Our top pick, this sleek 20-ounce Android 3.1 tablet has a bright 10.1-inch screen, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. We typed quickly on the keyboard, which buzzes slightly with each tap to improve accuracy. There are no extra USB or HDMI ports, but you can buy adapters. During our test, the tablet lasted an impressive nine hours on a full charge. Cost: $499
Our runner-up, the 26-ounce TouchPad runs on Palm’s webOS 3.0 platform. It has a 9.7-inch screen and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for Skype chats, but no rear-facing camera. During our test, we downloaded a file, sent an e-mail with an attachment, and played a game simultaneously. At other times, the tablet was a bit sluggish. It lacks extra ports but prints easily to HP printers. The battery lasted eight hours. Cost: $500
After this article went to press in the September 2011 issue of Inc. magazine, HP announced it was discontinuing the TouchPad, which is no longer available online or in stores.
The 23-ounce Transformer, the most affordable model we tested, comes loaded with Android 3.0. It has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 10.1-inch screen. The keyboard was less responsive than that of the Galaxy and the TouchPad. Unlike the other tablets here, the Transformer has a micro-SD memory-card slot. The battery lasted 8.5 hours. Cost: $399
At 27 ounces, this tablet is the heaviest of the bunch. It runs on Android 3.1 and has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The keyboard on the 10.1-inch screen was not as responsive as that of the Galaxy and the TouchPad, and the battery lasted only about seven hours. One positive: The tablet has a mini-HDMI port for connecting to a high-definition television. Cost: $450 —John Brandon
