Sleek, slim, oh-so shiny and very very handy.. the tablet PC is the computer designed for quick and on-the-go simple computing. Do you like lounging around and reading, but fed up of holding a laptop on your lap? Get a tablet PC. It's light and compact enough to slip into a bag, can be started and used quickly in different situations and is the latest "IT" device to have. The 2 main size categories for tablets are 7-8 inch and the very comfortable 10 inch. In this article, we compare 10 inch tablets, some old and some spanking new, to get the lowdown on the 10 inch tablet scene and see which 10 inch tablet is the best for you.
10 Inch Tablet Factors
The following are the key factors and features that should be looked for in a 10 inch tablet:
Weight: A tablet is supposed to be portable and compact and its weight or mass is a point in its portability factor. If the tablet weighs as much as a laptop, well then it's not really a tablet, more like a heavy, flat laptop. Bear in mind, that you will be holding the tablet in one hand and using it, so again a heavy tablet can reduce your productivity.
Display: 10 inches is a comfortable, yet small screen size. The resolution and imaging quality should be vibrant and engaging. Plus, it should be clear enough to avoid squinting. Recent tablet models are equipped with High Definition screens, to maximize the tablet experience.
Hardware: With OS's, the 2 major giants are the Apple iOS and Android. Both are streamlined and designed specifically for the tablet PC interface, so let's avoid comparisons, each has its respective pros and cons.
Processor speed defines the working and speed of tasks on your tablet. The better the processor, the more your tablet can do and faster. Whether it's web browsing, media viewing, working on office documents etc., your tablet's brain power should be able to keep up with your activities. And don't forget multi-tasking as well.
RAM and memory round up hardware. The average storage size for most tablet PCs is between 16 GB to 32 GB. Look for SD slots, if you feel you need more hard disk space.
Miscellaneous: Battery life is a major deal-breaker in a tablet's favor or failure. The device is meant to be portable, if it keeps running out of battery life, the whole tablet PC advantage is lost.
USB ports are standard. It will be very cumbersome to transfer data to and from your computer to the tablet, without a USB port. HDMI ports are perks, Bluetooth seems to be a standard in most tablets.
Connecting to the Internet wirelessly is through the Ethernet 802.11 standard. All recent tablet models are Wireless N compatible. Advanced networking abilities include 3G and 4G support. Wireless streaming to external devices is a perk to look for.
10 Inch Tablet Comparison
| Tablet Name | Weight (lbs) | Operating System | Processor | Resolution (pixel) | Display Tech | Camera | RAM & Disk | Features | Battery | Release | Price |
| Acer Iconia TAB A500 | 1.6 lbs | Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) | NVIDIA Tegra 250 Dual-Core 1GHz | 1280 x 800 | LCD touch screen with backlight | 5MP in rear, 2MP in front | 1 GB RAM DDR2; 16 GB |
| 10 hours | April 2011 | $445 |
| ARCHOS 101 | 1 lbs | Android 2.2 (Froyo) | ARM Cortex A8 1 GHz | 1024 x 600 pixel | TFT LCD touch screen | 1 front camera | Unknown; 8/16 GB |
| 7 hours | Nov 2010 | $300/$330 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 | 1.25 lbs | Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) | Nvidia Tegra 250 Dual Core | 1280 x 800 | WXGA-TFT LCD touch screen | Front 2MP, Rear 3MP | 1GB RAM; 16 GB |
| 10 hours | April 2011 | $500 |
| Apple iPad 2 | 3 lbs | Apple iOS 4 | Apple A5 1 GHz Dual-Core | 1024 x 768 | TFT LED backlight multi-touch | 1720p HD Rear, 1 front (VGA) | Unknown; 16/32/64 GB |
| 10 hours | March 2011 | $500/$600/$700 |
| Toshiba Thrive | 1.6 lbs | Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) | NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core | 280 x 800 | LCD HD(720p), Adaptive Display Technology supported | Front (2.1MP) and Rear (5MP) | 1GB; 8/16/32 GB HDD |
| 8 hours | July 2011 | $430/$480/$580 |
| HP Slate 500 | 1.72 lbs | Windows 7 Professional | Intel Atom Processor Z540 1.86 GHz | 1024 x 600 | TFT LCD | Front (VGA), Rear (3MP) | 2GB DDR2; 64 GB |
| 5 hours | Oct 2010 | $800 |
| HP TouchPad | 1.6 lbs | HP webOS 3.0 | Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core CPU APQ8060 1.2 GHz | 1024 x 768 | LCD backlit | Front 1.3MP | 1GB RAM; 16/32 GB |
| 8 hours | July 2011 | $500/$600 |
| Motorola Xoom | 1.61 lbs | Android 3.1 Honeycomb | 1GHz Dual Core | 1280 x 800 pixel | TFT LCD HD 720p | Front 2MP, Rear 5MP | 1GB RAM, 32 GB HD |
| 10 hours | Feb 2011 | $600 |
| ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (TF101) | 1.5 lbs | Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) | NVIDIA Tegra 2 1.0GHz dual-core | 1280 x 800 | LED Backlight WXGA Touch screen | Front 1.2MP and 5MP rear | 1 GB RAM; 16/32 GB HD |
| 10 hours | April 2011 | $460 |
So, ultimately who's the winner in this comparison? The Apple iPad2 is the experienced (in the tablet arena), upgraded and most stylish out of the lot, but it does not have a built-in USB port and no Flash support, which count as 2 major deductions in its favor. The Xoom is the Android favorite from this lot but it faces very stiff competition from the 2 new kids on the block, the Toshiba Thrive and the HP TouchPad. HP tablets are very streamlined and well-suited for corporate use but their clunky Windows OS was a point against them. Time will tell with the new HP webOS 3.0. The Thrive is Toshiba's first entry in the tablet arena and it looks very promising. In summation, keep your options open, check for budget and upcoming releases and put your needs first, do not be fooled by advertising razzle-dazzle.
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