If you have been thinking about buying a tablet but did not know which one to buy this year may be the time to do it. There are some good tablets out at the moment but some potential game changers on the way. The current front runners are Apple's iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the following tablets are certainly even more impressive in many ways.
The iPad 2
The iPad is a great device but has several major drawbacks. Firstly you cannot multi task; it does not have a front camera and there are no USB ports. With these obvious weaknesses the iPad 2 is sure to be launched soon in order to compete with more functional competitors.
Expected features in the next version include front and rear cameras for FaceTime, which is Apple's version of video calling. Gamers will be pleased to hear a three axis gyroscope is expected to be used, which will allow for more interactive game controls. USB and micro SD ports are rumoured to be making an appearance this will make for better compatibility with other devices.
Also the next version is expected to be thinner, contain a more powerful processor and greater amount of memory, which will make the tablet faster and enable multi-taking. The iPad 2 is expected in spring of 2011 and long cues of Apple fans are guaranteed.
Motorola Xoom
The Motorola Xoom is the first tablet with a Dual-Core processor and the much anticipated Android 3.0 Honeycomb Google software. It features a 1GB internal RAM, multi tasking, front and rear cameras, a camcorder and Adobe Flash Player all on a 10.1 inch widescreen HD display. It can capture 720p Hi-def video and play it back via HDMI.
It also contains a Mini-HDMI and micro-USB port and a micro SD slot for better device compatibility and adding more memory storage. But according to some sources it will not be enabled until a future software update. The Motorola Xoom is expected to be launched in late February 2011.
BlackBerry PlayBook
The BlackBerry PlayBook's has some impressive specs and could be a real contender for the tablet throne. It runs a powerful 1GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB of RAM for ultra fast multi tasking. However, one thing which may count against the device is its 7 inch screen, which is much smaller than many of its competitors.
This tablet features a 3MP front-facing, a 5MP rear-facing camera with full HD 1080p LCD display which can output video via mini-HDMI. The tablet is set to be launched by the end of March in 2011 and will be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions and provides a mini-USB port. This particular tablet only weighs 400g and is 0.4 inches thick.
It seems a whole host of new tablets are available or are becoming available throughout 2011. Making the right decision will mostly be down to personal taste, network tariffs and device price. Naturally the iPad 2 will gain the most attention, but there is always room for innovation and maybe a tablet will come out to dethrone the iPad in 2011.
