10 Great Tablets That Aren’t an iPad

Written by / DailyTech

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    • Apple rules the world of tablets.  However, there are many good tablets out there that that don’t have the name “iPad” on their packaging.  In fact, some of these tablets arguably give you more bang for your buck than Apple’s popular iPad.  Let’s take a peek at which designs made the 10-tablet cut.

     

    1. Nexus 7

    Price:   $199 (8 GB); $249 (16 GB)
    OS:      Android 4.1
    SIZE:    7 inches (800 x 1280 pxl)
    CPU:     1.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core
    GPU:     416 MHz NVIDIA GeForce ULP
    RAM:     1 GB DDR3
    STORAGE: 8 or 16 GB
    BATTERY: 4325 mAh
    WEIGHT:  340 grams
    SIZE:    198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm

    Light, slender and blazing fast, there’s no deal quite as sweet as the very-affordable Nexus 7. The first tablet with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, it’s this summer’s must-have tablet in the 7-inch space.

     

     

    2. Kindle Fire

    Price:   $199
    OS:      Customized Android 2.3 branch
    SIZE:    7 inches (600 x 1024 pxl)
    CPU:     1.0 GHZ Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core
    GPU:     ??
    RAM:     512 MB DDR2
    STORAGE: 8 GB
    BATTERY: 4400 mAh
    WEIGHT:  413 grams
    SIZE:    190.0 x 120 x 11.4 mm

    While not quite as sleek or fast as the iPad/Nexus 7, the Kindle Fire is still quite affordable.  And it comes with a free trial of Amazon Prime, which offers some unique value to the device.

     

     

    3. Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T)

    Price:   $499 (32 GB), $599 (64 GB)
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    10.1 inches (1200 x 1920 pxl)
    CPU:     1.6 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core
    GPU:     416 MHz NVIDIA GeForce ULP
    RAM:     1 GB DDR3
    STORAGE: 32/64 GB
    BATTERY: 5400 mAh
    WEIGHT:  598 grams
    SIZE:    260 x 181 x 8.5 mm

     

    The Transformer Pad is a bit hefty.  And there’s a $150 premium to buy the dock.  But it’s still the fastest and arguably best large Android tablet on the market today, a status which helps forgive its flaws.

     

     

    4. RIM BlackBerry PlayBook

    Price:   $196 (16 GB), $246 (32 GB), $291 (64 GB)
    OS:      PlayBook OS 2.0 (QNX-derived)
    SIZE:    7 inches (600 x 1024 pxl)
    CPU:     1.0 GHZ Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core
    GPU:     PowerVR SGX540
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 16/32/64 GB
    BATTERY: 5400 mAh
    WEIGHT:  425 grams
    SIZE:    194 x 130 x 9/7 mm

     

    BlackBerries may be less than chic these days, but the PlayBook is a solid tablet.  It benefits from a strong catalog of repackaged Android apps.  And for the amount of storage you get, the price-points of the PlayBook models are among the best deals out there.

     

     

    5. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

    Price:   $399
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    10.1 inches (800 x 1280 pxl)
    CPU:     1.0 GHZ NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core
    GPU:     PowerVR SGX540
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 16 GB
    BATTERY: 4400 mAh
    WEIGHT:  565 grams
    SIZE:    256.7 x 175.3 x 8.6 mm

     

    The Transformer Infinity dethroned the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, but it’s still a solid Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet and is a bit cheaper/sleeker than the Infinity, to boot.

     

     

    6. Sony Tablet S

    Price:   $369 (16 GB), $499 (32 GB)
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    9.4 inches (800 x 1280 pxl)
    CPU:     1.0 GHZ NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core
    GPU:     PowerVR SGX540
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 16/32 GB
    BATTERY: 4000 mAh
    WEIGHT:  625 grams
    SIZE:    241.3 x 172.7 x 7.6-20 mm

    One of Sony’s sole tablets, the Tablet S made the list on merits of pure quirkiness and “asymmetric” design.  Reviews were generally positive about typing on the tablet.  And Sony is offering unique PlayStation ports to differentiate its device.

     

     

    7. Galaxy Tab 2 (7-inch)

    Price:   $249
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    7 inches (600 x 1024 pxl)
    CPU:     1.0 GHZ Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core
    GPU:     PowerVR SGX540
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 8 GB
    BATTERY: 4000 mAh
    WEIGHT:  344 grams
    SIZE:    190 x 120 x 10.5 mm

     

    Is it the best tablet out there?  No.  But it is cheap and it gets the job done.

     

     

    8. Acer Iconia A700

    Price:   $429
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    10.1 inches (1200 x 1920 pxl)
    CPU:     1.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core
    GPU:     416 MHz NVIDIA GeForce ULP
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 32 GB
    BATTERY: 3625 mAh
    WEIGHT:  344 grams
    SIZE:    259.1 x 175.3 x 10.9 mm

     

    Decently priced for a 10-inch tablet, the Iconia’s biggest downfall is that it doesn’t really differentiate itself from the pack in styling or spec, other than perhaps having one of the nicer screens of the bunch.

     

     

    9. Toshiba Excite 7.7

    Price:   $479 (16 GB), $559 (32 GB)
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    7.7 inches (600 x 1024 pxl)
    CPU:     1.3 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core
    GPU:     416 MHz NVIDIA GeForce ULP
    RAM:     1 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 16/32 GB
    BATTERY: ??
    WEIGHT:  341 grams
    SIZE:    210.8 x 120 x 7.87 mm

     

    Toshiba is a latecomer to the tablet party, but its Excite is an excellent tablet with fresh hardware. That said, prices are pretty steep which may put off some buyers.  Still it is the thinnest tablet we looked at, which may attract some folks

     

     

    10. HP Touchpad

    Price:   $249 (16 GB), $287 (32 GB)
    OS:      Android 4.0
    SIZE:    7 inches (800 x 1024 pxl)
    CPU:     1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 APQ8060 dual-core
    GPU:     333 MHz NVIDIA GeForce ULP
    RAM:     2 GB DDR2
    STORAGE: 16/32 GB
    BATTERY: 6000 mAh
    WEIGHT:  740 grams
    SIZE:    240 x 190 x 13.7 mm

     

    The TouchPad’s library of free software is horrible and support is soon ending for webOS, but that doesn’t change the fact that the TouchPad had a lot of good features and is a steal for around $200 dollars.  If you can find a white 64 GB model for a reasonable price, it might be worth it — it packs a 1.5 GHz processor.  But the standard black models aren’t bad deals either.

     

    What’s the most important feature in a tablet? Let us know below.

    =======================================================================
    DailyTech is an online tech magazine dedicated to bringing readers the latest in tech news ranging from gadgets to computer hardware to science to advanced automotive powertrains. Our focus is to provide readers with timely information on current technology and give them a chance to have a voice on any topic via each article’s comments section. Jason Mick has become an integral member of the DailyTech team during his journey with the site over the last few years. He has extensively covered numerous top topics such as Microsoft, Apple, alternative energy, the auto industry, hardware, and cybersecurity. He prides himself on always keeping an open mind, and in providing premiere analysis which gives new life and zeal to everyday news topics. Outside of DailyTech Jason is an avid runner, hiker, gamer and app developer. He prides himself on constantly discovering new music in virtually any nameable genre, be it indie rock, electronica, or rap. He considers himself a futurist and free thinker. And he loves to hear from his readers! jason.mick@dailytech.com

    Jason Mick
    Jason Mick
    Jason Mick has become an integral member of the DailyTech team during his journey with the site over the last few years. He has extensively covered numerous top topics such as Microsoft, Apple, alternative energy, the auto industry, hardware, and cybersecurity. He prides himself on always keeping an open mind, and in providing premiere analysis which gives new life and zeal to everyday news topics. Outside of DailyTech Jason is an avid runner, hiker, gamer and app developer. He prides himself on constantly discovering new music in virtually any nameable genre, be it indie rock, electronica, or rap. He considers himself a futurist and free thinker. And he loves to hear from his readers!

    Read More From Jason Mick
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    • vernyce dannells

      the most important features of a tablet is stowability, access and toughness. often when riding the Megabus, i see better-endowed passengers enjoying the ride using their tab. would i had one!

    • Gerrith

      Sure, there are copies for Porsche, for Lamborgini and Mercedes too – any high class brand who gives you a reliable product and stile and like Apple: everything fits with every other divice in the Apple family.

      No Android or Microsoft copy has this ability. It’s definitely not part of the 2012 lifestyle – just a copy…. with fancy apps and screeming colors, bad taste – often awful design andnot reliable as Apple apps. Because of one reason: Android and the apps has to fit into a cheap noname bamboo cellphone /tablets and at the same time into the more sophisticated expensive smartphones /tablets totally different brands, with different and various parts, collected cheep today from one part of the world, tomorrow from another part of the world. This will never work smoothly like the iPad.
      Apple produces the hardware and the software – on size phone – one size Tablet and it fits together with all Apple devices without any drivers or extra cables or routers. iPad wireless with AppleTV on your TV or projector, with just one tip with your fingers. This is the difference that makes the difference…

      • dipo

        You have no idea what you are talking about. There are so many things wrong about your comments I don’t have time or patience to type it all out.

        • Gerrith

          It’s good to know you have an idea what i’m talking about. Do you have no time – no patience – or no good arguments? Nothing wrong here dipo.
          You know perhaps a little about the surface structure – very little about the structure underneath, otherwise you will agree.

          • Trollofthebridge

            trolling!

            • Gerrith

              Vet du egentlig hva trolling er eller er det bare præk?

              Using words from our country – about 1000th of years old friendly creatures – as long as you are friendly, they are in good mood – I hope you show respect… They are most active on Christmastime… watching you… ;-)

        • http://www.facebook.com/nathan.marsh.5872 Nathan Marsh

          Agreed. Paid Apple stooge. As for cheap components in other brands, LOL.

      • ecg0

        What you are describing is the way it has been (except for the Apple “beige” 1990′s, and even then compatibility was amazing) for decades. The Apple products continue to develop quality products on top of years of their successful designs, bringing forward the sleek products of today. If you want a Bang & Olufsen sound system, for example, you won’t buy another brand because it’s not the same thing. It’s not just a matter of aesthetics, but includes the quality of the entire experience for the life of the product. A few brands set the top standards, and everything else is compromise. Apple OSX (Unix) is always amazing and tough as nails, Windows is definitely a poor compromise, and Open Source OS’s are better compromises. “Aspire” is the best brand name I know for the also-rans.

        • Gerrith

          Agree ;-)
          Cheers

        • http://www.facebook.com/baleisen B Alan Eisen

          Iphones and ipads are NOT cutting edge. The only reason I would buy one is because there are no compatibility problems with them. Any Android product that cannot use GooglePlay should be taken off the American market. PERIOD!! GoogleMarket should be ordered to make their site compatable with generic Android specs. You should be able to figure out your compatabilty and but whatever apps work with it.

    • boosook

      I bet you simply have never used one of the latest android tablets.

      • ecg0

        Open Source is awesome.

      • http://www.facebook.com/nathan.marsh.5872 Nathan Marsh

        yeah. Lets see, Micro USB (USB peripheral support ie USB flash drives, hard discs, keyboard, mice) stereo speakers, 16:9 ratio, Micro SD slot, open source OS, cheaper. Just a few things that other tablets offer. Even on iphones, no microsd slot, no user replacable battery. For computers, PC 1/2 the price higher quality components, upgrade or replace parts. Better gaming experience.

        I see nothing in Apple’s line that is appealing. Mac Pro is similar to typical tower PC but several times the price. iphone? Too expensive. Other MP3 players? Want Rockbox support so no need for itunes. Imac? Not upgradeable. Maybe the Mac Mini if it stayed at £300 if it came with HD and memory. Would be a decent HTPC.

    • rick

      this is as bad as a political debate. either side is not going to give. the i-sheep will give any excuse for justification of buying apple products even though they are higher and lots of times give less for the money comparably. but the worst part is the snobbery and cult like mentality that i-sheep have. try this- replace in any sentence that i-sheep use with the name of any religion and see how scary this is. I got it-apple users are actually Scientologist . I am all for a brand if it outperforms others,I am a huge toyota and subaru fan for quality ,style and bargain reasons. most musicians know that the recording software pro tools works best with apple computers but other than that most people get them for the poser factor. just look at their commercials they never show how they are a better product than the competition ,just at how cool they look. the new samsung commercial showing the i-sheep waiting in line hit the nail on the head.

      • ecg0

        People do get very excited about their Apple products, because they deliver a completely unexpected high-quality experience compared with mundane products. You don’t have to buy one.

        • http://www.facebook.com/nathan.marsh.5872 Nathan Marsh

          Like to comment on maps on iphone 5? Or the purple haze? I do not have much interest in Apple, they always seem lacking. Alternative devices always seem to offer me what I want. Apple are just too stripped of features. Whenever I buy a product other makes just offer more for the money. Apple’s are just too locked in. One point, micro/mini USB is now the standard. But Apple have their own connector

          • Guest

            I only have to comment on MS Windows which has been a waste of money and time for many people for too manyu years. Never was finished. Choose and enjoy using whatever product you like. In many cases, the proprietary technology isn’t a problem, it is an advantage. There products have been around for a long time; lots of choices for everyone and there’s really no part being a “fan” for anyone anymore.

            • pukakidon

              You will still find the group addicts want to be liked by buying the i – the debacle with the i-maps is the thin edge of the slippery slope. The isheep will still keep buying the rubbish to be in the iN fad group

          • ecg0

            I wonder if you remember when everyone else was using big floppy disks and Apple introduced the (Sony) small format diskette? In many cases, the proprietary technology isn’t a problem, it is an advantage. That’s part of leading and developing a market. There were no tablet sales to speak of until Apple introduced iPad. Long list of innovations, and also some failed ideas. So what; they’ve been doing it for 30 years. As for USB, Apple is moving forward into no peripherals. Cloud is where it’s at. Anyway, I only have to comment on MS Windows which has been a waste of money and time for many people for too many years. How many times will people pay for an under-achieving product that’s never finished (well XP was pretty good). I would much rather use open source (linux, etc.) as an OS option. It’s very nice.

            My friend, choose and enjoy using whatever product you like. Computer products have been around for a long time; lots of choices for everyone and there’s really no point being a “fan” for anyone these days. If you like it, it’s alright.

          • Tim Navesky

            The Maps app may be a problem for people living or traveling in the areas affected, but I gotta say, I live in Phoenix, and I LOVE the maps app. I suspect the vast majority of users are having no problems with it.

        • Elliott

          I completely agree. Apple products are superb! I think the truth is people don’t want to pay their prices and buy a cheaper version of an iPad or iPhone and then fiercely defend their chosen product and slate Apple because deep down they know they’re missing out.

          • MichaelRWorthingon

            you can get a product that is less expensive (not “cheaper”) that performs just as well or better than the corresponding Apple product. That’s why the smart people like them. The Apple fanboys do not like to think…they would rather overpay for something that is decent and meet their needs. They are lazy uneducated consumers.

          • benny black

            apple products seem to be poorly made and usually clap out within one month of the warranty ending from my experience however the operating system is quite good ,they just need to make sturdier better hardware……..

      • http://www.facebook.com/baleisen B Alan Eisen

        This is because if you understand Windows you can outperform Apple crap. The days of needing Apple to get the best sound or video are LONG past. Where have you been?

      • http://twitter.com/JRZGRL609 Shea S.

        Nothing is as bad as a political debate…lol

        • Eulogy Jones

          yes, one thing is as futile…. the debate over guns…

    • Jenne

      I have a Nexus and I love it! I also have a Kindle and I also love that! My biggest problem with Apple is that they don’t allow outside development, which in turn stifles a lot of would be innovation IMO. I’m more than happy with my two android driven devices and would recommend them in a heart beat.

      • ecg0

        A lot of people make software and much of it is not worth using. That’s the point of quality-control. Each company presents its own standards and sometimes some things don’t make the cut. That’s why an Apple product runs nearly flawlessly. It’s great that there are so many good choices out there, however, for everyone, with every need. That really promotes the idea of something for everyone.

        • Anarcissie

          Apple products no longer run flawlessly. I don’t have a tablet, but I do have a Macbook Pro running OS X 10.6, and it crashes and hangs quite regularly. I bought it second-hand for the software; I would never buy an Apple product new after my experience with this laptop, and a similar predecessor. I don’t know where this story about flawless performance comes from. Of course it’s better than anything by Microsoft, but how much does that tell you?

          • dk504

            That you should always buy Aplle new. Having an Apple product straight out of the box is like nothing you will ever experience in tech ever. If you buy a 2 or 3 year program, while being expensive will be worth every penny IF something goes wrong. After 3 or 4 years you may be ready to move on but I still have my iMac Blueberry nd it still works fine. Along with a refurb iBook.

            Mac makes computers like no one else and buying 2nd hand doesn’t do it justice and isn’t fair to you.

          • benny black

            i bought a new macbook and had nothing but problems in the 1st year… display gone, optical drive gone, poorly made product indeed ! meanwhile my DELL desktop is going great 8 years later no problems

            • Anarcissie

              I get most of my work done on an old Dell (Vostro 220) running Ubuntu. Based on my experience with two MacBook Pros, I’d expect an Apple tablet to be expensive, flimsy and to have odd software problems. They sure have a great marketing department, though.

    • kedgimibadhi

      Let people buy what they believe is working good for them. No one can win in a debate like this one. Different people have got different tastes for anything and it is this kind of thing that makes the world balanced and good.

    • lindylou

      Interesting article. I recently got a smartphone, and wish that instead I had bought a new “dumb” phone plus a tablet. Granted I like the picture quality, but the tiny virtual keyboard is difficult to use, and some emails come through in microscopic type. I have played with an acer and actually enjoyed it. My husband wants an iPad, so I am trying to persuade him to something less expensive since he won’t use it that much after the “honeymoon” is over.

    • vcrancher

      I have had the 10.1″ Toshiba Excite since the first of the year. I chose it for many reasons, but the one thing it had at the time was a removable battery. All the other tablets are disposable when the battery dies, but not the Toshiba. You can even carry a spare battery for long flights.
      I am pleased with the Android system. I haven’t had any issues with the tablet and use it daily. Highly recommended.

    • Tom

      The Nexus is an awesome device. My brother surprised me with one for my birthday and I’ve been able to use it for all sorts of stuff. It doesn’t lag like the samsung galaxy tabs do (off the shelf no less, which is less than impressive)

      While there is no back camera, and the front camera is low end web-chat type camera- I really don’t mind. I don’t want to look like one of those silly Ipad people holding up a giant tablet to take photos with anyway :P

    • gene

      what is the most important feature? A great OS! Android ain’t it.

      • OurPrisonPlanet

        You sir are a retard… I do “like” iOS… I have an iPad… I love my iPad… But my Samsung Note 2 totally beats the ever living dog poo out of my iPad… The functionality is far superior to the iPad’s closed ecosystem in every way shape and form… I absolutely love the fact that I can hook my phone up to any tv around with a single cable and play my emulators with a wireless PS3 controller… I like the fact that I can bring up websites such as hulu and watch things without hulu plus subscription because of my modded Flash… I love hooking my phone up to my monitor at work and using a wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse to get work done… So until you actually pull your head outta your iAss and know what you’re talking about, please remove yourself from the pool there gene…

    • Happy Holidays

      Blackberry is cheap so it fills the bill.

    • http://www.tradesmenpro.co.uk/ TradesmenPro

      its time for the WINDOWS SURFACE

    • Danny

      Still waiting for a tablet the size of a piece of paper.

    • http://www.labstrikes.blogspot.com/ Sebin Jose

      I like these all, but once you go for an iPad 4 with A6 chip and retina display, you never back to android !!!

    • Mr. Tech

      Terrible article! Where are the Windows 8 tablets? Mocrosoft Suface should be on this list. Come on RO, if you need a tech writer that knows about tech let me know. ;)