Identifying the Best Tablet PCs of 2011- Tablet PC Round up

2011 was the most happening year when it comes to Tablet PCs. When you look back, you will find Tablets from diverse manufacturers, extremely varying in features and form factor. Some Tablets were feature rich, so much so that they added features very uncommon to Tablets such as 3D feature on the LG Optimus Pad. While, on the other hand were Tablets with limited features that barely manage to be called a Tablet! The most obvious example is the Amazon Kindle Fire. Here we have rounded up the most notable Tablets of 2011, their pros and cons along with their release dates!

Tablets are listed based on their release dates.

Dell Sreak 7

Released on Febraury, 2011

Pros-

1. Portable size
2. 4G Network
3. Dual Core Processor

Cons-

1. Android 2.2, older Android version
2. Screen is not so responsive

Read- Dell Streak 7 Review

Verdict- Design is rugged, Dell Streak 7 did not attract users as not having any “Wow” factor. The Tablet came and went and a few noticed! Marginally Flop!

Motorola Xoom

Released on Febraury, 2011

Pros-

1. First Tablet to show off Honeycomb
2. Dual Core 1 GHz Processor
3. Micro SD card slot
4. 1 Gb RAM
5. 5 MP Rear and 2MP front camera, hence all specs are way better than iPad

Cons-

1. Starting at 600 USD the Tablet is expensive
2. Not refined look and significantly heftier than iPad 2

Read- Motorola Xoom Review

Verdict- Owing to its non-premium look and buggy OS the Tablet failed miserably despite having a better hardware. Nearly Flop!

Apple iPad 2

Released in March, 2011

Pros-

1. iOS
2. Thinner and fast than iPad
3. Boasts 2 cameras for Facetime
4. Sequel of ground breaking device already

Cons-

1. Cameras are of very unacceptable quality
2. No HDMI
3. No Flash
4. No USB
5. No SD Card
6. 512 Mb RAM

Read- Apple iPad 2 Review

Verdict- iPad 2 is one and in fact the only excessively successful Tablets of 2011 despite lagging behind in specs show down with some contenders. Great Hit!

Asus Eee Slate EP 121

Released on April, 2011

Pros-

1. Windows based Tablet that is worth taking seriously
2. Core i5 1.33 Ghz Processor & 4 GB RAM
3. Terrific Design and Hardware and particularly the touch UI

Cons-

1. Windows OS is not optimized for Touch screens
2. Very expensive starting at 880 USD
3. Not too good battery Life just about 4.5 hours

Verdict- When it comes to Tablets, Tablets are all about your touch experience and certainly Windows 7 is not for your fingers. ASUS has brought great innovation this year including its Eee Slate yet it could not grasp the attention of masses due to its cost and of course, OS. Marginally Flop!

LG Optimus Pad

Released on April, 2011

Pros-

1. 3D feature
2. wide-screen IPS
3. 4G Network in US

Cons-

1. 3D is not Glass-free
2. Other features are fairly standard, nothing much about it

Read- LG Optimus Pad Review

Verdict- Inclusion of 3D itself makes little sense. And when the 3D is an old-style-goggle 3D then you are certainly left with no obvious reason to buy the Tablet at 700 USD. Again a miserable flop Tablet. Miserably Flop!

Blackberry Playbook

Released on April, 2011

Pros-

1. Portable size
2. From Blackberry, brand already popular in enterprises
3. Simple and nice design and Stable OS
4. Powerful device
5. Powerful browser

Cons-

1. Lack of good apps
2. Issues with WiFi

Read- Blackberry Playbook Review

Verdict- Blackberry Playbook was considered to be a hit even before it was launched. Mainly because Blackberry holds a unprecedented position in Enterprise sphere. But it was due to the lack of apps that the Tablet failed miserably and disappointingly. The product even lacked the native email client and calendaring app. What a pity. In short the back-end services to support the Tablet, the ecosystem, were not taken care off that led to the failure of the device. Black berry has already slashed the cost of Playbook twice to find its place in market. Miserably Flop!

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

Released on April, 2011

Pros-

1. Design innovation with keyboard docking station
2. Keyboard docking station has a full 5 Rowed QWERTY keyboard along with touch Pad and additional ports USB, Card Reader
3. HDMI port
4. Battery is extendible via the keyboard docking station upto 6 + 8 hours
5. Built in work-oriented apps such as Polaris Office
6. When docked transforms into a complete Netbook

Cons-

1. Heftier than iPad
2. Not very sleek or Premium
3. Rather not beautiful!

Read- Asus Eee Pad Transformer Review

Verdict- In the time when every second manufacturer is attempting to produce an iPad clone, it is such vital to have a device that distinguishes itself in design aspect and make it look a not-so-iPad. ASUS has brought great innovation in this regard. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer bridges the gap between a so-called-luxury device and a work-oriented-gadget by introducing its series of Pads, both Eee Pad Slider and Eee Pad Transform.

Transformer is one of the most appreciated gadgets that showed up in 2011. And its sequel the Transform prime remain the most anticipated released of 2011! Quiet a Hit!

Acer Iconia Tab A500

Released on May, 2011

Pros-

1. Powerful hardware
2. Sleek Design
3. Great port selection, USB, HDMI SD card slot

Cons-

1. Buggy OS
2. Honeycomb was immature at the time of release
3. The Tablet was not as sleek as iPad

Verdict- The Tablet was surely among the most prominent Tablets of 2011. Though the Tablet did not “actually” succeed yet it was worth to have an iteration of the Tablet. And surely Acer will take more pains when it comes to the design of the Tablet. The Tablet has a solid hardware and one of the best port selections but was limited by the honeycomb OS 3.0. Barely Hit!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Released on June, 2011

Pros-

1. Large display
2. Honeycomb OS with crisp and bright display
3. Solid Hardware with NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor 1GB RAM
4. Lighter than iPad and more thin

Cons-

1. No Micro-SD card slot
2. No USB
3. No HDMI

Read- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review

Verdict- Today when you say “Tablet Pc” the only two Tablets that come to our minds is either iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1! Though a compete iPad clone Galaxy Tab did emerge as a very powerful Tablet of 2011. Also Apple entered a fight over Patents with Samsung over the design of Tab. Quiet a Hit!

Toshiba Thrive

Released on July, 2011

Pros-

1. Full USB, HDMI and SD Card slot, best port selection
2. Replicable battery
3. File Manager built into Honeycomb
4. Not very expensive

Cons-

1. Not so sleek
2. Over all poorly designed particularly rear-camera placement is awkward
3. Difficult to remove the battery; No way of charging a secondary battery out of the unit

Verdict- Thrive was a good Tablet and for a few works wonders replacing their Tablets, never the less it could not replace the iPad by any means, primarily due to its not so-premium design. Marginally Flop!

HP TouchPad

Released on July, 2011

Pros-

1. Solid Hardware
2. Strong Audio
3. Solid Flash-enabled Browsing experience
4. 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor and 1 GB RAM

Cons-

1. WebOS that has a limited app support
2. Poorly designed device
3. No rear camera
4. Complex/new system introduced for multi-tasking

Read- HP TouchPad Review

Verdict- Two major Tablets expected to be ground breaking resulted in a humiliating flop! Now its time to realize that Tablet is not just about a functional OS and a solid hardware. It is about the whole ecosystem that works behind the Tablet, the apps, the way it synchronizes with compatible devices etc. Playbook and HP Touch Pad fail when it comes to apps selection mainly. People do not want to be limited, may it be whether it is the customization of the Tablet or it is about the app selection. Miserably Flop!

Asus Eee Pad Slider

Released on August, 2011

Pros-

1. Sliding keyboard underneath to provide an alternative to rather inconvenient onscreen keyboard
2. Optimized for work as well as luxury
3. The sliding keyboard mechanism is solid and jitter free

Cons-

1. Addition of keyboard adds to weight and thickness
2. The keyboard is cramped and does not have touchpad or wrist rest

Read- Asus Eee Pad Slider Review

Verdict- ASUS Eee Pad slider was a nice Tablet that got considerable attention in the tech spheres yet it could not match to the standards set by its very own big brother the ASUS Eee Pad Transform- aspects such as extendible memory, extra ports and a full keyboard! Nevertheless the Slider is at par with some other contenders making it attractive Tablets of the year! Marginally Hit!

Sony Tablet S

Released on September, 2011

Pros-

1. Solid Hardware
2. Different and handy design- designed in shape of a ergonomical wedge
3. Play Station certified
4. IR port for using as a universal remote

Cons-

1. No HDMI
2. SD card cannot be used for extending the memory or for apps. It is limited for file transfer only

Read- Sony Tablet S Review

Verdict- Sony Tablet S breaks no ground though; yet it is a Tablet is worthy to be noted. It has an awesome look and breathtaking display. Sony Tablet has fairly typical specs yet the unique design gives it an edge over the iPad clones. Marginally Hit!

Amazon Kindle Fire

Released on November, 2011

Pros-

1. The most affordable Tablet by a renowned retailer
2. Nice design aided with a great ecosystem meaning lots of book, videos, TV Shows etc
3. Premium Membership on Trial along with the Tablet

Cons-

1. Not a Tablet actually!
2. No HDMI
3. No Bluetooth
4. No GPS
5. No Cameras at all
6. Android Market is unavailable
7. Poor Display
8. No 3G

Read- Amazon Kindle Fire Review

Verdict- Kindle Fire! Was the most hyped and hence over-ratted Tablets of the year 2011. By far it should not be called a proper-fully-featured Tablet. it is multimedia consumption device and majorly only Amazon’s content. The Tablet is wonders for loyal Amazon consumers but not so fit for people at large. It is by no means an iPad killer. For they who say that, I ask “will Kindle ever replace iPad at the Mercedes company?” So you see, it’s a cheap gimmick by Amazon to sale its content and nothing more. Nevertheless owing to its very affordable price Kindle Fire sold like Hot cakes! Quiet a Hit!

Barnes & Nook Tablet

Released on November, 2011

Pros-

1. Display is even better than iPad when it comes to reflective glare
2. Optimized for outdoor reading
3. SD Card Slot
4. Better internal specs than Fire

Cons-

1. Cheap Tablet with smaller eco-system when compared to Amazon as they only offer book and no other multimedia content

Verdict- Well B & N Nook Tablet is yet another cheap Tablet that is rather better in display than Kindle fire. And the better display comes at the cost of another extra 50 USD. The Nook Tablet though gives you the power to not to be a B & N slave, like you would be an Amazon slave when buying a Kindle! Quiet a Hit!

Motorola Xoom 2

Released on November, 2011

Pros-

1. Vastly Improved design
2. It’s much like a Tablet than a slab now!
3. Some very good Enterprise oriented apps!

Cons-

1. No 3G and SD Card slot, something included in the original Xoom!
2. No Ice cream Sandwich!

Read- Motorola Xoom 2 Review

Verdict- Xoom was the most hyped Tablet, and just contrary Xoom 2 is the least hyped Tablet that you must notice!
Xoom has shed off all its fat and become more of a iPad looking Tablet. Nevertheless it has nothing “actually” that makes it stand out. Yes but it’s the last Tablet of 2011! Yet to be seen!

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Released on December, 2011

Pros-

1. All the goodness of ASUS Transformer TF101 and a better and much more refined design!
2. NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor
3. IPS + Display

Cons-

1. They raised the price!

Read- Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Review

Verdict- One reason why ASUS Transformer got a boost was its price. It was fairly cheaper than iPad even with the docking station. Now as the Tablet became a nice success ASUS raised the price of the beautified sequel instantly, bad! That’s not fair!
The Tablet is good and we have nothing there to condemn it! Yes the IPS Super display is not so noteworthy nevertheless the tab is good for out-door reading. Did I say good? I meant bearable! Yet to be seen!