What's in Store for Tablets? 2012 Predictions

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I need to get this off my chest: I love my Apple iPad. For the first time in decades of using and writing about tech products, I've fallen hard for an electronic device. And I'm not even one of the Mac faithful: I've got a spiffy Lenovo touch-screen PC and a servicable Thinkpad in addition to a Mac Mini--and my beloved iPad. Now, I'm not as avid a fan as Technologizer's Harry McCracken (read "How the iPad 2 Became My Favorite Computer"); I use my tablet in addition to my other computers, not in place of. That could change next year, though, with the next round of tablet development. In "Tablets in 2012: What to Expect" fellow tablet lover Melissa Perenson takes a look at the trends likely to bear fruit next year. Who knows? Perhaps my next tablet will be a Windows 8 machine--and my only true (tech) love. --Kim Saccio-Kent, Newsletter Editor Top Stories Tablets in 2012: What to Expect As tablets move into their adolescence, what changes will we see? 10 Tech Wins of 2011 Among the high-profile flops, some companies managed to find success this year. 12 Tech Gifts Under $100 Our affordable gifts are perfect for home theater owners, music lovers, gamers, Star Wars fans, and more. For more gift ideas, visit PCWorld.com. Top Tweets From @PCWPluggedIn Scientists discover huge caches of ice buried on Mars: "Whoever did this clearly planned to come back," expert says. Hacker installs Ice Cream Sandwich on Kindle Fire: Wouldn't that result in melted ice cream everywhere? Computer history museum launches online Steve Jobs exhibit: Say, isn't "Steve Jobs" now an Apple-copyrighted term? Follow us every day on Twitter: @PCWPluggedIn News How the iPad 2 Became My Favorite Computer Analysis: A tale of moving to the iPad for nearly all daily activities because it has become the preferable tool in multiple respects. Smartphone Reliability and Satisfaction: iPhone Tops the List Readers like their handsets from Apple and HTC, but were less impressed with phones from LG and Samsung. Windows Store to Be Available in February Microsoft will open its new Windows Store to customers in late February together with the beta of Windows 8, an executive of the company said Tuesday. For the latest reports, visit our News page . PCW Business Center Laptop Reliability and Satisfaction: MacBooks Rule Here are the best-loved laptops among tens of thousands of PCWorld readers. Visit the PCW Business Center. Blogs Apple to Samsung: Don't Make Thin or Rectangular Tablets or Smartphones In a court document, Apple offers suggestions as to how Samsung's electronics could look less like Apple's. The suggestions include "cluttered" and "square." $99 Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet to Debut in US The 7-inch Novo7 sports a 1GHz CPU and includes front and rear cameras, 3D capability, 1080p video decoding and an HDMI port. Dot-XXX Domains Go Live, Escalating Battle for Smutty URLs The .XXX domain is meant to safely filter adult content on the Web under one domain name that also gives users an advanced heads-up over what they will find once a site has loaded. For the latest news and opinion, visit our Blogs page . Reviews Four Driver Update Utilities: Which Ones Can You Count On? Updating drivers is no thrill fest, but out-of-date drivers cause big headaches. We review the programs that promise to locate driver updates for you...and tell you who delivers. Printers Gift Guide: Pick the Perfect Model Whether you're seeking a reliable printer for a home office or a student's room, or you want to jazz up a desk with a well-designed workhorse, we have the printer for you. Compare prices on printers. For more reviews, visit PCWorld.com. How-To How to Organize Your PC Cables Your PC's case is more than likely cluttered with cables. Check out our illustrated guide to minimizing cable clutter and making your desktop cleaner, cooler, and more stable. How to Fix Your Windows 7 Network Networking your PCs together is easier than ever, but a few common problems still pop up from time to time. Learn how to resolve them now. For more tips, visit PCWorld.com. Videos The Transformer Prime Quad-Core Tablet Is a Gaming Delight The first quad-core tablet, the Transformer Prime from Asus, is an Android tablet running Android Honeycomb and has some of the best looking graphics we've ever seen on a mobile device. For more videos, visit PCWorld.com. Downloads Winter Windows 7 Theme Take a different perspective on winter with these thought-provoking snowy landscapes. For more free and trial software, visit PCWorld.com. PC World Community The Death Of Gamepro Join the discussion. Visit the PC World Community The Future of 3D Gaming Read the latest updates on the gaming revolution. Read more. Advertisement Lenovo ThinkPads & IdeaPads Click thru to shop the bestselling ThinkPads & IdeaPads! Most Popular Searches Android Tablet Apps Windows 8 Asus Product Reviews Samsung Epic Touch 4G 92 Pros Bright, clear Super AMOLED Plus display; Superb performance; Excellent camera Cons Lots of bloatware/preloaded apps ; Plasticky build Read Complete Review » Top 10 Cell Phones » Best 10 Phones for Business » Best Android Phones for Business » Top 10 Android Phones » 100 Best Products of 2011 » Samsung Focus S 86 Pros Gorgeous Super AMOLED display; Good 8-megapixel camera; Smooth performance Cons Faint hiss in background of some calls; Windows Phone 7 has some limitations; Phone feels a bit plasticky Read Complete Review » Top 10 Cell Phones » Best 10 Phones for Business » Top 5 Windows Phones » Samsung Epic Touch 4G 92 Pros Bright, clear Super AMOLED Plus display; Superb performance; Excellent camera Cons Lots of bloatware/preloaded apps ; Plasticky build Read Complete Review » Top 10 Cell Phones » Best 10 Phones for Business » Best Android Phones for Business » Top 10 Android Phones » 100 Best Products of 2011 » Get Big Savings When you Shop at PCWorld.com Shop online at PCWorld.com, where you can compare product information, read trusted reviews, and find the best prices on consumer electronics. Deskjet 6900 6940 Inkjet Printer - Color - Plain Paper Print - Desktop Price: $88.00 Avg User Rating 6 User Reviews 6150 All-in-One Inkjet Printer (32 PPM, 4800 DPI, Color, PC/Mac) Price: $136.95 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Browse more Best Prices on Printers, Ink & Toner, Paper, Graphics & Publishing Software Top News on PCWorld.com 20 Most Anticipated Tech Products of 2012 From Apple's iPhone 5 to next-gen thermostats to OLED TVs, here are 20 tech products we're looking forward to seeing in 2012. Share: Refurbished HP TouchPad Firesale This Sunday, Report Says A limited quantity of refurbished TouchPads will reportedly go on sale at HP's eBay Store starting at 6 p.m. Central Time (7 p.m. Eastern) on Sunday, December 11. Share: Top Reviews on PCWorld.com Laptop Reliability and Satisfaction: MacBooks Rule There's nothing quite like a MacBook, according to PCWorld readers who participated in our survey on their satisfaction with the performance of their laptops. Share: Smartphone Reliability and Satisfaction: iPhone Tops the List Readers like their handsets from Apple and HTC, but were less impressed with phones from LG and Samsung. Share: Desktop PC Reliability and Satisfaction: Dell and HP Home PCs Get Poor Grades The two PC giants haven't kept pace with the industry in durability and product support. Readers gave better marks to Apple and Asus. Share: HDTV Reliability and Satisfaction: LG is the Brand to Beat Owners of LG flat screens said the TVs were reliable and easy to use. Mitsubishi HDTV owners weren't nearly as satisfied. Share: Downloads: Editor's Collection Deserving Donationware, Part I: Free Favorites Worth Paying For I turn to the same software time and again. Some I did not have to pay for, thanks to the generosity of hard-working developers who share their creations for free, asking only for a donation from those who are willing and able. I looked through my Start menu and taskbar for those applications I take for granted all year long. If you're already using these, now is a great time to support them or their causes. And if any are new to you, you're in for a treat. --Erez Zukerman Browse DownloadsAntivirus & Security • Design & Multimedia • Utilities • Games • Chat, Email, & the Web • Sponsored Downloads Cucusoft DVD Ripper+Video Converter Ultimate SuiteEnjoy your audio and video on any device with Cucusoft DVD Ripper + Video converter Ultimate. Converts DVDs and videos to play on almost any portable device including iPod, iPhone, Zune, PSP, video capable MP3 players, video capable mobile phones, and Pocket PC. Whats more, output to almost any video format from AVI to WMA. (Compatibility: Windows 95/98/ME,Windows NT/2000,Windows XP,Windows NT/2000/2003/SBS2003,Windows Vista) PCWorld newsletter subscribers use discount code CUCU-CQLJ to get 30% off! 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