Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 makes a good effort, but iPad is still tops

Anytime a major vendor releases a new tablet, I inevitably get asked the following question: can it take on the top dog? That "top dog" being the iPad, of course.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the latest such device to get the "How does it compare with the iPad?" treatment. Let me break it down for you.

Well, the technology behind the S Pen stylus is really cool, supporting things like pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. This will no doubt benefit figure artists and even those who want a bit more precision when putting one person's head on another's body in Photoshop Touch. Ahhh, wackiness.

Beyond that, however, this is a pretty par-for-the-course Samsung tablet, with the requisite IR blaster and expandable memory slot in tow. If you hated the TouchWiz UI before, you'll continue to hate it here.

I'm not speaking pejoratively here. Samsung makes good tablets. The Note 10.1 just isn't up there with the Asus Transformer Infinitys, Nexus 7s, and iPads of the world.

The iPad in particular still kills with its high-res screen, huge app support, and Apple's still-unmatched ecosystem. If you're looking to buy a new tablet, you'll want to look there first. If you're still looking, the Transformer Infinity should be next on your list. Then the Nexus 7 (or the Nexus 7 first, if you have a limited budget), and then the Note 10.1.

Here's a handy spec list comparing the Note 10.1's most important specs with the iPad's and Nexus 7's. Though specs don't ever tell the whole story, they can still be a fun and interesting way to compare similar products.