Mid-range Tablet Comparison

Over the last year or so tablets have become the new gadgets that many people feel the need to acquire. While most people will not be able to find a use case solid enough to justify the purchase, they can definitely be a fun toy. For those that want to know their uses; tablets excel at web browsing, media playback and touch based gaming. With that said most people are not going to be willing to shell out $1000 for something that has (arguably) less functionality than a $600 laptop. 

I have compiled this quick comparison of mid-range tablets that are available right now in New Zealand so keep reading after the jump if you are interested.

Mid-range does not necessarily mean they are slower or less powerful than high-end tablets; only that they are cheaper and potentially missing some features of the more expensive tablets (3G for example). All Android tablets chosen are running at least Android 3.2 Honeycomb; any tablet running an earlier version is not worth your time. I have also included an iPad2 as it is currently the largest selling tablet worldwide and definitely the most successful so far.

	Acer Iconia A200	Toshiba's AT1S0
Screen Size	10.1” WXGA Widescreen	7” WXGA Widescreen
Storage	8GB (can be expanded with Micro SD)	16GB
Memory /RAM	1GB	1GB
TV Out?	DLNA Only	Yes Micro-HDMI
Weight	720g	399g
Network	WiFi only	WiFi only
Price	$450	$550
Where to  buy	Noel Leeming	Noel Leeming
Reviews	AndroidCentral	CNET

	Huawei MediaPad	Apple iPad2 16GB WiFi
Screen Size	7” WXGA Widescreen	10.1” Standard XGA screen
Storage	8GB (can be expanded with Micro SD)	16GB
Memory /RAM	1GB	512MB
TV Out?	Yes Mini HDMI	Yes with adapter or using AirPlay and AppleTV
Weight	390g	600g
Network	WiFi & 3G	WiFi Only
Price	$550	$630
Where to  buy	2Degrees	FirstIn
Reviews	AndroidMobile	Engadget

If you're wondering why I have not included the Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire it's merely because they are not readily available in New Zealand and so I do not feel combortable recommending either.

Unfortunately specificaions do not provide a clear enough picture to really recommend any one tablet over another so here are some recommendations depending on what your requirements are:

• If you want the cheapest good tablet possible and don’t mind holding a 10” device, get the Acer Iconia A200 as it is the cheapest of the lot
• If you want 3G and have small hands get the Huawei MediaPad  as it is only 7”, 390g and has 3G for a good price 
• If you prefer Apple products above all others then get the iPad2 

If in doubt then go check out the device instore and ask to have a go playing with it. In the end personal preference outweighs any specification or other person's opinion.

Let me know if there are any other comparable tablets that I've missed or even if you own one of these devices and can recommend it to others.