So you want to buy a tablet?

Tablets are the future. Whether you like it or not, we are slowly allowing our computers to become laptops and our laptops ares becoming tablets. Now the real question lies before you. What tablet should I buy for myself or for my loved ones?
There are a lot of things that you should take into consideration when buying a tablet but I think it really boils down to four things: Price, size, function, and Operating system. There are a lot of tablets out there and weeding through them all could be a treacherous task but that's why I'm here to help.

NEXUS 7 and 10

They are truly the best hardware packed into the best price point you're going to find. Starting at $199 and $399, respectively for the 16GB versions, they're just hard to beat and they are 7 inches and 10 inches diagonally, respective to the names of the two devices.
The Nexus 7 sports a Nvidia Tegra 3quad-core processor which is the best Nvidia chip available. It has a front-facing 1.3MP camera for video chatting and it charges using a standard micro-usb just like a lot of phones. The Nexus 10 has a Exynos 5 Dual by Samsung which is a dual-core processor but it is directly integrated with the graphics chip which makes for a very fast machine. It has both front and rear-facing cameras for taking pictures of yourself and your surroundings and uses the standard micro-usb port for charging, as well. Both also have full HD displays which is impressive for the price you're paying for these devices. I think that the best selling point for both of these devices is that they are sold directly by Google. The Nexus 7 is manufactured by ASUS and the Nexus 10 by Samsung but they may as well have been built by Google because Google sends out all of the updates, as soon as they announce them. Your device will be running the latest version of Android so long as the hardware supports it and that is something that should keep you ease at heart. As far as functionality goes, these guys are going to be the same as any other Android tablet regardless of size. Right now, if you want to use your tablet to replace your PC, it really can't be done. A tablet is only as good as the apps it can run and as of right now, you don't have the same kind of computing power on android as you do on iOS or even Windows 8. You can run things like word processing and make presentations and if you're familiar with Android, you know what's available already.
Nexus 7 on Google Play
Nexus 10 on Google Play

Microsoft Surface RT

The Windows Surface, in its cheapest form is running Windows RT which is a watered down version of Windows 8, essentially to make it less labor intensive for the components inside. It is priced at $499, which is still not too bad for a device of this size and components. It runs the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and has 2GB of RAM, which should make for a snappy device. It comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office so right away you can start working on this tablet as though it were a replacement for your computer. The base model comes in 32GB but keep in mind, as is also noted on the official website for the surface, the operating system takes up a lot of that space and when they say 32GB they mean 32 Billion bytes, not 32GB in base 2, like the computer will associate the data. According to the Microsoft website, it records in 720p HD quality on the front and rear facing cameras and it has a 10.6" full HD display. The surface definitely does not have a micro-usb port, which means you will need to use their proprietary cables to charge your device. This has its advantages and drawbacks, so I guess you should really just decide whether that bothers you or if you prefer it. The new apps platform that has been integrated into windows 8 is going to be far less developed than that of Android or iOS but it's steadily working its way there and it should be able to run lots of very productive apps, soon enough. 
http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/surface-with-windows-rt/

Apple iPad (4th Generation) and iPad Mini

The Apple iPad has come a long way, in terms of hardware since its original release and most people are familiar with iOS, the driving operating system of every Apple mobile device but it is worth mentioning in every review because it was really the one that started it all. The iPad with Retina display (4th Generation iPad) starts at $499 for the 16GB Wifi-Only Model which really is fairly competitive in the large-screen tablet market. It uses the A6X chip built for Apple by Samsung which is a dual-core chip but it is fast.The iPad mini is actually only $329 for the 16GB which uses an A5 processor, like the iPad 2 did and is 7.9" diagonally.  The Apple website claims that the iPad with Retina display has the best tablet screen ever, but that's simply not the case. The iPad with Retina display has a ppi (pixels per inch) of 264, and while that's good, it's not as good as the Nexus 10, whose screen has a pixel density of 300 ppi, which is actually a pretty big difference. The iPad 4 and mini both run a complete version of iOS 6 which means that they have all of the Apple maps features, including flyover and they have the latest version of siri voice assistant. Both of these tablets, like the Nexus tablets have the selling point that as long as they can support it, hardware wise, they will run the latest version of iOS, straight from Apple. Both have 1.2MP front-facing and 5MP rear-facing cameras and because they both run iOS 6, those cameras are equipped with face detection, autofocus and more! These devices have access to Apple's App Store and because of that bring worlds of possibilities in terms of productivity and media consumption. Many companies make apps for iPad only that will aid you in your work, such as accounting and SAP project management. It is able to do some word processing but the file system on iOS devices makes saving them or editing things that you have already written a challenge.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/


Amazon Kindle Fire HD

The Kindle Fire HD is Amazon's latest addition to the Kindle family which they like to pass off as an Android tablet. It sells for $199 for the 16GB version with "special offers." When they say special offers, understand that they will be putting advertisements onto your device, I would recommend shelling out the extra $15 to get the special offers out of there so you can have a cleaner experience. It runs using a dual-core 1.2GHz processor made by Texas Instruments and it is probably a fairly quick device. The Kindle Fire HD has a 7" screen, like a lot of the small form factor tablets and it is full HD LCD screen. What you need to understand about the Kindle Fire HD and the entire Kindle Fire family, however, is that it doesn't have access to the Google Play store and unless you root it and put it on their yourself, it never will be. The Kindle Fire uses the Amazon Appstore, and while it is growing, simply will never match the size of the Google Play store in terms of apps. However, this device is more of a media consumption device and for that it is great! With access to every digital media that Amazon has to offer, in the palm of your hand you literally have the world at your fingertips. This becomes enhanced when you have a Amazon prime account because you then have access to tons of free videos and books. At the end of the day, though, this is a glorfied e-reader, not a tablet which you're going to do your work on and replace your PC. You could certainly supplement your productivity with this device, but it's not going to be your one and only.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GGCAVM/ref=fs_ta

Now What?
I now send you out into the world to make a decision on your own. Each of these tablets has their own selling points and drawbacks and there are drastic differences in almost all of the operating systems seen here. If I were buying one for myself, I would say the Nexus 7 for the 7" form factor and the Nexus 10 or the Microsoft Surface for the 10" form factor. Of course, these are just my personal preferences and not at all going to mean something for someone else. I hope this article helps you with your decision, good luck!