Consumer Reports' latest tests of the 10 most-promising tablet computers have reportedly given top ratings to the Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and 3G. This is despite many competing products being pitted against the Apple iPad, which is seen to have enjoyed a significant share of the tablet computers market over the past year. The full report by Consumer Reports including ratings of tablets is available at www.ConsumerReports.org.
In Consumer Reports lab tests, the Motorola Xoom revealed itself as the iPad 2's chief rival. Like the iPad 2, the Xoom boasts a 10-inch screen but adds conveniences that the iPad is said to lack, including a built-in memory card reader and support for the Flash videos and animations found on many websites.
Consumer Reports tested tablets from Archos, Dell, Motorola, Samsung and ViewSonic, as well as several models from Apple. Each tablet was evaluated on 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare and ease of use, and testers found several models that outperformed the rest. The Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi plus 3G (32G), priced at $730, topped the ratings, scoring Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad, at $580, also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom, priced at $800.
The largest gap in performance among the 10 tested tablets was evident in Consumer Reports' battery-life test, measured by playing the same video clip continually on each tablet and timing how long it played until the battery ran out.
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