The best...tablets

iPad 2

Apple’s iPad is still “the clear standout” among tablets, with its vast app catalog helping to protect against imminent challenges. Apple’s updated edition now has two cameras. But it still doesn’t support Flash.

$500, apple.com

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Source: PCMag.com

T-Mobile G-Slate

This tablet is “currently the best option” for any­one who insists on a machine that uses Google’s Android operating system. It supports 4G data service and also features “out-of-the-box” streaming TV.

$750, t-mobile.com

Source: CNet.com

Iconia Tab a500

Price makes Acer’s tablet a major player. Android is not yet as good as the iPad’s operating system, but because the Iconia Tab has a USB port and microSD Card slot, it’s very close to making laptops obsolete.

$450, bestbuy.com

Source: PC World

BlackBerry Playbook

This “handsome” device for now is best suited to “dedicated BlackBerry owners” only. Until software patches are provided this summer, it needs to be attached to a BlackBerry phone even to run an e-mail app.

$500, us.blackberry.com

Source: Wall Street Journal

Motorola Xoom

The first tablet to run Android 3.0, or Honeycomb, “was pushed out of the nest too soon”: 4G service is still a pledge, not a reality. When the price drops, Xoom will be easier to appreciate for its overall speed.

$800, motorola.com

Source: ZDNet.com