The ideal slate tablet for a doctor or medical student: accounting for the white coat pocket

There's no doubt that the Apple iPad is a very popular slate tablet among medical professionals. Close behind, the wide variety of Android-powered slates are gaining momentum quickly. Part of the reason is that the Android tablets come in different sizes (7" and 10") whereas the iPad only comes as a 10" slate. That's fine if you want a large device, but if you're looking for something will easily slip into the pocket of your white coat, then a 7" tablet could be a better fit for your needs.

I've had the pleasure to test both the HTC EVO View 4G from Sprint and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 (not to be confused with the 10" model called the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1). Samsung also has a model called the Galaxy Tab 8.9 (I'm not sure why they're making so many different models). The bottom line is that these 7" tablets will fit very easily in your white coat pocket.

So, for busy medical students and physicians who are looking for a slate that is highly portable, a 7" tablet powered by Android could be a good way to go. Personally, I like having both an Android device (my smartphone) and an iOS device like the iPad. This lets me test a variety of apps on either OS. I admit that I don't use my iPad as often as I once did, but that's because I sit in front of a computer all day.

You'll probably find me using a 7" slate tablet pretty soon. I really like the HTC EVO View 4G from Sprint, so I may just end up getting one to supplement my HTC ThunderBolt 4G smartphone. Then again, Samsung and LG have some new slate tablets that will be arriving this fall, so maybe I'll wait.

Are you looking for a portable tablet that you can easily carry in your white coat pocket? Try taking your coat to a Sprint store and see how these 7" devices feel. Now, if Apple came out with a 7" device, then we may have to re-evaluate this whole issue.