Apple's tablet, the iPad, announced Wednesday, is not the first of the new generation of devices, even though it has been among the most anticipated.
HTC and Google are reportedly jointly working on a tablet. HP and Dell have announced they'll have their own tablets. Microsoft may be too, although during CEO Steve Ballmer's speech at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, he shared an HP slate prototype, not Microsoft's talked-about "Courier" tablet (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of NBC Universal and Microsoft.)
Among the other tablets that have been announced or are available:
Archos 5 Internet Tablet, available since last fall, has a 5-inch touchscreen which can show movies in high-definition (at 720p), includes 3-D GPS navigation and runs on the Android operating system. It is available in different configurations; pricing starts at around $250 for a version with 8 gigabytes of flash memory for storage (up to 32 GB is available). At the other end is a model with a 500 GB hard drive, which retails for around $500 (there is also a 160-GB version available).
The IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook from Lenovo captured a lot of interest at the Consumer Electronics Show. The U1, available June 1 for $999, has a detachable 11.6-inch high-definition LED screen that includes its own processor, and is an "independent slate tablet." It can be used for e-mail, social networking, Web surfing, music and photos.
The enTourage eDGe has two screens and is billed as an e-reader and tablet, as well as netbook, notepad, and "audio/video recorder and player in one." The eDGe uses Google's Android operating system, and is scheduled to ship Feb. 10. Cost: $490.
Freescale Semiconductor showed a tablet design at CES with a a 7-inch touchscreen, using both Android and Linux operating systems. The tablet is "designed to provide instant-on functionality, persistent connectivity and all-day battery life," according to the company. Estimated cost will be less than $200, Freescale says. No word yet on availability
The Litl Webbook has a 12-inch screen, and its keyboard flips around so the device can stand upright for viewing photos, reading news headlines or watching online videos, according to the developer. Cost: $699, and it is available now.
Notion Ink is coming out with an Android-based tablet and scheduled for release in June. Estimated cost: $325.
The JooJoo, formerly known as the CrunchPad, has a 12.1-inch touchscreen. Cost: $499. Due to start shipping soon.
Hanvon tablet, which will use the Windows 7 operating system, was shown at CES. It has a 10.1-inch touchscreen and also includes handwriting recognition software. Cost is expected to be around $700. It's due in March.