Everyone vs iPad

Apple's iPad has been an amazing success since its release in April, 2010. Apple seems to have caught all the competition by surprise and had a good year head start on other companies, selling millions of iPads before most of the competition even had a prototype to show. One year after the announcement of the iPad, the rest of the industry is finally coming on strong, and they all want a piece of this lucrative market. The competition is heating up, and it's everyone vs iPad!

Which tablet will you choose to carry in 2012, the iPad or one of the many competitors? Here's a look at some of the current and upcoming competition, organized by operating system.

Android Tablets

Following on the heals of Android's runaway success with smartphones, this Google backed open source operating system was quickly picked up by Apple's competition and customized for tablets. Google made Android version 3.0 specifically for tablets, adjusting the user interface for the larger screens and different expectations of tablet users.  In 2012, Google is releasing version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) that combines the tablet and phone versions of Android. Companies such as Samsung, Dell, Toshiba, Viewsonic and Archos have jumped on the Android tablet bandwagon (some didn't even wait for the official Android 3.0 release, using older versions of Android on their tablets, against Google's wishes). Amazon has also made their own version of Android for their Kindle Fire tablet.

The list of currently available and upcoming Android based tablets is growing every day. They range from very inexpensive options from companies like Coby to high-end luxury models by the likes of Samsung. This is certainly the OS to keep your eye on this year!

Windows Slate PCs

Microsoft has been pushing the idea of tablet PCs ever since Bill Gates introduced the idea in 2001. While the company has been somewhat successful with selling tablets to some businesses, it has never seen the wide consumer success that Apple has with the iPad. Not wanting to be left out of the party that they started, Microsoft announced the idea of Windows Slate PC in 2010, just days before Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPad. It has taken more than a year for the first Slate PCs to start hitting the market, but we can expect a lot of new releases in the coming year especially with the release of Windows 8.

If you need a full Windows operating system on your portable device, then the Slate is what you need. This is especially useful if you need to use custom applications for work, or even programs like Microsoft Office or Photoshop. Running traditional full-power applications is where Slate PCs really shine. The Asus Eee Slate is one of the most promising looking slates to come to market, see how it compares with the iPad.

WebOS Tablets

HP bought Palm in 2010, and one of the reasons for the purchase was to acquire Palm's WebOS. Palm had used WebOS on their newest smart phones with limited commercial success, but the OS has a large fan base and is well respected in the tech community. HP released the TouchPad in 2011 and it wasn't the retail success that they had hoped for. HP is in the process of open-sourcing WebOS, so it's possible that other manufacturers will pick up the OS in the futre. WebOS looks like it still has a promising future; keep your eyes open for more tablets in 2012!

Ubuntu Tablets

The most popular desktop Linux distribution looks like it will soon be appearing on tablets as well. Rumors around the web are pointing to tablet prototypes from China sporting the Ubuntu OS. This is a very exciting prospect, as it would provide a full-featured Linux OS in a tablet form factor (much like Windows on a Slate PC). Lets hope that we'll see these Ubuntu tablets on the market in 2012!

Meego Tablets

Another future Linux based tablet OS that we can expect to see this year comes from Nokia and Intel. MeeGo is a joint project by the two companies to create an open source Linux OS for netbooks, tablets, smartphones and even cars. There has been a lot of hype around MeeGo and Nokia has a solid history of shipping Linux based Internet tablets (like the Maemo based N770, N800 and N900). While MeeGo could theoretically provide good competition to the iPad, there is simply a lack of MeeGo tablets on the market. For now, all we can do is hope that MeeGo tablets will start shipping sometime soon.

Tablet combinations