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We have all heard of it, we have all pretty much seen it. Everybody has mixed views and opinions on it. Reviewers show mixed praise, bloggers show mixed posts. But just what are you to do if you are in the market for a tablet, but want one which will multi task? The iPad is the first tablet to be shown the major spotlight, and so if you have had your head in the sand, you’ll be surprised to learn that there are a few alternatives to the iPad which you can check out. And these alternatives are no push arounds.

The HP Slate will run Windows 7, and apparently be as portable as a mobile phone. Multi tasking galore, this tablet which is to be on sale later this year and will be under $500 and as such should be able to compete directly with Apple in terms of price range. The only question is – do you want simplicity and apps, or a powerful and highly functional UI?

The Lenavo Ideapad U1 Hybrid is, and will be throughout 2010, one of the products I would love to own. Unfamiliar? Well heres the good bit; The 11.6-inch Ideapad U1 hybrid features a detachable, tablet-style screen. When the screen is locked in to the chassis it’s a Windows 7 Home Premium laptop with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. When it’s pulled from its shell it becomes a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered, multi-touch slate with 16GB storage, running Lenovo’s Skylight Linux system.

Aimed at people who have a T-mobile phone contract, or internet connection, The Android-based Vega uses the Tegra 250 chipset that we now know as the NVIDIA Tegra 2, and T-Mobile are targeting the slate specifically at the ‘Mum’ segment who, they hope, will readily adopt it as the linchpin of their family lives. An Android powered tablet? Definetely worth a look. It could mainly be used as a home hub media center, controlling various PC extensions and connections.

Granted, it is early days yet – and granted, nobody knows exactly how it will look yet – and granted, it will bear the Google logo, seen as some as geeky. But come on, with the Nexus One being an awesome phone, you’d only expect the GTablet to be awesome too. Although no release date has been confirmed yet, expect it mid-end 2010. I will keep you updated, as this should be a major competitor to the iPad.

Other options include the Dell Android Slate, a tablet which is incredibly sexy looking, but so far is called a ‘concept’ by Dell. But sources suggest a 2010 release, and as such expect it to arrive soon.