With a plethora of tablets now on the market or about to appear, we take a look at three of the current frontrunners. Read on to see which one could be your next travelling companion.

Today the business traveller looking for a tablet computer is spoilt for choice. The iPad of course dominates this market at the moment, but pretenders to Apple's throne are now a reality and offer an alternative to Apple's device.

First to the market was the Samsung Galaxy Tab. At first glance the Galaxy Tab does look like a shrunk iPad, but its compact design (7 inches across the diagonal) means it can be held in one hand and is certainly a feature that will appeal to many users. And for business travellers, the small form factor is very attractive indeed.

The Galaxy doesn't feel as high quality as the iPad for instance but its screen is just as good delivering high quality vivid images. The Galaxy Tab sports a screen resolution of 1,024 x 600, whereas the iPad has 1,024 x 768, with the PlayBook blitzing them both with a resolution of 1,280 x 600. However, you should take into consideration the physical screen size and not just compare resolutions. Actual screen real estate can be very important in the usability stakes of any tablet device.

Business travellers will of course also be fully aware that BlackBerry has also entered this market with their PlayBook. Where the Galaxy Tab does feel somewhat insubstantial, the PlayBook is the opposite. Weighing 425g BlackBerry's offering is reassuring solid. On the weight front the Galaxy Tab is 380g with the iPad 680g making it far the most substantial of the three tablets here. Weight is of course an issue for all business travellers. However, features and a tablet's ability to perform business tasks should always override any concerns about weight.

One of the most important factors to consider with any tablet is the battery life. Samsung quote 7 hours of usage with a standby of 25 days. Apple claim 10 hours for the iPad, with BlackBerry stating that their PlayBook will at least have a battery capacity that is equal to the iPad's. Clearly from a users point of view, battery will depend on usage, but on average you can expect to use these devices for at least an average of 6 hours.

PlayBook supports HTML 5 and Flash 10 out of the box. Access to the Internet is via 3G with 4G available if the PlayBook is paired with a BlackBerry smartphone and used as a modem. Video conferencing is also possible thanks to the dual HD video cameras. And the PlayBook can connect to your business' account on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server seamlessly.

Apple has offered the iPad as a 3G and none 3G models since its launch. In use the iPad will connect with any available Wi-Fi source without any issues. 3G will take over connection duties if you are not in or near a hotspot. The Galaxy Tab sports a normal SIM card so you can use the device just like your smartphone to make calls using a Bluetooth headset. Wi-Fi is supported, which means you can browse the web with ease. If you're used to looking at web pages on your smartphone's screen, moving to a tablet device that even has just a 7-inch screen like the Galaxy's will be a revelation.

Turning to other specifications such as storage processing speed, operating system and performance, each of the devices covered here has its own unique set of features to tempt the business traveller. The iPad of course has no removable storage but does offer a 64GB version.

Both the Galaxy Tab and the PlayBook have external storage. The Galaxy Tab offers microSD support with capacities up to 32GB, but the PlayBook only offers micro USB, so as with the iPad, you are stuck with whatever internal storage capacity model you go for. Choosing the largest capacity PlayBook only gives you a maximum storage capacity of 32GB with the Galaxy tab and its microSD expansion able to offer 64GB, which is comparable to the top of the range iPad. In addition, opting for a device with a microSD slot would future-proof your storage needs as larger capacity microSD cards are on the way. Whether Apple decide to also include this type of storage in the iPad 2 remains to be seen.

When it comes to the operating system you choose, the iPad has set the benchmark. The A4 processor that the iPad uses offers a platform that iOS can make the most of. The Galaxy Tab uses Android as its OS that is more than capable of giving iOS a run for its money. Video playback on the Galaxy tab for instance is excellent, as is Flash support – something that the iPad notoriously lacks. BlackBerry have their own tablet OS that offers high performance and interoperability with its range of smartphones.

The raw processing speed is all well and good, but the number of Apps that are available for any given OS has defined the tablet market. Apple of lead the way with their App Store closely followed by the Android Market. BlackBerry on the other hand has a new OS to contend with, so initially at least, there will be a lack of third party Apps for the PlayBook. However, because of the massive installed user base that Blackberry has, expect a plethora of Apps to appear on the market to support and enhance the PlayBook this year.

VERDICT

2011 is going to be the year of the tablet computer. Business travellers looking to move into this market will be spoilt for choice by the summer. For now the iPad is grabbing the headlines, but other more capable – on paper at least – devices are either already available, or coming soon.

Within the three devices we have covered here, the BlackBerry PlayBook stands out simply because its raw specification – hardware and software – beats all of the competition. If the PlayBook was available now, then this new platform from BlackBerry would gain our recommendation, but the PlayBook is now due until later in 2011 and lacks well-established and diverse App support. And with the iPad 2 rumoured to be hitting the streets this March, Apple could steal the thunder from BlackBerry even before their device has had a chance to establish itself.

The Galaxy Tab is almost a halfway house between the BlackBerry offering and the iPad. Its small form factor is attractive as is its specification including its expandable storage – something that the other two devices reviewed here can't match. You do, however, pay a premium for the Galaxy Tab that may prevent many casual users from choosing it over the other devices on offer.

Also, with the Galaxy Tab the open Android operating system will mean that a healthy ecosystem of Apps will be developed for the platform. Whether these rival the iPad's remains to be seen. The pocket size of this device makes it easy to travel with. However, if you consume a great deal of content, the smaller screen size may be an issue that the iPad can solve for you.

Ultimately you have to decide how you will be using your tablet device as you travel. If you would like a device that enables you to access multiple media within an interface and form factor that allows this effortlessly, then the iPad is clearly the ideal choice if you can live without Flash support of course. Existing BlackBerry smartphone owners will naturally gravitate to the PlayBook simply because of the integration that is on offer. And the Galaxy Tab offers a compact device using the latest mobile operating system. If size matters, then the Galaxy Tab could be your ideal travelling companion.

What do you think? Are you a tablet user already? Let us know your experiences and why you decided on the tablet you travel with.

	The natural companion for all existing BlackBerry users, the PlayBook looks great on paper, let's hope it delivers on its promises when it launches.
	Still king of this sector, with the iPad 2 waiting in the wings, choosing which tablet to go for may become very tricky indeed.
	A pocket-sized iPad? Not quite, but there is no denying that the compact form factor is appealing, even if the price and App support are not.