Tag: Tablet Review

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m out and proud…. about my love of Apple and its products.

I tend not to consider other brands initially, going straight for an Apple version of whatever I want, tablet, phone, laptop, desktop, even TV streaming, however, this job gives me a chance to try other products and be honest about their performance, their design and comparisons to Apple.

When the Dell Venue 8 Pro arrived, I was a little anxious. I have used Dell laptops in various job roles and found them okay to use, nothing special in terms of design but reliable. So what would their foray into tablets be like?

On opening the box, I have to admit, Apple’s influence is apparent. The packaging is simple and clean, instructions at a minimum but adequate and the product well protected – and on unwrapping, one hell of a beauty.

This 8inch tablet bridges that gap between a Smartphone and the usual tablets, such as iPads. It fits in your hand; it has a rubberised backing, which helps if you’re a little clumsy (guilty as charged). Again, like Apple, they have kept buttons and all extraneous details to a minimum and on the sides. This little beauty doesn’t have a centre button like iPad, but once you get used to that, it actually makes more sense to shift it to the side. It allows a decent HD screen size – perfect for watching Netflix on the go, reading emails without squinting (or is that just me?) and surfing the net – at the same time, it makes for a powerful, beautiful item to pop into your bag or pocket to keep you connected to your social networks and entertainment.

My only issue is around the OS, which is Microsoft based. Although most of us use MS software at some point, usually at work or college, the transition to tablet isn’t always smooth. It takes a while to get used to the swipe left, right, up or down and what each gesture does and where it takes you. The app store is good, and covers all the basics. For me, it made sense to think about what you want to use this for and keep the apps to a minimum. This tablet only has 2GB RAM built in, but you can expand it with an SD card.

It has 2 cameras built in – and it takes a hell of an image with its 5M pixels – and is light enough to actually be a decent camera alternative. Unlike those who try use their full size iPads as cameras and look like they are about to break their neck! Front and back cameras also make it ideal for Skyping on the go.

Bluetooth helps you link to external speakers, keyboards and desktops making it flexible and adaptable.

In terms of improving this well thought out piece of kit, I could only ask for another micro USB port. Some people may want to use this instead of a PC, and the more ports the better – it really is that good. I’m not a huge fan of Microsoft OS, but it works, it does its job and once you get used to it, its easy enough to use – but it’s no iOS. It’s not as intuitive as Apple’s product, but it’s a damn fine piece of kit.

Price: £239.99 inc VAT from
http://www.ebuyer.com/611945-dell-venue-8-pro-tablet-pc-5830-0339

Overall, I love this item – its lightweight, it feels comfortable to hold, it’s quick and responsive, it works well and its a good price. My perspective would be that its a serious contender to an iPad Mini, with a much lower price tag.

When offered the chance to give the Kobo Arc 10HD a trail run, I couldn’t wait to compare it and its functionality against the recent review of the Kobo Aura eReader I recently did. This unit is vastly different to the Aura, not better as it would be like comparing chalk and cheese.

The Arc is an eReader, but goes further and is a serious iPad competitor. It allows you the usual e-reader experience, offering a vast library of books and magazines but also moves into games, movies and net access to make this a more rounded experience and a more popular option.

The design is sleek, and doesn’t really stray from the usual black and glass. It isn’t radical, but to be honest, I think most manufacturers are leaving that end of the market to Apple and are concentrating more on price-points. This unit being no different, coming in at under £300, and offering a similar experience to the iPad.

The operating system is smooth, with the capacitive touchscreen running as quickly as anything Apple produces. It is as intuitive as other models, with icons and buttons being simple, clean and clear. It comes with a selection of pre-loaded apps which includes Facebook, Twitter, Skype and OfficeSuite, making this one workhorse of a tablet. It supports all major file types, allowing you to work across formats – when out and about you can now access your Office files from emails, alter and share.

My only issue with it is that it isn’t Apple – that’s how highly I rate this item. I am an Apple fan, and it would take something major to make me buy another brand, but this comes close! Similar to the fact that the Aura made me a fan of eReaders, this tablet could prise me away from Apple. It has everything you need in a tablet, it is a portable computer, offers thousands of books at your finger tips, prefect web browsing, easy set-up and access to over 1million apps from Google.

The item has a clear 10” HD display, 16GB storage and weighs a little over 600grams. It has the usual sockets, micro USB and micro HDMI out, allowing you to link this little beauty with other pieces of kit. It also has a front facing 1.3 megapixel HD camera, allowing you to snap and share your memories.

The Positive

▪ Ease of use and set-up
▪ HD display, clean and clear
▪ An office on the go

The Negative
▪ The brand – needs time to establish itself more

Price: The Kobo Arc 10HD comes in at £299.99 RRP, and is readily available from:
http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/kobo-arc-10hd-black-16-gb-tablet/product/36787517

For me, this tablet is worth its cost. Some may hold out for a cheaper model, however – you do get what you pay for. This item doesn’t feel cheap, you can see where the money has been spent. It runs smoothly, its simple to use and add to, the apps that come with it are enough to get you going with plenty more available to suit your needs. If you are looking for something as a alternative to Apple, then loo no further.

Our Rating: ★★★★

Specifications:

• 10” HD LCD display
• 2560 x 1600 screen resolution
• NVIDIA Tegra 4 T4OS, 1.8 GHz quad core processor
• 2 GB DDR3L RAM
• 253 x 172 x 9.9 mm dimensions
• 627g weight
• 16 GB storage
• Micro USB, Micro HDMI out and 3.5 mm headphone jack ports
• Front facing 1.3 MP (720p) HD camera
• Dual stereo speakers, microphone for audio
• dual band wifi and bluetooth connectivity
• battery life of up to 9.5 hours of continuous reading
• Andriod 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system
• Google Play access
• File support for ePub, JPG, PNG, GIF, mp4, flac and many more

E-readers… where do you stand on them? I’m more a tablet man myself and prefer the variety of use that they offer. I like that I can watch a film, listen to music or read/listen to a book on my tablet. I can write articles, draw images, edit photos…..anything you can buy an app for. I simply didn’t see the point in a device that has few, and sometimes a single use.

However, having been given the chance to test drive the new Kobo model, the Aura, I’m almost a convert.

This compact e-reader is so cute. The design is simple and very elegant with intuitive, almost Apple-esque controls. Its light, weighing in at a mere174 grams, measuring a mere 15 cms by 11 1/2 cms – ideal for reading in bed or on the daily commute.

It comes with 4GB of internal memory that will hold an entire library, with a battery life that will almost allow you to read an entire library before it needs a charge. The market for e-readers has grown, with electronic books being listed on the bestsellers charts – similar to how downloads are now shown in music charts. Times change and the much declared death of paper based books hasn’t happened as people seem to be happy to buy both types of media.

There is much made of comparing models – this one does this, its better than that…..but if you’re in the market for one of these, I’d simply suggest that you think long and hard about what you want one for and then compare like for like.

This one has an expandable memory, so a micro-SD will give you up to 32GB. This is needed as you are able to send Pocket articles to your reader from a browser or smartphone. Its a little like Pinterest for your reader.

You can go Beyond The Book by linking you to the web contact that explains key facts in the text – think Wikipedia in your reader. I tried it out with The Hobbit – all those dwarf names confused me, so being able to click them and see who is who was a boon!

The other bonus of this reader is that it isn’t tied to a specific retailer or format. This little box of tricks supports ePub, PDF, JPEG and DRM, amongst others. Although mine was set up ready for reviewing, it takes no time to set up – another Apple-esque feature.

Kobo has embraced could computing too – your books can be retrieved and read anywhere, bookmarks and settings are synched seamlessly and can be picked up on your other devices.

I could be classed as a convert. I can see me purchasing something like this simply to read on journeys, read in bed at night or simply use to store and retrieve documents on the go. I still love my tablet and laptop (both Apple, I’ll readily admit) but this sleek little box is ideal to just pop in a pocket or bag and take with you. No bulk, no fuss….just your favourite reads.

Order a Kobo Aura