iPad 3 vs. Asus Transformer Pad 300: How to Get the Most from Your New Tablet

Whether you buy the iPad 3 (iPad 2S?) or the Asus Transformer Pad 300, you'll want to get the most out of your new tablet, so here's how. Though both are fast, portable media-consuming devices, they do run different software systems.

If you're aiming at getting a particular app (Instagram, for example), be sure the one you want runs on the right system. Furthermore, if you plan to do more reading or movie watching, you'll need to know which is better for that. In this case, the Transformer Pad 300 weighs quite a bit more than the iPad 2, so that might make a difference for any long bouts of reading.

On the other hand, the iPad is not as bright a display, so that could make a difference if you're reading outside in sunlight. To complicate things, the new iPad is rumored to be heavier than the iPad 2 because of a bigger battery and added 4G LTE radio. We don't know how much bigger, but it's something to watch for if you read a bunch on your device.

For watching videos, there are a couple of factors to consider. Storage is one, and the iPad is a bit more limited in that regard because it lacks a microSD card reader for expanding the storage and adding extra movies. If you like to connect your tablet to an HDTV for watching on a bigger screen, the iPad can do it wirelessly. You'd need the Apple TV to do that, though there is a connector Apple makes to connect with an HDMI cable right to the television. The Transformer Pad has a mini-HDMI port built-in, so there's no need to buy the proprietary connector.

The Transformer Pad 300 is a 10-inch Android powered tablet, and it's got 16 gigabytes of storage, Android 4.0, dual cameras and a companion keyboard dock with extra battery life and full-size USB ports. The dock is not included with the tablet, however. There's no pricing or availability given yet for either device, though the iPad should go on sale a week or so after the March 7 Apple unveiling.

Tell us in the comments if you're tablet shopping, or if you're still trying to decide why you'd need a tablet over a laptop anyway.