Top 10 tablets and ereaders of 2012

6. Apple iPad 4

Apple's iPad 4, also confusingly known as 'the new iPad' and 'the iPad with Retina display', is the firm's latest, and arguably greatest, 9.7in tablet device.

Unveiled alongside the iPad Mini earlier this year, the iPad 4 features Apple's trademark Retina display and the 9.7in screen boasts a 1536x2048 pixel resolution, complete with a pixel density of 264 pixels-per-inch (ppi) and a scratch resistant coating.

It may not be as small as the iPad Mini, but the fourth-gen iPad is nice and compact too - measuring in at 9.4mm thick and tipping the scales at 662g, ideal for those after a portable device. It may be relatively compact, but the device also manages to squeeze in a 5MP rear-facing camera with HD video, a 1.2MP front-facing camera, a dual-core 1.4GHz processor and a meaty 11,560mAh battery, which should last around 12 hours.

What's more, the device comes running the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 6, making it a great device for those who already wield an iPhone or Apple Macbook.

5. Kobo Glo

Being tech geeks, while we get the fact there are benefits to closed ecosystems, we still hold a special place in our hearts for all open platforms.

Because of this we were instantly won over by the Kobo Glo ereader, which breaks the tradition set by Amazon's popular Kindle series of devices, letting you load books and files from any marketplace that supports the ePub format.

This means that as well as the three million plus e-books on the official Kobo Store, you can copy over files from other ecosystems, like Sony. Add to this the added boon of a backlit screen, that lets you use the Glo in low light conditions and we can't recommend Kobo's latest e-reader enough.