"Keeping on top of a lot of news is a breeze with tablets. Pulse is a great free app that's available for both the iPad and Android tablets," said Paul Reynolds of Consumer Reports.
Pulse lets users subscribe to their favorite news sources and arrange them in rows so that users can easily scroll through them or group them by subject.
"Tablets, especially the iPad, are excellent platforms for reading magazines. The color display is big and bright. The navigation is easy, and you can watch embedded videos and other content that isn't in the print edition," said Reynolds.
Streaming video is another great use. Apps like HBO Go, is free for the iPad and allows HBO subscribers to watch the channel's shows just about anywhere.
With apps like iPad's Garage Band, users can even create music, record compositions, and share them via iTunes or e-mail.
Lastly, games designed for tablets like Infinity Blade offer great, fast graphics that draw users into the action.
In other news, if you're looking for an e-book reader, you have a lot more choices so Consumer Report tested more than a dozen to pick their top three.
A key test is how easy the screen is to read.
"We're looking to see how clear and crisp the type is in different conditions," said Rich Fisco of Consumer Reports.
Readers with backlit screens have problems with glare. Those that don't have a backlight screen are much more readable in bright light.
Another test sized up how quickly the pages turn. In a side-by-side comparison, some e-book readers took twice as long to turn a page.
Consumer Reports says three e-book readers, that each cost around $140 are worth considering - the Nook Simple Touch Reader, the Kindle Wi-Fi, and Borders' Kobo eReader Touch Edition.
If color is a priority, Consumer Reports recommends the $250 Nook Color.
Consumer Reports says if you want a black and white e-book reader, you can save some money by getting Amazon's Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers.
It displays ads, and costs $115, with a $25 savings. Buyers will also get special offers on extras, including discounts from Amazon.com.
