As manufacturers rush to capitalize on the attention given to the Apple iPad, there seems to be a new tablet announced every week. And though we can't keep track of every slate thrown into the wild, if you're curious to know what your options are, we've compiled a general overview of the tablet landscape.
iPad
In the world of tablets, the iPad reigns as king. The product has its detractors, sure, but you can't dispute the millions of iPads consumers have purchased and the startling rate of adoption--selling more than a million within the first month of release.
The iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch all run a common operating system called iOS, lending a degree of familiarity across Apple's most popular products. The iPad's ease of use, along with its impressive selection of apps, games, and media, are generally considered its most prized attributes.
Read CNET's full review of the Apple iPad 2.
Android tablets
Tablet's running Google's Android operating system come in all sizes and price points, available from dozens of manufacturers. If the iPad's size, price, or capabilities don't quite fit your needs, Android tablets offer the widest range of alternatives.
See CNET's list of top Android tablets.
Windows tablets
Tablets running Microsoft's Windows software have been available since the 1990s and continue to improve and evolve. In the spectrum of products that fill the gap between smartphones and laptops, Windows-based tablets (also known as PC tablets) are about as close to a laptop experience as you can get. Models known as "convertibles" further blur the line between laptop and tablet by offering physical keyboards that either flip behind the touch screen or slide out--essentially converting from tablet to laptop as needed.
Windows 8, due in 2012, promises a number of features and optimizations that will potentially make it more suitable for use on tablets. Consumer availability of these tablets is still a ways off, though.
See CNET reviews for Windows tablets and convertibles.
Other tablets
Though the majority of tablet hardware manufacturers are running Android or Windows on their devices, some companies are looking to emulate Apple's successful top-down approach: building both the hardware and the operating system from scratch.
In 2011, the two most prominent examples of this are the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook and HP's WebOS-based TouchPad tablet. Rogue products like these may turn out to be key players in the future, but so far this approach has not worked well. In HP's case, the company discontinued the TouchPad only 42 days after it launched.
Even at their best, offerings like these will need time to catch up to the app, game, and media selection available from the competition.
E-book readers
Dedicated e-book readers were once prized for their simplicity and straightforward, single-purpose design. Generally, they used e-ink on high-contrast black-and-white displays with screen sizes of 5 to 10 inches.
There is a growing trend of inexpensive Android tablets being marketed as e-book readers. These devices include some or all of the functions of a traditional e-book reader, but can be used for a much broader range of purposes, such as Web browsing, e-mail, and video playback.
That said, traditional e-readers typically include niceties such as free 3G e-book store access and the e-ink screens, which many readers find to be easier on the eyes for long reading sessions. E-book readers of every type represent a growing segment of the tablet world, especially for frugal consumers shopping in the sub-$200 price range.
Examples: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook Color, Sony Reader
See CNET's top e-book readers | See latest e-book reader reviews
