A slate of alternatives

The iPad dominates the market but there might be a better tablet waiting for you.

Apple recently released the third version of the iPad and sold millions the first three days. But is it the best tablet available? While the iPad does many things well, there are other tablets that can perform similar tasks and some can do them better.

The first iPad was released in 2010, and since then companies like Asus and Amazon have been trying to take some of the 57 percent market share that Apple commands.

Amazon introduced the first Kindle in 2007 and it has become one of the best e-readers available. Last year it unveiled the Kindle Fire, which combines features from a tablet and a Kindle. It has a 7-inch screen, access to all of Amazon’s online services including books, music, TV shows and movies and can download apps from the Android Market.

It seems impossible to find such a quality tablet for the low price of $199, which is why it is has become popular.

The third-generation iPad received internal upgrades from the iPad 2, as well as a new retina screen similar to those in the iPhone 4 and 4S. The screen is 9.7 inches and has a million more pixels than a HDTV, which produces the best images you can see. Also added were new cameras and a new graphics processor for games.

Unfortunately, with all the added internal parts, it has gained a little weight and has become thicker. The hefty price tag also stuck, which puts the price at $499 and up.

Asus released the 10.1-inch screen Transformer Prime last year, which has cameras on the front and back and a quad-core processor.

It features better graphics compared to the others, eight more hours of battery life than on the iPad, and provides superior overall performance when using any app. It also runs the most recent version of Android, giving it a fresh new look and tons of other features. The Transformer Prime costs the same as the least expensive iPad.

These three tablets are the only ones worth considering right now.

If you are looking for something easy to carry that will keep you connected, Kindle Fire is for you.

If you want a tablet that has a great screen, decent cameras and great apps for all different uses, and something that everyone knows is cool, then the iPad is for you.

The Transformer Prime is going to be the best option for those who want performance out of their tablet. With console-quality games like Grand Theft Auto III, access to hundreds of thousands of apps, the ability to turn it into a laptop, great cameras and a super fast processor, it can’t be beat.

COMPARING PRICES:

Apple’s iPad is easily the most dominant tablet in the market, and is also one of the more expensive at $499.
The Transformer Prime has the best graphics and eight more hours of battery capacity than the iPad at $399.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire delivers most of what a more expensive tablet does. It is also the least expensive at $199.