Unlike CES in 2011, CES 2012 didn’t see a massive number of new tablets being launched. But there were still a few tablets worth looking, watch our video below to see our top picks, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
1) Lenovo IdeaPad S2 – a tablet and netbook in one
Lenovo has only dabbled in the tablet market thus far, but the IdeaPad S2 marks a more serious entrant into the fray. A 10-inch tablet that can dock with a keyboard, turning it into a netbook with 20 hours of battery life, it’s similar in concept to the Asus EeePad Transformer Prime and its descendents.
2) Toshiba Excite X10 – thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet
Toshiba hasn’t really wowed us with its tablets in the past, but the Excite X10 is a serious step in the right direction. Its claim to be the ‘thinnest and lightest’ 10-inch tablet – it’s 7.7mm thick and weighs 536 grams – is credible and we definitely noticed the difference between it and an iPad. Despite its slightness we found it to be strong and well-made, and we rather liked the magnesium alloy finish.
We couldn’t get hands-on with the Padfone, but Asus’ innovative tablet and phone hybrid had us intrigued all the same. It’s effectively two products in one – a dual-core Android smartphone that, when docked with a ten-inch tablet screen with its own battery – can be used as a tablet. And there you have it: Padfone. Asus promises a full unveiling at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
Tablets are no strangers to gaming, but Razer plans to take this a step further with this PC gaming tablet concept. It runs on Windows 8 and uses Intel processors and graphics to play full PC games. Two handles on the each side integrate the controls, though you can’t use the touchscreen when playing games.
5) Fujitsu Arrows – the tablet you can use in the bath
There are lots of tablets, but a lot of them are kind of same. When you’ve seen one 10-inch Android tablet, haven’t you seen them all. If that’s the feeling you get, the Fujitsu Arrows might make you smile. In most respects it’s unremarkable, but it’s the only consumer tablet we know of that’s waterproof. As Ben Stevens pointed out – ‘you could watch iPlayer in the bath with it’. Would you?
6) Motorola Xoom 2 8.2-inch – the perfect size compromise?
There’s still a lot of debate about what’s the right size for a tablet, and we reckon Motorola might have stumbled upon a good balance in the 8.2-inch version of the Xoom 2. Available in the US under a different guise, this Android tablet is very slim and sits nicely in the hands.
> the perfect size compromise …
> the right size for a tablet
There isn’t now – and never can be – a tablet which is “the perfect size”. Everybody’s requirements are different – what’s good, never mind perfect, for one group of people will be bad, awkward or even unusable for another group.
I do understand the concept that you’re driving at, but the terminology you’ve elected to use lets you down.
If you’re frustrated with a sluggish computer, there are a number of steps you can take to speed up performance, but sometimes free software like CCleaner from Piriform can manage all of these steps for you. We take a look at some of its features.
Gary
kennyr
Loading ...
Best tablets at CES 2012
Unlike CES in 2011, CES 2012 didn’t see a massive number of new tablets being launched. But there were still a few tablets worth looking, watch our video below to see our top picks, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
1) Lenovo IdeaPad S2 – a tablet and netbook in one
Lenovo has only dabbled in the tablet market thus far, but the IdeaPad S2 marks a more serious entrant into the fray. A 10-inch tablet that can dock with a keyboard, turning it into a netbook with 20 hours of battery life, it’s similar in concept to the Asus EeePad Transformer Prime and its descendents.
Read more about the Lenovo IdeaPad S2 in our full first look video.
2) Toshiba Excite X10 – thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet
Toshiba hasn’t really wowed us with its tablets in the past, but the Excite X10 is a serious step in the right direction. Its claim to be the ‘thinnest and lightest’ 10-inch tablet – it’s 7.7mm thick and weighs 536 grams – is credible and we definitely noticed the difference between it and an iPad. Despite its slightness we found it to be strong and well-made, and we rather liked the magnesium alloy finish.
Read more about the Toshiba Excite X10 and watch our video hands-on
3) Asus Padfone – a phone and tablet in one
We couldn’t get hands-on with the Padfone, but Asus’ innovative tablet and phone hybrid had us intrigued all the same. It’s effectively two products in one – a dual-core Android smartphone that, when docked with a ten-inch tablet screen with its own battery – can be used as a tablet. And there you have it: Padfone. Asus promises a full unveiling at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
Read more about the Asus Padfone and our first impressions in the first look video.
4) Razer Project Fiona – Windows 8 gaming tablet
Tablets are no strangers to gaming, but Razer plans to take this a step further with this PC gaming tablet concept. It runs on Windows 8 and uses Intel processors and graphics to play full PC games. Two handles on the each side integrate the controls, though you can’t use the touchscreen when playing games.
Read more about the Razer Project Fiona tablet in our hands-on video
5) Fujitsu Arrows – the tablet you can use in the bath
There are lots of tablets, but a lot of them are kind of same. When you’ve seen one 10-inch Android tablet, haven’t you seen them all. If that’s the feeling you get, the Fujitsu Arrows might make you smile. In most respects it’s unremarkable, but it’s the only consumer tablet we know of that’s waterproof. As Ben Stevens pointed out – ‘you could watch iPlayer in the bath with it’. Would you?
Read more about the waterproof Fujitsu Arrows in our first look video
6) Motorola Xoom 2 8.2-inch – the perfect size compromise?
There’s still a lot of debate about what’s the right size for a tablet, and we reckon Motorola might have stumbled upon a good balance in the 8.2-inch version of the Xoom 2. Available in the US under a different guise, this Android tablet is very slim and sits nicely in the hands.
Read more about the Motorola Xoom 2 8.2-inch
You may also be interested in…