Desktops and Notebooks: T-Mobile`s G-Slate Challenges iPad 2, Motorola Xoom

T-Mobile's G-Slate tablet will challenge the iPad 2 and Motorola Xoom, as well as upcoming devices such as Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet, for a piece of 2011's burgeoning tablet market. Like the Motorola Xoom, the G-Slate by LG Electronics boasts a powerful dual-core processor and the tablet-optimized Google Android 3.0, code-named "Honeycomb. However, T-Mobile hopes the G-Slate's 4G support will give it an additional leg up over all rivals. At this year's CTIA conference in Orlando, Fla., T-Mobile and some of its hardware partners gave eWEEK a few minutes with their newest 8.9-inch baby, and it certainly proved a fast experience. T-Mobile is betting that its latest-generation hardware and 4G speed, combined with Google services and access to the rapidly growing Android Marketplace, will be enough to draw customers-but just to make things a little easier on that front, the carrier is also retailing the G-Slate for $529 with a two-year contract, which places the tablet's cost roughly level with many other devices on the market.