THE 10 BEST TABLETS

The 10 Best Tablets
By Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 12 December 2012.

It's tough to believe the tablet market has exploded as quickly as it has since the first iPad debuted less than three years ago. After all, smartphones, tablets, and laptops all fulfil similar needs, and the feature sets of these devices don't vary wildly. Often it comes down to whether you want to check Facebook, email your pals, or watch Homeland on a 4.5-, a 7-, or a 12-inch screen.

At the same time, here we are three years later, and there still aren't any tablets that will truly replace a laptop or a smartphone. A tablet is basically an extra thing to buy and carry. You probably don't need a tablet, but that doesn't mean you don't want one.

And if you know you want a tablet, you probably also have some idea whether you want an iPad, an Android, or a Windows model. If not, there are some other important factors to consider as well. Do you need a tablet that offers hundreds of thousands of apps? Do you want a slate that you can easily hold with a single hand, or one with a larger 10-inch screen? Do you need memory card slots for additional storage? How about 4G cellular connectivity so you can use your tablet to get online anywhere? You get the idea.

If you're unsure which tablet to get, we present this list of the 10 best tablets we've tested as a good place to start your search. Since one tablet size doesn't fit all, we picked five large-screen (8.9- to 10-inch) and five small-screen (7-inch) winners to come up with our top 10. And since we're reviewing new tablets all the time, we'll update this list periodically.

For more in-depth tablet-shopping advice, read How to Buy the Best Tablet. If you're all about Android, take a look at the Best Android Tablets. And for the latest lab-tested reviews, check out the Tablet Product Guide.

LARGE-SCREEN TABLETS

1. Apple iPad (4th Generation)

$499-$829 direct

Now in its fourth iteration in two years, the Apple iPad continues its reign as king. The best large tablet you can buy today, the latest iteration has it all: Top performance, a stellar screen, a surprisingly good camera, speedy Wi-Fi, and a breathtaking library of spectacular apps. Read the full review ››

2. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

$499.99-$549.99 direct

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the first 10-inch Android tablet to offer compelling, consumer-friendly features the iPad can't match. Read the full review ››

3. Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9"

$299-$599 direct

The 8.9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD is the top low-cost large-screen tablet you can buy, but to get the best bang for your buck, go for the Wi-Fi-only version. Read the full review ››

4. Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700

$499-$599 list

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is one of the best large-screen Android tablets money can buy, with an incredibly bright and sharp high-resolution display, a blazing-fast quad-core processor, and a useful add-on keyboard dock. Read the full review ››

5. Microsoft Surface With Windows RT

$499-$699 direct

The Microsoft Surface with Windows RT bridges the distance between tablet and laptop for many users, particularly if you use the Web or Microsoft Office often. The Surface has very good hardware and some innovative design, but Microsoft Office RT is the killer app that comes to the Surface and makes it shine. Read the full review ››

SMALL-SCREEN TABLETS

1. Google Nexus 7

$199-$249 direct

Google and Asus smack it out of the park with the Nexus 7, a terrific small-screen tablet that's an incredible value at $200. Our Editors' Choice, it's the best small-screen tablet you can buy. Read the full review ››

2. Amazon Kindle Fire HD

$199-$249 direct

The 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD is a great way to consume your Amazon content on a small screen, but it's not the fastest or most flexible $200 tablet anymore. Read the full review ››

3. Apple iPad mini

$329-$659 direct

The iPad mini lets you run the best library of apps in the biz on a tablet you'll actually want to carry, but you'll pay a premium over other 7-inch tablets. Read the full review ››

4. Amazon Kindle Fire

$159 direct

While the entry-level Kindle Fire is a price leader at $159, it doesn't quite measure up to this year's crop of $199 tablets. Read the full review ››

5. Barnes & Noble Nook HD

$199-$229 direct

The Barnes & Noble Nook HD is a gorgeous little tablet with a solid build and a spectacular screen. If you read a lot, you'll love it, but we wish it did more. Read the full review ››

[Source: PC Magazine. Edited.]

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