Wouldn't it be great if your computer had Internet access everywhere? Well, Google tried that with the Chromebook, but it didn't catch on so well. (You'd think people don't want to pay $500 for a computer that only has a web browser.) Especially when, for the same price, you can get a tablet like the iPad.
3G tablets cost more than their regular counterparts, and they usually require a contract with a wireless carrier. You may be used to having the carriers subsidize phones that you buy on contract so you don't have to pay much for them ... but then, with a smartphone you're paying $50-70 a month for data, minutes and texts, whereas a 3G tablet's fees are more in the neighborhood of $15-25. That's not bad, and is in many ways more affordable for students or people on a limited budget. Just so long as they can afford the up-front investment a 3G tablet requires.
What kind of tablet can you get for your $600+? Let's find out ...
The iPad's the one tablet on this list that doesn't need an introduction. Everyone knows what it's capable of, and has probably seen someone using it. I just want to add that if there's a specific tablet app that you want to use, and Google didn't make it, it's probably only on the iPad. Yes, the Android Market for tablets is that bad right now. (It's got some cool games, though.)
A 3G iPad 2 will run you $629 to $829, depending on how much flash memory it has. The base model has 16 GBs, and goes up from there. AT&T offers the cheapest possible data plan, at $15 for 250 MB a month, but -- as someone who has a smartphone -- you'll go through that like an athlete through Gatorade. Try the $25 plan for 2 GB instead, or go with Verizon for even more data; you can see a comparison chart of the two companies' plans on MacWorld.
This is the tablet people love to hate, because of its unusual curved back, widescreen display, and buggy version of the Android operating system. It's also the tablet that people who hate Apple love ... or at least, it would be if they didn't have so many other options now. As it is, the Xooms on the shelves are collecting dust, despite their high-power specs.
Wi-Fi Xooms are seeing huge price drops, though, plus sales at places like Target. So if the 3G Xoom isn't on sale yet, just wait a few weeks and it probably will be.
This one isn't for sale yet, but it probably will be soon; a site called Notebook Italia took a screenshot of an Asus website that suggests it'll be for sale shortly.
The Wi-Fi version of the Transformer sold out, because of its rock-bottom price tag ($399) and solid specs, plus an optional keyboard attachment. Will the 3G version, when it comes out? Keep your eyes peeled for that waiting list.
Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.
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