It’s one of the two questions we probably get asked more than just about anything else when customers call us to order a copy of Tablets One Step at a Time.
It’s when the customer hasn’t got a tablet yet (or is after a new one) – and they ask: “What tablet should I buy?”
It’s hard to answer – we can’t just say “This one” because so much depends on what you prefer. What’s right for one person isn’t right for others.
So although I’d love to just tell you the answer now, I can’t – unless I say “It depends”, which isn’t much help!
But one particular thing people ask is “What size should I get: 7 inch or 10 inch?”
Well, I still can’t just tell you. But I can tell you why you might choose each size… what each size is good for, at least in my opinion.
If you want a tablet you can easily carry in a handbag, then a 7 inch is probably best. But a 10 inch isn’t too bad for carrying when you’re out and about as long as it’s not something you carry all the time.
Both are OK for general browsing the web and handling emails or Facebook… and both can be good for video phone calls. In fact the smaller one can actually be better for video phone calls because it’s lighter and easier to hold up without getting a cramp in your hand.
For reading ebooks, I’d prefer the smaller one – again, it’s easier to hold up, but the page size actually works better, too.
But if you like to read magazines on the tablet, the bigger, 10 inch one is definitely better. On a 7 inch one you’ll find the writing is a bit too small in most magazines so you have to zoom in all the time. You can do it, but it’s a little bit more of a fiddle.
If you like to watch TV on the tablet (I’ve been known to settle in bed on a cold winter night with the tablet and an episode of Father Brown…) then the bigger one is better. The smaller one will do the job, but the screen is just a bit small to see everything as well.
And if you do much writing on one, beyond the odd email or Facebook update, then the bigger one is much easier to type on. (Though if you do much typing you might want a separate keyboard that either plugs in or uses Bluetooth to connect.)
As for games, it depends what type of game – simple puzzles often work fine on either size but if you like action games then the bigger screen is probably a bit better, but not essential.
Obviously it doesn’t make much difference for listening to music… though if you’re carrying it about to listen to music, the smaller one is easier to fit into a pocket.
So there you go… those are the things I’d think about before you decide. I’d suggest going through all those things and deciding whether you’d use it for that and then see which size comes out on top.
If you already have a tablet, then don’t worry. Whichever size it is, it can still do all these things. It’s just about deciding which is more convenient.
(Oh, and the other question we get a lot is “Isn’t it nice that I get to talk to a real person rather than having to press 1 for this or 3 for that?”…)