Is Samsung's Galaxy the answer to Apple's iPad?

Research in Motion Inc's answer to Apple's iPad is expected to be priced a lot lower than the iPad, but Samsung's Galaxy is priced around the same level and promises a whole new experience.

RIM's Playbook, which is much smaller than the iPad with a 7-inch LCD touchscreen, has more RAM capacity than the iPad. Though RIM's CEO did not mention the exact price range, he said it would be below the $500 threshold.

Apple's iPads start from $499, depending on the capacity and capability.

The Playbook will use Adobe Flash, an important omission in the iPad. Apple's phones and iPads have long eschewed Adobe Flash, which is required to run certain videos, and uses other alternatives.

Samsung's Galaxy, however, is being touted the 'real answer' to the iPad.

Galaxy, which runs on Android, is sleek and has a 7-inch multitouch screen.

Reviews by David Pogue on the New York Post said the whole thing is superfast and a pleasure to use.

Many users are wary about the smaller screen size. The iPad has a 9.7 inch screen but the Galaxy is small enough to slip into a pocket. The tablet is lighter than the iPad at 13 ounces, which makes it convenient to read books or watch movies on it.

The Galaxy also comes equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras along with a slew of applications.

Samsung is striving hard to enter the computer and phone market and shore up its balance sheet. It is unsure yet how much the tablet will account for the company's revenues. The company is planning to sell over 6 million by the end of the next year.

The tablet is priced at $600 and is available on all four major network carriers for less than that amount on a two-year contract.