Best New Tablets for the Money 2012

For those that need a tablet for business purposes, the Galaxy Tab is a fantastic choice. It's very comparable to the Ipad 2, but slightly less expensive. If you're already using an Android phone, using this tablet will enable you to sync with your phone so you don't have to re-download all your apps and programs.

This tablet makes a great laptop replacement for those who need something super portable. While the 30-pin connector port makes things a little more difficult to transfer via cable or card, it doesn't seem to pose much of a problem. To me, it is a lot easier to transfer files via Wi-Fi and not fumbling around with micro SD cards.

The Samsung Galaxy Tablet's 10.1" widescreen display is impressive and boasts 149 pixels per inch resolution. At approximately 1.2 pounds it is lightweight and easy to hold. Users will love its strong, sturdy feel, which is surprising because it is so thin! The touch screen is easy to use and has just the right amount of sensitivity.

The Honeycomb operating system doesn't leave a very big footprint, so you have more room for storage. One of the best things about the Android/Honeycomb operating system is that it allows you to customize your tablet. You can add widgets, pick new browsers, add your own wallpaper, truly make it your own and to your own tastes. There is a lot more freedom on the Honeycomb than there is on the Ipad 2.

With two cameras, one in the front and one in the back, you can take HD video, 3MP stills or video chat with friends and family. The widescreen ratio of the Galaxy enables you to easily watch movies without all the wasted space at the top and bottom. This means the picture is larger and easier to see. The resolution is also quite high: 1280x800. This all means that you'll get a crisp, HD quality on your tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab (10.1-Inch, 16GB, Wi-Fi)

Amazon Price: Too low to display  

Apple's Ipad has long been the world's most popular tablet. The Kindle Fire is about to give it a run for its money. With a low $199 price tag, most families will be able to afford this amazing tablet. It is very comparable to an Ipad 2; the Fire is only missing a few of the less frequently used functions.

Screen

The Kindle Fire is smaller than the Ipad 2. The Fire's touch screen is 7" compared to the Ipad's 9.7". Many people prefer the Fire as the smaller size makes it more portable and easier to hold in one hand. Also in its favor is the screen resolution. At 169 pixels per inch compared to the Ipad's 132, the Fire gives you a much clearer picture and sharper image.

Storage

The Fire's storage capacity is 8GB compared to the Ipad's 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. Amazon deals with this by giving you 5GB of free storage on their Cloud servers. If you need more space, you can buy extra storage plans that work out to $1 per GB per year. On the Cloud you can store books, movies, pictures, mp3's, etc and access them from your Fire or any other computer with Internet connection. This is a very cheap way to back up some of your most important files.

What about Applications?

Also important to note is the difference in available apps. The Fire can use apps from the Amazon market. There are approximately 15,000 apps available. However, the Ipad 2 has over 90,000 apps available from the Apple store. The most popular apps like Hulu+, Netflix, ESPN ScoreCenter are available on the Fire. Also available are fun games like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies. If you don't use too many apps or only use the most popular ones, the Kindle Fire would be perfect for you and cost $300 less than the Ipad 2. There is some speculation that with the release and popularity of the Fire, more developers will be releasing apps onto the Amazon market, so watch for an increase in available apps.

Camera

Lastly, there is no camera available on the Kindle Fire like there is on the Ipad 2. This means no video chatting and no picture taking. If this is not a feature you need, you can easily get by without it. Some people don't need it and saving $300 is worth it to them.

iPad 2 and Kindle Fire Similarities

Those are the ways in which the Apple Ipad 2 beats out the Kindle Fire. Now lets talk about ways they are equal. They are both backlit like a regular computer. The Fire differs from the other Kindles in this manner. This could potentially strain your eyes if you are staring at the Fire or Ipad 2 for extended periods of time.

They both have a fast, dual core processor. They both have Wi-Fi capabilities and can quickly browse the web. There is an option to buy an Ipad 2 that is 3G capable, but it is going to add an additional $130 to the price. The battery on the Fire can last about 8 hours; the battery on the Ipad 2 can last about 7.5 hours. They both do a great job playing movies and mp3's. While the screen resolution on the Fire is better, that's not to say that the resolution on the Ipad 2 is bad. With a Kindle app available on Ipads, downloading books from Amazon is quick and easy for both tablets. Apple is now offering iCloud, which is practically the same thing as Amazon's Cloud. It lets you store your movies, mp3's, pictures, word documents, etc on Apple's server. They also give you 5GB of free storage. However, if you would like to purchase more storage, it works out to $2 per GB per year.

Overall

In conclusion, if you're looking for a tablet that will let you use media (streaming videos, books, movies, music, word documents, etc) plus some fun games and apps, the Kindle will be perfect for you. Its low cost makes it easily accessible and fun for the whole family to use. The Ipad 2 has a few extra functions that make it a smaller computer; only you can decide if it's worth the $300+. If you need apps that are only available on the Apple store or if you need a more portable computer and you can afford the higher price, the Ipad 2 is probably a better choice for you.

This amazing tablet operates on Android's user-friendly Honeycomb OS. The interface offers 5 customizable home screens, a virtual keyboard, voice commands, and pinch to zoom.

It offers Google Maps, Mail, Talk and YouTube. You can play music, watch videos, take pictures, surf the web-all things you can do on most tablets.

What makes this tablet special? Well for starters, the Honeycomb operating system is not only customizable, but offers you so much freedom. You don't have to do everything through iTunes. You can transfer what you want. The mini USB port can plug you're your computer and the tablet acts like a hard drive; just move your files where you want them. You can pick your preferred programs by downloading certain apps. Widgets and personalized wallpaper make your tablet "space" your own.

With a 10.1" wide screen, this tablet allows a better movie watching experience than the Ipad 2. On the Ipad, the ratio is more like a TV screen, so any widescreen movie you watch will be smaller. The weight of the Xoom is 730 grams, which is a little heavier than the Ipad 2, but it's not noticeable unless you try to hold it in one hand for an extended period of time. The battery can get 8-9 hours of heavy use. The Ipad 2 gets about 10.

The Xoom has an easy to use multitasking feature. With the touch of a button you can see the five most recently used apps and can switch back and forth. The Chrome browser allows you to have multiple tabs open in one window. You can also search directly from the address bar. Searching the web is fast and straightforward.

For those who like the size and portability of the Kindle Fire but would prefer a customizable interface and access to the Android App market, this tablet is the perfect fit.

You can easily fit this tablet into your purse, you can use it for all your media needs: music, videos, ebooks, etc. The Honeycomb operating system lets you add widgets, customize your wallpaper, move folders and apps and choose your own function apps. For example, if you don't like the browser app that comes standard, you can easily download another.

This tablet has 8GB of hard drive space like the Fire. Unlike the Fire, you can get up to 32 more gigs with a micro SD card. Use as many of these cards as you like and you don't have to pay for extra storage space every year.

The cameras on this tablet are quite impressive. The rear camera boasts a 5MP auto focus camera with LED flash. The front camera boasts 2MP for clear video chats.

It has a 1ghz dual core processor and 512mb of ram, making it a very fast and very responsive tablet. It is competitively priced; more affordable than the bigger, fancier tablets, but it really gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

There are only a few downsides to this tablet. First, the battery doesn't seem to last very long with high usage-approximately five hours. Second, there is no kickstand. Besides that, this tablet is worth every penny.