Another major improvement is the addition of two cameras, which record both video and still photos. One camera is located at the top of the front of the iPad 2 and the second is on the rear in the upper-right corner.
What’s inside the iPad 2 is sure to rock the world: a dual-core A5 processor that is reportedly twice as fast and boosts graphics performance by a factor of 9.
Hailed by critics and the public as THE tablet, the iPad 2 delivers excellent user interface and a massive choice of apps; and it’s all powered by incredibly long battery life.
2. The Sony Tablet S is an Android 3.2 device that has been carefully designed to respond to the iPad’s domination, and few companies have a better history for innovation than Sony. The company’s long design leadership is seen in the wedge-shaped footprint of the Tablet S. Instead of lying flat, the base is slightly elevated.
Being an Android device, the Sony Tablet S comes Google-ready, with Gmail, Google Talk (with video chat) and all the other Big G features and apps.
Using the Sony Tablet S to review photos or as your professional portfolio is enhanced by Sony’s TruBlack technology, which comes from its Bravia HDTV sets. Contrast is more vivid and color saturation is deep.
Other features of the Sony Tablet S that puts it only a few steps beyond the iPad 2 are exclusive apps, PlayStation certification for mobile gaming, DLNA video and music streaming and an integrated IR universal remote control.
3. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is another Android tablet. As close as the Sony Tablet S is to the iPad 2, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is virtually breathing down its neck, although it still has a way to go. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Tab is a credible challenge to the iPad 2 when comparing their design. The Galaxy is just as thin and actually lighter, plus it looks just as modern, almost futuristic, as the iPad.
Photographers should be pleased with the large 10.1-inch screen and the Super PLS-based display and 1,280x800-pixel resolution. The image is sharp and bright.
Third-party testing revealed that the Galaxy Tab 10.1, with its Nvidia Tegra 2 Dual Core processor, was just as fast as an iPad 2 for Web site speed, and at various bandwidths.
Although the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is not likely to overtake the iPad 2 any time soon, it is a top choice among Android tablets for anyone that needs an alternative to the Apple system.
4. One of the reasons to buy the Asus Eee Pad Transformer is that it is the lowest-priced Honeycomb tablet. Price, however, is a direct function of just how much the company can build into the device.
Make no mistake, there is plenty in the Transformer. Photography and video can be viewed on a high quality, in-plane switching (IPS) screen that provides a wide angle of view. The reproduction of color is actually better than the G-Slate’s, which is quite an achievement.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is also a smooth performer. Its 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processor gives it OS-navigating speed, app-launching speed and surfing speed that is every bit as fast as many other Honeycomb tablets.
The Transformer’s low price does translate into limitations, such as being a Wi-Fi-only tablet, no cellular option and some difficulties with connecting the optional keyboard/docking station. Despite a few flaws, it is still a tablet packed with quality and value, if price is important.
5. The BlackBerry PlayBook is Research in Motion’s competitor on the field of the tablet battles; however, RIM seems to be fighting to put the PlayBook in the hands of loyal BlackBerry users, especially in the corporate world, than the big consumer market for the iPad.
The PlayBook’s 7-inch size would seem to be the first indication that the general tablet consumer is more likely to be attracted to its bigger rivals. Plus, the operating system that RIM has built into the PlayBook would appear to be another piece of the foundation on which to build the future of the BlackBerry brand.
RIM also reveals how important it is to make the PlayBook as BlackBerry-friendly as possible by offering a free optional app, BlackBerry Bridge. It allows users to link their BlackBerry phone to a PlayBook via Bluetooth.
Despite all the BlackBerry love in the room, the BlackBerry PlayBook is an excellent tablet for anyone with more of a need for a slate with professional tools and fewer entertainment and personal applications.
Your feedback is important to thousands of PhotographyTalk.com fans and us. If this article is helpful, then please click the Like and Re-Tweet buttons at the top left of this article.