Despite a flurry of new Google tablets, Apple's iPad is still tablet king, according to a new Consumer Reports test.
Apple iPad 2
Price: $499 to $829
A year after it created a new consumer electronics category, Apple's second-generation iPad topped Consumer Reports' ratings as the best tablet on the rapidly growing market. The magazine ranked the iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G ahead of the Wi-Fi-only version, but both outranked all of the competition.
The iPad 2 ranked highest in every category -- ease of use, display, touch response, portability, battery life and weight -- except for "versatility," for which Consumer Reports slightly preferred some of Google's Android tablets. Apple's tablet also got high praise for its low price tag.
"So far Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced," said Paul Reynolds, Consumer Reports' electronics editor.
By David Goldman, staff writer
IPad 2: Consumer Reports' top tablet pick
Apple iPad
Price: About $500
How often does last year's model of anything in consumer electronics beat out a shiny new competitor?
Despite the first-generation iPad's lack of a camera -- front- or rear-facing -- that's exactly what Consumer Reports found when it compared Apple's iPad with the competition. If you don't want to shell out for Apple's iPad 2, the older model still beats everything else on the market, the magazine said.
But if you want one, you'll have to scour the Internet. Apple is no longer selling them, so resellers on sites like eBay or Amazon will be your best bet. And don't get your hopes up for a sharp discount: Defying another consumer-electronics law, year-old iPads often sell secondhand for nearly their original price tag.
IPad 2: Consumer Reports' top tablet pick
Motorola Xoom
Price: $599 to $799
The first device to use Google's new tablet-specific Android Honeycomb operating system, the Xoom got all-around high ratings from Consumer Reports. It even outranked the iPad in the "versatility" category for the number of useful features pre-loaded on the device.
But those features weren't always easy to use: The Xoom still got a "good" rating for ease of use, but it lagged behind Apple. Weighing 5 ounces more than the iPad 2, the Xoom also trailed the iPad 2 in the ratings for portability.
IPad 2: Consumer Reports' top tablet pick
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Price: $500
Consumer Reports liked Samsung's Galaxy Tab almost as much as the Xoom and first-generation iPad, despite its seven-inch screen and the fact that it runs Google's smartphone (read: not tablet) operating system.
The Galaxy Tab scored a "good" rating in every category except for "touch response," where it was ranked as "excellent." Its seven-hour battery life, however, lagged well behind its competition's. Samsung is set to release the larger, 10-inch Galaxy Tab later this spring.
IPad 2: Consumer Reports' top tablet pick
Everything else
Prices: $270 to $450
The rest of the competition was not viewed so favorably by Consumer Reports.
The Viewsonic ViewPad's display was panned in the review, and the magazine found its ease of use to be just "fair."
The Dell Streak and the Archos Internet Tablet (above) ranked lowest in the field. The Streak's high price didn't justify its worst-of-the-lot 3.8-hour battery life, and the Internet Tablet's poor display and average versatility got it ranked at the bottom.
Credit: CNN (www.cnn.com)
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