Best Tablets for Business Travelers

The laptop is dead. Long live the tablet.

When the iPad was first unveiled, in January 2010, consumers fell in love. And the electronics industry retooled to get in on the tablet game. Since then, more than a hundred of the devices have entered the market, to the point where keeping track of the parade of tablets coming out is close to impossible.

That said, no matter how many new devices hit the street, they all remain locked in competition with the elephant in the office: the Apple iPad series, which by some estimates retains a nearly 70 percent share of the tablet market. The iPad remains the juggernaut to beat in this business, and its dominance ensures that by the time the new year rolls around, only a handful of those 80 tablets will still be alive and kicking.

On the other hand, the iPad can't (and doesn't) do everything, and for many users it?s not the end-all, be-all of technology. After all, the iPhone is now getting clobbered by Android handsets, and Google's mobile OS is finally starting to take tablets seriously. The iPad may not have great competition yet, but it's coming.

That's actually good news if you haven't bought a tablet yet (and most of you haven't). But how do you decide which one is right for you? The major decisions are pretty easy: Which OS do you prefer: Apple, Android or something else?

Next, how big do you want the screen to be? The difference between a 10-inch screen and a 7-inch screen may sound minimal, but a slim Samsung Galaxy will slip into your coat pocket. On the other hand, the twin-screened Acer Iconia will require a bag or a briefcase.

Finally, which features do you need? Many of the newer tablets seem to come with cameras, ports to connect to a TV and 4G wireless capabilities. Some offer a stylus for more detailed art needs. Others double as fancy TV remote controls.

Here are seven tablets either out now or coming soon. Don't like what you see? Hang out a couple of months and you'll find a new crop to choose from.

Courtesy of Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad U1/LePad

One catch with tablets: When you need to do serious work, tapping on a touchscreen just doesn't cut it. Most of us still need Windows or a Mac-something with a real keyboard-and that ultimately means carrying two devices. Lenovo's solution: a Windows laptop that converts into a tablet. Flip a switch, and the 10.1-inch LePad pops out of its case, converting instantly into an Android slate. Lenovo has been working on this concept for well over a year now, and it finally looks close to finished. LePad has started shipping in China and should be here soon.

About $1,200, lenovo.com

Apple iPad 2

Just announced by Steve Jobs in March, the new iPad fixes most of the complaints that users of the original model have had, but it keeps the same screen size (9.7 inches), battery life and pricing as before. Key enhancements include dual cameras (for photos and videoconferencing), a faster CPU and massively better graphics performance, making high-definition video output to your TV a possibility. Just 8.8 millimeters thick-much slimmer than the original iPad-the device is now available in your choice of black or white.

Starts at $499, apple.com

Vizio Tablet with Vizio Internet Apps

Say you came out of nowhere to create one of the most successful TV brands in the world in a matter of years. What do you do for your second act? Jump into the tablet fray, of course. TV maker Vizio has built an Android tablet (available mid-2011) with all the bells and whistles, plus a twist: It will work as a universal TV remote control out of the box. That makes sense-your tablet is already on the coffee table, so why not give it some breathing room by clearing out a few of those remotes?

$269, vizio.com

BlackBerry RIM PlayBook

The tablet market is shaping up as a race between Apple and Android, but one dark horse could change the game considerably: BlackBerry. With the PlayBook, RIM is looking to enhance the lives of BlackBerry users who've been sitting out the tablet dance for far too long. CES demonstrations of the seven-inch device were startling, showing how the PlayBook can play high-definition video and motion-sensitive video games-at the same time. Fully featured with videoconferencing, Flash and integrated BlackBerry Server support, the PlayBook is due to launch on the Sprint network this summer.

Prices start at $330, us.blackberry.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Only one gadget to date can make the claim of being a "true iPad competitor," and that's the Samsung Galaxy. With a million units sold in its first 45 days on the market, the Galaxy isn't quite at iPad levels (an estimated 13 million sold), but it has momentum-and, better yet, it's a really nice gadget. Running Android on a seven-inch screen and weighing in at less than a pound, this tablet is more portable than the iPad and as familiar as a smartphone, including a camera with flash, a gorgeous display and full Flash support for your FarmVille fix.

$300 plus monthly service fees, galaxytab.samsungmobile.com

Motorola Xoom

The catch with the Galaxy Tab is that it runs on the Sprint network, which many find unsatisfactory. Motorola's Xoom, one of the most talked-about products at CES 2011, is Verizon all the way. It was one of the first tablets on the market with Android 3.0, a key upgrade to the OS that will make the phone-centric system more suitable for tablets. At 10.1 inches, the Xoom comes closer to iPad size, with dual cameras, Flash, and HDMI output. There's even a barometer built in.

$500-800, depending on contract, motorola.com

Courtesy of Acer

Acer Iconia

If any company has found itself left out of the tablet buzz, it's Microsoft. Windows-based tablets went bust in 2010 after HP refused to market the slate it built, and few manufacturers have taken the plunge since then, citing the expense of Windows software and the hardware innards needed to make it run. Acer's Iconia isn't one tablet, it's two: It looks like a laptop, but when you flip it open, you get two 14-inch touchscreen displays (no keyboard!) and Windows 7 under the hood. Bring your checkbook.

$1200, acer.com/iconia