15 Tablets That Could Rival Apple's iPad

http://www.cio.com/article/589760/Slate_Wars_15_Tablets_That_Could_Rival_Apple_s_iPad?page=5#slideshow

The iPad has captured many hearts and minds, but a fleet of rival tablets led by a separatist Android army is about to attack, armed with HD Flash video, multitouch screens, front-facing cameras, multitasking...even Windows 7. Let's take a look.


HP Slate
It wasn't the Courier tablet that many attendees hoped Steve Ballmer would pull out of his hat at CES in January, but HP's slate PC (don't call it a tablet!) is shaping up as a strong alternative to the iPad.

Fusion Garage JooJoo
The notorious CrunchPad-turned-JooJoo tablet has just started shipping, and—as you can see—the interface has come a long way from where it was when we tested a preproduction model back in December 2009.


Dell Mini 5 (Streak)
Dell is working on a "family of tablets," the first will be its Android tablet--called Mini 5 or Streak. This unit's 5-inch multitouch display is more pocket-friendly than the ones on most upcoming tablets, but it's also larger than the displays on most smartphones (yes, the Mini 5 can make calls).

Lenovo IdeaPad U1
As a laptop, the IdeaPad U1 runs Windows 7 with a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU4100 chip; but pop the screen off, and the machine instantly becomes a multitouch tablet running its own widget-style Linux interface.

Microsoft (MSFT) Courier
One tablet that might match Apple in user interface innovation is the mysteriousMicrosoft Courier, a folding dual-screen device that's more of a pen and touch-controlled digital journal/eReader than a media tablet along the lines of the iPad.

 

Notion Ink Adam

Everything about this tablet screams innovation. Designed in India, the Adam uses a special multitouch-enabled 10.

Netbook Tablets
If you like the idea of flicking through Web pages or e-books by touch, but you don't want to give up your physical keyboard, a netbook equipped with a swiveling screen could be a good compromise choice.

ExoPC Slate
A Windows 7 device with a custom touch interface, an 8.9-inch multitouch screen, netbook-like specs, and Flash support--okay, you have our attention.


Archos 9 PCtablet
On paper, the Archos 9 looks impressive. Specs include a 60GB hard disk, Windows 7, a front-facing Webcam, Flash support, and a price of $549.

ICD Ultra
Innovative Converged Devices' 7-inch Ultra tablet is yet another upcoming pairing ofTegra 2 and Android, but ICD's offering will emphasize affordability. Its features will include 4GB of internal flash memory, HD video playback, and optional 3G.

Axiotron Modbook Pro
Ask Andreas Haas, the former head of Apple's Newton group, what he thinks of the iPad, and he'll tell you that "it's not a tablet; it's an extension of the iPod Touch." His company, Axiotron, is developing theModbook Pro—a touch-enabled version of the pen-based, professionally finished Mac tablets that the business creates by converting MacBook laptops.  

MSI Tegra 2 Tablet
MSI is best known for netbooks these days, so it's no surprise that the company plans to produce an as-yet-unnamed tablet. The prototype Android "mPad" shown at CES had a 10-inch touchscreen, a Tegra 2 processor, HD Flash support, and an HDMI output. The finished tablet will probably cost around $500 and may arrive later this year.

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Asus Eee Pad
This Tegra 2 tablet snapped at nVidia's CES booth isn't the sexiest prototype we've ever seen, but Asus has promised to launch a "killer product" in June.

Camangi WebStation
Why would a tablet released relatively recently suddenly become 32 percent cheaper? Bad reviews: Complaints of slow performance, video playback issues, and sluggish single-touch response seem to have tarnished early hopes for the WebStation, a 7-inch Android 1.5 device designed primarily to run Web apps.

Freescale Smartbook Tablet Reference Design
Freescale makes the chips that most e-book readers (including the Kindle) use, its upcoming i.MX508 processor could revolutionize eReaders. The company also envisions low-cost $200 tablet PCs, and has created this reference design for PC makers. The outline uses Freescale's ARM-based i.MX51 chip, and includes a 7-inch tablet that can be docked with a keyboard base similar to Lenovo's IdeaPad U1.

Apple iPad
What more is there to say? The iPad is apleasure to use (despite some missing features and other faults), it hit stores on April 3, and Apple's iBooks pricing may match Amazon's.