We are still early in 2015 but there are tablets out there that will mark this year, that's for sure. Here are five of them, from the "display king" to MS-productivity devices.
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The Apple iPad Air 2 has an improved A8X processor, better cameras, an thinner and lighter design with an anti-reflective screen,. There is also a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and its storage options go up to 64 or 128GB. The iPad is clean, with solid metal and glass design, and it is easy to hold. Thanks to its new processor it is very fast, the fastest iOS device so far, and it's suitable for a range of apps. The back camera is improved so all your needs are most probably covered with this tablet.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S has a stunningly good display. The Tab S is an ultra-thin device with lightweight design and poweful hardware, but when it comes to the picture, all other devices are left in the dark. It comes with Android 4.4 and - surprise! - Samsung's TouchWiz UI which is better than in the old days but still something we'd like to avoid if possible. It comes with well-chosen software like Paper Garden, Milk Music, and SideSync, an app for syncing Galaxy S5 on the screen of the Tab S.
If you want a tablet in the corporate enivronment when the productivity is the king, Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is a very good choice. It is thinner and lighter than the previous two versions, and it comes with a large 12-inch display and high screen resolution. With powerful Core i-series processors and lot of SSD memory paired with all classic office applications, it is a very robust work-oriented tablet. Surface Pro 3 is not the replacement for a god laptop - yet. But, it is on a very good path to become that.
If you are in Asia, just to let you know that Xiaomi launched the first tablet from its Mi Pad tablet series in India. Redmi 2 has 4.7 inches display with quad-core 64 bit Snapdragon 410 processor and 4G Dual SIM (dual SIM is a very popular option in India). It also has 8 megapixel rear and 2 MP front camera. It is only Wi-Fi compatible but since Wi-Fi networks are growing in number we don't see that as something that should wory you. This is a very interesting device with enough power for different apps.
Lenovo of China jumped on the Microsoft board with one of its products. The ideapad MIIX 300 offers the extreme portability of an 8-in tablet with the familiarity of Windows 8.1 along with Microsoft Office applications for productivity with one year subscription included. The tablet's premium IPS WUXGA screen makes it an ideal platform for getting work done, like emailing, video conferencing and showing digital content, while also making more fun tasks such as watching a movie or online video more enjoyable. ■
A clipper system will move quickly across the northern Plains into the Midwest Friday and the Northeast by Saturday, bringing a wintry mix of rain and snow showers ahead of a sweeping cold front.
