幾年來第一次，購買平板電腦不一定是一個簡單的決定。流行的觀點一直是“買一臺iPad就行了”，但現在已經不是這樣了。谷歌、亞馬遜和Barnes&Noble都在推廣自己的平板電腦和電子閱讀器，它們都是快速改進的好產品。然後是整個“平板電腦”與“閱讀平板電腦”與“電子書閱讀器”的困境，在這種困境中，公司甚至無法弄清楚自己的裝置是做什麼用的。另外，即使你真的想要一臺iPad，你買的是大的還是小的？便宜的大的還是貴的大的？

這裡有一個方便的指南，以確保你不會去百思買，並最終走出錯誤的東西。

You want a tablet? Buy an iPad

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It may not have such a big lead anymore over the competition, but there’s still no besting the 9.7-inch iPad’s processing power, giant ecosystem of apps and accessories, and most of all its stunning Retina display. The most recent model has a Lightning port and an even faster processor, and is as great a gaming machine as it is a reading device. It's incredibly versatile, too — from your kid to your Grandma, the iPad legitimately works for everyone.

You want a more portable tablet? Buy an iPad mini

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The numbers vary, but most studies and stories agree that most people’s iPads rarely leave their home. The iPad mini, on the other hand, is perfectly portable – it weighs just over half a pound, and will slide into your purse or backpack unnoticed. You don’t get the Retina screen or the cutting-edge processor, but you do get a tablet that’s easier to use in line, on the subway, or while holding a cup of coffee in your other hand.

You want a cheap tablet? Buy a Nexus 7

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Google's 7-inch tablet can't compete with Apple's app ecosystem, but the $199 Nexus 7 is still a great tablet in its own right. It's fast, has a great screen, is well-integrated with Google's services, and is even more portable than the iPad mini. You can even get a data-enabled Nexus 7 for less than the price of an iPad mini, and for the ultra-mobile person in your life that might be the perfect deal.

You only want content? Buy a Kindle Fire HD

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Amazon has more content than any other ecosystem, and the Kindle Fire HD (in 7- or 8.9-inch models) is a great way to access that huge universe of music, movies, apps, and books. It's not a device for power users, but it's a great tablet for a parent or friend who just wants something to watch or read.

You want an e-reader? Buy a Kindle Paperwhite

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If you want to sit and read for hours at a time, undistracted by Twitter and Angry Birds Star Wars, an E-Ink e-reader is the way to go. Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is the best of the bunch: it has a sharper, crisper screen than its compe*****s, and adds a subtle light to the front that makes it readable in the dark. It's the best in-bed companion you'll find, and it plugs into Amazon's gigantic ecosystem of books and periodicals. We'd recommend getting the $179 3G-enabled version, which lets you buy and download books from basically anywhere, but the $119 Wi-Fi version is good too.