5 Tablets for Back to School
The iPad 2 is the tablet that will work for any student wishing to take it out of the box and get busy. There are thousands of apps available in the Apple App Store to round out the user experience, and the long battery life will keep your student working on the iPad all day.
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The Logitech case contains a full keyboard that turns the iPad 2 into a laptop once popped into the dock. When closed the case protects the iPad 2 in the gear bag, and when in the dock lots of text entry is as easy to do as with any laptop.
For students who like to customize the look and feel of tablets, the Android-based Transformer fits the bill. There are lots of apps available in the Android Market to round out the usefulness of this tablet. The high-resolution 10.1-inch screen is perfect for watching videos and displaying lots of information on the screen at once. When combined with the Transformer keyboard dock (displayed in the next photo), the tablet becomes a laptop in a real sense. The Transformer is one of the most economical tablets in this group.
Pop the ASUS Transformer tablet into this keyboard dock and the combo becomes a real laptop designed for heavy text entry. It protects the tablet when closed in the bag, yet pops open in an instant for heavy writing tasks.
The Acer Iconia Tab is another Android tablet that is designed for highly mobile usage. Students can use it all day due to the long battery life, and pull it out anywhere a Wi-Fi hotspot can be found. Like all of the Android tablets in this list, the Iconia Tab runs Honeycomb, the latest version of the Android OS.
The Bluetooth keyboard for the Acer Iconia Tab rounds out the ability for students to do real work with the tablet. It wirelessly connects to the tablet, and is a full keyboard rivaling those on many desktop computers. It takes little space in the backpack, but adds a lot of utility when used with the tablet.
The HP TouchPad is the new kid on the block, only being available a short time. It is HP's first webOS-based tablet and is designed to run lots of apps at a time. There are not yet a lot of apps available for the TouchPad, but new apps are being released all the time in the App Catalog. The TouchPad comes with the familiar name of HP, along with the support the company brings to the table.
See our hands-on review of the HP TouchPad on ZDNet Mobile News
The HP TouchPad case is a portfolio style case that not only protects the tablet in the bag, it is adjustable to prop the tablet in two positions for different usage scenarios. In the position shown in the photo, the case props the tablet for use with the wireless keyboard.
The Bluetooth wireless keyboard is a full keyboard rivaling those on desktop systems. It turns the TouchPad tablet into a full-blown work system capable of serious text entry. It has special keys that make controlling the TouchPad from the keyboard nice and easy.
HP Bluetooth Keyboard MSRP $69
HP has a Touchstone dock (not pictured) that wirelessly charges the TouchPad tablet when placed in the dock. $69
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the thinnest and lightest tablet available, and runs the Honeycomb version of Android. It is designed for comfortable usage in the hand for extended periods, and has a beautiful display. The full portfolio of Android tablet apps are available for the Galaxy Tab, and it makes a good tool in any student's bag.
The the full review of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on ZDNet Mobile News.
Pop the Galaxy Tab into this dock and it becomes a full-featured laptop. The keyboard fits easily in the bag, yet turns the tablet into a capable desktop system when docked. It has dedicated keys to make controling the Galaxy Tab simple.
Check out the full coverage of the tablet world on ZDNet Mobile News.