Cheap Tablets

Less than two years after Apple ushered in an entirely new product category, more than two dozen manufacturers have entered the tablet market. Familiar names such as Samsung, Dell, and HP, as well as lesser-known companies such as Archos, Velocity Micro, and Coby, have turned out cheap tablets for less than $400.

Shopping for a cheap tablet is a bit like shopping for a smartphone. Tablet technology is similar to smartphone technology, just on a larger scale. Most cheap tablets run apps via some version of Google's Android operating system -- sometimes the same one you might find on an Android smartphone, such as Android 2.2. Others run the newer Android 3.0, which is designed specifically for tablets. You want a tablet with a large, good-looking, responsive touchscreen. Processing power is critical as well. The faster the CPU, the faster your apps will open and the smoother your tablet will run.

Despite the similarities, the best cheap tablets are not just supersize smartphones. Nor are they simply souped-up ebook readers (although of course you can read books on them). When it comes to web surfing and multimedia, tablets run circles around those devices. Most tablets have high-definition screens for video and photos. Look for a cheap tablet with a fairly large amount of memory to store those media files.

Tablets vary in size but usually have displays between 7 and 10 inches. Naturally, larger tablets are better for web surfing and watching videos, while smaller tablets are more portable. Tablets usually don't have a lot of ports or connection features. You may find a USB port in addition to HDMI and headphone ports, but don't expect much more than that. Any cheap tablet you buy should support Wi-Fi and perhaps Bluetooth as well. Some versions also support 3G connections, but they tend to be more expensive, and you have to pay your cellphone provider for 3G service.

The tablets category is a volatile one. There's the Apple iPad 2 (starting at $499, Amazon), and then there's everything else. Other manufacturers are fighting for even a respectable 2nd-place finish. HP's tablet, the TouchPad, was discontinued within two months of its release. Sprint stopped selling a 3G version of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, although BlackBerry continues to sell the device.

The good news is you don't have to spend iPad 2 money to get a high-quality tablet. The best cheap tablets on our list are also the newest: the much-anticipated Amazon Kindle Fire (starting at $200, Amazon) and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet (starting at $249, Amazon). The bookselling giants' entrees into the tablet market have largely impressed expert reviewers with their level of performance for the price. Two other good choices, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 (starting at $380, Amazon) and Acer Iconia Tab A500 (starting at $380, Amazon), outdo the other cheap tablets we found in terms of hardware, boasting the latest Android operating systems, lightning-quick processors, and 10.1-inch screens. The cheapest models, the Coby Kyros MID7015 (starting at $135, Amazon) and E Fun Nextbook Next3 (starting at $160, Amazon), have slower processors, less advanced operating systems and touchscreens, and much less internal memory, making it worth it to shell out a bit more for a better model.