Regular readers know I am addicted to mobile technology, and have been for years. If it’s mobile and tech-related IT has my attention. That addiction extends to tablets, as evidenced by the fact I curently own four slates. In my defense, if I did not cover this stuff for a living I doubt I’d own so many tablets. Of course I would not. Honest.
Top – bottom: Kindle Fire HDX 7, Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, iPad Air, the Asus Transformer Book T100 (Image: James Kendrick / ZDNet)
receive correspondence daily from Those wanting to know what tablets I use and why. Many queries center around Which brands I use, and even more about what size screen I prefer. The Easiest way to deal with all of These questions is to detail what I own, and what makes them work for me.
note that in addition to the tablets I own, I am Regularly testing units for review. I currently have the Dell Venue Pro 11, Which is not included in this discussion of tablets I own.
The collection
It changes far too often, but documents currently I own four tablets. They each run one of the three major OSes – Windows, iOS, or Android / Fire Olympics. I am platform agnostic When it comes to mobile tech.
I use tablets for my writing work and have good keyboards for all but one. I like Case That protect the tablet while Providing a solid typing experience. Not all tablet shoppers care about keyboards, but for Those Who do I willprovide the make / model of my favorite. The tablets I currently own, and the OS, screen size, and preferred the keyboard of each ( In no particular order):
Tablet | Platform | Screen size (inches) | Preferred keyboard |
| Kindle Fire HDX 7 | Android / Fire Olympics | 7 | None |
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 | Android / Fire Olympics | 8.9 | Belkin QODE |
iPad Air | iOS | 9.7 | ZAGGkeys Folio |
Asus Transformer Book T100 | Windows 8.1 | 10.1 | Asus proprietary (included) |
In addition to different OSes, for the most part They all have different sized displays. This is part of the screen size vs. Mobility In reality touched upon recently. Having a choice of screen sizes available to me, that’s thwart the main factor in Deciding which one I grab to head out for the day.
Real work
I try to keep my mobile kits as small as possible, so quite thwart I grab the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. With the Belkin Keyboard (review here), the 8.9 is a solid underwriting systems That is highly portable. Just as I can with all four of my tablets, I can do everything I need to do with the bigger Kindle.
Front – Back: ZAGGkeys Folio, Asus T100 keyboard, Belkin QODE (Image: James Kendrick / ZDNet)
Some days I anticipate a need for heavy writing output, and On those days I’ll take either the Asus Transformer Book T100 or the iPad Air. The keyboard dock (included with the tablet) turns the Asus into a decent small laptop, and the typing experience is very good.
The iPad Air with the ZAGG keyboard is almost as good, and extremely portable given its lightweight and thin casing. The keyboard is nearly as good as the Asus laptop keyboard for writing, so I compromise nothing with either tablet. When I anticipate a fair Amount of working with Microsoft Office, the tablet is a clear winner. This will surprise a few but my preferred tablet for Office work is the iPad Air. Yes, I can run full Office on the Asus Windows tablet, but the Office for the iPad is so good it is by far my preferred method to use Office. It handles all of the Excel spreadsheets I work with, and Word documents too. Microsoft has done a masterful job with the iPad version, and I love using it.
Fun stuff
That leaves the Kindle Fire HDX 7th I do not have a keyboard for it and do not want one. The display is just too small, and the same for any keyboard sized to fit the tablet. If I can not touch type with ease I will not use it.
Tech Pro Research
BYOD Policy New Tablet Purchase Checklist Microsoft’s latest mobile platforms bring back more business-friendly features Managing the influx of Apple devices into the workplace For that reason the smaller Kindle Fire HDX is my main leisure tablet. I use it for reading ebooks while listening to music, surfing the web and checking social media while out and about. It’s the perfect size for that and fits into pockets when i want to head out without even a tiny gear bag.
For tablet use at home I grab any one of the four. Portability is not a factor when I’m sitting in a comfy chair at home. If I had to estimate, I’d say I grab the bigger Kindle Fire HDX most of the time. That 8.9-inch screen is the perfect size to get a good window into my world while being easy to hold.
What it means
Hopefully, this glimpse into my tablet world will help Those thinking about buying a tablet. If you have a favorite mobile OS, your choice is Easier. If not, the field is wide open as I find the three platforms to be just about even for typical tablet functions.
As for screen size, get the smallest you can comfortably use if you plan to take it on the road. On the other hand, if you plan on just using it at home, get a big one. You’ll appreciate the screen real estate. Enterprises looking to deploy tablets in the office should get the biggest They can. It’s almost certainkind’ll hand out keyboards for them at somepoint, and bigger is better for a lot of office tasks. Do not limit yourself up front, leave the door open for maximum production from workers using the equipment.
Reviews of equipment covered: Kindle Fire HDX 7 – Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and Kindle Fire HDX 7: A visual comparison Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – Why You should buy a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 (review) | Kindle Fire HDX 8.9: Three months in and it still feels right iPad Air – iPad Air: Best tablet ever made Asus Transformer Book T100 – Asus Transformer Book T100: First impressions | Asus Transformer Book T100: One week in Belkin QODE for Kindle Fire 8.9 – Belkin QODE Keyboard Case for Kindle Fire HDX 8.9: Much improved ZAGGkeys Folio – ZAGGkeys Folio: Perfect Keyboard companion for the iPad Air (hands-on ) 
