10 Top Tablets for Business Use

by Latin Biz Today

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Blackberry Press Photo

 

BlackBerry Playbook

Due to a rushed released, the BlackBerry Playbook received a large amount of negative press when it first hit the market. Now that the kinks have been worked out, the Playbook actually turned out to be a really strong tablet offering. The QNX operating system is ingeniously designed, making this tablet really simple to use. The 1.0 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM ensure that applications and videos run smoothly, while the 7-inch display provides beautiful visuals. The only major downsides to the Playbook are the lack of application support and the unknown future of RIM as a company. Regardless, Hispanic business leaders who already use a BlackBerry smartphone for business purposes will enjoy the synchronicity the Playbook provides.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Le Pan Press Photo

 

Le Pan TC 970

Most full-featured tablets will burn a hole in your pocket, but there are some low-end tablets coming on to the market that can still get the job done. The Le Pan TC 970 is one of those. While this tablet doesn’t have the build quality or hardware of and iPad or Tablet S, it does have enough power to supply a strong tablet experience for a fraction of the cost of its competitors. The 970 runs on Android 2.2 and has access to most of the apps in the Android Market, although it does lack access to some tablet-specific apps that require Honeycomb. An upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is in the works, which should take care of this issue. The battery has been tested to last between six and 10 hours, which is standard for tablets of this size. For business leaders who are willing to sacrifice some bells and whistles, and honestly a little performance, the TC 970 is a great economical option and is highly rated on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Barnes and Noble Press Photo

 

Barnes and Noble Nook Color

The Nook Color falls into the same category as the Kindle Fire, specifically that it is a device designed for content consumption rather than productivity. However, some interesting advantages over the Fire make this tablet something that business leaders may consider. David Streit, writing for Latin Business Today, notes that the Nook’s access to Exchange email, PDF support, Microsoft Office support and Flash capabilities allow him to complete most of his productivity tasks on the tablet. Small business owners who only require a small amount of productivity support, or who aren’t ready to completely disconnect from their laptop, may find the Nook Color an inexpensive way to enter the tablet world.

 

 

 

 

TOP OF THE HEAP

Picking the top tablet from this impressive list is no simple task. If money is no object, there really isn’t anything on the market better than the iPad. It offers the most robust selection of applications, and its popularity ensures that new apps will generally arrive in the App Store before the Android Market. Its quality is second-to-none and it provides all of the connectivity options one could want. For those business leaders who still want a laptop feel, the Asus Eee Transformer Prime is an excellent choice, although it gets a little expensive once you factor in the cost of the dock. Finally, for Hispanic small business leaders not ready to give up their laptop, the Nook Color provides just enough productivity support and ease of use to be helpful at a fraction of the cost of most full-featured tablets.

One may note the lack of Windows-based tablets on this list, and that may change in the coming months. Windows 8 is shaping up to be an excellent operating system, and the Metro interface is designed with tablets in mind, so the future could show a strong offering from Microsoft. Having another player in the tablet OS space is always a good thing, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the early reviews for these upcoming tablets.