Here are 3 iPad alternatives to watch in 2011. Now that CES is over and all of the hype is dying down with the tablets, gadgets and cool things to drool over, it’s time to take a look at the real winners from the show and highlight some tablets that you might want to keep your eye one in 2011 (besides iPad 2 of course).
Alternatives To iPad
The hot ticket at this year’s consumer electronic show was definitely the tablet. They were everywhere and there will be some winners and some losers. Here are a few that could actually be winners and provide a viable alternative to the iPad for all those out there that want to try an Android tablet or other such as Windows.
Motorola Xoom
Here is a smart tablet running Android that people seemed to really like. It won best of show in several categories. It is the first tablet to come with a dual-core processor and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). It comes with front and rear-facing cameras, a camcorder, Flash, and a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display.
The Motorola Xoom is definitely impressive. The dual-core processors are 1GHz each and the cameras are a 2-megapixel front camera with a 5-megapixel rear camera. The display is 1280×800 which makes it a little better than the (current) iPad at 1024×768. It will also have support for a 3.5mm micro USB 2.0 HD, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, and will run on the 4G/LTE data networks in Q2.
The Motorola certainly appears to be a nice, sleek, and study tablet. The question that will be raised is whether the battery can stand up to the iPad’s 10 hours. Also, no one has used Android Honeycomb yet so we don’t even know how it will be for the end-user. Regardless, this is one iPad alternative to watch in 2011.
No dates are announced yet for its release and no prices have been revealed either.
Blackberry Playbook
I keep hearing about the Playbook but then when I learned that you need to have a blackberry device just to get Email I was a bit taken aback. Let’s hope this rumor is not true or it will not be an iPad alternative. The tablet was at CES and it was deemed “7 inches of wow” by Gizmodo. The Playbook comes with a display at 1024×600, 5-megapixel rear camera and 3-megapixel front camera. It also has a dual-core processor at 1GHz and it has a very sturdy business-like feel.
This may be the first 7-inch production tablet so time will tell (and we still don’t have a firm release date) if people take hold of that specific size.
You can learn more about the Playbook here on RIM”s official site. The challenge will be apps. Unless RIM can seriously get into the app business more than they have, then it might be tough to crack the Apple App Store’s hold on the iPad crowd.
Asus Eee Pad Slider
Is it a tablet or a super thin laptop? Well, Asus is taking the high-road with this promising tablet called a “slider” because of the way the screen slides out of the way to reveal a keyboard. Interestingly, while this seems a bit strange, it is one of the reasons tablets without keyboards are harder to use to “produce” as opposed to consume.
The Asus is a 10.1 inch tablet that is using a Tegra 2 processor (and all this means is that it will have plenty of graphics power). The Eee Pad Slider comes with a dual-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GPU for amazing graphics (likely perfect for games). It also has built-in cameras on the front (1.2MP) and rear (5MP). It also runs Android Honeycomb or Windows and will operate on 3G networks.
Asus has an impressive lineup of other tablets and “slates” but there was no firm release date as with the other tablets. With so many models and variations it will be interesting to see how Asus fairs in the tablet space. People may get confused with so many options and that might not give the best customer experience…remember the customer?
One thing noted about the slider is that the keyboard was pretty jerky when sliding it in and out so hopefully they that corrected or there might be “keyboardgate” backlash.
What so you think? Are any of these iPad alternatives or just over-hyped devices?
RT @tc_geeks: 3 iPad
With all the pre-CES hype (“maybe the introduction of up to 80 tablets”) it sure seems like most are just wishes and hopes being presented. It appears to me that Apple will be delivering iPad2 before any (or most) of these other devices ever hit the market.(?)
I think they’ll be at least two steps behind again.
I agree Roland. While these are all really great I still think we have yet to even see any of them actually go on sale and by that time iPad 2 will be in full swing!!
As a long time iPhone user (I’ve had all four models) and a recent iPad buyer I may be a little biased. But I don’t see how these are bringing anything new to the table.
Hi there Tom,
I feel the same actually. I think they are bringing one new thing to the table and that is choice. It will give people a choice of platform – but otherwise, they are not any more “magical” than the iPad despite the hype!
Well the top two have great things but the eee slider has the most potential to usher un a new generation of laptops.
Hey Zachary – thanks for the comment…
I think I have seen that one but I also saw that xoom today was pretty impressed..it also seems like a viable option as well.