Take two tablets, or three …

If it's a day ending in "y," some company has probably announced that it’s producing a tablet computer. Oh yeah, and this device will be an "iPad killer," and will most likely cost less. Chances are it will be available sometime "around the holidays" and is aimed at the business market, or the casual computing market, or, (just fill in the blank).

Yesterday's tablet computing entry was the PlayBook from Research in Motion, the people who bring you the BlackBerry. The PlayBook will reportedly not be 3G-enabled, meaning it will be able to connect to the Internet only through Wi-Fi. The device is aimed squarely at business users, which makes sense since so many businesses insist on tethering their employees to BlackBerrys.

What doesn't make sense is thinking someone would be excited about an even bigger BlackBerry that runs on the oh-so-clunky BlackBerry operating system. I'm convinced that BlackBerrys are great for e-mail and the occasional phone call, but are horrendous for Web surfing or running applications.

Instead of breaking down all the juicy tech specs of the many tablet computers available now or coming soon, I'll point you to a piece on Engadget that lines them in a side-by-side-by-side-by-side comparison. You'll see which gadget has which feature. The chart includes future additions or enhancements, as proclaimed by the manufacturer.

I still don't have an iPad, but have used one on several occasions. In my mind Apple’s tablet is too heavy, lacks a camera (or two), and doesn't really replace anything I already have. I'm trying hard to get my hands on a Samsung Galaxy Tab to try out before the gadget is released to the masses. The Galaxy Tab will be released to all the major phone carriers simultaneously, a huge plus that helps the gadget rank as an iPad threat.

For now, though, here are the facts:

Read the Engadget story:
BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Streak: the tale of the tape
http://bit.ly/EGtablets