As I wrote before, we have been working hard on developing a mobile app that allows our inspectors to work on a tablet. We got to a point where it works really well on iPad. But we have had to run tests on other types of tablets at the request of a few buying offices that are interested in using our app for their own inspectors.

I guess many people in the industry are planning to go the same route, and I thought a comparison of the 3 big alternatives (iPad, Android, and Windows tablets) would be interesting.

1. iOS tablets

Pros:

• Great hardware. Very stable.
• iPad Mini (8.9’’ display) has a very good size factor. Not too small, not too large.
• Easy to “lock” to a certain extent (by indicating that the user is less than 13) to prevent inspectors from installing many apps that slow the whole device.
• Can open Excel, Word, and Powerpoint files. But advanced macros won’t be executed like on a Windows computer.

Cons:

• No flash, which means photos taken in a dark room are nearly worthless. Fortunately, there are many options for iPad- compatible LED flash accessories.
• The entry-level iPad Mini is cheap, but Apple makes healthy margins for iPads with large memory and 3G capability.
• Many more bugs (especially on the app management side) than I was expecting.
• The “normal” iPad is a bit too large — it is nearly impossible to take a photo with one hand while holding the product in the other hand.

2. Android tablets

Pros:

• Very wide choice or hardware.
• The Samsung Galaxy Tab line of tablets includes great tablets, but the best ones are as expensive as a good iPad or a a good Windows tablet.
• Many tablets have the flash functionality.
• Very attractive pricing on the low end (from 500 RMB).

Cons:

• This “open” OS is forking a lot. Who knows what Android tablets will look like in 5 years??
• The hardware (and especially the battery) are not always reliable on low-end devices.
• Several people told me Android is not great for opening Excel files. I still have to test the free Office viewer options (as offered by Samsung, Microsoft, etc.)

3. Windows tablets

Pros:

• These tablets work pretty much like a Windows laptop so the transition is minimal from the user perspective.
• Many of these devices can be “converted” into a laptop. The keyboard is usually better than most wireless keyboards. This is important if your inspectors have to write a lot.
• Perfect option for opening and even editing Excel, Powerpoint, or Word files.
• The Microsoft Surface line of tablets is excellent.
• There are now cheap Windows tablets on the market — it is nearly competitive with Android tablets sold under the same brands (Acer, Lenovo…).

Cons:

• I looked at all the Windows tablets in stores, and I didn’t see any with flash.
• I feel most Windows tablets are a bit too large (over 10”) — it is nearly impossible to take a photo with one hand.
• I had trouble finding the cheapest Windows tablets in stores.

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What do you think? Any opinion or experience to share?