We’ve seen numerous announcements of tablet computers in recent weeks, as the R&D labs of the realm push out their hastily assembled attempts at competing with Apple’s game-changing iPad. But are any of them up to the job?

Last week alone saw ViewSonic, Toshiba and Samsung all officially unveil new models of keyboard-less computer, with a mish-mash of operating systems and screen sizes hoping to somehow build themselves a market inside the wake of Apple’s market-leading device.

So here’s a summary of five of the precise tablets obtainable and on the manner this year. Or, to position it in a different way, the iPad +4.

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Screen: 7-inch Super TFT-LCD, 1024×600
Storage: 16GB internal, up to 32GB micro SD
Processor: Cortex A8 1.0GHz
OS: Android 2.2

The closest Android has got to Apple to date, a minimum of when it comes to hype and noise previous to its launch. Officially unveiled at IFA this week, the Samsung Galaxy Tab contains a 7″ screen and the most recent 2.2 version of Android at its core.

The internals are kind of like those of the Samsung Galaxy S, offering the Cortex A8 processor that won so many fans when in cellular phone format. The hardware feature set closely adheres to Apple’s template, but in addition offering a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat-regardless that not many Android apps currently support the feature. Samsung has confirmed the Galaxy Tab has one big advantage over tablets-access to the Android Market.

Much more pocketable than the iPad with only a 7″ screen, it’s one of the best Android currently has when searching for a proper iPad competitor. Kat was certainly won over by it at IFA last week.

iPad

Screen: 9.7-inch LED backlit
Storage: 16, 32 or 64GB flash
Processor: Apple A4 1GHz
OS: iOS

The current tablet king, due to making tablet interfaces fashionable and usable. Apple’s tablet is typical of an Apple product-polished and fantastically functional so long as you don’t need to do anything outside of Apple’s closely controlled world.

Obviously the large winner here’s compatibility with standard apps from Apple’s App Store, meaning iPad comes with the area’s biggest collection of apps and games from day one. Albeit most of them are upscaled , but high-res iPad reworkings are quickly becoming the norm from most top developers.

The hardware is fast and responsive, and although there’s no camera, USB connector or Flash support, for casual browsing of your feeds and blogs in Star Trek style there’s simply no more sensible choice.

ViewSonic ViewPad 100

Screen: 10-inch LED backlit LCD, 1024×600
Storage: 16GB SSD, 32GB micro SD
Processor: Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium, Android 1.6

The killer feature within the ViewSonic ViewPad 100 is dual-booting capabilities with Windows 7 and Android, so you’ll be able to kill two birds (cellular phone nerd, work use) with one stone.

The rather outdated Android 1.6 isn’t going to get up against Windows 7 rather well, though, which makes us think the Android support here’s more of a tagged-on feature to aid whip up just a little excitement among Android fanatics. It’ll be good to look Android running on an Intel Atom, though.

The main worry this is that the ViewPad 100 is a clumsy combination machine, either way too powerful for Android 1.6 or not man enough to operate Windows 7 comfortably. And might Android 1.6 really cut it as a tablet OS? ViewSonic had better have one hell of a user interface skin lined up.

Toshiba Folio 100

Screen: 10.1-inch 1024×600
Storage: 16GB flash
Processor: Nvidia Tegra 2
OS: Android 2.2

Another tablet that clones iPad’s winning 10-inch screen size, we think the Toshiba Folio 100 to operate at lightning speed due to the coupling of the following-gen Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset and the optimised Android 2.2 as its OS-so it’s also fully Flash-enabled.

You get a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, so you are able to tell people it’s got a front-facing camera. Even supposing you never, ever, actually use it. Plus there’s a mini HDMI port for proper HD media connectivity along with your big TV.

Its other connectivity options are plentiful-802.11n Wi-Fi, SD/MMC card support, plus there’ll be a 3G version launching in Q1 2011.

Archos 7o Internet Tablet

Screen: 7-inch TFT LCD, 800×480
Storage: 8GB flash, up to 250GB HD
Processor: Arm Cortex A8
OS: Android 2.2

Archos is betting its family farm on Android, with a whole heap of Android tablets on the best way. The tip of the bunch should be the Archos 7o, the 7″ version powered by the impressive ARM Cortex A8.

The media playing history of Archos means you get an over-sized hard disk drive in here to your massive legacy collection of MP3s, with the Archos 7o capable of housing anything up to a 250GB drive. Android 2.2 is the OS of choice, which must be a blisteringly fast experience on the Cortex A8. There’s USB and HDMI connectivity, with the 7o ready to play 720p HD MP4 files at 30fps.

If you take a look at this one as a large media player as opposed to a small tablet, it needs to be a winner. You won’t be doing much productive business work on its 800×480 display, but having FroYo on a 7″ screen should make it a winner for the Android fans.

Source

This post is tagged: apple product, cellular phone, feature set, hardware feature, operating systems, tablet computers