How to buy the best tablet PC

Apple changed the computing game with its iPad. What is it about the tablet that makes otherwise mature men grab it like it was sweet candy?

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos

APPLE IPAD 2
Price: Rs 36,900

Specs: 9.7-inch LED 1024x768 display with IPS; 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 CPU; iOS 5.0; 16 GB storage; Fingerprint-resistant, oleophobic coating on capacitive screen; 720p reamera; VGA front camera; 3G, WiFi,Bluetooth, A-GPS, 613 gm.

VERDICT: Love it or loathe it (yes, some do), the iPad remains the king of the range-in performance, popularity and purposefulness. Others may have outclassed it on the hardware front, but the refinement and usability of the complete iPad complete package-device, operating system and vast applications catalogue-make it stand out above the others. Of course, all this comes at price!

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 750
Price: Rs 36,200

SPECS: 10.1-inch WXGA 1280x800 TFT; 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 dual core processor; 16GB memory, 1GB RAM; Android 3.1 Honeycomb OS; 3MP autofocus rear camera with LED Flash, 2MP front; Stereo speakers; Flash support, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS; 565 gm weight.

VERDICT: The closest to size zero you can get at this point in time. It is both speedy and slick. For us the real fight is deciding between whether you want a lighter slate or a more solid and heftier one. Bear in mind that Samsung is a nimble and surefooted company with an ear to the ground and sensitive to the market demands. As with the other Android tablet, Honeycomb is a bitter-sweet pill so far. And take it or leave it, it is part of this bundle. Be that as it may, if are planning to go Android, keep this one on your radar-you have to.

ACER ICONIA TAB A501
Price: Rs 33,900

SPECS: 10.1-inch 800x1280 LCD capacitive touchscreen; Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor; 1GB DDR2 RAM; Android 3.1; OSULP GeForce GPU; 16/32GB memory, microSD slot; 5MP main camera, 2MP front camera, WiFi, Bluetooth; GPS; 730gm weight.

VERDICT: Hmmmm... we have a bit of a mixed bag here. On the one hand, the wide-screen 16:10 (that's right, not 16:9) aspect ratio of the screen, the crisp image quality and the graphics prowess of the Iconica will gratify the video buff. On the other, the Iconia's very average visual output may cause finicky fuss-pots to frown. Of course, mere mortals may not even notice the difference. More so if you are not going to hold it against it price-wise-the Iconia has shaved a couple of grands off the price tag making it a mite more attractive. If you're in the running for a big screen tab but need to penny-pinch, you may want to pick this one up.

HTC FLYER
Price: Rs 35,990

SPECS: 7-inch display, 1.5 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, microSD slot; Android 2.3.3 OS; 5 MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera; 720p HD video recording; 3.5 mm stereo audio jack; Ambient light sensor; G-sensor, compass; 420 gm weight.

Verdict: While it scores the top slot among the smaller tabs that we looked at, value for money is certainly not something that the Flyer can boast about. So if you have a penchant for smaller, 7-inch form factor, can find good use for the stylus whether drawing or note-taking- and of course a big wad of spare cash-go for this.

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK
Price: Rs 27,000

SPECS: 7-inch 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD with 4-finger multi-touch; 1GHz Cortex A9 dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 16-34 GB storage; BlackBerry Tablet OS; 5MP rear, 3MP front cameras; 1080p HD video; WiFi, micro-HDMI port, microUSB; 400 gm.

Verdict: The hardware works nimbly with nary a blip. The interface is tight and tidy. Breadth of apps aside, the overall app quality and experience is yet to mature enough to lure you away from the competition. Unless you're to BlackBerry enterprise manor born-or a hardcore BlackBerry user-you will have to give this one a rethink for the time being.

MOTOROLA XOOM 3G
Price: Rs 35,590

SPECS: 10.1-inch WXGA 1280x 800 capacitive touchscreen; 1GHz cual core processor, 16/32/64GB memory, microSD card slot; 5MP rear, 2MP front cameras; HD 720p video; GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth; 3.5mm audio jack; Ambient light sensor, barometer, gyroscope; 730 gm weight.

VERDICT: In all this din surrounding Android tablets, the Xoom hasn't really met the success it deserves. The tablet is fast, it's powerful and it's impressive. A mite too hunky? Maybe. But some people like it that way. Even though it may score top marks on the hardware front, we won't rate it over the iPad when it comes to the overall tablet experience. That though that's more to do with the OS and the whole Android ecosystem-the slate itself is not to blame. So if you are looking for a large screen Android tablet, the Xoom is worth serious consideration.

CREATIVE ZIIO
Price: Rs 16,899

SPECS: 7-inch, 480x800 resistive touchscreen; Creative ZiiLABS ZMS-08 processor, 512MB RAM, 8/16GB memory, microSD card slot; Front camera; Stereo speakers; HDMI, microUSB.

VERDICT: Launched over a year ago, the Ziio is a device that is quite past its prime. Apart from a good, sturdy body and superior build, there is little that it offers that exalts it enough to be recommended. It is also tough to ignore the fact that the price of the device-though ranging from $200-230 in the US-is set a little too high in India. Too much for too little.

RELIANCE 3G TABLET
Price: Rs 13,000

SPECS: 7-inch 800x480 LCD capacitive touchscreen; 512MB RAM, 4GB memory, microSD card slot; Android 2.3 OS; 2MP front, VGA rear cameras; WiFi, Bluetooth; Mobile TV; micro-USB; 389 gm weight.

VERDICT: The Reliance 3G tablet costs 13K but doesn't really look it. So, as value for money goes, this one is hard to beat. For most people, what it offers in terms of functionality is more than adequate. In Delhi and NCR, the Reliance 3G network delivers faster performance than the much-touted MTNL Dolphin 3G does. The bundled rental data plan discounts are attractive.