Fujitsu's latest tablet for the business market is an Android-based device designed to complement the Windows 7 Stylistic Q550 it introduced last year. It offers corporate users a slimmer option with more consumer appeal but with corporate features added for security and management.

The Stylistic M532 has a 10.1in screen, but is thinner and lighter than Fujitsu's older model, at just 8.6mm thick and 560g in weight. In fact, these dimensions make it roughly comparable to Apple's iPad, although slightly thinner and lighter.

Fujitsu's tablet does not have a retina display, however, settling for a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, which is comparable to other Android tablets such as the Asus Transformer Pad.

The Stylistic M532 is based on a 1.4GHz version of Nvidia's Tegra 3 quad-core ARM processor, which has an integrated GeForce GPU, and seemed to have no trouble powering the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform in our brief time with the device.

In fact, the Stylistic M532 is a slick device that could easily sway those who might be otherwise tempted by an iPad.

There is only one configuration available at launch which consists of 1GB memory, 32GB Flash storage, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a built-in 3G/HSPA modem with GPS.

The SIM card slot on the Stylistic M532 accepts standard sized SIMs rather than the micro-sized type, and next to it is a microSD slot for extra storage and Micro USB port for recharging and connecting to a computer.

Fujitsu also provides the Stylistic M532 with a HDMI output and a docking connector for use with a desktop cradle.

There is an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash at the rear of the tablet, plus a forward-facing 2-megapixel for video conferencing.

While the Stylistic M532 is based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Fujitsu said it has deliberately not customised the platform with proprietary extensions such as a GUI overlay, so the tablet will be easy to upgrade when new Android updates are pushed out.

However, Fujitsu has pre-loaded a number of applications aimed at business users, including ThinkFree Mobile office suite, Norton Tablet Security, Nitrodesk TouchDown email client, plus Citrix Receiver and VMware View clients for accessing virtual desktop sessions.

With such features included as standard, the device could certainly find its way into many enterprises and, surprisingly, perhaps an Android tablet will be able to provide the first proper challenge to the iPad's dominance among senior executives.

The Stylistic M532 is set to be available in mid-June for £476, and we expect to have a full review available soon afterwards.

There's been a lot written about the new iPad, a lot. So as soon as we got our hands on one of the Wi-Fi-only 16GB models on launch day, we were eager to see how it would perform, particularly the apparently world-changing retina display.

And it seems fair to say that, like every other publication, V3 was highly impressed by the improvement Apple has brought to the device, with images, web pages and text all displayed with a crispness that is noticeably better than what was possible with the iPad 2.

The 5-megapixel camera that Apple has included is another notable improvement on the iPad 2.

The two pictures below, featuring several different colours, show just how much better the camera in the new iPad is - and while it's hard to replicate on a web page, the Retina display shows the improvements off to its full effect.

Below: the camera in the new iPad gives images a crisper, clearer display.

Below: the same photo taken by the iPad 2 lacks the sharpness of the new device.

Another major improvement that Apple has touted with the new device is its quad-core graphics processor, offering faster speeds and better displays for games, and certainly in the short play we had on the device there was a clear speed improvement when using the device.

Loading Google Maps, for example, is rapid, with Street View also loading smoothly.

However, in many ways there is little about the new iPad to separate it from the iPad 2, with the device looking identical and boasting almost identical features.

For some this won't matter at all, as the iPad is still a thing of beauty and unquestionably the best tablet on the market by some distance, and the improved features Apple has added are a significant upgrade.

However, if the idea of a super-sharp display and a better camera don't really appeal to you that much, you may find yourself happily ticking along with your iPad 2 for a while yet before you feel the need to upgrade.

Check back next week when we'll have a full review of the new iPad.

Windows 8 looks set to impose a steep learning curve on future users, as the new operating system breaks dramatically with the conventions of previous versions and adopts a user interface more in keeping with Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.

We tested the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on a HP TouchSmart 520 all-in-one PC, and found that while the new Metro-style user interface has much to recommend it, it also feels rather constrained and limiting when compared with the desktop of Windows 7 and earlier releases.

The home-screen is a whole different world to the traditional Windows interface

The impressions gleaned from our initial hands-on with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview are that many users are likely to be baffled by the Metro-style user interface, and it could take a long time for most people to get used to it, as it introduces a completely different way of working.

Overall, Microsoft has not changed the look and feel of Windows 8 much since the Developer Preview that we tested out the firm's Build conference in September.

The main Start screen still consists of a set of blocky coloured tiles that represent applications or functions, such as email, messaging, web browser, and photos. As before, the tiles are 'live' meaning that they show status updates such as notifications of new emails, and touching a tile or clicking on it with a mouse opens the application full screen.

For users of Windows Phone, all this will have a certain amount of familiarity, as the Metro-style look is largely inherited from Microsoft's smartphone platform. For pretty much everyone else, the change is likely to be a jarring experience.

It is not even immediately clear how you access settings using the Metro interface. This is partly accomplished via what Microsoft terms ‘charms' - pop-up tools that appear if you swipe or move your mouse to the right edge of the display (see screenshot).

In fact, the whole Windows 8 experience is designed around giving the user access to their key information - email, messaging, contacts, social networking - directly from the main screen.

For those wanting to use existing Windows applications, there is still a Desktop that can be accessed by a tile on the start screen. It looks very like the desktop of Windows 7, but is a largely emasculated version with no Start menu and nothing more than the Recycle Bin icon showing.

It appears that applications must be launched from the main Start menu, with current applications opening in the Desktop rather than as a Metro-style app. Built-in Windows tools such as the Computer Management console can be found if you look for them, and these run in the Desktop.

The new-look Metro applications have a deliberately sparse appearance, and are designed to fill the entire screen.

Using these can also be confusing at first, as many of the controls and menus that Windows users are accustomed to are completely absent, and you often have to resort to searching for the charms or context-sensitive menus that pop-up from the bottom of the display.

Still, it's clear Microsoft has understood that with mobile devices, chiefly smartphone and tablets, set to dominate the future of computing, the Windows 8 system needs to meet this trend.

The use of the live tiles, as on the Windows Phone platform, is a slick, innovative system, and many users may, having got over the initial shock of the new system, quickly find themselves happily using the new interface without too much difficulty.

Metro-style website display in IE10 on Windows 8

We also found installing the Windows 8 Consumer Preview more challenging than with earlier pre-release versions of Windows. Based on previous experience, we expected the best route to take would be to create a bootable DVD and perform a clean install from this.

However, we soon ran into problems as our test system had Windows 7 pre-installed, and Windows 8 declined to install itself to any of the available partitions, stating that the "selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks."

GPT, or GUID Partition Table, was introduced as part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) initiative to replace the ageing PC Bios firmware.

To cut a long story short, we were forced to use the Diskpart tool from the command prompt to delete each existing partition, then use the same tool to convert the disk to GPT before creating a new partition to accept Windows 8.

After this, Windows 8 installed, but the clean install has some drawbacks which we found out too late. We had lost the drivers for the touchscreen hardware, among one or two other things, and Windows 8 was unable to find suitable drivers to do the job.

We managed to locate the necessary drivers on the support section of HP's website, but the install file checks which version of Windows you are running and will not proceed on Windows 8.

We hope to find a solution soon and provide a fuller report on Windows 8 running on the HP Touchsmart 520. In the meantime, we sincerely hope that Microsoft provides a better upgrade experience for users than this when Windows 8 finally ships.

BARCELONA: With Samsung adding yet more tablets to its ever-expanding range, V3 managed to get its hands on the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 running Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Tab 2 retains most of the design and traits that made the original Galaxy Tab popular with enterprise users and consumers.

However, in terms of looks, the Tab 2 isn't the sexiest and slimmest in the Galaxy range and we prefer Galaxy Tab 7.7.

Samsung hasn't gone over-the-top with the specifications on the Tab 2 either, in a deliberate attempt to keep the price of the device as low as possible to try and entice first-time tablet buyers.

The main area where costs have been saved is the 7in display, with Samsung shipping the Tab 2 with a 1024x600 resolution. This is not as good as the Super Amoled screen with 1,280x800 resolution found on the Tab 7.7.

However, under the hood Samsung has not skimped on components. The Tab 2 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There is a micro SD slot that allow users to boost storage by another 32GB, which is always handy.

We found performance to be smooth, although not as quick as the quad-core powered Transformer Prime.

Samsung has also pre-loaded Android Ice Cream Sandwich onto the tablet so it is capable of offering the most up-to-date software experience of any tablet which is important as Apple gears up to unveil the iPad 3.

The 3G device also retains the ability to make calls so you can use the device as a smartphone if you wish, although using a Bluetooth headset is probably best though to avoid getting strange looks.

HSPA+ network connectivity of up to 21Mbit/s, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also supported, but no LTE model is planned.

BARCELONA: The Padfone may sound like a bit of a silly name, but Asus could be onto another winning hybrid concept. Granted the concept of combining a smartphone and a tablet is a little "out there", but stranger things have caught on.

When the smartphone and tablet are joined together you get the appearance of a regular Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. The device is reasonably comfortable to hold, but at 724g weight it's not the lightest.

This can be forgiven though as there are two batteries - a 1520mAh Li-ion in the handset and a 24.4Whr pack in the 10.1in chassis. Plus the large screen of the tablet suggests that the device isn't exactly made for pockets.

As with all the latest Asus tablets, the design is very impressive and the Padfone oozes premium quality. The display looks the business, and the 10.1in screen has a 1280x800 resolution, which isn't quite as crisp as we would have liked but impressive nonetheless.

Most people would probably just mistake the Padfone for a regular 10.1in device until you pop open the top and pull out the smartphone to answer an incoming call.

The handset itself looks like a cross between the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Nexus, which is no bad thing. The handset weighs in at 129g, making it reasonably lightweight. On the back of both the smartphone and tablet is the familiar metallic concentric circle design that has become a trademark for Asus devices.

From what we have seen so far the performance looks to be strong too. Asus has gone with the Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM. The transition between the devices when connected and disconnected is extremely quick as they share the same memory pool.

Additionally, you can also buy a Transformer Prime-like keyboard dock and convert the Padfone into a netbook. Asus claims that this three-in-one device has a battery capacity that is nine-times better than most netbooks.

Added to this, there will be a stylus that doubles as a headset and it could well prove very popular with business users.

The only potential stumbling block could be the pricing, with Asus yet to announce how much the Padfone will retail for but with two devices and a possible keyboard dock, it may not be cheap.

However, with shipments set to start in April, we should discover pricing soon enough.

Google has released a beta version its highly acclaimed Chrome desktop browser for the Android platform and V3 has been putting it through its paces.

The browser is available to download for devices running the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform and aims to provide improved browsing speeds and synchronisation between devices.

V3 has been using the Chrome for Android Beta on the Asus Transformer Prime and the app is impressive in terms of speed and design, but does have some flaws.

The interface closely resembles the desktop version of Chrome, which has always been excellent in terms of speed and a clear and simple look. Tabbed browsing has already been introduced in the standard Android Webkit browser, so it is no surprise to see it included in Chrome.

The mobile browser allows users to open an unlimited number of tabs and they stack up nicely so that you can see exactly how many you have open.

There are some nice touches including the ability to zoom in on links, making them easier to hit on smartphones. When you sync your Google account, the browser will also open up pages that you have been viewing on another machine.

However, users expecting all desktop features on mobile devices will be disappointed. There is no Adobe Flash support available in this version and it will not make it to final release.

Adobe has confirmed that Chrome for Android will not support Flash as the firm has stopped developing the technology for mobile operating systems and is focussing on the HTML5 standard.

As mentioned, the Chrome app only supports the latest devices running Android Ice Cream Sandwich. This means it is limited to people with the latest kit, such as the Asus Transformer Prime tablet and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. However, devices that have been rooted and have ICS installed onto them may also be able to get the app.

Considering that lack of Flash support, users are still going to be relying on Firefox and the stock Webkit browser to view video content.

Being a beta version, there are still bugs on Chrome for Android and we did experience crashes and needed to reload tab that were already open. These bugs will no doubt be corrected in further releases.

From what we've seen so far, it looks like Google has built Chrome for Android for the future. As the HTML5 standard comes into more frequent use, it is likely to be one of most used browsers on mobile devices.

We would recommend that Ice Cream Sandwich users download the app, but users with other Android handsets shouldn't feel too hard done by at present.

Apple has spent the last decade successfully reinventing content distribution models in the music, TV and film industries, and is now focusing on the education market.

Although it has probably taken longer than Apple would have liked, publishers such as Pearson, McGraw Hill and DK Publishing have released interactive books on the iPad, which can be accessed via iBooks 2. At present the textbooks are only available in the US market, but we've managed to get a sneak peek at the apps courtesy of our colleagues over the pond.

Our first port of call was the Life on Earth book, which is available for free and aims to showcase the benefits that the tablet form factor can bring. Upon opening the book you are greeted by a fantastic video introduction by the author E Wilson. Although relatively short, it has extremely high production values and gives a taste of things to come.

Everything about iBooks scream high-quality and the presentation makes you want to continue reading the book. The 50-page textbook we looked at was very easy to navigate and aside from the nclusion of multimedia content, we saw many other benefits over the traditional book. Tapping near the top of the screen at any time will bring up options to go back to your Library, access the contents or glossary, bring up study cards, adjust brightness, search the book and bookmark pages.

Text is usually wrapped around pictures, animations or videos. All transitions are instantaneous, so whether you're swiping between pages or activating a video, the performance is as smooth as can be. Almost all non-textual content is interactive and a tap usually expands pictures to full size (see below). After you have viewed the image, you can then pinch it to return to the original page.

Pinching any page will bring up a preview of chapters and pages. You can highlight text and add notes throughout the book.

It is also possible to add notes to your iBook. When a note has been added, a little symbol will appear next to the text and you can expand it whenever you require. This will no doubt be used as a useful revision tool.

iBooks are viewable in both portrait and landscape mode. We prefer the latter as each page is viewable in its entirety and you can swipe away to the next page. When using portrait mode the iBooks simulate traditional books. Text takes priority and videos and images are shown up as thumbnails along the left hand side. At present, it is not possible to change the font, but this could change in future additions.

Books typically cost around $14.99, but it is possible to download a free sample, usually in the form of a chapter, before buying. Considering the wealth of interactive content included, the price point is more than reasonable.

There is a limited amount of content, with around a dozen or so books available at present. But we expect the App Store to be populated very quickly, especially as Apple allows anyone to create a book via the iBooks Author app.

The only concern that we have is the size of books. The larger textbooks are around 3GB each so storing around three or four will fill up a 16GB entry-level iPad rather quickly.

From what we have seen so far, iBooks have plenty to offer and it looks like they are on course to replace the traditional textbook. 

The format also looks to be highly transferable from the classroom to the business environment. Interactive books could be used by businesses to create guides for employees and customers - and we are likely to see them packaged with existing products instead of traditional user manuals.

We look forward to the interactive books being available in the UK.

LAS VEGAS: Research In Motion has made a bid to improve the fortunes of the PlayBook tablet by adding several key productivity features to the platform.

Among the most impressive new components in the PlayBook OS 2.0 is the contact system. While users can still manually enter contact info, the PlayBook is now also able to gather and organise information automatically. Services such as Twitter and LinkedIn can connect with the PlayBook and update a user profile directly to the tablet.

The result of this is something of a small dossier on many contacts. When looking for information on a colleague or trying to connect with a possible client or business contact this can save time in researching and data-mining before meetings.

This, however, depends on the user having full and active profiles on sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Without that cooperation from contacts, the contact page becomes a rather boring and empty window. It is also a feature best suited for business. RIM has been dogged in the past by its reputation as a business-only company, and this feature will do little to win over customers who first and foremost want a fun and enjoyable personal device.

Another interesting feature is the revamped scheduling system. While it might not seem like a big breakthrough, the presentation of the calendar itself is quite useful and impressive.

Small numbers indicate days where few appointments have been scheduled, while large numbers indicate days that have little free time left. With a quick glance, you can now tell when you should book that dentist appointment and when you should opt for a quick lunch at the desk.

For more detail on a day's plan, the Playbook sports a handy side menu. In addition to seeing how full a day is, you can view who the appointment is with and bring up contact information and messaging boxes directly from the calendar.

While the Playbook OS update may not contain any radical redesigns that make people forget about the likes of iOS and Android, it does contain some very nice productivity improvements which will appeal to BlackBerry veterans and enterprise users.