Look: Top 10 Tablet PCs

Probably, one of the biggest stories of consumer electronics in 2010 may just be the rise of the tablet computer. The tablet form factor is nothing new (remember the Apple Message Pad). But it could be argued that it has begun to gain popular support with the success of the Amazon Kindle e-book reader over the past few years.

Recent advances in solid-state memory, battery, and touchscreen technology have 2010 poised to be the year that tablets truly come of age.

After years of enticing rumours, ambitious prognostications and flat-out blather, 2010 may finally be the year that the tablet PC evolves from being a niche device to becoming a mainstream portable computer.

Heavyweights like Dell and Intel are collaborating on a touchscreen tablet due for release next year. What's apparent is that the tablet will serve as a subscription-based e-reader for displaying newspapers, magazines and other media, giving Amazon's Kindle -- particularly, the nearly $500 large-format DX model -- a run for its money.

NEXT: Top 10 Tablet PCs, not in any particular order...

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Image: Collage of netbooks

The ARCHOS Internet Media Tablet is designed by ARCHOID. It is a computer tablet with an electronic keyboard. It's a touchscreen tablet weighing 800g and 16mm thick. It runs on the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

It has an Intel Atom Z510 1.1 GHz CPU and 1 GB onboard SDRAM (DDR2 400). It is available in two storage options: 80GB and 160GB model.

It has a display with 1024 x 600 pixels and 9 inch LED lite resistive touchscreen. The ARCHOS 9 has an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, portable video-conferencing, voice calling and instant messaging. Windows Live Messenger application can be also be used.

The software also includes IBM Lotus Symphony office software for Archos 9 PC Tablet.

The Archos is a true evolution in portable computers such as its shape and design to break the rules of the traditional laptop design. It is precise, clear and intuitive in a way that you can write on the virtual keyboard effortlessly.

The finesse of this unit is remarkable. Being lightweight you can easily take it with you in your handbag and use it at any time.

Wi-Fi may be plentiful these days, but it's far from ubiquitous. A device like the iPad is just begging for always-on Internet access, whether for checking mails, surfing the Web, or even keeping up with your latest game of words with Friends HD.

Apple iPad's Wi-Fi + 3G delivers on that promise, though the 3G experience may occasionally have you searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Outwardly, the 3G-enabled iPad is almost identical to the Wi-Fi model, and the two share almost all of the same features, with the exception of those related to 3G networking and GPS.

Dell's Latitude XT2 XFR- 12.1-inch multi-touch display, is a modestly upgraded Core 2 Duo SU9600 processor, with up to 5GB of RAM, a standard hard drive or SSD, a range of hotswappable modules, no Windows 7 option -- just Vista or the ever popular XP downgrade.

Of course it's the ruggedness that's the real selling point, and this one looks to deliver the goods on that front. It's got an impact resistant, sunlight-viewable 12-inch multi-touch LED-backlit display, compression sealed orifices, and works in temperatures from 10 to 140 degrees.

Toshiba Portege M780 Tablet PC, powered by an all-new Intel Core vPro processor. It features a 12.1-inch screen, with a spill-resistant keyboard and rugged features. What makes it standout is its Core i5 heart thumping inside. It offers efficiency by taking advantage of intelligent performance and unique hardware-assisted security and manageability features.

A fingerprint reader eases password-protected logons and helps resist unwanted access.

Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-330M, Intel Core i5-520M, Intel Core i7-620M
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
• 8GB of RAM
• 802.11n wireless
• 250GB HDD (5400rpm)

The HP EliteBook 2730p is a nice Tablet PC. It has a solid chassis and a great design. The 2730p is the update to the 2710p and has most of the same features, but it has the upgraded 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor and upgraded hard drive options.

It weighs in around 3.7lbs, so it feels lightweight, but yet solid. It is easy to carry in tablet mode and fun to take notes with.

The pen is durable and writes like a real pen. HP has made the 2730p into a nice business tablet. Some users may want more ports, but it has the average variety.

It looks like a half netbook, half tablet, in one little neat box. Each has it's own dedicated HD and OS. With the keyboard running Windows 7 and the tablet running Lenovo's own app-based web OS.

When closed it is a regular laptop. When opened under the lid there is a chiclet styled keyboard with integrated touchpad.

The U1 looks and feels like any other laptop, with an Intel CULV processor and a 128GB SSD running Windows 7 Home Premium. One wouldn't actually know there's a slate hiding in there until you pull it out and watch it switch to Lenovo's Skylight UI, a process that was smooth and quick for us.

The slate itself is essentially a touchscreen version of the Skylight smartbook: it runs the same Skylight OS on a similar Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU. The tablet also turns into a pretty good e-reader.

2010 already seems to be the year of the tablet and of the eBook reader. This time it's made by ICD in collaboration with NVIDIA, Motorola and Verizon.

It offers some very hot specs like NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chipset and a Motorola 4G modem capable of dealing with fast LTE connectivity. Coupling all those Tegra 2 features with Android OS, adding an LTE modem and you'll get a very fast, very capable device ready to help you communicate with others, browse the web and enjoy full HD content.

Other features include Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity which means you'll be able to connect your ICD Ultra to other devices and Wi-Fi hotspots.

The battery should last for up to 4 hours on a single charge which might not be enough for most people.

Price -$250 and above

The five-inch, Google Android device will sport a WVGA (800 by 480) capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, with auto focus and flash, front-facing VGA camera and 30-pin docking connector.

The slides also reveal that the device will arrive in an array of colourful finishes, including black, blue, pink, red and several custom Dell Design Studio finishes.

Streak will launch with an Amazon content partnership, meaning Kindle e-books and Amazon MP3s and video will stream to the device. It's a huge Smartphone or a tiny tablet, either ways we are pretty excited to see what it would be like.

High on anticipation radar. This nifty little machine has a backlight which you can turn of which changes the screen into something approaching an e-ink replica, making it far more readable.

This Indian offering might well be the dark horse in the tablet race. Notion Ink's Adam Tablet supports flash playback Notion has also added a swivel web cam to its prototype, adding yet another feature not available in that other slate device.

The tablet has an NVIDIA Tegra chip, support for Flash, and a rotating 3.2 megapixel web cam that seems primed for Skype and other video calls.

Other specs of the prototype include a 10.1-inch non-gloss screen with 1024 x 600 resolution, full-colour or black & white mode for reading, dual-core ARM A9 CPU, and playback of 1080p HD video.

NEXT: HP Slate

The HP Slate, a smaller, lower-resolution screen than the iPad, coming in at 8.9-inch and 1024 by 600 pixels against iPad's 9.7-inch, 1024 by 768 display.

HP Slate will feature a SD card reader (up to 128GB) and a USB 2.0 port, together with a conventional SIM card tray (the Wi-Fi + 3G iPad) comes with a new micro SIM card tray, powered by a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor with 1GB of DDR2 RAM memory (non-user upgradable).

To be released around the corner and priced around $549 (Rs 26,400 approx), as much as netbook but its surely a highly anticipated product.

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Reader invite

Are you a gadget/gaming wizard/afficianado? Would you like to write on gadgets, gaming, the Internet, software technologies, OSs and the works for us? Send us a sample of your writing to getahead@rediff.com with the subject as 'I'm a tech wizard/afficianado' and we will get in touch with you.