The product that ignited what until then had been a dormant market, Apple's iPad dominates the category. But its success has ignited the imagination of rivals who are prepping their own tablet computers - some of which are now available, others which are expected soon.
Some made a splash last week at the IFA Berlin show last week and more doubtless will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. This much is clear: If the iPad is not your cup of tea, sit tight - fairly soon, there are going to be far more consumer touch-screen tablets to choose from.
Toshiba Folio
Bears some physical resemblance to the iPad, the Toshiba Folio weighs 760 grams--about the same as an iPad with 3G abilities. Early reviews say it's comfortable to hold and easy enough to use for basic tasks. Toshiba says the Folio's battery lasts seven hours when being used 65 percent for Web browsing, watching video for 10 percent, and idling for 25 percent.
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Emerging as the chief rival to Apple's iPad, the Galaxy Tab comes with its own e-reader application, among others, supplied by Samsung. The company also is building in apps for video chat, e-mail, and playing music and video. And, of course, it runs thousands of Android applications.
Dell Streak
One of the first iPad rivals to come out running Android, the Dell Streak is a bit of a "tweener," larger than most smartphones and smaller than most tablets. One interesting idea Dell incorporated into the Streak: the addition of a numeric keypad off to the right side of the QWERTY keyboard.
The Blackpad: Still a Rumor - but a Solid One
The image here is only a best guess. At this stage, the Blackpad, a tablet from Research In Motion, remains in the rumor stage. Or shall we say "informed" rumor stage. All indications are that this unit is coming to a store near you sometime in the not-too-distant future. RIM is said to desire a companion gadget to the BlackBerry. The rumor mill suggests the "Blackpad" will come only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options; for 3G service would need to be tethered to one of RIM's smartphones.
HP Slate
The Slate is another one that remains the proverbial work in progress. HP made a promotional video that made the rounds early this year. The original idea was to run Windows 7 but with its acquisition of Palm, HP now owns its own mobile operating system. Next year, HP will likely come out with a tablet computer powered by Palm's WebOS.