One year after Cupertino, Calif. based Apple Inc. launched the iPad, the rest of the computing world has responded with a panoply of tablet-style computers. Look for some significant new features in the latest generation of tablets, which generally are priced in the $650-$800 range. Dual cameras are now pretty much standard — great for videoconferencing with clients and colleagues — and some models have dual-core processors, which dramatically increases performance.

Tablets offer a sleek, easy way to present data to clients. They all connect to email and calendar systems, making them useful digital assistants both in and out of the office. Here are some of the leading players, organized by operating system:

> IOS. Apple never admits that forthcoming products exist, let alone discusses specifications. Nevertheless, the rumour mill suggests that the iPad 2 will be announced by April. This device, running the same iOS operating system that is used on the iPhone, is likely to offer dual cameras (for videoconferencing, augmented reality and photography), possibly a USB port and higher-resolution display.

Nevertheless, Apple has put a bit of a chill on some suppliers of eReader apps and content. Apple says all companies that supply apps through its tightly controlled App Store must also offer their eReader content through the iTunes store, on which Apple traditionally takes a 30% cut.

> Android. Apple’s inflexibility is leading tablet users to consider other operating systems, such as Mountain View, Calif.-based Google Inc. ’s Android smartphone operating system.

Code-named “Honeycomb,” Version 3.0 of Android is designed with tablets in mind. Many Android tablet manufacturers are still making do with smartphone-oriented versions such as Android 2.2 (code-named “Froyo”).

Seoul-based Samsung Group’s Galaxy tablet has a seven-inch display, so it fits nicely in the palm of your hand while still being large enough to edit text on. The Galaxy features an external micro-SD memory card port, a 1,024 by 600-pixel display, and up to 32 gigabytes of storage.

Samsung recently unveiled a 10.1-inch model, running Android 3.0, with a 1,280 by 800p screen, but it’s not yet available.

The sexiest tablet in the room at January’s CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas had to be the Xoom from Libertyville, Ill.-based Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. This 10.1-inch, 1,280 by 800p device features a dual-core one-gigahertz processor, 32Gb of internal memory and a USB port. The Xoom, shipping as early as this month, features Android 3.0, which includes enhanced Gmail and Contacts apps designed to work in a two-pane mode for increased visibility. For pure speed and design value, the Xoom looks like the main competition to the iPad 2.@page_break@Round Rock, Tex.-based Dell Inc. ’s foray into the tablet world has received mixed reviews. Its Streak phone-cum-tablet device, featuring a five-inch, 800 by 480p display, was quickly complemented by the Streak 7, with its seven-inch display — which, sadly, didn’t increase the resolution. The latter machine, running Android 2.2, includes a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-mp rear-facing one, with 16Gb of RAM and an SD memory card expansion slot.

> Windows. Financial advisors may prefer a tablet based on Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. ’s Windows operating system to integrate with back-office systems, although options on such tablets are more limited. Windows 7 is a full-fledged operating system without the stripped-down characteristics of its tablet-focused competitors.

The Gigabyte T1125N, which uses the tilt-and-swivel display found on older generations of tablet PCs from the early 2000s, includes “capacitive multi-touch,” so you can zoom in on and move images on the screen with your fingers. This device is also available with a docking station, effectively making it three computers in one: a desktop, a notebook and a touch-and-swipe tablet. If you want to do serious work in the office while having the flexibility of multi-touch on the road, this could be the device to consider.

If you want a slate-style tablet to complement another machine, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hewlett-Packard Co. offers the Slate 500, an 8.9-inch, 1,024 by 600p unit with 2Gb of RAM and a 66Gb solid-state “hard” disk. This unit also features a digitizer, so you can write on the screen with a stylus, making applications such as Microsoft’s OneNote (a favourite of mine) more usable.

The Slate is HP’s enterprise play, but this summer, it will also ship the Touchpad, based on the WebOS operating system, which it acquired along with Palm last year. This device features 1Gb of internal memory, a superfast processor and 9.7 inches of 1,024 by 768p display goodness. The Touchpad will talk to your HP Pre3 phone, which you can simply touch to the tablet to transfer URLs and documents — no wires required.

The wireless charging feature, provided with a separate dock, puts the Touchpad ahead of the iPhone and iPad in usability terms. This HP device ships this summer.

> Blackberry QNX. When Waterloo, Ont.-based Research in Motion Ltd. ’s BlackBerry Playbook tablet ships, it could be the ace in the deck. This unit, from a company that has its roots in business devices, will feature a seven-inch, 1,024 by 768p display, with 5mp and 3mp cameras and 1Gb of RAM feeding a 1GHz dual-core processor. RIM’s new BlackBerry tablet QNX operating system will also talk directly to your BlackBerry phone, enabling you to use the tablet as a big screen for your “CrackBerry.” IE