A glance at the iPad and competing tablet computers, existing and future

The iPad and its competitors at a glance

Here are some of the tablet computers that are on sale now or coming out in the next six months:

Apple iPad — The product that started it all, after others had tried for years to make tablet computers a mainstream product. Came out in April. Screen is 9.7 inches diagonally. Starts at $499.

BlackBerry PlayBook — Revealed Monday, it has a 7-inch screen and is expected to be available early next year. It runs BlackBerry software and will be able to connect with a nearby phone, acting a bigger screen for it. The price hasn’t been announced.

Dell Streak — A 5-inch tablet with full cell phone functions on AT&T Inc.’s network. Runs Google Inc.’s Android software. Costs $300 with a two-year AT&T contract. Released in August.

Samsung Galaxy Tab — A 7-inch tablet, to be released soon by the four largest U.S. cell phone companies: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA. Prices have not been announced. Will run Google Inc.’s Android software.

Cisco Cius — A 7-inch tablet for business use, to launch early next year. Price has not yet been announced, but the goal is to keep it under $1,000, Cisco has said.