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iPad killers: The 10 best non-Apple tablet computers

Tempting slate competitors

iPad killers: The 10 best non-Apple tablet computers
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As deliciously desirable as Apple’s touchy-feely tablet is, the iPad just isn’t for everyone.

Between the lack of Flash and the shortage of cameras, or the closed App Store, or even the astronomical price, the slate’s slick and slender good looks simply aren’t enough for some gamers.

Good for you, then, that the iPad has carved out a brand new hole in the market and everyone from HP to Dell and Microsoft to Samsung wants to fill it to bursting with their portable products.

We’ve put together a millionaire's shopping list of the must-have iPad alternatives out now, or hitting shelves soon, so you’ll have the full rundown on what’s available.

Dell Streak

With a screen at just five inches, this really blurs the boundary between smartphone and tablet. It’s more bulky than the cumbersome 4.3-inch HTC Evo, but looks microscopic compared to the doubly-as-big iPad.

But it’s sold as a tablet, so we’ll count it. The Android-powered device mostly outclasses the iPad in tech specs with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, two cameras, and a Micro SD card slot. It’s also a phone, so you probably won’t need two devices in your bag.

It’s out in the UK now, and will set you back about £400 when bought sim-free.

HP Slate

This tablet was stopped just short of the pearly white gates. Gone to limbo and back, the HP Slate was seemingly cancelled but woke from its coma last month.

A little perkier than the iPad, the Slate will rock an 8.9-inch display, and beats out Apple’s offering with front and back-facing cameras. Instead of using a mobile OS, the device will use Windows 7. That means high power and tons of functionality, but a lame five hour battery life.

The Slate might slip back into a coma yet, but with this much power for a competitive price (starting from $549), it’s possibly the biggest threat against the iPad so far.

HP PalmPad (rumoured name)

Smartly, HP isn’t banking everything on Windows Phone 7. If the iPad’s three million customers say anything, it’s that they want swift mobile software instead of bulky PC operating systems.

Which is why this rumoured tablet will allegedly run Palm’s WebOS operating system.

WebOS could certainly be used on a tablet, seeing as it has a vibrant app community and a nifty WebKit browser like iOS and Android.

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Tab make it look quite a lot like Apple’s latest toy, with the jet black bevel and button-free face, just stretched a tad taller than the iPad.

The seven-inch screened device is confirmed to run Google’s Android operating system, but that’s as much as we know about this hush-hush device. We might find out more this week, as Samsung has a conference planned for August 11th.

Microsoft’s Windows 7 Tablet

Microsoft is pretty peeved with Apple’s massive iPad sales. We know this because Redmond’s Steve Ballmer lamented that Microsoft's Cupertino rival has “sold certainly more than I'd like them to have sold.”

But the team behind Windows, Xbox, and Zune won’t be following Apple’s lead by supersizing its latest portable OS (Windows Phone 7) for tablet consumption. Instead, "The operating system is called Windows" claims Ballmer. Sigh.

Lenova IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

This is a unique offering. The IdeaPad goes from tablet to netbook thanks to a snap-in keyboard shell, giving you the ultra-portable slate form factor or the physical keyboard, depending on your current workload.

But that’s not all. It also shifts from the touch-friendly Linux OS to the traditional Windows 7 desktop automatically when the keyboard is attached. The device is apparently coming out in the second half of the year, and will set you back about a $1000.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

Like the Dell Streak, the Archos 5 might call itself a tablet, but its diminutive five-inch screen may raise eyebrows. With no phone calling, though, this is definitely has a foot planted more firmly on the tablet side of the fence.

The Archos 5 is out right now, and uses Android as its operating system. It’s also positioned as a TV DVR with a little HDMI minidock, and a satnav thanks to Android’s excellent GPS offerings. It’s cute, and so is the price - just over £300 for a gigantic 500GB device, direct from Amazon.

Motorola FiOS (rumoured name)

Motorola showed off a prototype tablet earlier this year, and reports say the Android device is due for release this year, as early as autumn.

The 10-inch screened tablet looks to fight Apple on every stat, with two cameras, Flash support, and the ability to use function as a wireless hub. It’s also lighter and thinner than the iPad.

What does the name mean? Sources say it’ll use Verizon FiOS TV, the powerful American TV service.

JooJoo

Let’s just say the JooJoo hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. Despite aiming to give users an iPad styled device for as little as $200, the final product came out with the same price tag as Apple, but with a smaller hard drive.

It’s since been flooded with legal problems and lawsuits, and a healthy scoop of arrogance. “App Store?” the website asks, “We’ll show you an app store. JooJoo has the largest app store in the world - it’s called the Internet.”

You mean like every other tablet on this list and, indeed, ever made?

iPad 2

Hey, maybe the iPad doesn’t do it for you. But wait, because Apple isn’t done yet. If Cupertino’s traditional product cycles are anything to go by, the next device will be in shops next spring, and it'll make your current iPad - maybe the one you’re reading this very article with - feel obsolete and ancient.

Maybe it’s got a higher res screen, cameras, a bigger hard drive, more memory, and a gyroscope. Much like the operating systems this thing runs, you can expect the iPad to leapfrog iPhone on tech specs, too, so you'd better start saving your cash up now.

And put a case on that thing - you’ll be shoving it on eBay come April 2011.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer