Last time we did a Top 5 tablets, it was a lot of speculation: Many of the hottest
contenders for the iPad�s crown were still yet to hit market and undergo our tests
and yours.
Well, that�s changed now, the henchmen are here.
I�m B.C. with the
Top 5 tablets, iPad and the rest.
#5 is the T-Mobile G Slate.
We like its 4G support + Android Honeycom OS and
pre-installed streaminbg TV apps.
But then there�s the built in 3D camcorder
ability, which uses those cheapy red and blue glasses.
Really?
Have you guys
met the Nintendo 3DS or HTC Evo 3D phone?
The 3D on this thing is just a
gimmick.
Beyond that its a pricey $800 unless you do a 2-year hitch with a carrier
who is likely going to be gobbled up by another carrier.
#4 is the BlackBerry Playbook.
A lot of folks are playing the funeral dirge when
Blackberry walks by these days, but the Playbook is a fast, powerful, Flash-
enabled, HDMI-equipped multitasking sombitch.
But the 7� size cramps all that
power on too small a stage and it�s too tied to the Blackberry platform at a time
when many people are moving off of it.
#3 is the improbably named Asus Eee Pad Transformer and transform it does: Is
it a Honeycomb Tablet or a Netbook?
Yes.
You can dock it into a keyboard
docking station that answers one of the big frustrations with tablets; No way to
type beyond hunt & peck.
On the other hand, its pretty hefty: wide and thick and
heavy, and that�s without the dock.
But the price is right: $400 list for 16GB and
the keydock is another $150.
#2 is one of the very first serious iPad 2 challengers: the Samsung Galaxy Tab
10.1, the big boy in that line.
Super thin, running the hot Honeycomb OS, with
front and rear cams and alarmingly powerful speakers.
While we love meth-
addict thin case, we didn�t like how Samsung got there: the back feels cheap,
plasticky and likely to break if you drop it even once.
Not exactly Apple build
quality, but if you�re looking for something that isn�t Apple, this is out go to tablet
right now.
Ok, before we get to our #1 tablet, let me remind you of what may be the best
value in a tablet: The Barnes & Noble Nook Color.
Here�s why: Its ostensibly an
e-Reader but with a little bit of technical acumen you can root this guy and fully
expose the Android OS that lies beneath.
That�s not a lot of sweat to break to get
yourself a solid Android tablet for $250 or less.
We have a link to step by step
directions to root your Nook Color in the show notes at Top5.cnet.
OK, if you haven�t done a little process of elimination by now, I should tell you the
#1 tablet is the Apple Pad 2.
Its thin, has dual cameras, dual core processor,
FaceTime video chat and two carriers for 3G.
That slick cover still looks like a
damned magic trick.
And it has a huge and well vetted store full of apps.
That
said, the screen res & ratio is still stuck in iPad 1 territory, the photo ??quality is
inexplicably lousy, and there�s no Flash.
But you�ll have DAYS of battery life to
ponder those few shortcomings and be part of the vast majority who think a tablet
is an iPad.
Check all out tablet reviews at CNET because they�re coming out fast and furious
right now.
And more Top 5�s like this go to at top5.cnet.com, I�m Brian Cooley, thanks for
watching.
