The Tech & Musing Christmas Guide: Tablets

The second in the Tech & Musing Christmas Guide takes a look at the tablets on the market. Despite another year of iPad dominance in the tablet sector, the three recommendations below offer plenty of variety in the operating system stakes. See what you think:

Low range: Nexus 7

One of my favourite products from 2012 makes another appearance in the 2013 list. Given its price, and ability, I still believe it is the best choice for the everyday user wanting a tablet for the basics. It's direct competitor - the iPad Mini - has a poorer resolution, less power and a poorer battery life - all for a significant chunk more money. It's no contest. I maintain that if you're in the market for an iPad - just splash out a little more on the iPad 2 (below).
      Anyway, back to the Nexus 7. 2GB RAM, an HD screen and 9 hours of video playback, for that price, it's a no-brainer of a purchase. If you're looking for something a little cheaper, a little smaller - but even if you've got the scope to spend higher, don't ignore the Nexus 7, by any means. Oh - did I mention wireless charging? Yeh, it has that as it's cherry on top. 

Mid range: iPad 2

It was always going to be on my list, but the iPad is still the king of tablets. Android simply isn't offering the alternative challenge to the iPad, and if you want anything larger than a 7" tablet, the iPad is the best route to go. Now, with the huge number of iPad's available (and with barely discernible names), which should you buy?

     The one on your lips might be Apple's attempted Christmas smash - the iPad Air - but despite an inspiring ad, it's a thoroughly uninspiring product. Your money would be best-placed by spending it on the iPad 2. It's still a top-quality device and you save a significant amount by picking up a slightly older version.

Top range: Surface Pro 2

Perhaps a surprise addition on this list, the Surface Pro 2 is my 'money is no object' recommendation for a tablet this Christmas. At an eye-watering price of £800, it certainly won't be the tablet of choice for many, but it's the only competitive tablet on the market that can function as a laptop as well. The original Surface had its problems, but was an impressive device - the Surface Pro 2 rectifies those issues, and adds a whole lot more. Don't despair if you want a Surface but not at the Pro 2 price, you can pick up the original Surface, or Surface 2 for half the amount.

If you haven't tried a Surface, I would. It's a solid device, and one that is enjoyable and importantly, useful. If you want that tablet-laptop hybrid, the Surface 2 is your best option.

So, what do you think? Have I missed anything off the list? As always, if you're interested on other tablets, get in touch.
Keep an eye on the blog for the next in the Tech & Musing Christmas Guide - laptops.

Are Microsoft stuck in the future?

Microsoft have had a tricky few years. They were recovering their reputation with Windows 7, then jumped into Windows 8. Windows RT has hardly shaken the world either, just look at the Surface. To top this off, their market-leading Xbox 360 was upgraded after 8 years to the 'XBox One' and subsequently slammed by consumers and the press, for a variety of caveats.
     So, looking at these in isolation; Microsoft have got it wrong. Mistakes have been made, as if the company is in blind panic. But, if you look a bit closer, I think Microsoft have leapt into the future, but the world isn't ready for it.

Take the Xbox One for example. Microsoft have pushed towards an internet age that doesn't quite exist. We're not ready to have to be connected to play games, and we're certainly not ready to use the Xbox as the focal-point of the living room. In 5 years, we may be, but not yet. Similarly with Kinect; it's a great piece of kit but again, we're not ready to interact with consoles in that way.

Microsoft's attempt to bridge that gap between mobile and desktop with Windows 8 was admirable, but yet again, ahead of it's time. The OS simply was not ready for it. The apps are a case in point. They work on one device, but only few transcend that gap smoothly.

The Surface is another example. The world isn't quite ready to let go of laptops, and have them replaced with tablets and keyboards. It's a good, solid product. It's not mind-blowing, but it does the job well. Better priced, this is a feasible option for consumers, but it has been misjudged. This point can be repeated with touch-screen PCs.

In a similar way to Google's Chromebooks, Microsoft's current products are ahead of their time. What Microsoft have misjudged, however, is their complete shift towards these products. They have no contingency plan. The Chromebook is absolutely a side project for Google, and if it fails, the company will still survive. Not only that, Google are playing the long game with the product, whereas Microsoft need quick changes, and an error on this scale, could be very costly. Microsoft have thrown everything into Windows 8, Windows RT and the Xbox One. If these fail, Microsoft will be up the metaphorical creek without a paddle...

I could've gone into much more detail on this, but I didn't feel it necessary. I'd love to hear your thoughts as I'm sure many wont agree. Please feel free to comment below.

Apple Q3 2013 results surprise, and bemuse.

Just when it was predicted that the iPhone was on the decline, or at least sales were remaining flat, Apple have gone and blown us away by selling over 31m iPhones in the last quarter. 

Estimates were suggesting around the 26-28m mark, and to be frank, that was fairly ambitious. Compared to the same time last year, Apple have sold 5m more iPhones, and that's the bewildering thing given the disappointment with the iPhone 5 and continued questions over Apple's innovation. Where this market has appeared from, is unknown thus far. These numbers are particularly impressive given that we are particularly likely to see a new iPhone in September, and another budget model to boot. We could be looking at huge iPhone sales numbers emerging from Apple in Q12014. 

Another surprise (although forecasted) is the significant (near 3m) drop in iPad sales. It's difficult to see what's the direct influence on these figures. Android tablets? I find that hard to believe, especially as there still isn't a worthy competitor to the iPad. The Nexus 7 is streaks ahead of the iPad Mini (LINK), but the iPad is in its own league. It could simply be the sheer weight of cheaper Android tablets taking its toll on iPad sales. It could also be financial situation or it could simply be that tablets are losing popularity. Apple will be hoping for a pick-up when the rumoured new iPad is released in the latter stages of the year.
     The other bad news for Apple was that Mac sales also faltered, but only slightly, falling just 200,000 in the same time period to 3.8m, but given the slow decline of laptops and desktop computers, this isn't particular concerning for Apple.

Cook hinted at some Apple innovation over the rest of the year saying they were "laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014.” Whether or not this is just to excite investors is unknown, but Apple will have to do a lot better this time around, than the same period last year.