.
Don't waste your money on these units. These units really aren't a Tablet PC.

Working Tablets:

Now the working units are the most common and cost between $300 and $600. Many of these models are made by name brand companies such as Apple, Toshiba, Samsung and many other manufactures you will recognize. The screen sizes range from 5" to 10" and usually have a high quality touch screen compared to the basic models. Most all of them come with built-in Wi-Fi and some units have built in cell card so you can bet Internet anywhere anytime. Many of these units have some expansion capabilities and can be repaired. Most also have replaceable battery's unlike the basic units. Most companies will use the Android Operating system to run their tablets and will come with the ability to upgrade the OS as needed. Apple of course uses their own proprietary operating system. The average amount of storage is 16 to 32 GB of memory via a flash based hard drive. Some model s have an expansion slot to add more storage capacity if you choose.

Professional Tablets:

The professional Tablets PC's have all the same features and the working class and more. The average prices start at $600.00 and go as high as $2000. They have larger screens between 12"-19" inches and have the latest in touch technology. The storage capacity can be flash, SSD or standard SATA hard drive up to 500GB +. The batteries are higher quality and usually removal with 6 to 10 hours of use time. The main processors are much more powerful and about half us Microsoft windows for a operating system and the other half still use the Android operating system or a hybrid of it. These units are meant for office, construction site and hospital and many other places and business where they need full powered computers that are light, powerful and just plain work. Many have better quality cases and can take the impact of a drop or hard bump with no damage. They are work horses and that's why they cost the big bucks.

The evolution of the Tablet PC with continue to change as they become more main stream and the technology improves. We here at Panda Computers will be here to help you understand the good and the bad so you can be an informed computer user.