Okay, so I know nothing about tablets. I've never used one. Ever. But my school has a cart of 25 iPads for us to use and I feel ridiculous not using the technology that I have available to me!
So I did a little research and found out that while the iPad was the first tablet, as of this year the market is split between iPads and Android Tablets, 50-50 (although a recent article in the NY Times said that North America still prefers the iPad, 70-30). I also started to look into the difference between them, and it seems as though the Apple still has the upper hand in this department. Apple technology just feels almost too good to be true (she says as she types on her MacBook Pro). However, I am happy using my Android phone, so I may lean toward Android Tablets, ultimately.
According to "tech-addict: technology blog for tech lovers", here are the major differences between iPads and Android Tablets:
- Tablet is a common name for a wide variety of devices that usually function using a touch screen with different specs from different manufacturers while iPad is Apple’s version of a tablet;
- The iPad runs on Apple’s iOS operating system while most popular operating system of other tablets is Google’s Android;
- Flash or shock-wave videos cannot be run on iPad and, therefore, you cannot see online video clips from YouTube and many other sites while other tablets can use these popular software for showing online videos;
- Multitasking is absent in iPad i.e. it can’t interact with multiple apps at the same time while other tablets running on Android OS have true multitasking i.e. when you are using one application the other applications can run in the background;
- The iPad has more number of available apps while number of compatible apps is relatively low in other tablets
The blog goes on to compare the two systems (as advice for potential buyers, not educators...this may be a key point, perhaps?), the conclusion is:
- The iPad gives you an operating system (iOS) with intuitive interface and an awesome display;
- In terms of ease of use and performance the iPad tends to be more stable and easier to use than other tablets;
- The iPad is still in the lead when it comes to the number of available useful apps. Android currently has fewer apps that are optimized for tablet. However, this is increasing all the time;
- In terms of hardware, an Android tablet is a good choice if you want faster processor, powerful cameras and easily expandable memory;
- If you like to have a lot of options to choose from, you should be checking up an Android tablet. With Android tablets, you get more choices in terms of size, features, and price;
- Android tablets can be of great value and a good choice if you want to customize your tablet to make it look the way you want it to;
- A big plus point for Android tablets is that they are cheaper than Apple iPads
I will have to get my hands on the iPads here at school, but I am going to start searching out folks who may have an Android Tablet as well.
How about you folks? Anyone have a preference??
Ganguly, R. (2015, September 20). What Is The Difference Between An iPad and A Tablet? www.the-tech-addict.com Retrieved October 28, 2015.
