Tablet Wars: Gadget Countdown contenders

Gail Purvis sets the scene for our annual consumer electronics fest with a preview of the touch screen devices that will be competing for your attention in the run-up to Christmas.

Two years ago, Toshiba Europe's general manager Thomas Teckentrup told AccountingWEB editor John Stokdyk that small format, touch screen tablets would become the fastest selling products in consumer electronics.

Thanks mainly to the Apple iPad’s phenomenal success in 2010, this prediction is coming true. But with the 2011 Christmas buying season looming into view Toshiba and other rivals are lining up products to grab a piece of the action.

With an iPad 2 costing upwards of £400, the premium Apple device has left plenty of room for cheaper rivals, with the main threats coming from Samsung, the Amazon Kindle Fire, ASUS and Toshiba. Comparing these devices is complicated by the emergence of new operating systems including iOS 5 from Apple and Android 4.0 (aka “Ice Cream Sandwich”) from Google.

The Android update will unify the operating software for tablets and smartphones comes and will boast improved voice recognition, including a text-to-speech programming interface, plus better facial recognition and an upgraded version the of Google Chrome browser.

This article won’t untangle all the nuances of each device/operating system, but will highlight some of the key features to consider. If you have a particular need for your tablet (eg Microsoft Office compatibility, gaming, photo-editing or other multimedia tools), then focus on what matters most to you rather than the raw performance specifications. Under consideration in the full article are:

• Apple iPad 2
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
• ASUS Eee Pad Slider
• Toshiba Regza AT700
• Amazon Kindle Fire.

What are your views and experiences of these new devices - or have we left any essential contenders out? Feel free to let us know by commenting below and telling us how useful you find them.

Continued...