Tablet gift guide: Our picks for play, productivity, and parents

-Whether you're shopping for a grandparent or grade school student, a tablet makes a great gift. The only question is, "Which one?" For many shoppers, Apple's new ultra-slim iPad Air and iPad Mini are the default choice and with good reason: They're easy to use, gorgeously designed and-- -You know, they have the most and best apps. The Apple iOS version will look and be even better, have more features sometimes, it will run smoother. -Making the iPad, especially the Mini, a favorite among gamers. You will pay a premium, though. The Air starts at $500 for a 16-gig model. The Mini with the sharper Retina display starts at $400 for the same amount of storage. If productivity is a priority, the Microsoft Surface 2 starting at $450 for 32 gigs is preloaded with Microsoft Office and has a generous 10-plus-inch screen. -The Microsoft Surface 2 is the more laptop replacement type of tablet. -On the more affordable end, there's the Kindle Fire HDX and the Nexus 7, both start at $230 for 16 gigs. The 7-inch Nexus, an Android tablet, has improved greatly since it debuted two years ago. Thanks to more offerings in Google's app store, Play. The Kindle Fire HDX is the go-to choice for bookworms and the Amazon faithful. Prime members have the added benefit of access to thousands of movies, TV shows, and book titles. Other key selling points: Strong kid controls. Parents can set time limits on tablet use and restrict what they watch and play. And then, there's Amazon's Mayday feature. -Within 15 seconds, it connects you with an Amazon service rep. -And you know what that means. You don't have to play tech support, win-win. In San Francisco, I'm Sumi Das, CNET for CBS News.