The new age of tablet computers is upon us: these portable devices are perfect for business, leisure and learning! If you’re trying to find the best student tablet computer for you, then here are a few things to consider.
Why Choose A Student Tablet PC Over A Traditional Computer?
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Still not convinced on the need for a tablet PC? Perhaps you need to hear some more about the benefits of using a tablet over a more traditional desktop computer or laptop. Although the latter already has the portability factor built in, it’s still not as portable and easy to use as a tablet.
With a tablet PC you can get it out in lectures without disturbing the space around you, and jot down notes with a stylus in your own handwriting. When you get home, get the tablet to covert those notes to digital text so you can store them, search them and refer back to them at a later date. This will save you hours of time compared to manually writing down notes and reading them back to find the one thing you need!
Aside from this obvious benefit, tablets also mean you can look up information quickly (much quicker than waiting for your PC to load up) and prepare presentations to run directly from the device. Even better, they can work as digital book readers to help you store (and annotate) all those books that you’d usually have to lug around with you all day!
So Which Tablet Is The Right One For College?
You’ll probably want to get a slate tablet (these are flat tablets, like the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab) so that it isn’t intrusive in class. You can lay them flat on a desk (or on your lap) when you’re not using them, and they won’t be disruptive when you are using them.
Beyond that, the specs you choose are down to you. If you already have a smartphone with a particular operating system (such as Android or iOS) then you may want to stick to that to help reduce the learning curve that goes with purchasing any new gadget. Unfortunately the iPad/ iOS may be out of many student’s budgets, with no low-end options available.
Android, on the other hand, is featured in a range of tablets – including those that cost under $200. Although they may not be as powerful as the high-end options, they can still do the job of taking notes (though check the handwriting function) and connecting to the internet whenever you need to find a piece of information quickly.
If you’re also going to be using your tablet for your music and movie collection, opt for the biggest storage size you can afford (and look for tablets with an SD or micro-SD slot for later expansion). And check that the app stores of your chosen OS have the kinds of apps you need.
Do You Also Have A Desktop Or Laptop?
Although student tablet computers weren’t first designed as standalone devices – they were aimed more at those who were looking for a secondary portable device – the gap is quickly closing in on tablets and traditional computers. The Asus Eee Pad, for example, has a revolutionary Transformer dock that turns the tablet into a stylish and powerful netbook computer. This means you can use it as a tablet when you want it to be more portable, or more like a standard laptop (with a full size keyboard) when you need to type at your desk. In this case, there’s no need to own more than one device! If this is what you want then the good news is that most of the big name tablets have full sized keyboard docks to improve functionality.
Choosing a student tablet isn’t that complicated – it really comes down to doing a little investigating beforehand to ensure it’ll run everything that you need it to. You don’t need anything complicated or too expensive to see the benefits of using a tablet at college!
