Must-have Tablets of 2011

Every year brings its own happy experiences with gizmos. 2011 promises exciting technologies. The tablet is one.

WHAT ARE TABLETS?
It's not as if tablets are a new phenomenon. The earlier tablets were PCs with 180 degree rotating touch screens. The latest avatars threw the physical keyboards into the recycle bin, hid the rest of the machinery behind the screen and took on coquettish forms.

WHY A TABLET?
Because the tablet is the future. A tablet can compute, can be used to browse the Web, can double up as your PMP, constitute your 3G connectivity and do much more. Yes, much more.

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos

OLIVEPAD V-T100 (Rs 24,000)

Specs: 7-inch touchscreen; 600 MHz ARM11 processor; 3 MP camera; 16 GB MicroSD card; GSM; 850/900/1800/1900 bands; 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; 11.5 mm thin; 410 gm

Verdict: Well, you couldn't ask for a better product at this price. That's why it remains on the top rungs.

VIEWSONIC VIEWPAD 10 (Rs 38,000)

Specs: 10-inch capacitative HD display; Intel 1.66 GHz Atom processor; 1 GB RAM, 16 GB memory; Expansion slot; 1.3 MP webcam; 2 USB port; Windows 7 and Android OS; 835 gm

Verdict: Must grab tablet for business users. Offers the rare combination of beauty and brains-packs in lots of features in a small and light shell. Price could have been lower, but if it works efficiently, why crib?

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos

DELL STREAK (Rs 35,000)

Specs: 5-inch touch screen, 800 x 480 pixels resolution;1 GHz ARM processor, Android OS; 0.4-inch slim; 16 GB memory card; 5 MP camera; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Verdicts: It comes with a superior Dell warranty, which takes care of all the after sales worry. A good device for folks who want tablet functions in a small form factor.

LACS MAGNUM LA127 (Rs 16,990)

Specs: 4.3-inch touchscreen; 500 MHz processor; 128 MB memory; Mono speaker; Bluetooth, USB 2.0; microSD card slot; 1450 mAh battery; 196 gm

Verdict: The price might seem a little high. However, LACS is going to upgrade to the Android OS. For existing users, the upgrade would come for free.

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB (Rs 38,000)

Specs: 7-inch touchscreen; 1 GHz Cortex processor; 16 GB internal memory; MicroSD slot; 3 MP camera; Wi-Fi, 3G; 4000 mAh battery

Verdict: Samsung has sculpted this to perfection. Period. This tablet is great for entertainment and business use. Who knows you might even see it in the hands of one of the TV show anchors. Oh wait, a popular TV show host does use this tablet on his show even as he asks celebrities all sorts of wicked questions.

WESPRO EPAD (Rs 7,999)

Specs: 7-inch screen; 400 MHz processor; Android operating system; Wi-Fi, Card Slot; 420 gm

Verdict: This could at best be your first tablet, before you lay your hands on the big boys.

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos

VIEWSONIC VIEWPAD 7 (Rs 32,000)

Specs: 7-inch display; 600 MHz ARM11 processor; 512 MB internal memory; expandable up to 32 GB; 3 MP back camera, 0.3MP front camera; Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G

Verdict: It has all you look for in a tablet but at a price of Rs 32,000, you would feel cheated. The OlivePad offers everything this one does for much less. Now if only it had dual boot option or a better camera or more in-built memory...

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos