When the Amazon Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet was announced, I was intrigued by the “Everything Kids love. Everything Parents Want.” tagline, and I immediately preordered. These 6″ and 7″ HD Fire tablets come with a 2-Year Guarantee, a kid-proof protective case, and the setup seemed perfect for a child’s first tablet. After fiddling with one, I’m not convinced.
At 6mm, the new Dell Venue 8 7000 is being billed as the world’s thinnest Android tablet, but it’s size isn’t the only attractive feature; it also has an incredible 2560 x 1600 OLED display and “the first RealSense depth camera integrated into such a small form factor.” Have you even heard about it? Well, let me tell you…
One of my favorite things about Windows 8.1 is the touch aspect built into the OS that makes laptop and/or tablet — 2in1 — computing possible. When using Windows 8.1 laptops, I’ve wondered if I’d be able to manage without a dedicated keyboard. Testing the HP ElitePad 1000 G2 for the past month has allowed me to decide.
One of the many things that Dan and I both agree upon is that the Sony Xperia Z2 is the best phone out now. It has an excellent camera, it’s lightning fast, it has expandable memory, and it is a factory unlocked world phone. IFA saw the introduction of the Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, and the Z3 Tablet Compact.
Somewhere between Apple’s and Samsung’s last quarterly earnings reports, Dan’s review of the Galaxy S5, Dan & Judie’s Sony Xperia X2s, the Ultra, discussions with friends about a variety of tablets we’ve all used, along with the statement by the Best Buy CEO that ‘tablet sales are crashing’ something occurred to me – we’ve been here before — with Windows CE.
This is a sponsored post; we received compensation from Intel, but all opinions are the author’s. I’ve been using a Mac for more than 5 years and never thought I would go back to using a Windows laptop or desktop. When Intel offered me the opportunity to become part of the #Intel2in1 program, I couldn’t say no. I’m impressed by the device and think it might be ideal for someone heading off to college. Here’s why.
Are you someone who spends more time on your phone texting, emailing, checking social media, and surfing than you actually do making calls? I am, and that’s why I’m intrigued by some of the larger devices available today, including the new Huawei Ascend Mate2. This $299.99 phone with the 6.1 screen might allow you to leave your tablet at home!
Last fall Judie reviewed the Lenovo Yoga. As a laptop that could also work in a variety of modes that took advantage of its touchscreen, it was impressive. I tried it out in December, and was also impressed, but at $1000+, it was pricey. The HP Pavilion X360 offers much of the same functionality at a far lower price.
At this point the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is a bit “old”. Launched in April 2013, by Android standards it is an antique. And while we’ve seen many new Galaxy devices in the last 14 months, there’s been no new Note 8.0. The arrival of Android 4.4.2 KitKat on my WiFi version today made it a model worthy of 2014.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition showcases several easy-to-use practical functions. It has a large display, considerable battery life, unique S Pen features, fast quad-core processor, and dual cameras. This tablet has 3GB of RAM and includes memory up to 32GB. Models include SM-p600 Wi-Fi; SM-P601 3G; SM-P605 3G+LTE and SM-P600 (no support for GSM voice communication, SMS, and MMS).
Using tablets in all aspects of life mean they are viewed at every angle, on every surface, and in both portrait and landscape orientations. Having a stand to accommodate all of these needs is important, and the Felix TwoHands II stand provides a handy and unique way to hold tablets. Read on to see how it fared.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a bit larger than its predecessor. That brings it even closer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. And while one had curved edges and the other a sharper, boxier look and feel, deciding which to get is now more difficult than ever. If you are on the fence, perhaps this video look can help.
The popular Samsung Galaxy Tab line is getting an update with the new Galaxy Tab 4. There will be three different sizes available, with 7-, 8-, and 10.1-inch WiFi-only models in black or white that will be available for preorder on the 24th, and will officially go on sale May 1. AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon will be offering the 4G LTE versions this summer.
Judie spent some hands-on time with the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+. The tablet offers a Full HD display, a quad core processor, an 8MP front camera, 2GB of storage and runs Android 4.3. I have the original Yoga tablet and love the design. Check out Judie’s pictures and see if this should be your next tablet.
Judie got some hands-on time with the new HP Pavilion x360 laptop. Thanks to a 360-degree hinge this 11.6″ hybrid is able to switch between clamshell and tablet mode. No, this isn’t deja vu but you have seen this before. Priced starting at $399 it has Beats Audio and surprisingly good specs for the price. Check out the image gallery.
Microsoft continues to push Windows 8 hard in both the traditional laptop/desktop and the exploding tablet space, and the Dell Venue 8 Pro is one of the more compelling devices launched yet.
Lenovo’s Yoga line has been a huge hit, and the company is keeping the momentum at Mobile World Conference with a new Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ Android tablet. These will have an updated HD screen, plus a number of proprietary apps called DOit, SHAREit, and SECUREit to add productivity. These start at $350 this April, watch Lenovo’s site for more!
Monster, best known for their high quality headphones and cord products, has entered the budget tablet market with the M7 7″ Tablet. The M7 is currently available exclusively through Walmart. It’s MSRP is $149 but is on sale for $99.99. At just under $100, can Monster provide a worthy tablet in a flooded market?
If you were searching for a Microsoft Surface 2 online around holiday time there’s a good chance you had trouble finding one – at least in stock at the Microsoft store. After writing down almost $1 Billion of the original Surface models Microsoft was understandably cautious about estimating demand for the follow-up Surface 2 and Surface Pro.
Nuance may not yet be a household name, but their software is rapidly becoming ubiquitous. Between their work with voice recognition on mobile devices and the proliferation of Dragon Naturally Speaking on the desktop, they’ve clearly become the gold standard in speech to text. Their next step? Becoming your personal assistant!
Samsung has been pretty smart about their tablet releases so far, correctly predicting the demand for everything from 7-8in tablets to phablets. Now they’re going super-sized with the GalaxyNotePRO and TabPRO, two new Android tablets that will clock in with shockingly large 12.2in screens!