So you’re interested in getting a tablet or an iPad or just interested.

So are a lot of people.

There are basically two camps:Apple and Google.

Where Apple makes and directly sells/supports and provides all technical support including applications through their Apple App Store.  And Google where they simply licenses the Android Operating System technology to others to manufacture, distribute, sell independent from Google’s support.

The two world’s couldn’t be more different.

Primary differences:

Apple’s iPad Google’s Android Thoughts….
Touch Interface Very reactive and satisfying. Mostly satisfying iPad’s reaction times is immediate and sensitive.  Whereby
Android tablets are generally little slower.  Definitely perceptible where
reaction lag from touch can be very noticeable in some instance.  However
definitely usable if accepted and you don’t go back and forth between iPad and a
tablet.
Display 1024×768 Squareish 1280×800
or
1024×600 HDTV like

Android’s HDTV like display is nice for watching videos but on
portrait mode to surf seems too narrow.   Whereby iPad’s squareish
makes for neither too squished nor wide.   Both very bright and
useable but iPad’s colors are more virbrant and life like.  Android tablets
mostly seem washed out, dull and pixelated where you can see artifacts in the
video.
eReader Very capable with even builtin iBook reader. Very capable but need to find the right app to read with. Both are excellent eReader capable.  Especially if your
android tablet has a fast CPU/GPU.  If you paid over $400 then you have it.
Nice page curls, bookmarks and access to TOC if pdf have it.
Battery Great at 11hrs+ of usage Ok with 5-9hrs of usage iPad is an all day device where one can charge once and
literally use it all day.  Whereby Android tablets needs app monitoring and
careful battery monitoring in order to achieve almost all day result.
Apps Beautiful, alluring, intuitive Difficult to impossible to find.  Graphics very dull,
non-intuitive and never fully capable.		 Due to Apple’s strict standards.  Makes for easy to listen
and view audio and video files.  Of course they have to be made for the Mac
and/or on the Mac.   Android is more forgiving but you need 3rd party
codecs to properly view and/or listen which is impossible to get them all.Apps for iPad are polished, mostly professional looking and very intuitive to
use.  Android apps found in the Android Market are confusing to know
whether they are made for a tablet or not.  Furthermore, there is a amateur
look to most of the apps with exception of few.
wifi / 3G Very easy to connect either way Very easy to connect either way. Both have very good connectability to wifi or 3G if you have
the service.
Storage Builtin or cloud Builtin, cloud or external SD or USB By far the Android has more capabilities of easy storage
access.   iPad extremely limited where you have to use iTunes to
upload files or special apps where if using special apps as storage.  Other
apps cannot have access to them.   Android on the other hand has many
options.  Just like a personal computer.  You could use a SD card, USB
storage and of course the cloud.   And you don’t need a special PC app
to upload files.  Just USB connection or via wifi.  Sharing is
exceptional on Android.

In Conclusion: There is a market for both tablets and they couldn’t be
more different.  Just like the devices themselves.   iPad’s are
good for people whom have little to no technical knowledge and can use it right
away.   Great for Grandparents or very young kids.   Android
on the other hand becuase it has so many up front needs before it can even start
becoming useful.   You need to be technical savvy but once you start.
Android and its wealth of capabilities will sure to a satisfying device for a
Nûrd.

Some statistics to show this is the case:

  • Less than 50% of the iOS devices (iPads, iPods, iPhones) have never been
    sync’d.  Meaning they have never been connected to the computer for
    updates.
  • 30% of the iPads owners never have downloaded apps onto their devices.
  • iPads very popular with the geriatrics and the very young as in <10yrs.
  • Very few non-Nûrds own an Android’s tablet.

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