Rx: Take two tablets and use the one that works best for you.

I bought the iPad the first two weeks it was out last year. And like a pioneer who had invested a significant amount of money on something, I was totally committed to using my new purchase. And that wasn’t so hard to do. The iPad is quite a marvelous thing and has a lot of bells and whistles that makes it an enjoyable gadget. It is easy to like. I’ve been an Apple user for years and I felt that the way the iPad operated was truly a wonderful Apple experience. It works seamlessly with my laptop.

But there were also quite a few annoying things about it which I wanted to ignore and I pretty much did, not wanting to spoil my overall experience. But the goonies soon began to knock more loudly and were getting harder to ignore, and they became hard to ignore especially when I finally got my hands on the competition: the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Often, it takes a competitor to point out the weaknesses of something we like. And yes, sometimes competition can make the heart go wander.

The physical differences are quite obvious. The iPad’s big 9.7-inch screen vs the Samsung Tab’s almost half size is the most obvious. Before I actually held the Tab, I was so sure that iPad’s screen size would be a crushing advantage. But when I started using both, I did notice that size indeed does matter, and it’s not always the biggest that wins. I felt the Tab to be more compact, and yes, much lighter than the iPad’s weight which is a drag when you are lying in bed and reading a book. It actually does get quite heavy after awhile. The Tab, despite its screen size, does not challenge my reading, or even my watching videos. Its resolution makes sure of that. The size seems just right. I like it that the Tab is light and fits right into my pants’ front pocket. It’s just a more convenient size for many situations.

The two cameras on the Tab make it a winner. Resolution is quite good and it adds a big dimension to the Internet experience. You can upload anything you can photograph seamlessly. Furthermore, you can use the camera for other things like barcode reading, a very useful app called camcard where you can just photograph calling cards and all the info automatically goes into your contacts, along with other android GPS apps that work with cameras.

Apple’s biggest shining star is its vaunted closed ecosystem. Yes, nothing gets to the user until Apple has improved on an app and has given its approval. And Apple has the most number of apps for download than any other system. And that’s a wonderful thing generally.

But having said that, in practice I hardly notice an advantage for iPad vis-a-vis to the Tab. Android also has a slew of great, practical, dazzling apps that also delivers a great mobile experience. The Android OS is an open system and many are betting that it won’t be long before it has more apps available than Apple will have.

The Tab also has a memory slot and and is 3G capable. How I lived with a 3G-less iPad all these months I will not know.

One of the things I like better on the Tab is typing email or documents on it. And one of my big frustrations with the iPad is its Pages document app. I always get missing letters when I type too fast and thus always end up taking longer editing, inserting missing letters. And this is downright frustrating.

All in all, the two are great gadgets. I am not ready to give away one or the other to my daughter who is begging for one. But I must confess I am finding myself using the Tab more than the iPad. It just feels more responsive and versatile due to its size, weight, cameras, 3G capability.

The new iPad2 has come out and from all indications, it looks like a winner with its cameras, new features and apps. It has also solved its weight problem. I still have to get my hands on it though I am almost sure it will be a marvel and a thrill to use.

But Samsung Tab is coming out too with a higher OS called Honeycomb, and a bigger 10-inch screen apparently to challenge the iPad2 in this bigger screen format.

Now this will be quite a battle for the heart and soul of this gadget guy.