Tablets are all the rage today, but which one is perfect for your business? Tablets are now used by many small business owners and professionals for accessing emails, presentations, note-taking, online research, budgeting, and other business tasks. Selecting a tablet PC for your business can be quite challenging. After all, this mobile device is still an investment that will need to come up with the goods in the long run. In the end, your choice of tablet PC will significantly depend on the tasks you expect it to perform, and where exactly you plan to use it. Here are a few tips on how you can choose the right tablet PC, and get the most of your investment.

Operating System

Today’s tablet OS war has two major players, namely Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Slowly coming into the mix are Windows 7 tablets, although they haven’t been really successful for various reasons. For efficient tablet use, most experts recommend devices sporting the iOS or Android platform as they provide easy access to the respective application marketplaces.

Keyboard, Stylus, and Mouse

If you have to drag mouse and keyboard around with you, this begs the question, ‘why not just get a laptop’? If your business or work calls for a lot of typing, it is very possible that you will have to purchase a keyboard for your tablet PC. The idea of using peripherals with your tablet isn’t as absurd as you think. These tools will make some tasks easier, and you can still use the touch-screen when the keyboard is not in use. The new Windows tablet offer USB ports, and Bluetooth functionality, compatible with the majority of mice or keyboards sold in the market. There are a few Android tablets that already have USB ports, but most, in addition to the iPad, rely on Bluetooth for connecting to peripheral devices. The Lenovo ThinkPad tablet, EeePad Transformer, and Asus EeePad Transformer TF101 feature cursor and keyboard controls in case the USB dock or port is in use.

Digital Pens

Most tablet PCs feature a capacitive screen that senses input from conductive materials, like a living finger. These touch-screens work flawlessly with your fingers and even a stylus. But for serious photo editing and note-taking activities, you may need to look for a special pen and tab combo. Many of the business-focused Windows and Android slates come with an efficient digitizer technology that features an electronic pen and a capacitive touch-screen. This active digitizer enables you to lay a hand on the screen without blocking the pen’s input, and increases pressure sensitivity and accuracy. There are tablets that also come with exclusive note-taking apps, such as the MyScript Notes for Lenovo’s ThinkPad, and Notes found on HTC devices.

Connectivity and Ports

When you buy a laptop, it is important to choose one with both Wi-Fi and broadband capabilities. If you are purchasing a tablet PC with a mobile broadband plans, it would be wise to stick with 4G services, so that you can enjoy the best possible speeds. Only you can assess whether you need a broadband connection, but keep in mind that most tablets with this capability are more expensive. If you are planning to use external devices (mouse, keyboards, etc.), make sure you find a tablet that has Bluetooth, USB, or HDMI ports.

Storage and Security

The majority of tablets don’t have removable storage options, so capacity can be an issue. Word processing documents, emails, apps, presentations, and spreadsheets don’t take up much space. But if your business or line of work deals with a lot of video, you might want to buy a high capacity (64GB memory) tablet or find a device with a micro SD card slot.

Data encryption and security are major concerns for business professionals. For some organizations, the lack of security will remove many tablets from consideration. Windows 7, iOS, and Android do provide users with a means of creating VPN connections, which means easy accessto your company network anywhere in the world. Lenovo has gone an extra mile with security in its IdeaPad tablet PC, offering Good Technologies software, secure email, and a Cisco VPN, as well as allowing you to encrypt data on a removable storage device.

A tablet PC can meet many of your business needs, but the wrong choice could compromise quality of work, or how you do your job. If you are using an application that requires a Window platform, you mustchoose a Windows tablet. There is no way around it. However, if you don’t have these constraints, Android and iPad tablets offer an exciting range of finger- and user-friendly options.