Top 10 Tablets
01 Apple iPad 4
Stuff says
A new A6X chip joins the Retina Display and tons of dedicated apps – the best tablet you can buy just got better
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02
Asus FonePad
A solid, powerful slice of Android whose 3G smarts and expandable storage are tagged with a price that’s hard to resist
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03
Apple iPad Mini
Small and light enough to take everywhere but big and clever enough to be considered a full-blooded tablet, the iPad Mini provides a near-perfect balance – for a price
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04
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity
A full HD display scores the Infinity the title of best Android slate from the Transformer Prime
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05
Google Nexus 10
A hi-res screen and Jelly Bean at a nice price but pixels aren't everything. The Nexus 10 hasn't done quite enough to knock out the iPad
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06
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
Leaner and meaner than the Galaxy Note 10.1, this Samsung tab is asking for a little too much money for its multi-tasking smarts
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07
Sony Xperia Tablet S
Beautiful hardware, a good screen and useful extras give this the (w)edge over other Androids
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08
Microsoft Surface
Cool but compromised, novel but niche, the Surface is perhaps just a little too different to find a place in your life
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09
Amazon Kindle Fire HD
We have ignition. Amazon has sparked up the budget tablet market with the scorchingly media-friendly Kindle Fire HD
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10
Dell XPS 10
If you put work before play, this tablet hybrid makes a practical alternative to a netbook
Instant Expert
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1. Operating system The OS determines how good a tablet’s interface is, what it’s compatible with and how many apps are available for it. iOS 6 is reliable and app-stuffed, but it's aging; Android 3.x and 4.x are solid; and the arrival of Windows 8 provides the full PC experience. Windows 8 RT slates only run Windows Store apps, while the standard Win 8 tabs are more like full-on PCs.
2. Processor Dual-core ARM processors such as Apple’s A5X and Nvidia's Tegra 2 are OK, but quad-core chips such as Tegra 3 are the future.
3. Size Screen dimensions and aspect ratios differ between devices, affecting how they crop video and how they are to hold – so try before you buy. Bigger is better for productivity, 7in is perfect for media.
4. Connectivity Wi-Fi and Bluetooth usually come as standard; SD card readers, USB ports and HDMI-out may not. 3G can prove pricey.
