NextBook Coupons

I said it before and I'll say it again: beware cheap tablets.

Take the new E Fun Nextbook Next6, a 7-inch tablet with a capacitive touchscreen, 4GB of storage, and a couple dozen preloaded e-books. Though temptingly priced as low as $165.99 from retailers like Buy.com, it fares poorly as anything but a basic e-reader and media player.

And even then it's not so hot.

If you're anything like me, you were pretty disappointed to learn that the iPad 2 was going to cost the same as the iPad 1. Apple didn't budge one bit on pricing--meaning if you want in on the tablet craze, it'll still cost you $499 minimum.

Or will it?

When Sprint announced a 7-inch Android tablet priced at $99.99, my ears perked right up. After all, Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet cost twice as much, and they're both just glorified e-readers.

The ZTE Optik is a much more versatile tablet, with features like Bluetooth (for streaming music to compatible speakers and earbuds), GPS (for navigation, natch), dual cameras, and, perhaps best of all, Sprint's 3G data service.

In other words, unlike most tablets of its size, the Optik doesn't rely solely on Wi-Fi for connectivity. It comes packing Sprint's nationwide network.

And there, as you've probably guessed, is the catch. Although the hardware will run you a very reasonable $99.99, you can't get it without signing a two-year service agreement. And Sprint's Tablet Connection plans start at $19.99 per month.

Time to bid goodbye to 2011, as exciting a year in technology as any I can remember. Last week I told you about my favorite products of the year; now let's talk about the technology trends that helped make it so memorable.