They say that Christmas 2013 is the Christmas of the tablet. The increasingly low cost of the devices, as well as the bang for buck they offer means that more and more students are asking for one of these slates for Christmas.
After all, they’re a lot cheaper than many alternatives, look great, can be used for both work and play and truly are fantastic devices. However, before you choose one, we’ve a list of different things you should consider.
- Interface – Look for the right operating system for your work. A lot of students tend to require flash programs for educational content and so an Android system is a far better option here.
- Hardware – this is something that’s often overlooked but very important. Choosing the correct hardware for your device allows you to add expandable memory and increases the lifespan of the device. In addition, Bluetooth connectivity allows you to add things like keyboards and other great options to your tablet and so make more of it, meaning it’s a better investment.
- Out of the Box – Purchasing a tablet that needs a lot of configuration and a lot of entering of data when you take it out of the box for the first time is a pain. Choosing a tablet with an up to date operating systems and one that updates itself means you save on a lot of trouble and hassle. Most update automatically meaning you save on trouble. This means you can use it with your teacher, your A-Level or GCSE tutors or whoever else you need to work in conjunction with.
- Local – Choose a tablet that works with your local software and learning standards – this also saves on a lot of trouble.
- Affordable – There can be quite a disparity in the cost of tablets and some such as Apple’s iPad cost a lot more than some quite decent alternatives. There are a number of great quality Android tablets out there that can compete and are excellent in quality and also in price. You want to balance this out and should ensure your tablet meets not just your needs but also your costs. After all, student loans don’t tend to go that far.
- Educational – there are a number of educational tablets out there at the moment. These tend to run on the Android system and have a number of pre-set apps and other extras that are orientated towards education.
- If choosing an educational based tablet check firstly to see that it may have control settings on the features that can be used. Many of these devices have lock down features and so don’t allow students to look at specific subjects or download certain apps.
- Screen – if you’re doing a lot of reading on your tablet then you will require a high quality screen. There can be quite a disparity between the quality of the screens on tablets and if you intend on reading a lot then a retina screen is a must.
- Weight – a lighter tablet is easier to hold and so you should choose one that’s a good size and also fits well in the hand for long periods of time
If you follow these tips you should be able to ensure that you get the best possible tablet for your educational needs.
