Tablets compared
Dozens of new tablet computers will be flooding stores in coming weeks. Here are five available now. From front: Dell Streak, Augen Gentouch 78, Maylong M-150 (left). Samsung Galaxy Tab and Apple iPad. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Price: $499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi, $629 for the 16 GB 3G
Size: 9.6 by 7.5 inches with a 9.7-inch (diagonal) screen
Battery life: 10 hours
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Processor speed: 1 GHz
Disk space/capacity: 16, 32 or 64 GB
Operating system: iOS
Number of apps: 250,000-plus
Camera: None
Internet connection: Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi plus 3G models
Touch-screen rating: 4 out of 5. Sensitive, bright. Resolution could be better.
Overall: Thumbs up
Impressions: The iPad is still the Cadillac of tablet computers, with its large screen, fast processor and elegant design. The device has attracted thousands of software developers, who are creating a huge stream of new applications -- but the so-called killer app for the iPad has yet to arrive, and until it does, it’s still not a must-have. -- David Sarno (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Price: $400 to $650
Size: 7.48†x 4.74†with a 7†(diagonal) screen
Battery life: 7 to 10 hours
Weight: 13.4 ounces
Processor speed: 1 GHz
Disk space/capacity: 2 GB built-in flash drive, with a microSD card slot
Operating system: Google Android 2.2 (Froyo)
Number of apps: 100,000-plus
Camera: 3.0 megapixel with an LED flash for photos and video on back, and 1.3 megapixel on the front for video chat
Internet connection: Wi-Fi and 3G
Touch-screen rating: 4.5. The LCD screen is responsive and looks great, though it’s not as sharp as the iPad or Samsung’s AMOLED screens found on the Galaxy S smart phones.
Overall: Thumbs up
First impression For users who think the iPad is too big and their smart phone is too small, the Galaxy Tab might be ideal. It’s about the size of a thin paperback book — making it a solid eReader. Its light weight makes it easy to carry around. But the smaller screen makes apps for e-mail and, at times, the Web browser, feel undersized when compared with the iPad.
-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Price: $299 with 2-year service contract, $549 without
Size: 3.1 by 6 inches with 5-inch (diagonal) screen
Battery life: Unpublished, but has removable battery
Weight: 7.7 ounces
Processor speed: 1 GHz
Disk space/capacity: 512 MB onboard, 32 GB with microSD card
Operating system: Google Android 1.6
Number of apps: 100,000-plus
Camera: Video camera in front, 5.0-megapixel camera with flash in back
Internet connection: Wi-Fi and 3G
Touch-screen rating: 4. Responsive. Impressive definition.
Overall: Thumbs up
Impressions: Dell’s Streak is a perfectly competent multifunctional touch-screen device that shoots good-quality pictures and video, allows voice and video chat and delivers a comfortable browsing experience. But it’s way too small to be considered a tablet. It’s more an outsize smart phone. -- Craig Howie (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Maylong M-150
Price: $99 at walgreens.com
Size: 7.5†x 4.6†with 7†(diagonal) screen
Battery life: About 3 hours
Weight: 13.5 ounces
Processor speed: 533 MHz
Disk space/capacity: 2 GB built-in flash drive, with a microSD card slot
Operating system: Google Android 1.6
Number of apps: 100,000-plus
Internet connection: Wi-Fi only
Camera: 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera for photos and video
Touch-screen rating: 2.5 out of 5. It’s not very bright, is low-resolution and is slow to respond. Stylus works better than fingers.
Overall: Maybe
First impression: The Maylong M-150 is the nicer of the two bargain-basement tablets we tested, but you get what you pay for. The screen reacts better with a stylus than a finger, but there is no slot for your stylus. And the overall unit feels like itÂ’s made with low-quality plastics, with buttons and a screen coating that doesnÂ’t quite fit right.
-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Price: $150 to $250, available at Kmart and Amazon.com
Size: 7.4 by 4.6 inches, 7-inch (diagonal) screen
Battery life: About 3 hours
Weight: 12.2 ounces
Processor speed: 800 MHz
Disk space/capacity: 2 GB built-in flash drive, with a microSD card slot
Operating system: Google Android 2.1
Number of apps: 100,000-plus
Camera: None
Internet connection: Wi-Fi only
Touch-screen rating: 1 out of 5. It’s not very bright, and the coating causes a lot of glare and makes everything look like it’s behind a gray haze. The device is also low-resolution and slow to respond.
Overall: Thumbs down
Impressions: I had hoped the Gentouch, with a faster processor than the Maylong tablet’s, would be faster, but it’s not. The touch screen may be the problem. It is slow to respond to touch and the picture is never bright enough to properly fight off glare. Outside, it’s almost unusable in the sun. This, like the Maylong tablet, feels like an unfinished product. -- Nathan Olivarez-Giles (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
