Sizing Up the iPad's Competition
CUPERTINO, Calif. (TheStreet) --Apple (AAPL) - Get Report opened tablet season with its hotly anticipated iPad on Saturday.
The thin touch-screen device -- don't call it a toy -- sold well on its opening day, hitting the 300,000 mark. But all eyes in tech on are what happens from here. Apple hopes the iPad leads a category of its own remaking.
Other big names in tech are hoping they can build sturdy -- if not formidable -- competitors to the iPad.
Read on to view a roundup of some of the most promising tablets.
Next>
Google's tablet
Calling its tablet effort the
,
(GOOG) - Get Report
posted its own prototype of a
earlier this year. The touch-screen device is expected to run on
Google's Chrome operating system
, a step or two up from the Android software for smartphones.
Next>
Microsoft Courier
The Courier's a tablet so nice
Microsoft
(MSFT) - Get Report
made it twice. The early version of the
has two touch-screens that fold together like a book. The prototype embraces the new touch-and-swipe controls as well as a handwriting recognition technology that is a huge throwback to the quaint stylus era.
Next>
H-P's Slate
Hewlett-Packard
(HPQ) - Get Report
has been giving some sneak peeks into its own tablet,
. With support for
Adobe's
(ADBE) - Get Report
Flash technology, the Slate will also use Windows 7 operating system. The device has already been
championed by Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Report CEO Steve Ballmer
.
Next>
Dell's Mini 5
With a five-inch screen,
Dell's
(DELL) - Get Report
scaled-down tablet will be available later this year. Aimed at users that want to consolidate a number of gadgets into one device, the Mini 5 runs on Google's
operating system and comes with a webcam and a five-megapixel camera. Dell has not yet revealed pricing and availability for the Mini 5, but has confirmed that the device will offer GSM capabilities.
Next>
Lenovo's IdeaPad U1
dazzled fans at the Consumer Electronics Show in January with a
convertible hybrid tablet
that doubles as tablet or connects as a screen to a notebook. The company promises to make the U1 available this summer.
--Written by James Rogers and Scott Moritz in New York
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