Best Tablets

Apple's New iPad may not have been a hugely radical change but the updates to it certainly retain the leading design that has defined the tablet market. The big new feature for this third generation is the retina screen that has an amazing 2048x1536 resolution and the best color out of any tablet on the market. In addition to this, they have improved the rear camera to five megapixels with greatly improved quality. The size and weight of the tablet did increase because of the need for a larger battery to support the improved screen. Thankfully, the battery life is still one of the best available. Pricing starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. If you would rather not go with an Apple branded tablet, then the ASUS Transformer Prime offers a new quad core processor, Android 4.0 operating system, 32GB of storage and just as long battery life with the potential for more from its optional keyboard dock at the same $500 price tag.

With a very reasonable $250 price tag, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is a new direction for the company of offering a solid set of features for a good price. This 7-inch tablet is more compact than the 10-inch tablets but offers some surprisingly strong performance and the new Android 4.0 operating system. Unlike many other low cost tablets, Samsung did not remove cameras or the GPS functionality which. Instead, it offers a reduced quality display compared to other Galaxy models and has just 8GB of storage space. Thankfully, there is a microSD slot for adding extra storage. Now, if you are looking for something a bit more affordable and don't need things like cameras, then the Amazon Kindle Fire is just $200. It also has many added benefits when combined with the Amazon Prime subscription for video and books.

For the base tablet, the ASUS Transformer Prime offers roughly the same rough running time of the Apple New iPad at just over ten hours of video playback. What sets the Transformer Prime apart is the optional keyboard dock with its extra battery pack. This extends the video playback time roughly another six hours but does add considerable bulk to the tablet. In terms of features, the $500 tablet does offer a quad core processor, Android 4.0 software, eight megapixel camera, metallic body and a very thin profile. There is one big issue with the GPS and Wi-Fi range being limited on it that the company has issued a hardware fix. If you want similar running times but want a save a few dollars, then the Acer Iconia Tab A510 also runs for over ten hours with video playback but costs just $450.

If you are looking for the smallest overall tablet on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 just edges out the various 7-inch tablets .41-inch thick, it is definitely thinner than most that are half an inch thick. It is clearly the lightest weight just over three quarters of a pound. Even with the small size, the tablet doesn't skimp on performance of features. In fact, its dual core processor and Android 4.0 software make it faster than many 10-inch tablets. The only real downside is that it doesn't have quite the same running time as the larger tablets at five and a quarter hours of video playback. At $250 it is also quite affordable. If you want to spend a bit less and don't mind sacrificing some features, the $200 Amazon Kindle Fire is nearly as compact but a bit heavier and thicker.

With an thickness of just .33-inches, the ASUS Transformer Prime is the thinnest of all the tablets available on the market all while offering up some spectacular features as well. The new Tegra 3 quad core processor provides amazing speed and the upgraded Android 4.0 operating system is much smoother than past versions of Android. Much of the extremely thin profile can be attributed to the metallic backing compared to the plastics used by many companies. With all the premium features of the tablet, it also carries a bit higher $500 price tag. While the Apple iPad 2 may not have the new retina display of the New iPad, it has a much thinner .34-inch profile that makes it an excellent alternative to the Transformer Prime and is still available with a more affordable $399 starting price tag for the 16GB Wi-Fi version.

There is no question that Apple leads the tablet market when it comes to software support. The sheer number of applications available through the iTunes App Store is overwhelming. Combine this with an operating system that is extremely easy to pick up and learn in addition to being one of the most stable around and the New iPad is the clear leader when it comes to tablet software. With the iOS 5 update addressing multitasking and notifications and the announcement that Adobe is backing out of mobile flash, most of the major complaints against the Apple platform are beginning to disappear. Of course, if you must have the ability to view flash on your tablet, then you will definitely want to pick up an Android 4.0 tablet. A nice balance of price and features with the Android 4.0 software is the ASUS Transformer Pad costing around $400.