When anyone mentions a touchscreen device, or to be more specific; a touchscreen tablet device, you instinctively think about Apple and the iPad. Ever since the creation of the ground breaking iPhone in 2007, and the subsequent release of the iPad in 2010, touchscreen devices seem to be synonymous with the company. Apple obviously weren’t the first technology company to come up with the idea of controlling a mobile device through a touch based interface, but when they entered that segment of the market, they managed to totally reinvent it and almost assume ownership.
Through the production of high quality and innovative hardware, mixed together with finely tuned and purpose-built software, Apple have managed to find what some might say is the perfect balance between form and function, between hardware and software and with the release of "The New iPad", it doesn’t look like they are ready to relinquish their stronghold over the tablet market anytime soon. However, we do ourselves a disservice if we don’t take a minute to step back and actually consider the alternative products in the market that are competing against the iPad. Many different manufacturers are producing tablet devices at an alarming rate, and with the imminent launch of Windows 8 and the not too distant Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, we could soon see tablets running Windows and Android actually beginning to compete with Apple and the iPad.
However, until that dream becomes a reality, we have taken a look at some of the leading tablets that are available now, or coming very soon to the market. The comparison table contains the Apple iPad 2, the new iPad which we call the iPad 3 for clarity, the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the recently announced powerhouse that is the Asus Transformer Prime TF700T.
On paper, the latest iPad and the its predecessor, the iPad 2, look remarkably similar in terms of technical specification, however, the few aspects of the specification and design that do differ are fortunately the areas that really make a lot of difference. The improved display and processing power are sure to keep the new iPad ahead of the charts for quite some time. The Asus TF700T Transformer Prime, which is yet to be released to the public is the obvious device to stand out in the crowd when it comes to raw processing power, considering it is running on a quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A9. Any experienced tablet owner will be able to tell you processing speed and power isn’t the be all and end all, with a finely tuned OS being able to compensate for that in some areas. The TF700T, which is tipped to launch in the second half of 2012, was announced less than a month after its baby brother was released with consumers having to wait and see if it brings the same GPS issues that has plagued the original Transformer Prime.
One of the key areas, not only in for users of tablets, but for users of any mobile device is the aspect of usability and user experience. With mobile devices becoming such an integral part of our lives, and with Apple embarking on a journey which they call the "post-PC revolution", it is vitally important that users can make an immediate bond with a device, in the hope that it becomes a pleasure to use and not a necessity based chore. Whilst the Galaxy Note 10.1, Kindle Fire and TF700T all have easy to use interfaces, the marriage of hardware and software, designed and developed harmoniously means that in my opinion, the iPad will always overcome competing devices in terms of user experience.
Steve Jobs always believed in the marriage of technology and liberal arts, and with the new iPad running iOS 5.1, I think the company have created something which embodies that legacy.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
