Top 10 tablets and ereaders of 2012

9. Asus Transformer Pad

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity has made our list thanks to its quirky form factor, as this Android device was one of the first to operate as both a tablet and a laptop.

Ideal for those in the market for a business-focussed tablet, Asus' Transformer Pad Infinity comes with a bundled in keyboard which makes it easy to type up documents and lengthy emails. That's not all it's good at, though.

The Transformer Pad Infinity also boasts a powerful 1.6GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, Google's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich software and a 10.1in 1920 x 1200 screen, which means it offers up crystal clear images and easy-to-read text.

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity comes stuffed full of other features, too. On its rear there's an 8MP camera with 1080p HD video, a 2MP front-facing camera, either 32GB or 64GB of included storage, a microSD card slot, a 9.5 hour battery life and HDMI connectivity, which means you can connect the device to your HD television.

8. Yoga IdeaPad

The Yoga is what Lenovo call its first 'multi-mode' notebook, and it's able to fold and contort into numerous different positions. Available in two sizes of 11in and 13in, both models' displays are built on a hinge that allows them to tilt 360 degrees, folding it from a laptop to a tablet in one motion.

This flexibility means the IdeaPad Yoga can be used in four different positions: "clamshell laptop", "tablet", "stand" and "tent" modes.

Not only does the Yoga allow for a number of viewing positions, but it is also quite the powerhouse, with the larger 13in model running the full version of the Windows 8 operating system and powered by a choice of Intel Core processors with up to 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD hard drive and up to eight hours' battery life.

The IdeaPad Yoga might seem a little pricey, retailing for a starting price of £1000 for the 13in model and £700 for the 11in version. However, its sleek and adjustable design will see that you don't have to buy a laptop as well, saving you money and giving you one less device to carry around.

7. Amazon Paperwhite

It's easy to assume that the glut of new tablets hitting the market this year would have all but wiped out the humble ereader. After all, why would consumers want a device that specialises in doing a single thing well, when an all singing, all dancing tablet can do the lot?

Well Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite stands as testament to why such thinking is just plain wrongheaded as the lightweight, portable reading device is a top notch offering.

Kindle's e-ink has always been easy on the eye, but the addition of the illuminated screen means users can read in virtually all lighting conditions. And unlike a backlit tablet, the Paperwhite's light doesn't stream into your eyes - the screen is illuminated from above. For anybody with a serious amount of reading to do, this is a great way to avoid eye strain.

The device itself is easy on the pocket - both in outlay and portability - and features neat additions such as the Time to Read feature, which lets users know how long it's likely to take them to reach the end of a chapter. What more could the bedtime reader ask for?

The market for ereaders may never reach the scale of the tablet market. But the Kindle Paperwhite shows why it won't yet be swept away by the tablet frenzy. If we had one small quibble, we're not entirely convinced that the 3G option is entirely necessary.