Tablet Showdown

This year shapes high as the year of the tablet–for literal, this prison term–As the hugely pop, imposingly lissom Apple iPad 2 competes with an array of challengers, well-nig of them running Android.

For this article, I test-drove ten tablets: the Acer Iconia Check A500, the Orchard apple tree iPad 2, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101, the Dingle Streak 7, the HTC Flyer, the Motorola Xoom, the Flange BlackBerry PlayBook, the Samsung 7-inch Coltsfoot Pill Wi-Fi, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the T-Mobile G-Slate.

Most use Google's Android 3.x Honeycomb OS; but the Streak 7 and the 7-column inch Galaxy Tab rely on Android 2.2, and the Flyer uses Android 2.3. Apple and Lip each have their own proprietary mechanised OSs. Allay more slates are on the way: Android 3.1 tablets from Lenovo and Toshiba, and HP's WebOS-based TouchPad, did not ship in time for United States to include them therein roundup.

For creating content, Android Honeycomb models–especially those equipped with memory card slots for expanding storage, and USB ports for adding peripherals and USB mass storage–are very strong. For consuming content, including apps, Apple's iOS platform clay king, with 90,000 tablet-optimized apps up to now.

Top 5 Tablets (chart).

None of the tablets I auditioned hit every mark. Overall, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the iPad 2 received matching four-star ratings. For right away, the iPad 2 retains a lean run, thanks to its showing's to a greater extent-natural colors and its vast selection of reasonably rich-to-find tablet-specific apps. Several other units offer incomparable features: The Eee Pad Transformer has a keyboard dock that transforms the tablet into a netbook; the Xoom supports a software upgrade to 4G LTE; the G-Slate captures 3D telecasting; and the Iconia has a full-size USB A larboard. But every four stumbled on display quality–and chiefly for that reason, the Iconia misses our Top 5 name (see the chart at left hand) altogether.

Orchard apple tree iPad 2

With a slimmer profile and less heft than the first iPad, the iPad 2 is an biological process upgrade. The iPad 2 comes in 36 variants with antithetical capacities (16GB, 32GB, or 64GB), bezel colours (black or clean), and Wisconsin-Fi-only and 3G (AT&T surgery Verizon) versions. Prices start at $499, and pass over by $100 for from each one increment in capacity; mobile wideband costs $130 unnecessary.

At 0.34 inch deep, it's one of the thinnest tablets available. Tapered edges defecate its profile appear even more svelte, and it's unchaste to hold. Weighing 1.33 pounds, the Wi-Fi version is the second-lightest 10-inch tablet (to the Galaxy Tab 10.1).

The iPad 2's bright 9.7-inch CRT screen produces counterbalanced, accurate colors, but its 1024-by-768-pixel presentation could glucinium even sharper.

The iPad 2's simple interface is superb, and its vast array of apps tailored for pad of paper practice helps information technology remain at the top of our rankings.

Samsung Galax urceolata Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi

The Samsung Galaxy Tab key 10.1 Wi-Fi is the prime Android tablet to setting an effective challenge to Apple's iPad 2 in the area where Apple does best: excogitation. The Check 10.1 parlays its DEcommunicatory and its Android 3.1 OS into a tablet that vaults to the head of the Android camp. The Tab comes in two colors (White River or gray) and two Californiapacities (16GB for $499 or 32GB for $599); a Verizon 4G LTE version should arrive by the time you read this.

The Yellow journalism 10.1 is 0.34 column inch heavyset–nominally the same as the iPad 2, but really 0.2mm thinner. It weighs 1.25 pounds, 0.8 pound less than the iPad 2. The Lozenge 10.1 also feels very well poised, making it comfortable to hold back one hand operating theater two.

The forward Honeycomb tablet to embark with Android 3.1 installed, the Tab 10.1 benefits from all of 3.1's enhancements (better image rendering, resizable widgets, some interface tweaks, and greater stability among them). Samsung also includes Google's Android Movie Maker and Quickoffice with the tablet, but surprisingly Adobe Flash is not preinstalled.

Like unusual Android tablets in our Top 5, the Tab 10.1 is an Nvidia Tegra 2 organization, with a dual-core 1GHz CPU and 1GB of retention. Sadly, you father no ports on-board on the far side the docking porthole; instead, you essential buy $30 dongles to add HDMI, USB, or SD Card functionality.

Asus Eee Launch area Transformer TF101

Lozenge or netbook? The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 locks into the Mobile Tying up Base to make up a clamshell setup with a stamp battery, an SD Card slot, and 2 USB ports. Photograph by Robert Cardin.

At $399 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model (or $499 for a 32GB Wisconsin-Fi model), the Transformer is the least high-ticket Android 3.0 pad of paper yet. Asus's unique $149 Mogall Docking Base option turns the tablet into a keyboard-equipped laptop.

The Transformer's 10.1-inch display dominates its front face, while an array of buttons, ports, and slots are distributed along the edges.

It weighs 1.5 pounds. Measuring 10.7 by 6.9 by 0.5 inches, the Transformer is 1.2 inches longer than the Orchard apple tree iPad 2, a second of spare length that allows the Transformer to join to the Mobile Docking Station and create a clamshell laptop.

The snap-on docking station approach is a design takeover: It provides unmatched convenience and portability. Even meliorate, the 1.41-pound Mobile Tying up Station adds an spear carrier battery, a keyboard that's 92 percent of full size, a touchpad, two USB 2.0 ports, and an SD Card slot.

The Transformer has the Lapp Tegra 2-founded guts as other Android tablets here. It ships with Android 3.0.1, but has an all over-the-air upclass to 3.1. Asus tweaked the homegrown Honeycomb port in minor but receive ways (better leftmost-nav softkeys! custom keyboard with bright, clear-cut letters and a number quarrel!) and provided file cabinet-management customization for handling USB media. Flash isn't preinstalled, only you'll find a link that points to the app in Humanoid Market.

I didn't like the noticeable flex of the textured plastic back or the arcminute gaps between the metal frame and the fret-imperviable Corning Gorilla gorilla Crank screen. But the embrasure and button locations are well dead. Connected circuit board you'll find a Mini HDMI port and a MicroSDHC card slot.

The IPS display looked great in most situations, with a wide view angle, but our examine photos' colors appeared way polish off. Still, if you plan to use your lozenge mainly for productivity, the Mobile Docking Station makes the Transformer a fine choice.

Motorola Xoom WI-Fi

The prime Android Honeycomb tablet to establish, the Xoom ($599 for the Wi-Fi version or $800 with a Verizon press) has held its own against later models, staying in the desegregate. Verizon hasn't announced pricing for its LTE promote, but at least it is upgradable if you purchase the Verizon interpretation. Still to come: support for the MicroSDHC slot.

With the Android 3.1 awakeengagement, the Xoom delivers consistently better-looking images, though colors tend a tad toward blue. You'll have to install Flash on your own, though. The Xoom runs on the very Nvidia Tegra 2 platform as the other Android tablets here. At 1.6 pounds, it's the heaviest model in our Top side 5, also hefty for comfortable one-handed use.

The Xoom is optimized for landscape function. The power button is at back (alongside the 5-megapixel camera); along the bottom are Micro-USB and Miniskirt HDMI ports.

T-Mobile G-Slate

T-Mobile's 8.9-inch-bias G-Slate splits the difference between netbook-size of it slates and the tablet models that palpate like oversize phones. The G-Ticket's big differentiator atomic number 4sides its size is that it has pai cameras for 3D video seize.

The G-Slate's dimensions are modest (9.6 past 5.9 by 0.5 inches), til now IT provides a pleasing sum of money of screen real number estate. The contoured sides make holding the tablet easy, but it mat up thicker and heavier (at 1.37 pounds) than I would have likeable.

Two speakers line the bottom edge (when the tablet is vertical), and one is at the opposite edge, next to the small world power button. So disregarding how you hold the G-Slate, you'll get stereophonic system audio. The volume rocker sits at the right side (or top edge) of the tab. Regrettably, the speakers' volume is woefully deficient.

Sad to allege, the G-Slate lacks a memory card slot for extra depot, and Adobe Trice is non preinstalled (though a data link is on tap).

Two 5-megapixel cameras at the second are double-spaced for recording 720p high-def video in 3D, which you keister play back on the display. T-Mobile tosses in a pair of anaglyph glasses for viewing. In my workforce-on informal testing, the 3D recording worked healed if I filmed my subjects head-on. If you're not recording in 3D, the camcorder captures in 1080p.

The G-Slate ($530 after Rabate and with a two-class T-Mobile contract; $750 sans contract) has appealinging features, but it's worth the investment funds alone if you're willing to lock into a contract.