Computers, Laptops & Tablets

I’ve had my crack at pointing out what I feel are some of the best tablets released in 2014. Now it’s your turn. The Ratings and Comments left by Best Buy customers are a resource that shouldn’t be overlooked when shopping for any product, and I find the feedback is extremely valuable. People think of things or have experiences that I simply don’t encounter during the course of a 1,000 word review and while my time with many review products is measured in days, feedback and ratings can reflect weeks or months spent with new gear. With that intro, here are five of the best tablets being sold today, as rated by Best Buy customers.  

I started seriously looking at the 25.4 cm (10″) Hipstreet Phoenix when one of the youngest family members cracked the screen on the shared family tablet for the second time. The Phoenix cost less than a repair and turned out to be sturdier as well with some terrific features.

I’ve spent several weeks now with HTC’s Nexus 9 tablet. That’s a bit longer than a typical reviews, but with all the hype surrounding this device, I wanted to take the time to really run it through its paces. There are also questions surrounding the Nexus 9, primarily whether its unusual size should be considered a plus or a minus. Again, I wanted to spend time with it before coming to any snap decisions. Read my review to get the full scoop but here’s one spoiler: the Nexus 9 did make my best tablets of 2014 list. 

Looking for a fun tech gift for a child on your list? There are a ton of really cool kid-friendly tablets, plus affordable entry-level models, that are great for kids from aged 3 up to tween and teenage. Check out some of our favourites.

I’ve posted a number of articles about tablets in recent weeks. There’s a reason for that: tablets are one of the most popular and sought-after gifts. I have the opportunity for hands-on time with many of these devices throughout the year and if If I can help someone to make an informed choice between the dozens (of not hundreds) of tablets currently available, I’m happy to do so. I’ve already touched on topics like the best tablet for a specific task or top choices within a price range. This time around, it’s my picks for the best tablets of 2014.

As the go-to person in my large Irish family, I’ve helped young and old pick the technology that works for them. It’s a question of figuring out their likes and dislikes to fine tune what they actually need rather than what they think they want. This approach seems to work as we’ve ended up with a wide range of products that has made everyone happy. Is there a product here that suits your family?    

Now that the tablet market is maturing, pretty much any of the mainstream devices will offer decent performance. So how do manufacturers distinguish their products from all the rest on the shelves? Going Ultra is one of the best ways to stand out. Ultra thin, ultra fast, ultra big —pushing the boundaries gets attention and these Ultra tablets are worth considering if you’re looking for one that stands out in a crowd.

From the Nexus 9 —the first of a new generation of Android Lollipop tablets— to convertible touchscreens, AiO PCs like the 14.7 million pixel 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina Display and designer laptop bags, these are some of the hottest trends in desktop, laptop and tablet computing.

It may be the best mechanical keyboard put out yet, and it’s just landed at Best Buy.  The Razer Blackwidow Chroma takes the popular series of keyboards to the next level, featuring even better durability, more convenience features, and for visual fans – Up to 16 million backlit color combinations. Come check out this next generation keyboard.

Eurocom is a well known manufacturer of high performance gaming laptops. I’ve had the opportunity to test several of the company’s models in the past and they always impress. This time, I have a Eurocom Armadillo, something different. It’s a thin ultra-portable with a touchscreen display and long battery life—something different for a gaming laptop. Read on to see what I thought of the Armadillo.