The first half of 2011 has already flown by. With it came the release of many competitors to the iPad (including the second generation "iPad 2"). So whether you are a hardcore Apple fanboy/fangirl, or you need some Honeycomb in your life, here is a round-up of the best tablets 2011 has seen so far.

Apple iPad 2

Anyone expecting something else here must be new to the world of tablets. The original iPad set the standard for tablet computing just as the iPod did for mp3 players and the iPhone has done for the current generation of Smartphones. Yes, lack of Flash support hurts, but every other feature the iPad 2 has to offer more than makes up for its shortcomings. The iPad is still the king of the tablets in many ways, and while competitors have begun to take their shots at it, none have come close to dethroning it...yet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the most recent release in this roundup and the most improved over its predecessor (the Samsung Galaxy Tab). Weighing less than the iPad 2 while just as thin, there is no doubt that this tablet is a much better design than the lackluster first attempt. Scrapping the first Tab 10.1, going back to the drawing board, then releasing this version of the Tab 10.1 in the small amount of time that they did is a huge credit toward the engineers at Samsung. Currently this is as close as it gets to the "iPad" of Android tablets.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

The Eee Pad Transformer is the most distinct tablet in this group. It offers a great keyboard dock option (sold separately) that helps it, and other future tablets like it, come that much closer to making netbooks a thing of the past. Competitively priced to boot, this Asus tablet is the top pick for consumers unable to decide between a tablet and netbook. Oh yeah, it happens to be a top tablet-only choice as well.

Motorola Xoom

The Xoom is a tough one to figure out. This Android tablet has the hardware to make it the envy of many of its competitors. However, it hurts itself with a high MSRP and the Honeycomb OS, which while much improved over previous versions of Android, still cannot compare to Apple's iOS. Do not get us wrong, this is a nice tablet. However, with so many other choices already out there and a seemingly endless amount on the way, it is very hard to recommend the Xoom at this point.

So there you have it. Any way you look at it, this roundup of the top tablets of 2011 so far featured four excellent products. If anything has been made clear by the abundance of tablets released in the first half of this year alone, it is that tablets are here to stay. If you were curious but cautious about entering the tablet market, hopefully the four choices presented here will help you decide whether to pick one up now or wait for one of the hundreds of tablets still on the way.

Comments (1)