Best tablet for those who don't want an iPad

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    ASUS Transformer TF300

    If you want a tablet that transforms into a notebook, then this is the tablet for you. Through the use of the optional keyboard dock ($149), not only can you add a keyboard and touchpad, but you also get 5 hours of extra battery life.

    A solid, well-built tablet.

    • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
    • NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
    • 10.1-inch WXGA IPS capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch display
    • Front (1.2MP) and rear (8MP) cameras
    • 32GB SSD, 1 GB DIMM
    • 10 hour battery life

    Image credit: ASUS

    Price: $399

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    ASUS Transformer TF300

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    ASUS Transformer TF300

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    ASUS Transformer TF300

    Keyoard dock for the ASUS Transformer TF300

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Amazon Kindle Fire

    Amazon's Kindle Fire has come from nowhere to become the #1 Android tablet in the U.S. It runs a heavily customized version of Android.

    The ease of use of the device, combined with the Amazon brand and the low price, has made the Kindle Fire a very popular choice among those looking for an Android tablet.

    • 7" multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors
    • 8GB internal storage (approximately 6GB available for user content) with free cloud storage for all Amazon content
    • Up to 8 hours battery life when used for of continuous reading, or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off
    • USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)

    Image credit: Amazon

    Price: $199

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Amazon Kindle Fire

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Amazon Kindle Fire

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

    A revamp of the original Galaxy Tab tablet. It's not as much of a reworking as some were expecting, and more of an evolutionary step than a revolutionary one, but it's still a good upgrade to what was before an excellent tablet.

    • 1 GHz Dual-Core ARM Cortex A9 Processor
    • 10.1” WXGA(1280x800) PLS TFT
    • Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
    • 3.2 megapixel rear camera, 2.0 megapixel front camera
    • HDMI TV-out
    • HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
    • 7000 mAh Li-Po battery

    Image credit: Samsung

    Price: $599

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Lenovo Ideapad A1

    Lenovo's 7-inch IdeaPad A1 Tablet is a compact yet rugged multimedia tablet that runs the Android 2.3 operating system. The A1 Tablet is also durable with a magnesium alloy roll-cage internal frame that protects the critical system components in case of accidents or jolts.

    • ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz single-core processor
    • Android 2.3 operating system
    • 7-inch LED (1024x600) capacitive multi-touch display
    • 512MB LP DDR memory
    • 16GB SSD (Solid State Drive) storage
    • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® connectivity
    • Micro SD card reader
    • Mini USB port
    • Integrated front (0.3M) and rear (3M) webcams

    Image credit: Lenovo

    Price: $199

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Lenovo Ideapad A1

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Lenovo Ideapad A1

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Barnes & Noble Nook

    The Nook is Barnes & Noble's answer to Amazon's Kindle Fire. And, like the Kindle Fire, the Nook is essentially a conduit into the digital content that Barnes & Noble has to offer.

    • Movies, TV shows & music from Netflix, Hulu Plus™, Pandora® & more
    • Lightning fast web-browsing, email & smooth streaming video
    • Over 2.5 million books, magazines, comics & kids' books
    • Thousands of must-have apps like Angry Birds & Words With Friends
    • World's most advanced VividView™ 7" Touchscreen
    • Extra-long battery life — 11.5 hrs of reading or 9 hrs of video
    • 512MB RAM
    • Expandable memory- add up to 32 GB w/ microSD™ card

    Image credit: Barnes & Noble

    Price: $199

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Barnes & Noble Nook

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Barnes & Noble Nook

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Pantech Element

    This is the tablet for those who like to take their tablets into the outdoors. The Pantech Element is waterproof against incidental exposure to water when all ports (incl. USB and earphone ports) are tightly closed, and is submersible up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

    • 1.5GHz dual-core processor
    • 8-inch 1024 x 768 XGA screen
    • 16 GB internal storage
    • Storage expandable with microSD storage
    • Waterproof based on IP57 rating

    Image credit: Pantech

    Price: $500 (contract-free)

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Pantech Element

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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    Pantech Element

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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While I firmly believe that the iPad is the best tablet out there, there are some fantastic Android tablets on offer. Here are my top six Android tablets.

Read More Read Less

ASUS Transformer TF300

If you want a tablet that transforms into a notebook, then this is the tablet for you. Through the use of the optional keyboard dock ($149), not only can you add a keyboard and touchpad, but you also get 5 hours of extra battery life.

A solid, well-built tablet.

  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
  • 10.1-inch WXGA IPS capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch display
  • Front (1.2MP) and rear (8MP) cameras
  • 32GB SSD, 1 GB DIMM
  • 10 hour battery life

Image credit: ASUS

Price: $399

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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