Wait! Stop. Before you hand over Apple your credit card and pre-order the iPad, you may want to check out the other touchscreen options available now and in the near future. The iPad isn’t the only game in town. Sure, it might have a fancy-pants interface, but each of the follow seven tablets win the hardware fight, which is just as important to a lot of consumers.
Of course the hardware only tells part of the story. The iPad has a leg up on all of these options because of the user-friendly iPhone interface, but it’s not like you’re dropping $600+ on a tablet for your parents, right?
Currently available
ModBook
The ModBook is the original Apple Tablet — besides the Newton of course. Except it’s not made by Apple proper, but rather Axiotron who has been making them since 2007. Prices start out at $899, but customers have to provide a pre-polycarbonate unibody Macbook making the total price closer to $2,000.
Advantages over the iPad
Full OS X
Multitasking
Flash support
Built-in camera
Built-in optical drive
13.3-inch screen
120GB hard drive
Windows compatibility
DisadvantagesNo 3G modem
No multitouch
No access to the App Store
Viliv X70
Viliv came out of nowhere last year — South Korea actually — and introduced a round of sleek portables with the X70 heading up the tablets. This widescreen 7-inch tablet has nearly every piece of hardware missing from the iPad. Prices start out at $597.
Advantages over the iPad
Windows
Flash support
Multitasking
Unlocked 3G GSM modem
GPS
SD card slot
Camera
USB slot
Haptic-feedback touchscreen
Video out
128GB SSD
Disadvantages
No multitouch
No access to the App Store
Only a 7-inch screen
Archos 9 PC tablet
Archos has been a major player in the MID market since it started. The Archos 9 PC Tablet is the company’s largest slate device to date. It also proves that Apple isn’t the only one to out beautiful looking devices. Prices start out at $549.
Advantages over the iPad
Windows 7
Flash Support
Multitasking
Two USB slots
SD Card slot
Webcam
A kick stand
Optical trackpad nub
Disadvantages
No multitouch
No access to the App Store
Upcoming
Viliv S10 Blade
The S10 Blade is Viliv’s first product of 2010, and it’s a looker. It has a 10-inch multitouch touchscreen in a convertible notebook setup that’s not much thicker than the iPad. The Viliv S10 is shipping soon at a starting price of $699. (We just got our review sample yesterday so look out for a hands-on shortly)
Advantages over the iPad
Windows 7
Multitasking
Flash support
Unlocked 3G modem
Webcam
2 USB ports
SD card slot
Video out
Disadvantages
No access to the App Store
Notion Ink Adam
Advantages
Android
Multitasking
Nvidia Tegra 2 platform
10-inch Dual-mode display (full color to ePaper)
Rear-facing trackpad
USB and HDMI ports
Unlocked 3G modem
Tie
Android Market to Apple’s App Store
Multitouch
HP Slate
We joked that CES 2010 would be full of tablet computers. It wasn’t and only a few major players like HP and Dell showed off prototypes. Both take a totally different approach too as the HP Slate (the unofficial name, btw) opts for a Windows with full flash support. It should hit the market this year at a rumored price of between $500-$600.
Advantages
Windows 7
Multitasking
Flash support
Camera
USB ports
Disadvantages
No access to the App Store
No 3G modem (at least not yet)
Dell Streak
While HP decided to go with Windows, the 5-inch Dell Streak uses Android. The 5-inch Streak is clearly meant for a different market than the 9.7-inch iPad, but it’s also possible that we’ll see a larger version sometime soon, too. At least we hope we do.
Advantages
Android
Multitasking
Front and rear facing cameras
USB ports
Dual microSD slots
Rumored unlocked 3G modem
Tie
Android Market for the App Store
Neither support Flash
Disadvantages
Smaller screen
No 3G modem
Source: Crunchgear
:: 
:: 
::