This year didn’t see much in the way of breakout new products— the revolutionary gadgets that have us swarming the poor UPS guy. Instead, what we got were a lot of tweaks, updates, and fine-tuning. But that’s not a bad thing. Bumping up the speed of a wirelessnetwork, making a digital camera easier to use, selling a first-rate e-reader for under $100, or launching a competent rival to Apple Inc.’s iPad are all welcome developments. What follows are our picks for best holiday tech buys.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 There’s not quite a new sheriff in town, but Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd.’s 10.1-inch tablet (following last year’s disappointing 7-inch model) is the first iPad alternative that truly holds its own against Apple’s hardware. Indeed, in some ways, the Tab 10.1 surpasses the iPad. The display is magnificent: vivid, bright, and boasting a higher resolution than Apple’s tablet (1,200 x 800 resolution, versus the iPad’s 1,024 x 768). The Galaxy Tab also has an aspect ratio that’s very close to the 16:9 HDTV standard, which makes it better for viewing wide-screen movies than the iPad, which has a 4:3 ratio. The cameras have a higher resolution than the iPad’s (though still fairly primitive compared to most new cell phones), and the unit weighs a bit less (1.25 lbs. versus 1.33 lbs). The Galaxy Tab is fast, has a very responsive touch interface, and has superb build quality. This is simply the best Android tablet on the market today.

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