Top 5 tablets from CES 2011

The Consumer Electronics Show, held every January in Las Vegas, was chock full of exciting offerings this year, and it seems certain that 2011 will see the market dominated by the tablet PC. With this in mind, we wanted to bring you the five most promising tablets, which will be vying for your hard-earned cash when they hit the shops, so that you know you're purchasing the right gadget.

Motorola Xoom
Motorola's Xoom is definitely up there as one of the most anticipated gadgets of the year, as it will be the device on which Google début the next generation of its Android operating system, version 3.0, also known as Honeycomb. It's other impressive features include a 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1Gb of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of 720P video capture with flash and digital zoom, the 2-megapixel front facing camera for all your video conferencing requirements, a 1280x800 resolution screen, HDMI out, plus Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction. The on screen keyboard is nice and responsive, but should you require it, a hard keyboard, connectible via Wi-Fi, will also be available. The Xoom is expected to hit the European Market in Q2.

BlackBerry Playbook
The BlackBerry Playbook is Canadian mobile giant RIM's inaugural entry onto the tablet scene, and it's an impressive one at that. One of the smallest of any tablets on show, it's 7.1-inch screen is by no means a compromise, with its rich 1080P display and hugely impressive specs, including a 1GHz Ti-OMAP dual-core processor and 1GB RAM. The Playbook will be running RIM's new QNX Neutrino based operating system, which has been generating some very positive press in the run up to the show. We've been told to anticipate an early 2011 release.

Dell Streak 7
The Dell Streak 7 is the newest iteration of Dell's stake in the tablet market, and they've certainly upped their game with this latest device. The screen size has been increased to 7-inches and is now fronted with Gorilla Glass. Word at the conference was that it has one of the most responsive touchscreens of all the tablets shown. The Streak 7 also features a 5-megapixel rear camera, and another 1.3-megapixel one on the front, and is poised to received 4G connectivity when it's rolled out in the UK. As yet, there is no confirmed release date for the UK, but with a Streak 10 also in the works, we predict it'll surface sometime in Q2 or 3.

Lenovo Ideapad U1
Lenovo is hoping to combine the tablet with the netbook by releasing the first hybrid, the Ideapad. At first sight it looks like an ordinary netbook, with an 11.6-inch display and hard keyboard. But upon further inspection, it's possible to remove the screen from the case and use it, via Wi-Fi or 3G, as an Android tablet! The tablet features built in speakers and headphone jack, and the battery life claims up to 5 hours of video playback. The only downsides are that it's not expected to be released in the UK until the end of 2011 and could sport a price tag of around the £1000 mark, though this is by no means set in stone.

Asus EEE Slate
If it's performance you're after, then look no further than the Asus EEE Slate. Undoubtedly the most powerful tablet to hit the shops this year, the Slate combines an Intel Core i5 running at 2.53GHz with an almost excessive 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, then the 12.1-inch IPS LCD panel screen (using the same technology as the iPad) mini HDMI out for viewing 1080P video, digitiser pen and 10-finger multi-touch support should prove that the Slate promises to be so much more than your average tablet. The only slight negative is that Asus have packed in so much tech that the Slate weighs-in at a whopping 1.1kg, almost double the weight of the iPad.

Honourable Mention
Apple iPad 2. We couldn't tell you about upcoming tablets without tipping a nod to the iPad 2. Although we probably won't know more until the Mobile World Conference in February, the buzz about Apple's update to the iPad, the tablet that started current the craze, is building already. The rumours suggest that we can expect twin cameras, Micro USB and SD Card slots, Retina Display, a faster processor and more memory. The word on the street suggests that we'll see a release as early as April 2011, which will make the middle of the year very interesting for the tablet world.