Samsung Galaxy Tab only iPad rival, says former Apple boss

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and its Galaxy Tab buddies are the "only serious tablet competitor" to the new iPad, says the man who ran Apple for a decade.

Former Apple boss John Sculley praises Samsung's tablet in an interview with The Economist, in which he also hints that Windows 8 tablets will shake things up in the tablet market. No love for the likes of the Motorola Xoom 2, or the Asus Transformer Prime.

They may be more advanced in terms of features, but it seems other tablets just can't keep up with the iPad as it sells like particularly well-warmed baked goods. The Galaxy Tab and other Android tablets and phones in many cases boast more features than the iPad and iPhone, but Apple's marketing and branding have captured the imagination -- and wallets -- of the mainstream buying public in a way that other phones and tablets haven't managed yet. Samsung itself admits it's "not doing very well" in tablets.

Sculley reckons that could change with the arrival of Windows 8 later this year, which will alos power tablets. He points out that "the developer versions of both Windows 8 and Windows Mobile are impressive", and also believes that Nokia and Microsoft "may surprise the industry with a successful low-end smart phone".

Sculley was recruited by Apple founder Steve Jobs in 1983 from Pepsi, where he introduced the Pepsi Challenge. He ran Apple for ten years but is best known for, er, firing Jobs. He is now an investment type chap, and obviously still has a soft spot for Apple, recently claiming Apple will 'revolutionise' TV.

Since the original 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab came along at the end of 2010, we've been treated to a Tab in all shapes and sizes. Choose which suits you best from the Galaxy Tab 7.7 to the Galaxy Tab 8.9, to the iPad-rivalling Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

We pitched the best tablets around head-to-head, so see which we think comes out ahead in our face-off between the New iPad, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Asus Transformer Prime.

Is Samsung the most credible threat to the iPad? Which tablet, Android or otherwise, has the potential to sell boatloads? And how will Windows 8 shake up the tablet world? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.