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The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Lillie-Beth Brinkman columnMar 06, 2012 (The Oklahoman - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- After playing with two Android tablets the past couple of weeks, one of the reasons I would stick with my iPad is that all of my applications from the iTunes App Store are already there. My iTunes music is, too. However, a couple of tablets powered by Google's Android system make good rivals to Apple's devices for those entering the tablet world for the first time. Apple is expected to announce the new iPad 3 on Wednesday, so you have time to check them out before committing. To explore the Android App Market, Verizon loaned me a Motorola Xoom, and AT&T loaned me a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I liked them both. Both the Galaxy and Xoom tablets are fast, have better cameras than the iPad 2, work with videos and websites that use Adobe Flash (which the iPad doesn't) and offer many of the same apps that I like on the iPad. The Galaxy is smaller and lighter than the Xoom and has less glare when you're trying to look at it outside. But the Xoom feels sturdy and offers a micro USB port, and you can expand the memory with an SD card, which the iPad doesn't offer. I enjoyed being able to connect to both AT&T's and Verizon's networks on the go with these tablets; the iPad offers that option, too. If I switched to an Android tablet, among other apps, I would miss Instagram, the photo sharing social media site only available on Apple's operating system, the iOS. Popular utility apps like Dropbox and Splashtop are on the Android market, as are top games like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies. Temple Run, which Get App-y featured last week, is expected to be there any day. Codi Maxwell, a Deer Creek High School sophomore, helped me explore the tablets when she visited The Oklahoman last week. Both Maxwell and I had to use Google to figure out how to get music on the tablets, although the Xoom I borrowed had a music player already installed. The Android tablets don't seem to be as intuitive, but they offer more ways to customize the devices to your taste. I love the iPad, and Apple's products are intuitive and easy to use when you take them out of the box. But the Xoom and the Galaxy are good alternatives. YOUR TURN For more apps and information, go online to blog.NewsOK.com/get-appy. ___ (c)2012 The Oklahoman Visit The Oklahoman at www.newsok.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |