Tablets are on everyone’s menu these days. They are handy for basic tasks, but you need to be discriminating. The cheap ones are slow and croak fast.

I’m a big iPad fan because they have the most apps and a long history of solid hardware technology. I just got the latest iPad Pro, and I am impressed with face recognition and integration of iPhone and iPad. For example, if I hit a new Wi-Fi network and connect to it on either device, it will ask if I want to share the connection with my other device.

I also like the Android platform, which is moving ahead of Apple in technology in some ways. (The fingerprint security advances are first-rate.)

One of the better tablets my co-writer Rob Kay and I looked at is the MediaPad MS 5 8.4 from Hauwei. Huawei has surpassed Apple as the world’s second-largest smartphone maker and is in the news a lot but not for reasons that make its management happy. If you focus just on their MediaPad, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

It offers a compelling blend of speed, display and features for $320 (on Amazon). Resolution is better than the iPad, and with 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 GB of storage, it can manage just about any app.

There are a lot of things to like. It will download attachments at the bat of an eye, battery life is exceptional, and it will fast-charge. Speakers are surprisingly powerful for this small device, and the fingerprint sensor works like a charm. Tech support was good both on chat and on the phone. If you’re looking for something in the 8-inch department, this is tough to beat.

If you want something larger you may consider the Samsung 10.5 Tab A. This is a midrange model (priced around $327 on Amazon) with 3 gigs of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which is still plenty for most people.

For personal or business, it had more than enough performance for apps, such as Facebook, YouTube, email, etc. If you need more storage, you can add up to a 400GB SD card and have more room (at a lower cost) than the iPad.

One of the things we liked best was its ‘Quad’ speaker system. You can play YouTube music videos with plenty of volume. Like the Huawei it’s got a USB C port and a fast-charging feature. The battery life is a big plus; it lasts two days with normal use.

The big tablets are a bit stodgy when it comes to taking photos, but this model’s camera is quite good with a pleasing color saturation.

Security is good too. No fingerprint sensor on this but it has facial recognition which worked well (except if you wear a cap!). I don’t recommend dropping it but if you do, it has been designed to be forgiving. The back of the device has a rubbery material that won’t crack.

With its big screen, the Tab A is ideal for watching movies or reading the paper. If you want/need a tablet with a big screen that’s not going to break the bank, this is a contender. There are similar Tab A Samsung models at Costco if you want to give one a test ride.

Mike Meyer is chief information officer for Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu.