I bet you can guess the obvious answer, but don’t have a clue about the right one. As teachers tell us, the obvious is not always correct and the same stands for the question in the title of this post. So, you see two tablets in an online store, specs are similar (or even identical) and prices differ a bit. You tend to go for the cheaper one but that’s not always the best choice and in this post I’ll tell you why. First, the thing is that specs are a simplification of what a product can do for you. They’re not even complete, for that matter, and don’t tell you the whole picture about that particular product.

    Take into consideration the fact that Press photos are deceiving and you get a hell of a surprise once you open up the box and see that the tablet you’ve ordered is ugly looking, makes strange noises when you take it in hand and apply pressure (intentionally or not) and heats up too much during use. Things only get worse from here: battery life is not what the specs in the store claimed and Windows (or whichever OS is running) is not operating smoothly. You’re pretty much screwed, to tell it straight.

    Of course, in civilized countries you have the right to return the product and get your money back, but no one pays for the time you loose. You could do it again, with another product, but that doesn’t solve your problem, is it?

    What can you do to choose the right product?

    First, you have to see the product in a regular store, feel it, see what it’s like. You wouldn’t know how a product feels like in your hands till you take it for a spin up. Always trust your senses with the real product, not the small picture that doesn’t enlarge sufficiently when clicked, usually found next to the (incomplete) specs. Secondly you have to ensure two things work perfectly: the screen must have generous viewing angles (crucial for a tablet) and the keyboard (be it virtual of physical) must work nice as you’re going to type at some point, even if your tablet may not be a work powerhouse.

    Now that the visual inspection is over let’s get to the actual testing, which involves running the apps you would normally do in a cloudy day (too poetic, right?). If you’re going to launch Solitaire and browse one website don’t be surprised to find out later that the tablet is not capable of running multiple programs at the same time.

    The 3G model Apple iPad

    The 3G Apple iPad, a great touch tablet

    What if the store doesn’t have the model I want

    This happens sometimes, as there’s not enough room in a regular store to house tens of thousands of products for users to check out, especially since most people do their shopping online. Don’t despair, as there are also solutions for this situation: just read online reviews and user oppinions, as many as possible to get a better idea of what you’re going to purchase. This is how normal people should do: document before buying.

    Even if you’re the kind that doesn’t have time for those sort of things, is worth loosing a few moments of your life to see what other users say about a product you’re going to buy yourself. Don’t do that and you’ll loose more than a few moments returning it and getting something else.

    Finally, remember that specs don’t always give you an idea about what a product can do for you. There’s more than just components to a tablet, things you can’t imagine just reading a spec sheet.