From image conscious teenagers to senior business executives, Apple's customer base covers everybody (no wonder Apple is the richest technology company today). Many of us at TechTree, do like Apple's products, but then there are some of us who dont (just like the world outside!). This list is a result of much disagreement, research and debate. Coming to think of it, the fact that picking these alternatives was not an easy task is a testament to Apple.

We'll begin this list with the hottest Apple  product - the iPhone 5.
[All prices mentioned in this article are approximate market prices]

Alternatives to Apple iPhone 5 (Rs 45,000)

Samsung GALAXY S III (Rs 32,000)
The GALAXY S III is the most powerful droid available in the market. Its quad-core Exynos 4412 chipset blows the competition out of the water when it comes to gaming and other multimedia tasks. After the recent price cut, the Galaxy S3 got more attractive.

Nokia Lumia 920 (Rs 35,000)
Bold colours, beautiful design, and the outstanding camera set the Lumia 920 apart from the current crop of smartphones. Windows Phone 8 on it makes the UI as fluid as iOS, and the number of features can be compared to that of any flagship Android phone.

HTC One X+ (Rs 38,500)
The One X+ is one of the best looking Android handsets currently available in the Indian market. It offers a 4.7" HD screen and an 8 MP feature-packed camera. The phone is powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset, which is enough to take care of all your multimedia needs, and then some more.

Alternatives to Apple iPad 4 (Rs 40,000 for WiFi+3G, 16GB)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Rs 34,500)
For starters, the GALAXY Note 10.1 comes with a powerful quad-core Exynos 4412 SOC and 2 GB of RAM. The tablet runs Android 4.0 (upgradable to 4.1), and comes with impressive stylus integration. If you like jotting down the notes and making doodles, look no further. 

Microsoft Surface RT (Rs 40,000)
With the Surface, Microsoft has proved that you don't need to copy the iPad to produce a good looking tablet. Moreover, thanks to its integrated kickstand and keyboard accessory, this slate can transform into a laptop in a few seconds. What gives it a clear edge over the rivals is the preinstalled Office 2013.

Asus Transformer Pad TF300TG (Rs 42,000)
True to its name, the Transformer Pad TF300TG can turn into a laptop by docking to the keyboard accessory. To take advantage of the available space, Asus has thrown in an extra battery inside the dock. It's powered by a 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor.

Alternatives to Apple MacBook Air (13 inch variant: Rs 82,000; 11 inch variant: Rs 68,000)


HP ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook (Rs 64,000)
The TouchSmart Ultrabook features a dual-core 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 (3rd Gen) processor, and has 4 GB of RAM. The 32GB SSD cache helps speed start up times, while main storage is taken care of by a 500 GB hard disk. Thanks to the elegant brushed metal finish, there's nothing to complain in the design department. The 14" touchscreen provides this Windows 8 Ultrabook a slightly bigger screen but at the expense of being slightly bulkier, compared to the MacBook Air. 

Acer Aspire S7 (Rs 90,000)
The full HD IPS touchscreen takes full advantage of the Windows 8 UI. Performance is top-notch, as you'd expect from a Core i7-powered laptop. Acer gets full marks for the sculpted aluminium casing, making it one of the most compact and trendy ultrabook in the Windows camp. Still not impressed? Well, it's promoted by Megan Fox.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga (Rs 78,500)
The IdeaPad Yoga is a unique ultrabook that features a flip and fold design. The 13.3" IPS screen has pixel dimensions of 1600x900. It's powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, and has 4 GB of RAM. Storage is taken care of by a 128 GB SSD which is a norm for ultra slim laptops. If you're in for a full-fledged ultrabook with a tablet twist, IdeaPad Yoga is the way to go.

Alternatives to Apple iMac (21.5 inch varient: Rs 85,900+ ; 27 inch varient: Rs 122,900+)


IdeaCentre A720 All-in-One (Rs 1,00,000+)
The IdeaCentre A720 with its 27" full-HD touchscreen is not only comparable to the iMac, but perhaps better. You get an option to choose between Core i5 and i7 processors. Apart from that you get a discrete graphics card for gaming and 750 GB of storage.

Sony VAIO L Series 24" (Rs 108,000)
This little known All-In-One desktop from the Japanese manufactuer boasts of 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD) in the 24" screen. Powered by an Intel Core i7 2.40 GHz CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a 2 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M GPU, compute power is not an issue here at all. A 1 TB hard drive, DVD drive, and HDMI port are present too.

Dell Inspiron One 2020 (Rs 36,000)
Let's be fair here and say that this Inspiron does not offer the toughest competition to the iMac. It is included in this list because of its form factor and a design approach that borrows from the iMac. Specs include a modest Intel Core i3 CPU and 4 GB of RAM. The 20" screen has pixel dimensions of 1600x900 (not full HD, mind you). Other features such as a 500 GB hard drive, DVD RW, and Intel onboard graphics aren't brag-worthy, but get the job done. Before you frown, consider that the Inspiron One 2020 costs only 40% as much as the entry level iMac does.

Tags : Apple, Buyers Guide