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Android tablets have definitely been one of the major talking points at this year's IFA. The Samsung Tab may have been one of the headlines of the event, but that shouldn't take away from other vendors such as Elonex who are also offering new tablets at competitive price points.

The Elonex eTouch will cost 150 Euros or 199 Euros for the 7-inch and 10-inch variants respectively – there's a resistive touchscreen.

However, we have to say that Elonex has been somewhat unimaginative when it comes to design – it's a dead ringer for Apple's famous tablet. The 10-inch eTouch weighs 695g – just 15g more than the iPad.

Here the 7-inch (top) and 10-inch eTouch tablets are housed in keyboard dock accessories - there's a USB port to connect up such peripherals.

The 10-inch model is most of interest – it's sporting Android 2.1 and runs on a speedy 1GHz LNX ARM processor. That's clocked considerably higher than Viewsonic's ViewPad7 we saw the other day.

There's 2GB of on board stortage and 256MB of memory, Wi-Fi plus a micro SD slot. There's also a G Sensor for orientation.

We dropped by Viewsonic's IFA stand to have a look at the company's new ViewPad 100, announced this morning and teased before the show.

It's a 10-inch tablet with dual-boot, so you can switch between Windows 7 Home Premium and Android 1.6.

Viewsonic uses Android 2.2 on the new Viewsonic ViewPad7, but newer versions of Android aren't (officially) supported by Intel's Atom processor – this unit uses a 1.66GHz N455 variant.

• Hands on: Viewsonic ViewPad7 review

The dual-boot user experience isn't yet that refined – you need to log right out of Windows or Android to get to this basic OS-boot menu.

Derek Wright, Viewsonic's European product marketing manager said that the company was working to polish this experience up and possibly provide fast switching between both operating systems.

The tablet has a good complement of ports, with US and mini VGA and a SIM slot – though there will be no 3G version to start with. Micro SD means you can add to the existing 16GB SSD with up to 32GB of extra strorage. There's also a 1.3 megapixel webcam on the front.

As you'd expect there are built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections as well as a 'G' Sensor that reorients the screen – again, this needed a little more work as the screen didn't re-orientate as immediately as it should have within Windows.

After announcements today from Samsung and Toshiba, it's high time we had a decent touch-and-feel with the Viewsonic ViewPad 7.

We've been following the 7-inch Android 2.2-based tablet for a few weeks now.

It's based around Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor (QSD8250 , clocked at 600MHz) so expect network operators to offer it – it can make phone calls thanks to the silicon.

There's no UK release data as yet but October seems to be a safe bet, with a price point of "less than £350."

It's pretty speedy in terms of operation and we were impressed at how quick things were despite the underclocked processor. The capacitive multitouch screen is responsive, even if it seems a little grainy for our liking.

The device has a standard-size SIM slot housed under a flap alongside a micro SD slot. There's also a 0.3 megapixel VGA front facing camera and a 3 megapixel one on the rear.

Other connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS.

We really like the ViewPad 7 – it certainly seems well finished and isn't too heavy. For an Android tablet it really seems excellent. However, we can also see the argument that £80 more will get you an iPad. But the Dell Streak is even more than that and, as such, we think it's fairly competitively priced.

We grabbed a few minutes with Toshiba's new Folio 100 tablet, based on Android 2.2 and running Nvidia's Tegra 2.

It's an impressive looking thing - certainly miles ahead from the Journe Touch that Toshiba demonstrated at last year's IFA.

As you'd expect there's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as standard, while Tosh will also be making a 3G version available.

As you can see, Tosh irritatingly kept the Folio 100 wall-mounted for the press preview of the company's new kit, but we've still nabbed these shots.

As you can see, the Folio 100 is an iPad-matching 10-1-inches and is pretty thin as well, very much like Apple's device. It's actually slightly thicker at 14mm as opposed to 13.4mm with the iPad.

Toshiba software, such as the Media Player and newly-announced Market Place (not Marketplace) are to be found on the home screen.

Elsewhere it's pure Android, with the standard menu interface.

The power cable is a little ugly and it's joined by an HDMI out port, docking port, lock switch and SD card slot (expandable to 32GB - it doesn't appear there's any in-built memory).

There's also a headphone jack next to the power cable. The unit also boasts a 1.3 megapixel webcam.

The side controls are simple to use, phone-like in function and glow when you press the buttons.

The device boasts full internet browsing, complete with Flash 10.1.

The unit weighs in at 760g, again more than the iPad's 680g. Below you can see Toshiba's Market Place app in evidence.

Vodafone has confirmed to TechRadar it will be stocking the Samsung Galaxy Tab in the near future.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is set for an October worldwide release, but a UK release date has not been set.

Vodafone couldn't give any details on UK pricing, but Samsung has stated that it will be 'competitive' due to the components used in the manufacture, such as a Super-TFT LCD screen over a larger Super AMOLED version.

Network partners

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will only be coming via network partners at launch, although Samsung has confirmed that it will 'consider other options' in the future, so could be pushing the tablet out on a SIM free solution too.

It would make sense that the UK release date would be around the October time frame, as it would help prepare the device for sale in the busy Christmas period - although with contracts included as well, consumers might be more agnostic on when they pick up the latest tablet.

Archos has announced the five new Android tablets it will be displaying at IFA this year.

The range starts with the Archos 28 internet tablets- a budget offering with a 2.8-inch screen that costs £99 and will be available in September, with 4GB and 8 GB storage.

Next up are the 8GB Archos 32 and 16GB Archos 43 internet tablets - with 3.2 inch and 4.3-inch screen respectively, these come in at £129 and £199 and both will be available in September.

Bigger, better?

The Archos 70 internet tablet, a seven inch display-toting model (can you see a pattern developing here?) will cost £229 for 8GB of (presumably SSD) internal storage or £269 for a 250GB hard drive.

And the cream of the crop is the Archos 101 internet tablet - a 10.1 inch-screened unit with either 8GB or 16GB of storage crammed into its svelte 12mm thin frame.

However, Archos has been rather unhelpful in giving any more stats - only the Archos 101 has mention of a capacitive screen, so we assume the others are all resistive.

Android... but a little different

It doesn't look like the traditional Android OS will be running on these devices, as only the AppsLib is mentioned as a way to get applications on the device - we assume the lack of cameras and GPS means Google blocked the handsets from using the proper Market.

Nor do we have any idea about which version of Android is running under the hood.

1GHz processors, 3D graphic acceleration and HDMI output are all mentioned in the press release, but not in relation to any one device, so we're unsure if all/some of these tablets have the high end features.

Stay tuned as we try to track down the absent specs, and decide whether you'd rather pick these over the Samsung Galaxy Tab, ViewSonic ViewPad 7 or indeed, the iPad.

Viewsonic has finally announced its ViewPad 7, its first Android tablet, will be coming to the UK, and revealed some pretty tasty specs.

The tablet, which we brought you news of last week, is set to make its debut at IFA this year, and will be sporting Android 2.2.

It will also have a 3G SIM slot, meaning on the go data use, as well as a VGA front facing camera and 3MP snapper on the rear.

All the specs

The Android tablet will also have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and VoIP internet calling as standard, making it the largest phone we've seen on the market. And the stupidest, if you feel like holding it to your ear.

ViewSonic also promises that the new tablet will have handwritten note-taking capabilities, despite packing a capacitive screen, so we're assuming a special stylus might be included in the package.

The UK price is set to be £350, although we've yet to learn of a UK release date. However, we're expecting review samples in early October, so fingers crossed its not too long after that.

TechRadar will be on hand at IFA to get our hands all over this device, so stay tuned for our in-depth coverage all through the week.

Archos will unveil five new Android tablets at IFA this year – with screen sizes ranging from 2.8 to 10 inches.

The French company will be showing off not only its popular current ranges, but also showcasing its next generation of tablets at the electronics show.

One of the new tablets will almost certainly be the much-rumoured Archos 32 internet tablet.

"The company will showcase five brand new Internet Tablets ranging touch screen from 2.8 to 10 inches featuring computing, communications and apps with the power of Android plus Archos' legendary video quality will be shown for the first time," stated the company.

Showcase

"Current Archos product ranges will also be on display and available to view, including the large-screen Archos 7 and Archos 8 Home Tablets offering functions, features and applications suited to the home, the latest Vision range of affordable MP3 and MP4 players and ARCHOS 9 PC Tablet with Windows 7."

Archos' Android tablets will face huge competition, with major manufacturers like Samsung poised to show off their own devices.

ViewSonic will show off a 7-inch Android tablet at IFA called the ViewPad 7, alongside an Intel-based 10-inch tablet that will dual-boot Windows and Android.

The Californian manufacturer is keen to resurrect the ViewPad brand, which was operating as far back as 2002, and hopes that its latest offerings can impress when they are shown off at IFA.

"The ViewPad 7, a 7" Android tablet with 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, access to thousands of applications and front and back-facing cameras will be previewed for the first time in Europe," said ViewSonic's release.

Specs

"The ViewPad 7 also features assisted GPS, a Micro SD card slot, Bluetooth, G-Sensor and USB connectivity, making the device a compact lightweight companion that has a lot to offer," it continued.

Although intriguing, this product sounds very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is also making its debut at IFA, but the next line of ViewSonic's release teases another tablet.

10-incher

"ViewSonic will also be previewing a new Intel-based 10-inch tablet with dual boot Microsoft and Android operating systems."

Although dual-boot is not a new idea, the prospect of a 10-inch tablet with both Windows and Android is an intriguing one, with the assumption that the Microsoft OS will be Windows 7 rather than CE or the forthcoming Windows Phone 7.

IFA, we hope, will reveal much more.

Toshiba is looking to release an Android tablet device in the near future, with an appearance likely in the next month.

According to Digitimes, the new Android tablet would have a 10-inch screen and likely Android 3.0 (also known as Gingerbread).

The new model would launch in September or October, meaning it would likely pop up at IFA next month, so rest assured TechRadar will be there, cameras at the ready, should it surface.

Big plans

Toshiba apparently intends to ship 40,000-50,000 units of the tablet PC in the last quarter of the year, as it tries to compete with the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

HP is also looking to build an Android PC for September, and will be using ARM architecture under the hood to offer a powerful solution.

The new tablet will (predictably) come with a printer - although we've no idea if brown sauce will be included as well.

The hotly anticipated MSI WindPad 100 that surfaced in prototype form at Computex is another step closer to making its expected debut at IFA 2010, with the Windows 7 tablet design reportedly now finalised.

The world, and particularly Microsoft, is waiting for the arrival of a credible Windows 7 tablet to take on Apple's astute iPad.

With a number of manufacturers readying their versions, MSI's WindPad 100 is among those that has caught the attention with a 1.66 Atom processor from Intel, a 32GB solid state drive and 2GB of RAM.

More specs

Other specs include HDMI out, 2 USB ports and the WindTouch overlay on top of Windows 7 – which is already set up for touch.

German site mini-notebook-laptops.com has pictures of the WindPad 100, including the first glimpse of a dock, albeit not one with a keyboard.

Indian TV has been treated to a look at the $35 dollar tablet that has brought huge interest from the tech world.

The Indian government announced that it is ready to seek manufacturers for its device, with Minister Kapil Sibal insisting that the pricing is not the result of wishful thinking.

The video from NDTV gave us our first look at the planned form-factor and UI of the device, although much of this will be familiar to Android users.

It's not a big device, similar in size to the Dell Streak and offering what appears to be a 5-inch screen.

The front of the device appears to have a D-Pad like wheel and two other buttons, there is also a soft home button.

The side has a mini-USB, what appears to be a 3.5-inch audio jack, a power button and what possibly could be SIM slots and/or memory card slots.

The home screen is the familiar Android home screen, bringing the kind of functions that you would expert from a portable device, including a browser and messenger.

Docs are available on the device, with a stylus being used for the first time.

The virtual keyboard will be a vital part of the device, and the diminutive size means that it may not be an easy task to type. More smartphone than iPad.

There also appears to be a separate apps folder allowing you access to other functions.

The much-vaunted Indian tablet computer has been shown off, along with the revelation that a million units would have to be produced for it to come down to its $35 price.

The revelation that the Indian government had developed a £23 Android-toting laptop made major waves, and further details are now emerging.

Speaking on NDTV, Minister Kapil Sibal insisted that he had been promised by a manufacturer that the $35 mark could be hit for an order of seven figures or more.

Million pieces

"At the moment if I were to place an order with a manufacturer today he would supply a million pieces for 35 dollars," said Sibal.

"I have been promised a million pieces for $35 dollars. We are going to supply this to our institutions so if it were to be in the retail market there would be other added costs to it - it would bring the costs up.

"If I supply this gadget to my own children in the universities it will cost $35."

"The Indian government policy on this ICT mission is that of this $35 that's 1500 rupees 750 rupees is subsidy anyway."

In other words – the tablet is unlikely to appear in a shop near you at £23.

You can also take a look at India's $35 laptop in greater detail

Microsoft has this week released a new wireless mouse aimed at those who want a compact but high quality peripheral for their laptop.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 1000 uses a nano transceiver on the popular 2.4Ghz frequency and has a claimed battery life of 10 months.

Microsoft is also claiming the mouse will work around 30 feet away from your laptop which sounds great but, in reality, we can't see much of use for this.

Unless you are doing a presentation in a really long room.

Small but well-formed

Microsoft is boasting that the Mobile Mouse 1000 provides 'exceptional performance, is visually attractive and extremely reasonably priced'.

With an estimated retail price of £14.99, it's definitely reasonably priced, but we'll leave you to be the judge of the mouse's sartorial elegance.

Good news! Microsoft is "hardcore" about Windows 7 slates.

More good news! Microsoft already has an awesome Windows slate with an eye-popping interface and the all-important wow factor! Bad news! It was called Courier, and Microsoft cancelled it ages ago!

Oops!

The Courier won't happen, but Windows slates definitely will. Just days after Microsoft canned its half-cocked Kin mobile phone, does its slate plans mean it's heading for another expensive and embarrassing disaster? The pro-Microsoft angel on our left shoulder hopes not, but the realistic angel on our right fears the worst.

The danger here is that Microsoft approaches Windows slate devices from the wrong direction. If Microsoft asks "how can we stuff Windows into an iPad-style device?" rather than "how can we make the most awesome tablet computer ever made, a machine so mind-meltingly incredible that Steve Jobs fills his pants when he sees it?" then all we'll end up with is a bunch of slightly smaller tablet PCs.

Don't get me wrong. I like Windows 7, and I quite like tablet PCs. But I like the iPad much, much more. It's an amazing device, and that's largely because Apple hasn't just sawed the keyboard off a MacBook Pro and jumped around the place shouting "and that's magic!" like a demented Paul Daniels.

It's been designed from the get-go as a mobile, finger friendly device, not a Mac with touchy-feely bits glued on as an afterthought.

The Windows approach

Have you tried HP's touch-enabled Windows 7 PCs? They look great but they don't quite work, and that's mainly because Windows 7 isn't a finger-based system and HP's touch goodies have been stuck on top of it.

Sure, you can flip your photos and spin things around in the obligatory eye-catching manner, but doing something as simple as picking a track in Windows Media Player has you reaching for the keyboard and the mouse. It isn't a true touch system any more than a teenage boy's facial fluff is a proper beard.

Microsoft could easily do this right. With Windows Phone it's recognised that to compete in an iPhone and Android world it needs to start from scratch - something the failure of the Kin only underlines - and it needs to do the same with tablets.

By all means use Windows to provide the horsepower, but create the front end from scratch, creating something so simple a two-year-old can use it. We mean it: two-year-olds can easily use iPads and run up insane bills from in-app purchases. Microsoft needs to emulate that, although perhaps not with the bankrupting-parents bit.

Most importantly of all, Microsoft needs to make sure its OS works with fingers and thumbs. Not fingers and thumbs for most things, but fingers and thumbs for everything – and if anyone says "hey, this would be awesome if it used a stylus" then take them out the back and shoot them.

When it comes to the tablet form factor, Steve Jobs is right and Steve Ballmer is wrong. If your tablet needs more than fingers, you've failed.

Microsoft believes that Windows 7 slates are one of the most important things it is focusing on, with a slew of new products from major manufacturers on the way.

Speaking at the Worldwide Partner Conference, Steve Ballmer insisted that slates were very much a focal point, along with Windows Phone 7.

"This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7 based slates and with Windows Phone 7 phones," said Ballmer.

"It's a terribly important area for us."

Energy, vigour and push

Ballmer continues: "It's certainly an area where we fell all of the energy and vigour and push that we have ever felt to innovate, to drive hard and to compete.

"We know that you as partners are hearing from our joint customers that they have a lot they want to do, not just at home, but at work – 'thin' scenarios in which they believe in the slate as a device, scenarios where they want to embrace the smartphone and we have to really push this from a Microsoft perspective.

"You need to see between us and our hardware partner a range of slates and a range of phones that you can take to your customer when they come with this, that or the other random device that's not currently supported by corporate IT, we want to give you a great device, a consumer oriented device but a device that fits and is manageable with today's enterprise solutions."

Slated to appear

The next few months will bring many Windows 7-toting tablet computers, although they will be very different in what they offer.

"In the course of the next several months you will see a range of Windows 7 based slates which I think you'll find quite impressive – they will come from the people you would expect; from Asus, from Dell, from Samsung, from Toshiba, from Sony.

"They'll come with keyboards, they'll come without keyboards, they will be dockable there will be many price points, many form factors, many sizes but they will run Windows 7, they will run Windows 7 applications, they will run Office they will accept ink as well as touch based input.

"And they will be very good for the kinds of scenarios for knowledge workers and the business people who want to have something that works super-well at work but also supports their personal interests as they travel.

"We are hardcore about this."

Looking for the best iPad data tariff? Look no further - we've details on the iPad data deals from four of the major networks.

Orange, O2, Vodafone and Three have all announced iPad support. The iPad uses a new type of SIM, called a microSIM, essentially the same size as the contacts on a standard SIM card.

• Apple iPad review (Wi-Fi version)
• Apple iPad 3G review

The iPad 3G is shipped unlocked, so if you want to buy a more expensive iPad Wi-Fi + 3G model you'll need to take out a deal or pay-as-you-go arrangement with a provider.

• iPad UK: the full details on how and where to pre-order

If you pre-order an iPad, you can also choose to be sent a micro SIM from one of the three networks for the simple sum of 20p.

Three iPad data plans

Three has unveiled the cheapest iPad data plan.

It has taken the simple approach to iPad data, with two plans on offer: £7.50 per month for 1GB of data, and £15 per month for 10GB. That's a great deal when you compare it with the other networks.

Vodafone iPad data plans

Vodafone is the only network to not offer the iPad 3G with pay as you go data - only monthly contracts are on offer. If you're interested in Vodafone's iPad microSIM then you're going to have to pick up a 30-day rolling contract.

For £10 per month, you'll be getting 1GB of data, meaning you'll probably be doing some basic surfing and perhaps getting map-tastic when out and about.

But for £25 a month, you'll be offered 5GB of data.

For those of you that like to head abroad with your shiny new toy, then you can pay £9.99 per day and get 50MB of data - a little steep, but a lot cheaper than just paying normal rates for data and being hit with a ridiculous bill.

Weirdly, the Vodafone plan doesn't include Wi-Fi as part of the plan - when you consider that Orange will give you 10GB of data and 750MB of fair use Wi-Fi around the country for £25, the 5GB deal seems a little paltry.

At least it tallies with Vodafone's phone data stance - perhaps now we'll properly see an end to the fictional 'unlimited data' tariffs networks are pretending to offer consumers.

O2 iPad data plans

O2 offers a pay as you go deal or monthly data but, like Vodafone, the blue network has fewer options than Orange.

If you fancy 500MB of 3G data, it will cost you £2 per day, but curiously you can go for a monthly recurring contract of £10 for 1GB of data.

How that works when the same £10 will get you 2.5GB of data on the PAYG plan, we don't know.

You can also get 3GB of 3G connectivity for £15 per month on a recurring deal, but there's no 10GB option like you get with Orange.

However, with O2's plans there is unlimited Wi-Fi on offer from BT Openzone hotspots - this is subject to a fair use policy, but there's no mention of a definite cap from O2.

You can also directly buy more data from the iPad on the O2 plan, rather than having to contact the network directly to confirm or remove your plan.

Orange iPad data plans

On Orange, pay-as-you-go data bundles are the most interesting, as you'll basically be charged 5p for every MB you consume, which equates to £50 for a single GB of data.

Alternatively, you can go for the iPad Daily scheme: £2 for 200MB per day, from midnight to midnight.

iPad Weekly is a similar tariff, with £7.50 giving you 1GB for seven complete days' usage.

And as a cheeky little bonus the Orange iPad micro SIM comes with £10 of credit in the UK as well - good enough to get you going - although it would only give 200MB of data on the PAYG rate.

iPaid for the iPad

And then there's the more familiar plans: iPad Monthly 15 and iPad Monthly 25, with the prices (you've guessed it) £15 and £25 per month respectively.

The former will net you 3GB of data and unlimited (well, fair use 750MB of data) Wi-Fi use, with the latter upping the 3G offering to 10GB per month plus the Wi-Fi.

There's no denying that Apple has created something of a stir with the iPad.

Despite the fact that only six months ago, no one really cared about tablet devices, today it seems like consumers would happily trample each other if an iPad was waiting for them at the end of a queue. But it looks like Apple could be facing some pretty stiff competition before too long.

Now that Apple has rekindled, or should that be sparked interest in, the tablet form factor, there's a host of new hardware waiting in the wings.

However, it's not a particular device that will prove to be the biggest threat to the iPad, it's the user interface that's being adopted by many of the forthcoming tablets, and that interface is Google's Android.

Why Android?

If you're wondering why Android is the key to a successful iPad rival, you only have to look back at Apple's previous game changing device, the iPhone.

When the iPhone launched it lacked many features that we would have expected from a high end phone, but that didn't stop it becoming a huge success and gaining unprecedented critical acclaim.

What made the iPhone so special was the user interface and it wasn't until Google launched its Android platform that viable alternatives to the iPhone started to appear.

OK, so it took a little while for truly excellent Android handsets to arrive, but today you're spoilt for choice, with devices like the HTC Legend and HTC Desire trumping the iPhone on many levels. Put simply, Android now provides a user experience that's every bit as good as Apple can muster.

HERO: Android came of age with the HTC Hero and the first genuine iPhone rival was born

It's also worth remembering that Android is now a mature platform, so it will be far easier for hardware manufacturers to bring polished devices to market in a timely fashion. This means that the iPad is unlikely to enjoy the significant head start that the iPhone got.

Google also seems to understand the cloud better than Apple, with Android devices designed to operate completely over the air, with no need for a traditional wired connection to a PC. And while Apple expects its customers to pay for its Mobile Me cloud service, anyone who uses Google for their email, calendar and contacts will have full access to those services via an Android device for free.

GOOGLE SYNC: If you use Google for your email, contacts and calendar, you'll be able to synchronise everything with an Android tablet so you're never out of touch. Oh, and it's free!

Android is also a far more open platform than anything Apple will ever bring to market. The iPad, like every other Apple device, needs to be connected to iTunes whenever you want to transfer anything to it. With an Android based tablet, by comparison, you can drag and drop files directly to the device, or even copy music/video/files directly from a memory card.

MORE SPACE: Unlike the iPad, you can expand the storage in an Android tablet by simply inserting a memory card

The one area where Apple has Android well and truly beaten is its App Store. Although Android's own Market is growing steadily, it simply can't compare to the volume and variety of apps available for the iPad and iPhone. That said, as more and more Android devices arrive, there will be more call for Android apps and consequently more developers producing them.

The Hardware

You can expect to see a plethora of Android tablets hitting the street in all shapes and sizes over the coming months. This is most definitely a good thing, because whereas the iPad takes a "one size fits all" stance, many may find the 10-inch form factor a bit too large.

Archos was first out of the gates with an Android tablet device in the shape of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. This is a 5-inch tablet that works brilliantly as a portable media player, especially since it supports more codecs than you could shake a stick at. Archos has recently augmented its Android range with the introduction of the Archos 7 Home Tablet, which is clearly aimed squarely at the prospective iPad buyer.

ARCHOS 5: Archos brought the first Android tablet to market in the shape of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet

In reality, though, despite Archos employing Android on its devices, they are still more adept at media playback than any form of productivity. This is mainly down to the resistive screen technology employed, and the fact that neither device gives the user access to Android Market, so the level of app support is severely limited.

ARCHOS 7: The second Android tablet from Archos is pitched directly against the iPad, but the Archos 7 Home Tablet isn't enough of an advance over its smaller sibling

The first truly compelling Android based tablet has just launched, in the shape of the Dell Streak. However, even though many will see the Streak as a direct competitor to the iPad, it's a very different device.

For a start the Streak is a 5-inch tablet, which makes it far smaller than the iPad, and relatively pocketable as a result. The Streak is also a fully functioning mobile phone, so you could replace your current handset with one, assuming you don't mind holding a 5-inch tablet to your ear.

What the Dell Streak does offer is a great user experience, that's as close as you're going to get to an iPad. With its capacitive, multi-touch screen, the Streak is a joy to use and really does show off Android to good effect.

It's therefore a shame that the Streak has launched with version 1.6 of Android, rather than version 2.1, which has been shipping on smartphones for a while. That said, even the older version of Google's user interface makes for a great experience on a device like this.

STREAK: The Dell Streak is the first device that shows the potential of Android on a tablet platform. If the Streak is a hint of things to come, we're in for a treat over the coming months

The most amazing thing about the Dell Streak is that you can have one for free, as long as you sign up to a contract with O2 – for £35 per month you'll get 600 minutes of voice calls along with unlimited texts and data. By contrast a 16GB 3G iPad will cost you £529, plus at least £10 per month for 3G access. Oh, and you'll still need to have a mobile phone to actually make calls.

But the Dell streak is just the tip of the iceberg, especially when you look under the hood and realise that it's running Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor, just like the HTC Desire and Google Nexus One. In other words, Dell has created a big smartphone that can still function as such.

WINDPAD: MSI showed off its 10-inch Android tablet at Computex, where Engadget managed to get some hands on time

What's really exciting is what's on the way, with tech manufacturers racing to get their Android tablets out the door in a hope of profiting from the iPad mania. One company that looks set to be particularly happy is Nvidia, since its Tegra 2 platform is likely to be found in many of the upcoming tablet devices.

MSI has already showed off its WindPad 110, running Android 2.1 on Tegra 2. While Samsung has recently announced the Galaxy Tab, which is a 7-inch tablet device, with an uncanny resemblance to a certain Apple product.

In theory, the Samsung Galaxy Tab should be prove to be a great showcase tablet for Android, but the Korean giant still hasn't managed to create a truly great Android smartphone, so enthusiasm should probably be tempered somewhat.

SAMSUNG: Can Samsung produce an iPad killer? The Korean mega-tech-company certainly has the resources to do so

The device that we can't wait to see is a Google branded Android tablet. Although nothing has been officially announced, there are rumours aplenty about a Google tablet, whether it be in partnership with HTC or US network operator Verizon. Although many rumours suggest that a Google branded tablet could run Google's Chrome OS, Android would make far more sense given its maturity and established app store.

In fact when TechRadar met with Google supremos Larry Page and Eric Schmidt recently, they seemed to agree with our opinion that Android is the better option for a tablet device.

When asked to explain the differentiation between Android and Chrome OS, Schmidt replied: "The division that seems to work is that if you are building a device that's primarily going to be a touch kind of device or a phone type device, Android is just so good at that, right, and the Chrome OS appears to be, and again we're innovating right, so I'm giving you my opinion, appears to be really, really good if you have a keyboard type device, one which is keyboard centric, not really touch centric."

So it seems, as we suspected, that Chrome OS will favour netbook-type devices, while Android is the platform of choice for touch based hardware. That said, it's not as if Google is planning to limit the use of each platform to specific device types, with Larry Page telling TechRadar "we're very excited about people putting Android on whatever they want – toasters, dishwashers – people have it on all sorts of things."

With that in mind, it seems ever more likely that should a Google branded tablet appear, it will be based on the established Android platform, rather than Chrome OS. The big question is whether a Google branded tablet running Android can really put the iPad in the shade. At this stage it's impossible to say for sure, but we wouldn't bet against it.

The long-rumoured Nokia Tablet is looking more and more likely, with strong rumours suggesting that details of the device are being finalised.

Asian tech news giant DigiTimes is suggesting that the Nokia Tablet is moving forward swiftly, with over 100 engineering samples of a device that will almost certainly run MeeGo.

Apparently, Nokia is looking at 7 or 9 inch screen size devices that will be manufactured by Foxconn – the same company the produces the iPad and iPhone for Apple.

iPad competitor?

Nokia will be hoping that a tablet could be a competitor to the phenomenally popular iPad, and, although the UK release date of such a device is obviously up in the air, rumours are suggesting that an Autumn launch is not out of the question.

Nokia do, of course, have a degree of pedigree in the mobile internet device market, although devices like the N800 and N900 are more akin to smartphones than the tablet computers that are set to proliferate.

Apple's iPad has sparked huge interest in the tablet sphere, and any effort by Nokia is likely to be surrounded by competitors from major laptop companies like Dell, HP, Asus and Acer as well as other phone manufacturers.

The Dell Streak is available in the UK today, so we thought it was time to give you a full guide to the new Android-toting tablet cum smartphone.

So here's 10 things you simply must know about Dell's new mobile computing device. The Dell Streak specs are that it's a 3G, EDGE and 7.2Mbps HSDPA handset with Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and Wi-Fi. There will also be a dock available for it enabling you to connect it to an HDTV via HDMI.

• Hands on: Dell Streak review

1. The Dell Streak is a tablet
Dell and its partners are clearly positioning the Streak as a tablet device - not least because every single piece of advertising is using the 'T' word. But if there wasn't an iPad we're not sure it would be making this claim. The 16:9 WVGA 800 x 480 screen is 5-inches across, so while it's significantly bigger than the iPhone or HTC Desire, it certainly isn't a tablet in the traditional sense. It's still more of a 'larger smartphone' than a tablet in our book, since tablets are usually larger - the iPad clocks in with a 9.7-inch display, for example.

2. But the Dell Streak can make calls
So the Streak is a tablet, but it has a novel feature. You can also make telephone calls to people! You know, like we used to. The only problem with this function is that you'll look stupid. Holding up a Streak isn't that far off the concept of holding up an iPad to your ear. Thankfully, though, the Streak also packs stereo Bluetooth 2.1, so you can easily use a headset instead.

3. The Dell Streak runs Android
Dell first showed off the Streak in January at CES in Las Vegas. We were impressed with the look of it even then. Though we suspected it would run Android, we didn't know for sure. But Dell has certainly taken a big step with Android given its Windows-centric past. The Streak will ship with Android 1.6 with a couple of tweaks and widgets, but essentially giving you the standard Android experience - with full access to all the Android Market has to offer. That includes full turn-by-turn Google Maps Navigation, aided by the in-built GPS (which the basic Wi-Fi only Apple iPad doesn't have, of course). Dell says that later in the year we'll see the Streak get an Android 2.2 update with Adobe Flash Player 10.1.

4. The Dell Streak packs Snapdragon not Atom
Qualcomm's now well-known ARM-based 1GHz Snapdragon chip powers the Streak, something we're sure long-term Dell partner Intel is watching with interest. Intel has just announced the smartphone-orientated version of its Atom chip (though there are no handsets announced as yet) - it also supports Android.

5. The Dell Streak is a video-conferencing device
There's a front-facing VGA camera, while Dell has also promised "video chat applications and other software innovations" for later in the year. For normal photography there's a 5 MP camera on the back with autofocus and a dual LED flash, plus one-touch upload to the web.

6. The Dell Streak has Gorilla Glass
The display is tough. Really tough - check it out.

7. The Dell Streak doesn't have a lot of on-board storage
2GB. That's a disappointing amount of storage for such an expensive device and, while it's enough for plenty of Android apps, you're hardly going to be able to store a huge amount of music or photos. However, there is support for microSD – up to 32GB – and a 16GB card is included.

8. The Dell Streak is packaged in Bamboo
We haven't seen this yet – as we've only seen a device in a little pouch rather than the box – but according to Dell, the Streak is "packaged with cushions made from 100 per cent sustainable, compostable bamboo". Errrrr.

9. The Dell Streak is available through O2 and the Carphone Warehouse
O2 has the initial exclusive on the handset, with its own stores and Carphone Warehouse selling it first. Dell's own site will start shifting Streaks later in the month. You can get it for £25 a month with no voice calls or text allowance, or £35 a month with a voice tariff.

10. Or you can pay £429
As for SIM-free, the Dell Streak price is £429 – the same price as a certain other tablet we've seen recently. That's quite a hefty amount when you consider what the iPad can do, its memory and the size of its screen.