iPad 4
Apple's iPad hardly needs any introduction. The iconic slate is now in its fourth iteration and although physically it has changed very little from the iPad 2 it's still a very comprehensive and cohesive package which remains easy to get to grips with.
On the hardware front the iPad 4 now features a port for Apple's new Lightning connector, while in terms of software it's running the latest build of Apple's own mobile operating system: iOS 6. iOS 6 doesn't add much new stuff that is all that special, but it's still a highly intuitive platform, it's slick and responsive with good optimisation and it has access to over 700,000 apps and games in Apple's content store.
iPad Mini
Take an iPad, zap it with a shrink gun and you've got yourself an iPad Mini. Well, almost, the hardware spec and display aren't quite as hot as the full-size iPad, presumably due to Apple trying to keep the cost down. The hardware spec doesn't matter so much though, as everything is so well optimised and it'll still run the bulk of App Store content.
The display is a 7.9-inch IPS LCD at 1024x768 pixels and 162ppi which isn't exactly on par with Apple's signature Retina quality, but still, it's bright, has good contrast and colour and is at least reasonable on picture quality. The device is very robust with an aluminium back panel and much more portable than the full-size iPad.
The Transformer Pad Infinity is a 10.1-inch slate with a detachable keyboard dock. The whole thing is made from brushed aluminium and the build quality is superb - there's no flex and the device has excellent balance making it feel lighter than its actual 598g weight.
Power comes from an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chip which runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) at a slick pace and performs well for gaming. Although there's allegedly a custom interface you wouldn't know it to use the tablet as it appears more or less as stock Android. The display is rather special too as it's a Super IPS+ LCD with an HD 1920x1200 pixel resolution at 224ppi. Another perk is the massive battery boost you get from the additional power pack inside the keyboard dock.
