The Apple iPad is still the hottest tablet or mobile device for that matter, on the market today, but what if you don’t want to spend almost $600 for the iPad? With the tablet market getting a little more interesting lately, there are other options for you to consider and these options aren’t going to break the bank and won’t leave without features to play with either. The tablet market is hot and the Kindle Fire release is a perfect example of a low cost tablet that can get you some nice features.
The Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook tablet seem to be the newest low cost options on the market. The already popular Kindle Fire gives you access to the streaming content that Amazon offers and the Amazon Prime membership is always a nice touch. The $199 Kindle Fire is a nice reading device, apps, web surfing and email. The Barnes and Noble Nook tablet can be purchased for $249 and also runs on Android like the Kindle Fire. The Nook is $50 more than the Kindle, but is still about half the price of the iPad at this point. The Nook is a good e-reader, has an app store and offers Netflix and Hulu for streaming content.
Another lower cost option is the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, which come in three different sizes to offer a nice variety for whatever you might need. The 10.1 on the Verizon network works with the super fast 4G LTE when you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection. The Galaxy tabs have access to the thousands of apps from the Android Marketplace. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 can be purchased for about $300 which is still lower than the iPad.
The HP Slate is another option although it is not one of the most popular options, or a low cost one. The HP Slate is powered by Microsoft Windows 7 software and is good for business professionals to give them an option to work away from their desks. The HP Slate is available for about $800, but it is the most familiar operating system to most people since it runs on Windows. This tablet is less likely to be a recreational purchase.
These options are all good and comparable to the Apple iPad, so if you don’t want to spend the money, or you just are not a fan, remember this list the next time you are thinking about a tablet.
