At this year’s CES, tablets evolved before our very eyes from pure consumption devices to laptop replacements that are great for productivity. Another new slate teaches kids how to get into social networking (safely). We also saw an 8-inch Windows tablet that puts the competition to shame and another 8-incher that’s half the price of the iPad mini. Oh, and just in case you love eye candy, there’s a 20-inch 4K tablet on our best of list. Here are the top tablets of CES 2014.
1. Samsung Galaxy Note Pro (12.2)
Samsung is aiming to bridge the gap between PCs and tablets with its supersized Galaxy Note Pro. This Android-powered slate is all about productivity, letting you run four apps on the 12-inch 2560 x 1600 screen at the same time. To make the most of this extra real estate, Samsung also developed a new Magazine UX and retooled the touch keyboard to make it more like a laptop. Like other Galaxy Note's there's a built-in S Pen for taking notes and drawing, but Samsung throws in a ton of other apps and services - including remote PC access - to help you get more done.
2. Fuhu DreamTab
This is what happens when the maker of our favourite kids tablet and Dreamworks gets together. The DreamTab, coming in 8- and 10-inch sizes, is a new line of Intel Atom-powered slates for children that can teach them how to draw their favourite characters - with built-in video tutorials from the pros. Those cute penguins from Madagascar can also tell your child when playtime is over and it's time to learn. The DreamTab boasts not only a powerful Wings Learning system, but a family-friendly social networking app that will protect Junior's privacy.
3. Lenovo ThinkPad 8
The best small Windows tablet we've seen yet, the Lenovo ThinkPad 8 boasts a sharp 8.3-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel screen and a sleek aluminium design. This is one slate that will fit right in when you enter the boardroom. Around back you'll find a high-res 8-MP camera that works in tandem with an optional QuickShot cover that opens the camera app as you uncover the lens. Under the hood is Intel's speediest Bay Trail CPU - which can handle 4K video and crunch numbers with ease.
4. Acer Iconia A1-830
One of our favourite tablets of CES 2014 flew under the radar, but it should not be missed. The Iconia A1-830 costs just US$149 - half the price of the cheapest iPad mini - and yet it delivers a colourful 7.9-inch, IPS display and a snappy Intel Clover Trail CPU. The sleek white design has an elegant aluminium back. And unlike Apple's small slate, this one has expandable memory.
5. Panasonic Toughpad 4K Tablet
Quite possibly the most captivating Windows tablet ever, the Toughpad 4K tablet sports a 20-inch display with a jaw-dropping 3840 x 2560-pixel resolution. Designed for artists and designers, this pen-enabled US$5,999 slate is also built tough, complete with a mag alloy case and glass-fibre bezel and back. It can even survive drops from 2.5 feet. Inside the slate is a combo up to a 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7-3687 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and Nvidia Quadro K1000M graphics, and a 256GB SSD - all in a fairly light 5.6-pound package.
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