Trying out a new Tablet (come on, you know you want to see it)
I don’t think anyone is in any doubt that top of a lot of people’s wish list for Christmas this year is a tablet. I admit it – I’ve resisted a very long time; I’m home in front of my iMac all day every day, I have a Blackberry – seriously, why on earth do I need a tablet?
But… I’m kind of seeing how handy it would be to have one. And I *may* have added one to my own list this year. I think my (husband’s – it’s a gift after all) money would be on the new one from Sony, the Xperia™ Tablet
So – why do I want one? And why this one in particular? Well. Settle back and let me tell you…
First off, it’s stylish but intuitive to use – one of my biggest bug bears is something that looks pretty but is just annoying when it comes to sheer practicality. It’s splash-proof too. Always handy when you want to prop it up with a recipe to use in the kitchen!
Secondly, I love the fact that I can create log in profiles, just like a PC. In a big family, it’s unrealistic to expect the tablet will not be picked up and used by everyone at some point – Sony’s unique ‘Guest Mode’ actively allows you to share your Tablet with friends and family. Create one for each of the kids, and then switch between user profiles in a couple of taps. You are the ‘owner’, so you remain in control of which apps and widgets other users have access to.
Also, I want to be able to show aged parents our holiday photos and videos on our main TV. Currently I do this via Apple TV but this can be slow with an unreliable wireless connection. With the Xperia™ Tablet I can simply ‘throw’ the images at the TV. The Xperia™ uses Sony’s WALKMAN, ALBUM and VIDEO apps to manage your music, photos and videos (also fully integrated with Facebook, so can compile a list of your friends’ “liked” songs and images)
With the “Throw” function, you can then enjoy your music, movies or photos on your DLNA® compatible PC, TV or speakers3.
Another feature which I didn’t think it was necessary until I couldn’t watch Boardwalk Empire because the remote control had gone walkabout AGAIN is the universal control. You can control every Infra-Red device in your living room, and even make life easier still by creating personalized shortcuts like “Watch TV” or “Play Music”.
Lastly, it’s a great e-reader. Tap the screen, go to the Reader Store and choose from over 2.4 million novels, non-fiction books, comics and magazines – or browse and download from over two million free public domain titles at Google Books.
Honest – it’s so good that it easily rivals certain other tablets on the market. Go see the whizz-bang Xperia™ Tablet site it sits on right here and check it out for yourself.
The new Xperia™ Tablet from Sony is available in stores now.
