Top 10 Tablets To Buy (Or Avoid) Now
April 4th, 2012 by LAPTOP Editors Tablets are white hot right now, but they’re definitely not all created equal. Whether you’re looking for a 7-inch slate or a 10-inch device, Wi-Fi-only or 4G-enabled, these are the tablets at the very top—and the absolute bottom—of our list of in-depth reviews.
To Buy: Apple iPad (2012)
A jaw-dropping Retina display, fast 4G LTE speeds, improved camera and an unbeatable selection of apps make the new iPad the best tablet, period.
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April 5th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Where’s the EP121?
April 5th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
@Nick
My exact same thoughts. The EP121 should be in there.
June 14th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Not sure how the playbook gets a thumbs down, the fixes will be out in the next month (along with the ability to us android app) and this will make it one of the top tablets on the market, good peformance and good app selection when this happens
June 15th, 2011 at 11:25 am
I think you summed it up quite well the reason why it shouldn’t be recommended: the fixes are not out yet, and from your logic it follows that today it
1- is broken else it need not be fixed
2- performance is not where it should be hence the need for a fix
3- there is not much of a selection when to comes to software, because that could only possibly happen after the proposed fixes are out.
Do you have access to the beta version which they are working on to even confirm that they will fix all that you’ve mentioned? If not it’s just a promise. I’ll believe it when I see it.
For now, just get something that works today guys.
June 15th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Can’t believe the samsung tab got a thumbs down!
June 15th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
They include the archos 7 but not one of the other better archos devices???
October 15th, 2011 at 7:55 am
This is bull s***! Avoid BlackBerry Playbook because it is buggy OS? are you kidding me, this is new OS and yes it is still work in progress and there will be bugs for several version after current one, that doesn’t mean that users should avoid this. it has superb hardware inside, much better than Apple and Samsung (that you prefer), not one device has 802.11 A standard integrated in, only Playbook has. But hey apple got 10 hours of working/hm. watching porn over internet… my question is why don’t you think twice before you suggest freaking iCrap device? after upgrade of iOS5, the device works like crap. I hate when there are so called tech sites, that are actually advertising particular companies (just because they were payed to do so)… lame…
October 31st, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Good idea if Laptop investigated Dovla’s complaint that iOS5 ruined the user experience of iPad2. If true, this is important!
November 20th, 2011 at 9:29 am
The Motorola XOOM is missing from your list of buys. Its the best tablet I’ve seen on the market so far.
November 20th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I got a Archos 7.0 for my daughter. It is Ok for her. Can not get Netflix. That sucks. For the $$$$. It is worth it for a kid.
November 27th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I own a Sony S tablet and it’s a great tablet. I looked at the other tablets at Best Buy but the different design makes the Sony so much more comfortable to hold and it’s 9.4″ inch screen is just the right size for me. It never lags and runs fast. It has a sd card slot which was a must for me to load ebooks on.
December 7th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
How does the Lenovo thinkpad win your shootout and then not get recommended?
December 10th, 2011 at 10:43 am
I don’t understand why the Toshiba tablet is left out. The 2 USB ports are really handy as is adding in more memory 2 diifferent ways at same time. This is awesome if you are a photographer. Also carrying spare batteries is very handy in the wild. This tablet is way ahead of the others in my mind but it does depend on how will use your tablet.
December 12th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
The Sony tablet S is the only different tables in the planet. Better than the Ipad IMHO.
December 26th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Toshiba’s Thrive got my vote…Full sized USB, HDMI, SD card plus changeable batteries. Not having to carry a bunch of cables and adapters was the decision maker. The user changeable battery was also a major consideration.
December 27th, 2011 at 8:16 am
I agree on what Dovla said about PlayBook’s buggy OS, Android has been most of its life in that stage and it is still filled with bugs and stutters and even Galaxy Nexus works like a broken phone, with lags, freezes and force closes. However, the point is not only the bugginess of the OS, it is also about support and a huge number of developers. You can find absolutely anything for Android or iOS but it is a different story with PlayBook. It looks like it is dying out so personally I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend, while i would recommend an iPad or an Android device, depending on the needs and personality.
I disagree on Samsung, it is a piece of garbage, add quite a few widgets to your home screen and your device will perform somewhat close to being broken, if I knew nothing about Android I would probably assume the device is broken. User experience on Samsung’s 8.9 and 10 is awful, unless you clean your mem, run custom roms and all the rest of garbage that an average consumer wouldn’t even want to think about, let alone do it.
In my opinion Sony Tablet S and Galaxy Tab Plus should be on the list.
December 27th, 2011 at 8:18 am
P.S. Toshiba and XOOM are not bad for this list either.
February 25th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Why put Ipad 2 on the “To Buy” list if Ipad 3 is most likely going to come out in the following month??
February 25th, 2012 at 11:46 pm
Acer??? One of the best tabs for sure !
March 11th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Another Apple advocate . . . I bought my wife a Toshiba Thrive and it has more functionality than any of the “i” gadgets. She even has a “Mobile Hotspot” cell card that gives her connectivity anywhere a Verizon cell tower is. And she doesn’t need an external gadget to interface with USB devices. Android 3.2, it works well.
March 18th, 2012 at 2:26 am
Well, to each our own. I went for a Windows slate with the purpose of using MSOneNote 2010 as a digital notebook, and light for me. Fujitsu slate which might not be for everyone. With the playbook firesale I went for one as well and with the OS2 update my old bluetooth phones work with it so it’s now replaced my music player and I use it to go across the internet and with various other multimedia things.
April 17th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Hi,
Have been using the Acer Iconia A500 tab since November. Runs Android 3.2 with the ICS update scheduled for 4/27/2012. Plenty fast, full size USB port, heavy, but solidly built…I love it. I use it all the time in public and I love when someone asks me how I like my iPAD. While I do like the iPAD I tell them, I show them the Acer. After seeing it run for a bit, most people seem impressed will all the extra features it comes with. Only paid $299 on Black Friday, so quite the deal. I know the iPAD OS runs smoother, but using the two tablets for a while, the Acer does a fine job, too. I think the Acer should be added to the list of Android tablets to consider. Thanks.